This Blog is One Tough Mother

Posted on August 11th, 2008

Man up. Be a man. Stand tall. Walk hard. Take it like a man. Stop crying.

Sound familiar? I know it does to me.

In this hard knock life we live it’s easy to get down on yourself from time to time, easy to whine, easy to just plain give up. The regular reply to this kind of behaviour is one of the above sayings from a father or authority figure of another kind. But just how does one go about being a man? What does standing tall entail exactly? Is walking hard simply an especially vigorous form of regular walking?

These are hard questions and there are no easy answers. At least that’s what I’ve found as I’ve cried myself to sleep many a night thinking about them. In fact, I would say that being a man is much more complex than the most manliest of man’s men would make it seem. Look at Gary Cooper, Kris Kristofferson, Sam Peckinpah, Johnny Cash, Russel Crowe, Tom Selleck, John Wayne, Steve McQueen - they all seemed like they didn’t give a shit about anything. Thus making them seem tough, hence their status as manly men. Not so, however. Let me explain.

First off, everyone has feelings. Even men. No matter how manly a man may be, he still HAS to have feelings, it’s like a law of nature or something. Survival of the fittest and feelings – those are the two laws of nature. However these laws are in a distinct disagreement when it comes to being a man. How can a man stay true to how he feels whilst showing no weakness to all the other men he is in competition with? The answer is easy: He ignores each and every ping of emotional substance that he has. Of course, this is easier said than done. It takes a lifetime of suppressing your thoughts and fears until eventually you reach a state of being that is so uncompromisingly cool, it’s downright manly.

Some say this is a barbaric way of life. And those people are right. After all, isn’t barbarism the true pinnacle of manliness? To care about nothing, slay your enemies and own respect wherever you go. I mean, if Kublai Khan wasn’t a man’s man then who was?

But I digress.

The 21st century is a time like no other and men have had to adapt in order to remain in control. Of their feelings. A few strategies when burying your feelings so deep they don’t affect you:

- Facial Hair. It acts as a metaphoric barrier to other people. Don’t the manliest men always have sweet beards?
- Denial. If you don’t believe a certain feeling is actually even happening, it can’t get to you.
- Preemptive emotional attacks. If you hurt everyone around you first, how are they going to hurt you?
- Seclusion. If a feeling arises in the forest and no one else is around to see it, does that feeling even really exist?
- Maintaining a generally ornery mood. If you can’t NOT feel, then just feel angry. It’s the next coolest state of being to emotionless.

So as you can see being a man is much more difficult than many think. Dealing with life’s challenges is no easy task for any gender, but the man has a particularly unique approach. If you’re not a man and you’re reading this, well I just hope I’ve been able to shed some light on the man’s psyche.  However, if you are reading this and you are indeed a man, I hope this document has helped you to achieve a higher level of manliness. If I can make just one man more manly… man what a magnificent mission accomplished that would be. For me.

Related posts:

1. This Blog is Fight! By Bob…
2. You Can’t Tie This Blog Down!
3. Freedom Blog: A Tribute to A Decent Nation

Tags: bob woolsey, kublai khan, man, manliness, manly, men
Filed under All Blogs, Bob's Blog |

7 Responses to “This Blog is One Tough Mother”

1. andrew Says:
   August 12th, 2008 at 12:09 am

   Reminds me of a great Stephen King quote… paraphrasing here:

   “I’m a writer, which makes me more sensitive than the average person. I’m also a man, and I’m no supposed to have feelings. I’m supposed to be tough, stoic, and not let those emotions get the best of me. Therefore, I drink.”

2. Meghan Says:
   August 12th, 2008 at 6:51 pm

   Is that from On Writing?

3. LeBail Says:
   August 12th, 2008 at 8:01 pm

   To be honest, my beard does make me feel more like a man.

4. Scott Says:
   August 12th, 2008 at 10:09 pm

   I’m too much of a man to read this blargh.

5. Meghan Says:
   August 13th, 2008 at 3:36 pm

   Lebail, you’re the manliest man I know. That is to say, the beardiest man I know. Barry is a close second.

6. Jon Says:
   August 13th, 2008 at 9:56 pm

   I often question if I am a man or not, and this blog finally gave me closure.

   The answer is no. No, I’m not a man.

   Thanks a lot, Bob.

7. www.bobandandrew.com » Blog Archive » Postcards from the Altar Says:
   September 19th, 2008 at 6:51 pm

   [...] part of a wedding? Well the answer is simple: I’m a man among men. See my earlier blog entry here. Also, I know a thing or two about life. Hence the fact that you are here now reading my [...]

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