Well, a REAL man...

Masculinity is a difficult thing to define. The perception of manliness depends on a huge amount of variables, such as location, age, occupation, etc. Nevertheless, the media continues to attempt to box up this idea of male gender roles and deliver it to the public.

While trying to decide certain universal qualities involved in the definition of masculinity, I came upon one idea that has, unfortunately, become common: lack of intelligence. Think about it; the geeks and nerds of the world will probably never be considered “manly”. The poetry-reading intellectual may be attractive to some women, but most men would not consider it masculine. Rather, a true man is someone too busy shooting deer or picking up chicks to bother with a real education. The only way intelligence would be considered a truly masculine characteristic is if it was paired with various other “manly” qualities, like physical strength or power.

This is another feature that tends to be synonymous with manliness – power and superiority. Every man I have ever had contact with hates to lose, even if he doesn’t admit it. Society’s true man does not come to terms that another man is better than him very easily. But real men never have to worry about other men – they’re simply the best at everything they do. Whether it is physical strength, paycheck, or lady friends, a truly masculine man succeeds in all aspects of his life. Why else would sports be conventionally categorized with males? Or, how else would one explain the stereotypical situation of men getting in fights over the slightest jab at their egos?