This is the start of a new series which I hope to share what I learned this week concerning my own manliness or lack thereof. I am not an expert in area and I feel comfortable confessing this with my readers. My story is one of a very normal life, in my opinion, but some may say extraordinary in a few aspects.
As most who read this blog know, I am in the process of finding a new job. This fact alone is quite daunting considering the sickness …

The effects of unemployment goes way beyond just financial and emotional – it affects how men feel about being men. With unemployment at near historic highs, how do men deal with the lack of dignity and well-being?

I stole this line directly from the remake of Ocean’s Eleven. Brad Pitt’s character (Rusty) was a man of very few words, but an extremely effective communicator.
Rusty coaches Matt Damon to “never use eight words, when four will do“. As Damon’s character (Linus) prepares for a one-time only attempt at the sting, Rusty wanted Linus to be an effective communicator and to NOT get on the nerves of Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia) – which could blow up the whole charade.
What Rusty was afraid of, was that Linus was …

Imagine yourself at a seminar or company wide happy hour and you are engaged in a conversation with someone you just met. The person sips their beverage, fiddles the straw and/or napkin and tries to listen to what you have to say. They are doing their best to pay attention, but something just doesn’t feel right to you. Are they even listening?
You glance away for a moment and then back at them only to see them staring off into the distance at someone else. You attempt …

Temperance is one of the 7 main virtues that oppose the 7 deadly sins. It is opposite of Gluttony and can best be described as “moderation” or “practicing self-control”. It may be defined as the righteous habit which makes a man govern his natural appetite for pleasures of the senses.
How this virtue is seen as manly in nature is obvious to most. The results often lie in how people perceive us as men and having manliness characteristics. If we have a strong temperance to never ending …

There is a wonderful compliment you can give just about anyone you ever come across (including the rich and famous) – Treat Ordinary People Extraordinary, and Treat Extraordinary People Ordinary. As a Manliness Trait, it is right near the top of my list since it is core to being seen as having the manly skills that turn us from being just a guy, to being genuine man.
I first heard this entire saying several years ago when someone was trying to explain what made Larry King, the reporter, so effective …

Chastity, or purity, is opposite of the deadly sin, lust. The Wikipedia definition is:
“sexual behavior of a man or woman acceptable to the ethical norms and guidelines of a certain culture, civilization or religion.”
Pretty good definition if you ask me. I hate to get all Bill Clinton-esque, but it does beg the question of what exactly “acceptable” means to that certain culture or civilization. The accepted sexual behavior of someone living as a Christian is drastically different than that of someone living as a Jew, Bhudist, Hindu, …

When I was compiling the list of Manliness Traits, this one not only had to be included, it had to be right near the top. I forgot exactly where I heard this saying, so I searched online to see if I could credit the right person, but could not find anything. However, this has been a cornerstone in my life for a long time.
The essence of this Trait lies in the one facet men have had trouble mastering throughout all of time: listening. Most men …