What Does A 21st Century Man Look Like?
For the last few centuries, culture has had a pretty strong idea of what it does or does not mean to be a man. Sure, the criteria for “manhood” have changed and evolved over time but the general idea has remained the same. Men were there to be the breadwinners. To lead, to put food on the table, to take charge. A lot of that has changed over the last 100 years and, let’s be clear, that has been a good thing. Increases in equality for everyone is something that can only ever be positive. However, it has left a lot of men feeling unsure about their place in the modern world. With that in mind, here are just a few things that a modern man in the 21st Century needs to be.
Informed
When you’re young, it’s completely fine to be ignorant to the things going on the in the world, but when you’re living in the adult world, that kind of willful ignorance simply isn’t going to fly anymore. You need to understand what’s going on in the world. The ways that the world and the culture around you are changing and shifting. Luckily, thanks to the internet, that’s never been easier. Sites like No Majesty can offer you the insights and understanding that you need to be more aware of the world around you. Just make sure that you’re not taking all of your information from one place.
Communicative
The idea of the strong, silent type is something that a lot of men have wanted to emulate over the years but the truth is that this is the kind of man that only really works in the movies. In real life, if you want to create meaningful relationships with people, you have to be willing to communicate. You need to be able to talk about how you’re feeling and express yourself in clear and healthy ways. Otherwise, you’re going to end up feeling trapped and frustrated a lot of the time.
Empathic
Then again, it’s not just about how you feel. Far too often we’re taught to only think about life through our own perspectives. However, it’s incredibly important to be able to look at the ways that other people live and the ways that other people feel about certain things. Being able to more effectively empathize with the people around you is not only going to strengthen your connections and relationships with them but it’s also going to make you a far more intuitive, kind, and respectful person as well.
Of course, the most important thing to remember is that there really are no rules for what a man, or anyone else for that matter, should be like. As long as you’re not doing any harm to any other people, the important thing is just to be whatever kind of person you want to be. It’s your life and there’s no reason why you should spend your time worrying about what the world expects of you.
