“If you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you..” - Rudyard Kipling
Being a man is more than just having a male reproductive system and organ; it is having a particular character and mindset.
Quite often in society, many males believe that because they have engaged in sex or have shot an animal or have earned a degree of money that they have become a man.
I have chosen to use the word “Male” because there is a difference in being a “MAN” and being a “Male.”
Every culture has their rite of passage to becoming a man.
So the introduction is not meant to downplaying or denigrating the achievements that some males may view as being a rite of passage to being a MAN. No far from it. I believe all men should always find new challenges, new paths to discover what they can do and learn more about themselves.
However, no matter where you will go on this small yet expansive planet there are certain qualities that a male must cultivate for him to be considered a MAN.
Becoming a man is a complicated process today.
“But what about the Spartans and warriors of antiquity? Didn’t those young boys have it challenging?”
Of course, these young boys had it hard. They had it very difficult, but their passage, their rite into becoming a man was much more ritual and much more cultural.
What do I mean by that?
These young boys had groups of men who taught them and instilled in them the fire they would need to face life and all its cruelty. They had men teach them the art of war, the art of survival, the art of defeating ONESELF.
The “ART OF DEFEATING ONESELF.”
This teaching is without a doubt the single greatest teaching these men taught to their young boys and is exactly why I believe that the men, excuse me the males of today society have got it much harder regarding learning how to be a man.
Now I am not proposing that war makes a man or that fighting makes a man. Nor do I think competition makes a man. What makes a man a MAN is their ability to do consistent and daily battle with themselves.
This is something that is incredibly absent in society today. Gone are the days where men tried to overcome themselves and strived to be better than what they were yesterday.
Today what do you see? Guys who post on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Guys who seek the approval of other guys and females. Guys who need the acceptance of others to validate their worth.
Now I am not denigrating social media or the need to form a relationship with another human being. That is what life is about, experiencing and learning more about yourself. But for those who go out and seek the validation of everyone else around them and do not seek their validation can never truly be a man.
“If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise.”
Rudyard Kipling, despite his views on India at the time, had an evident and concise notion of what it meant to be a man. To be a man is not easy, people will tear your character apart. They will twist your words; they will backstab you. They will try and drag you down into the muddy and dirty pit of insanity and ignorance as them.
But in being a man despite the weight of the world against the man, the man is able, with the strength of his conviction and resolve in himself to overcome the world and its insanity.
Being a man is a goal that all males should aspire to achieve. Our lives are not in competition with others but only in competition with who we were yesterday. Every day is a battle to keep the rational and emotional beast within us at bay. Every day is a battle to which we must engage in to silence those negative voices and thoughts.
Every day is a day to try and move beyond those negative memories and experiences. Life is a constant battle for a man to not sink into the abyss of cynicism and despair. Life is hard, life is cruel, but life is a battle that only a MAN can engage in and WIN.
This is the power of being a MAN. This is what it is to be a MAN.
“I strive to be better, not to impress you but to live up to the ideal version that I see myself as in my mind.” These are the thoughts that men cultivate in their minds.
The joyous experience of battle, I know that sounds like a contradiction, is what gives the man his strength to be courageous, to be brave, to be moral and ethical.
The MAN enjoys a challenge. He enjoys a test. He enjoys a battle. He enjoys all that life will throw his way, and when knocked down from the ungallant antics of the world he stands back up, erect, with a smile on his face and a fire in his heart which without words says “BRING IT ON.”
A MAN doesn’t seek out fighting but knows how to fight. A MAN doesn't seek out conflict but knows how to end it. A MAN does not engage in gossip but engages in a philosophical monologue on a daily basis.
No matter where a MAN is born in life, whatever culture, whatever region of the world these characteristic and mindset have all been very much instilled in every culture's idea of what a man is meant to be.
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!”
― Rudyard Kipling
Are you a Man?
your friend,
Dave
Wow great post. Really inspirational
I can attest to that also, Filled my memory banks already
Great post
Goddamn, so true, inspiring and motivational.
And using my favourite Kipling's poem was a great idea. You really did a nice job @storcogato, and the goal was surely achieved - youve inspired.
Loved reading this post. You have very beautifully crafted the line that separates the Men from the Males. Yes! in today's society Males should really look into and read themselves and be the better judges as to, whether the way they conduct themselves in the society distinguishes them as Men or Males.
That was highly inspirational @storcogato. I couldn't agree more with what you have said. We should always strive to be better every single day, and never back down when we come face to face with the harsh realities of life.
In my opinion being a Man means one thing... Keeping it real, doing whats right and necessary.
posting a very good friend, continue successful luck always
inspiring
Very nice post, and true.
That sums it up.
And most 'men' are too chicken shit to admit it to themselves even.
A sad, but true, state of affairs, in the modern world.
This post received a 3.64% upvote from @randowhale thanks to @storcogato! To learn more, check out @randowhale 101 - Everything You Need to Know!
Interesting! Earned my upvote :)
Good job bro.Thanks for sharing.
Kipling said so much in such a short poem, there is alot of wisdom there. Great wisdom in your post my friend, good work!
Am i ? Are you ? Is anyone ?
Being a male is a matter of birth but being a man, that's by choice. Worth the read!
This is brilliant! @storcogato
Great post and nice to see Kipling getting some love there too. Such a timeless poem. Many people seem to mistake clothes, cars or beards for manliness so some excellent points there.
Looks like you have been upvoted by every single bot on steem in these comments so congratulations on that too!
Worth reading! upvoted
Resteemed to over 4000 followers and 100% upvoted. Thank you for using my service!
Read here how the new bot from Berlin works.
@resteem.bot
@originalworks .steem @steemprice BTC
$3944.43 USD/BTCVolume: 39272.74 BTC ($154908623.88 USD)Last Updated Wed Sep 27 04:39:29 2017This post was resteemed by @resteembot!
Good Luck!
Curious? Check out:
The @resteembot users are a small but growing community.
Check out the other resteemed posts in resteembot's feed.
Some of them are truly great.
This Post was resteemed by @resteemitnow
|| POST RESTEEMED ||
Want to Boost your Posts?Introduction Post Read here
Just send 0.01 SBD NOW
You Are An Excellent Steemian. This post has received a 1.79 % upvote from @steemthat Return the favor and SteemThat Person Back: @storcogato.
.
Please Upvote This Comment To Help Me Grow!
You Are An Excellent Steemian. More People Should Follow And Upvote This post which has been verified as a quality post and received a 14.29 % upvote from @binkley Be Sure To Say Thank You To @storcogato.
.
Please Upvote This Comment To Help Me Grow So I Can Verify More Posts!
Congratulations! This post has been awarded a 100% upvote by @lottobot! This post was the winner of lottery #212, which had a total of 1 entries. @lottobot always has a lottery going on! If you would like to nominate a post for the current lottery, just send 0.1 SBD or STEEM to @lottobot, and include the url of the post you would like to nominate as a memo. Learn more by reading the introductory post! Good luck!
This post is upvoted by Polsza for 64 %.
If you want help us growing upvote this comment.
Thanks !
This post has received a 8.57 % upvote from @lovejuice thanks to: @storcogato. They have officially sprayed their dank amps all over your post rewards. GOOD TIMES! Vote for Aggroed!
@storcogato got you a $8.15 @minnowbooster upgoat, nice! (Image: pixabay.com)
Want a boost? Click here to read more! @originalworks
This post has received a 6.25 % upvote from @nettybot thanks to: @storcogato.
Send 0.100 SBD to @nettybot with a post link in the memo field to bid on the next vote.
Oh, and be sure to vote for my owner, @netuoso, as Steem Witness
Have a great day!
This wonderful post has received a bellyrub 5.99 % upvote from @bellyrub thanks to this cool cat: @storcogato. My pops @zeartul is one of your top steemit witness, if you like my bellyrubs please go vote for him, if you love what he is doing vote for this comment as well.
This post has received a 2.33 % upvote from @buildawhale thanks to: @storcogato. Send at least 0.100 SBD to @buildawhale with a post link in the memo field to bid for a portiona of the next 100% upvote.
To support our curation initiative, please vote on my owner, @themarkymark, as a Steem Witness
This post has received a 2.70 % upvote from
thanks to: @storcogato.
For more information, click here!
This post has received a 3.45 % upvote from @booster thanks to: @storcogato.
This post has received a 6.67 % upvote from @khoa
thanks to: @storcogato.@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@----------------------------------------------SEND ANY AMOUNT TO GET AN UPVOTE
This post has received a 14.29 % upvote from @upgoater thanks to: @storcogato. Please vote @swelker101 for witness
🤖💬 This post has been Boosted with a 18.26 % upvote from @cannabiscurator Plugged in by @storcogato
I can Help You Pay It Forward and Steem your fellow 🎁💁Steemian back. Simply Transfer 0.042 to @cannabiscurator and the 420 Steemit Post ⛓Link you want 🔼 Upvoted in the Memo.
Join our Cannabis Curation Team
More details @ https://steemit.com/introduceyourself/@cannabiscurator/let-s-grow-the-cannabis-community-together
Steemian Stoner Squad 🙏Please Upvote This Comment To Help Me Grow our Cannabis community on Steemit. Your support helps increase the 💪value of my 🔼 contributions.
Peace in Blunts Fam 🔥💨
🎾
nice