What makes a real man?

What makes a real man? 

In short, here are my 5 ideas

1.        Real men tell the truth
2.        Real men take responsibility
3.        Real men love their families
4.        Real men are humble
5.        Real men set an example

 For the 5 in a little more detail...

1/ Real men tell the truth (wisely)

·        Boys lack the guts to say what needs saying
      Lads tell women what they think they want to hear

·           Bullies "tell the truth" by being harsh
      But real men are not only honest but also wise with what they say.

2/ Real men take responsibility

·         Playboys are just that, boys, but real men look at what needs doing and do all they can to make it happen.

·         Boys really just want to play, but men are happy to work first and then play.

3/ Real men love their families

·         Boys play the field and mess women around, but real men are actually kind to their partners and, if they have any, their kids.

·         Boys come and go, but real men commit for the long haul – they handle their business, (for example, if they are dads, they look after their kids) as the comedian Chris Rock says.

4/ Real men are humble

·         Boys try to do it on their own, but real men have the guts to admit when they need help – even if it means asking for directions off a stranger or for advice off a woman.

·         Boys are “never wrong” but real men admit when they have got it wrong.

5/ Real men lead by an example

·         Boys will lead other boys into trouble, but real men will show boys – and girls – how to live well.

·         Boys will want to shout and be in control, but real men will lead by their actions as well as their words


Click here for a great clip of Russell Crowe as a classic image of a man in Gladiator: but what are real mean actually like?

Click here for a great article on "Where have all the good men gone?" from the Wall Street Journal.


Having asked lots of different people, other suggestions made for what makes a real man are as follows: -

(1) Courage/bravery
(2) Owning up to things
(3) Maturity
(4) Has a range of emotions
(5) Unselfish
(6) Comfortable in silence
(7) Able to worship God without being awkward
(8) Being a defender
(9) Standing up for what he believes
(10) Strong but not afraid to be sensitive
(11) Leading from a place of weakness
(12) Independent but not proud to ask for help