There have been many changes in the roles of the sexes over the past 60 years.

As a
result, the expectation of men and the standard we are held to has morphed a little.
But one thing is for sure: There are certain traits that define masculinity that most
men and women would still agree upon.
This isnt a !uestion of bac"wards thin"ing or outdated sensibilities. This is the type
of stuff that points to the fundamental characteristics that most men still hold dear.
#trength, reliability and action are all still core parts of what ma"es a mans man. This
doesnt mean that youre failing if you arent achieving some of these aspects, but
rather, theyre goals to "eep in mind as you forge through your !uest to become better.
Any way you slice it, men are still going to compete in all aspects of life $$ and you
need to be ready for what gets thrown your way.
A Real Man Can Defend Himself
%ou "now what&s missing in the world today' (eaders who have had to fight their
way to the top. #eriously. (oo" at the head of any business that&s circling the toilet
bowl, and )&ll show you a boss whose parents power and money "ept him from ever
learning things the hard way.
*very successful leader has been on the wrong end of an attac" $$ be it with words or
be it with a full assault. But those future captains got up again and again, until they
"new how to stand their ground $$ and that is when you can start to climb the ladder.
A Real Man Keeps His House In Order
+ave you ever been inside the boss&s house' There are no pi,,a boxes sitting around,
there are no undershirts on the floor, and there sure as hell wont be any unpaid bills
being used as beer coasters. -o one can master his professional or personal life if he
isn&t already the master of his own home.
This means that la,iness or .machismo. is not an excuse to live li"e a bottom$feeder.
/eep your sty spotless, "eep your documents in order and $$ this is "ey $$ ta"e pride
in where you live.
A Real Man Takes Care Of His Appearance
This is a no$brainer. 0ne of the first things that anyone is going to notice about you is
your loo" and attention to hygiene. 1one are the days when the )$am$so$manly$)$
dont$care style wor"ed. These days, men are measured on their style. )t doesnt have
to mean a suit and tie2 theres plenty of different ways a man can dress well. But it
needs to be clean, organi,ed and demonstrative of effort. A man ta"es pride in his
appearance.
%ou are not getting into the club, getting the best table at the restaurant or getting
second glances from women youre gaw"ing at if you arent putting out there the fact
that you invest in yourself.
A Real Man Makes His Own Fortune
A real man doesnt settle for handouts or charity when it comes to his personal
fortune. A real man isnt satisfied with family money. +e than"s (ady (uc" and
moves on to decide his own destiny. Any man who inherits goods from his late aunt
or parents ta"es his inheritance and turns it into 30 times what it was.
The character that you build from doing this is essential to growing as a man in the
most traditional sense. )t doesnt mean your wife or girlfriend isnt contributing, and it
doesnt mean that you cant be a stay$at$home father. )t simply means that you are
carving out your own space. %ou are truly independent when you do this.
A Real Man Strives To e A Role Model
A real man respects himself and others at all times. )f you begin to build a family, part
of a mans greatest responsibility is to set a solid example for his children. )f you
choose to let your family see you in a poor light 4irresponsible or rec"less, for
example5, you are not building yourself into the type of man they can be proud to call
a father or husband. The same applies to the mom, but the man still finds himself
under a different level of scrutiny based on societys expectations of men. #et the
right tone and example.
A Real Man Doesn!t "ossip
-obody should gossip. But a man trying to win respect at wor" or among friends in
his circle will not be respected if he develops a reputation for being the groups
hotline of nonsense. The images of the strong, silent type $$ a la 6lint *astwood $$
still resonate today... because gossip is for people with nothing better to do.
A Real Man Is Focused
7ere all distracted, and the distractions "eep piling up. )t is easy to lose focus and
find ourselves investing in things that are not really helping us build our futures or
ta"e care of our own. 7e all love to watch as much Brea"ing Bad as possible, and we
all love stic"ing around for an extra coc"tail or two. But the important thing is always
to have a clear direction and ma"e sure nothing gets in the way of our plans. +ave
that extra drin", but ma"e sure you are at your des" "illing it the next morning, or
tending to whatever else needs tending.