What is masculinity in modern America?

I've been contemplating the topic of what masculinity is to the modern American male. A lot of this has been driven by the 3rd and 4th wave feminist attacks on masculinity. So I figured this would be a good topic of conversation for fellow philosophers out there.

I'll start by describing what I think it is to me in my world and what it's not.

What it is;

1. Having the courage to express yourself truthfully and individually. You need to be willing to assert your personal truth as well as what you see as objective truth. If you are a man and you base your personality on how others perceive you and not how you see yourself you lack courage and individuality.

2. Being willing to stand for something that may not be popular but is principled (can be subjective).

3. Being physically capable of self defense of you and your family and willing to act in the face of danger (but only in defense).

4. Standing up for those weaker than you.

5. Challenging the status quo.

6. Self actualizing and realizing potential and asserting that potential in a meaningful way.

7. Being part of a tribe or family in a positive way not as a leech.

8. Offering a helping hand.

What it isn't;

1. Banging 100 chicks you don't know from Tinder.

2. MAKE DAT MONEY YOOOOO.

3. Insulting or ridiculing others.

4. Picking on people less than you, being insulting or derisive to people who you don't understand.

5. Being an order follower.

6. Doing what you're told.

7. Conforming to an abstract sociological idea of who they think you're suppose to be.

One thing I've decided to do after some soul searching was exit hookup culture. Yes, I am guilty of participating in this trashy game that's become the modern dating paradigm. Racking up numbers, talking to friends about it and generally being gross. It's very easy for men to become brain washed this ideology as it's beaten into your mind endlessly from day 1 by music, Hollyweird and generally all mainstream aspects of culture. I been finding it disgusting in my 30's.

I've also come to the realization that it's doesn't make you more important or more of a man. I sat down and thought about what kind of woman I want to attract and am I the kind of man that can attract that kind of women? No. So it's time for change. This is part of the process of self actualization and seeking strength in individuality.

I also think following this mentality will help those who are not strong and confident in themselves become confident. This is another take away I have with modern America, we are suffering from an insecurity complex where people have no individual identity, they identify with the group and not themselves. By self actualizing and taking a self discovered principled approach to managing your conscious experience you can find that sense of security and begin to challenge the world around you rather than be taken for a ride.

a reply to: toysforadults


I could care less what "Modern Society" thinks masculinity is or should be. I am hanging onto my primal instincts till the day I die!

Screw this social conditioning that is turning men into a bunch of sissies.

a reply to: seeker1963

for sure, total emasculation.. no one willing to fight back

a reply to: seeker1963

lousy pic.

My feelings on it.

anything that makes a liberal mad

any male that disagrees with a liberal

originally posted by: SocratesJohnson
anything that makes a liberal mad

any male that disagrees with a liberal

per OP, fail...

3. Insulting or ridiculing others.

4. Picking on people less than you, being insulting or derisive to people who you don't understand.

originally posted by: seeker1963
a reply to: toysforadults


I could care less what "Modern Society" thinks masculinity is or should be. I am hanging onto my primal instincts till the day I die!

Screw this social conditioning that is turning men into a bunch of sissies.

No.
Because sending young people into a war they could not understand is nearly the same as recruiting child soldiers. They even did not have a choice.

If you think that empathy is worse or less worthy than going into a war enthusiastically, losing friends and limbs and mental health to it, you have a very wrong view on the world and should relearn.

I am not devaluating fighting a war for the better end of it, but there is nothing, absolutely nothing good about sending young people into this grind-machine, this bonecrusher, this PTSD-inducing madness leaving behind people so broken inside that they can hardly function in society anymore.

Sometimes it is necessary.
Never it is the better way of masculinity.

a reply to: toysforadults

Does it matter?

Be yourself.

If you're a sissy, embrace your inner-panty waist.

If you're a man, be a man.


There is no "rule book" or guideline.

a reply to: SocratesJohnson

anything that makes a liberal mad any male that disagrees with a liberal

You think that makes you a man? I do work that would make your sissy bitch piss your panties. So there.

I think a possible place to start would be to contrast the Owen character in Jurassic World with the "bro-dude" macho guy who is his boss.

That's like the reality of masculine and the popular stereotype of masculine to compare right there to a really basic degree.

It ain't perfect by any means, but it is a place to start.

a reply to: DBCowboy

Agreed.

I respect any person that excepts what they are and isn't trying to be what they are told they should.

This is what happens when 5% of the population gets 95% of the media air time....the symbolence of a problem. Gender and sexuality issues seem to deconstruct society norms....however....the truth is that the don’t.

It just sells air time, gets votes and column inches in a news paper.

originally posted by: tinner07
a reply to: SocratesJohnson

anything that makes a liberal mad any male that disagrees with a liberal

You think that makes you a man? I do work that would make your sissy bitch piss your panties. So there.

Well aren't you special!!

Do you believe this does?

I think a possible place to start would be to contrast the Owen character in Jurassic World with the "bro-dude" macho guy who is his boss.

You are wrong. You cant interpret masculinity to Hollywood. are you fing kidding me.?

I work the high steel... at night. And I took my little daughters hand and skipped across the parking lot into a store.

I weld steel, I get burned. Had my clothes catch on fire, But yeah, I can take my daughters hand and skip across a parking lot.

That is Masculine

Yeah, pretty sure I don't care what other people think or over analyze what it means to be a man. Just be yourself or conform to some twisted notion of what society demands...

originally posted by: ManFromEurope

originally posted by: seeker1963
a reply to: toysforadults


I could care less what "Modern Society" thinks masculinity is or should be. I am hanging onto my primal instincts till the day I die!

Screw this social conditioning that is turning men into a bunch of sissies.

No.
Because sending young people into a war they could not understand is nearly the same as recruiting child soldiers. They even did not have a choice.

If you think that empathy is worse or less worthy than going into a war enthusiastically, losing friends and limbs and mental health to it, you have a very wrong view on the world and should relearn.

I am not devaluating fighting a war for the better end of it, but there is nothing, absolutely nothing good about sending young people into this grind-machine, this bonecrusher, this PTSD-inducing madness leaving behind people so broken inside that they can hardly function in society anymore.

Sometimes it is necessary.
Never it is the better way of masculinity.

You seem to be missing the point.

If you believe those guys didn't realize what they were getting into, or that they were naive, you are SO wrong.

See, the point is that they DID know...

And they went ANYWAY.

And the VAST majority of them went VOLUNTARILY.

a reply to: MteWamp

Well aren't you special!! Do you believe this does?

Special? nope... does it make you special? I guess that is the real question.

originally posted by: tinner07
a reply to: MteWamp

Well aren't you special!! Do you believe this does?

Special? nope... does it make you special? I guess that is the real question.

Of course not.

On the other hand, I didn't refer to anyone as a "Sissy bitch", did I?

originally posted by: tinner07

I think a possible place to start would be to contrast the Owen character in Jurassic World with the "bro-dude" macho guy who is his boss.

You are wrong. You cant interpret masculinity to Hollywood. are you fing kidding me.?

I work the high steel... at night. And I took my little daughters hand and skipped across the parking lot into a store.

I weld steel, I get burned. Had my clothes catch on fire, But yeah, I can take my daughters hand and skip across a parking lot.

That is Masculine

For you it is being a good father to your daughter, that in my opinion is a man.