Reclaiming Masculinity - Skills Every Real Man Should Have

By Timothy Gamble

One of the major reasons we have slipped into a dystopian world is the decline and collapse of traditional masculinity in America and Western Civilization. The ideal of masculinity used to be one of faith, courage, strength, integrity, leadership, responsibility, and self-reliance. That ideal has been dismissed, ridiculed, and even actively discouraged for generations now. 

Daniel Boone - Positive Masculinity

Instead of encouraging the very positive aspects of traditional masculinity, we now treat masculinity as "toxic," and our boys are treated like broken girls needing to be "fixed." This war against masculinity has been going on for generations now. It is part of the larger war on the traditional family unit and the Church waged by progressives in their attempt to eliminate opposition to their dreams of highly-centralized authoritarian government (controlled by them, of course).

Men, as husbands and fathers, are no longer seen as serving a needed role in society. Far from the days of Father Knows Best, husbands and fathers are now shown in pop culture as inept dofusses at best (think Al Bundy or Homer Simpson), if they are shown as being around at all, while women are shown as quite capable to get along without, or despite, men in their lives. In our schools, boys are now treated as broken girls, needing to have their masculinity fixed. Girls are taught they don't need men, that men are toxic and dangerous, and that they are better off without men in their lives. Traditional masculinity is now seen as a vice, not a virtue. In just of couple of generations, without strong fathers in their lives and with this warped view permeating our pop culture and our schools, the traditional man has become an endangered species. The new ideal of masculinity is the hyper-feminized, weak, and submissive pajama boy.

This sad situation is in desperate need of correcting. As a small step in that direction, I offer a list of skills every real man should have. These are skills, in that they can be learned and developed, if you are willing to put in the necessary work to do so. Men, learn these skills yourself, and most importantly, teach these skills to your boys. Let us proudly reclaim traditional masculinity.

Courage - Courage isn't about not being afraid. Its about not letting fear paralyze us. Real men should be willing to face danger and do the right thing even when we are afraid.

Strength - I'm not talking about physical strength, though real men should develop their health and fitness. I'm talking about strength of character, strength of will, determination and staying power. Real me don't run away when the going gets tough (which is why I despise the MGTOW and incel movements).

Integrity - Real men are honest, are true to their word, and can be trusted to do the right thing. We keep our promises, our word is our bound, and do what we say.

Faith - A Relationship with God - Real men have a relationship with our Heavenly Father. Worship, prayer, and Bible study are a part of our lives. We accept the Lordship of Jesus over our lives. Our relationship with God is our number one priority.

Love for Wife and Family - A real men is steadfast in his love for his wife and family. "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her" (Ephesians 5:25). Next to God, or relationship with our wife is our number one Earthly-responsibility, followed closely by our children. We are to put our wife and family first - even to the point of being willing to die for them - above ourselves, our career, our friends, or our hobbies. 

Just curious: Do you pray for your wife everyday? When is the last time you lead your wife in prayer?

Leadership - Real men are leaders, not "bosses." It is their vision and their example that makes them leaders, not their orders. They guide, protect, and serve those they lead.

Self-Defense and Defending Others. Real men are willing and able to defend themselves, their wife, their families, and those that cannot defend themselves.

Personal Finance - Real men are skilled at personal finance. That doesn't necessarily mean we have a lot of money. It does mean we are responsible for the resources God has entrusted to us. We are willing to work hard, know how to spend less than we earn (budgeting), save money (have an emergency fund), barter & haggle (get the best price), and have a good understanding of economics and finances. 

Self-Reliance - Real men don't rely on others (parents, government, etc.) to take care of our needs. Instead, we rely on our own knowledge, skills, abilities, and judgment to make our way in the world. We develop the skills to do as much as we can for ourselves and our families without outside help or assistance. 

Abilities to develop include:

• Assuming responsibility for our own life
• Accepting responsibility for our mistakes
• Being informed
• Knowing where we're going (having goals)
• Making our own decisions

Skills to develop may include:

• Personal Finance
• Basic Auto Mechanics
• Small Engine Repair
• First Aid/CPR
• Basic Home Repair/DIY Skills
• Grow/Produce Food
• Shooting/Hunting/Fishing 
• Bushcraft/Wilderness Survival
• Knife-Sharpening/Maintaining Tools
• Water Collecting/Purification

This list, of course, is only a partial list of manly skills to develop. For more, see my article Dystopian Survival Skills - A New List for a Dangerous Future.

This article briefly describes traditional masculinity and outlines a few of the abilities and skills every real man should have. This topic needs to be covered in much greater detail. Look for future articles on Dystopian Survival. Please subscribe to Dystopian Survival using the Follow By Email field at the bottom of the right hand column. 
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The Daniel Boone television series from the late 1950s and early 1960s, starring Fess Parker, is a fantsstic resource for learning about positive traditional masculinity. Daniel Boone is protrayed as a real American hero, a man of faith, courage, and intregrity. I suggest all Fathers watch this series with their sons. Available on DVD from Amazon.




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