Men of reddit, what’s makes a ‘man’s man’?

44 comments

  1. A man’s man is a guy you admire and want to emulate.

    So it varies based on the traits YOU deem admirable.

    And don’t forget…you can become him.

  2. Swap a transmission in your driveway, build a log cabin with only a hatchet, take down a grizzly bear with a butter knife.

  3. Self-reliant. Respectful but has clear boundaries. Someone with integrity, a code, or principles they live and die by. A person who is not swayed by shifty things, ideas, or people. They are intrinsically good. That sums it up for me at this point.

  4. Usually a dude who gets respect from males and attention from females. Everyone approves, he checks all the boxes, dots all the I’s and isn’t a dick about it but also no push over. A leader

  5. What makes a man?
    Is it the woman in his hands?
    Just cause she has big titties?
    Or is it the way, that he fights everyday?
    …Nah, it’s probably the titties!

  6. Selflessness comes to mind, every man I respect in my life has sacrificed their happiness for something they value more than their happiness.

  7. Blue collar, knows how to do manual labor, has facial hair, drinks beer, stuff along those lines.

  8. Integrity, honestly, resiliency, self-determination, disciple, strong knowledge of self, adaptability, self-respect/respect for others (meaning you stand firm on what you believe and won’t fall for anything people throw at you sometimes willing to engage/debate/understand their POV rather than arguing & yelling), and a sense of purpose.

  9. Someone who is comfortable with themselves. Someone who treats others with respect until they are provoked

  14. Man shit.

    Beer, cars, sports, torque, sunglasses around the back of your head, Laughs joyously regardless of atmosphere, knows the intimate details of a trade or something trade-adjacent.

  15. Take off your shirt to reveal the tattoo on your back before an important honor fight between real men, then beating the shit out of each other

  17. Over developed egos.
    True men act as human beings not taking the bait to show you’re a man . Act like like you’re an adult while being respectful of others feeling make the man a man.
    The rest are just skills learned through out life .

  19. Magnanimity,
    Benevolence,
    Self-sacrifice,

    A stunning amount of skill and reliability. He who walks and casts no shadow on the land by virtue of his moral brightness in the countenance of our minds.

  20. A ‘man’s man’ to me is someone who embodies confidence and resilience, but also compassion and integrity. It’s not about fitting into traditional stereotypes of toughness or stoicism, but about being true to oneself, respecting others, and handling challenges with a balance of strength and empathy.

  21. A man’s man is a man other men look up to.

    The main quality I think would be having large muscles. Pretty much every man can respect that, and want to be ‘big’ themselves.

    Besides that I think it opens up a bit more in terms of what different cultures and individual men admire, value and respect.

    I one that comes up fairly often is being able to provide and take care of themselves and others around them.

    Taking care of their possessions so that they last a long time.

    Being handy builds on that, but also encompasses knowing how to do things like lighting a campfire, having a good selection of tools available and keeping a stock of parts to fix things that commonly break like lightbulbs, batteries, etc.

  23. A man today isn’t just about being tough and strong. It’s about being confident in who you are, whether you’re fixing a car or expressing your feelings. It’s about integrity, respecting others, and not being afraid to show compassion and vulnerability. Being a real man means balancing strength with emotional intelligence and understanding.

  24. A man who doesn’t try to be who he isn’t, who doesn’t let other ppl tell him how to be a man or what is manly in their eyes.

  25. Someone who is manly, but never gives a thought to trying to be more manly. Doesn’t just pick hobbies to convince others he is manly. That sort of thing.

    I’ve never been into sports or car repair. Sue me.

  27. There is one thing and one thing only that differentiates a man’s man from a woman’s man. Men naturally like and gravitate toward a man’s man. A man’s man makes men feel at ease. A woman’s man is naturally off-putting to other men because they always put women’s attention first and naturally give off an aura of competition with other men. They often tend to be lone wolf types who don’t have one male best friend. If they have a girlfriend or a wife they’re a wife guy. Think Paul Rudd’s character at the beginning of “l Love You, Man”. It’s really as simple as that. You don’t have to like the same things or look a certain way. It mostly comes down to whether they care to put effort into social interactions with other men or not.

    Edit: to be clear, being a man’s man or a woman’s man doesn’t necessarily make you a good man or a bad man is what I’m trying to get across. You can be a man’s man and still suck and be a total loser, or be a woman’s man and be moral and not a creep. It’s just about who naturally feels comfortable around them.

  28. Basically being the most empathetic and tuned into others wants and desires as possible. Any great leader needs to know about his subordinates and to draw the best out of them. A man’s man to me is someone who takes control confidently & uses his position of power for mutual benefit.

    A man who corrupts his position of power over others in order to cheat & exploit others for what he can get out of them is no true man. A man who treads over others in a do or die suicide mission to the top is no better than filth.

  31. A man that other men want to be and other woman want to get with. This comes from competence, social, emotional, physical & professional mastery.

  32. For me, these are the main qualities of a man that make him a man:

    Confidence and decisiveness: The ability to make decisions, be confident and act decisively is also often associated with masculinity.

    Family care and protection: Traditional conceptions of masculinity often include the role of protector and provider of the family.

    Ability for self-control: The ability to control one’s emotions and show resilience in difficult situations are also considered to be signs of masculinity.

    Responsibility and independence: A man is often expected to be responsible for his actions and independent in solving problems.

    Cooperation: In today’s society, respect for others, cooperation and the ability to build healthy relationships are also considered important traits of masculinity.

  34. You’ve got to know when to hold ’em
    Know when to fold ’em
    Know when to walk away
    And know when to run
    You never count your money
    When you’re sittin’ at the table
    There’ll be time enough for countin’
    When the dealin’s done

    And fight a bear with a soup spoon … the bear has the spoon, you’re unarmed, gotta make it fair.

  36. A man who other men respect for being diligent/hardworking/intelligent/fun to be around/reliable/resourceful/moralistic etc..

  38. To the impressionable kids reading this

    None of this is true. This is just internet nerds spewing shit they’ve heard somewhere else

    You define for yourself what makes you a man 🙂

  40. I think a man’s man is someone that when you talk to them, you think “Damn, I wanna be like that guy.” I always think of it as “becoming the man I say I am or want to be”. I think it’s easier for people with little to no male role models growing up to spot it than those who did. A lot of people I know with solid men (fathers, uncles, grandfathers, neighbors) in their lives take it for granted or think embodying consistency to a tee, [standing on business](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kG9kstcoAI&t=25s)👀, and being a perpetual problem solver is normal. It’s not. I strive to be that man for myself first, but also for my future wife–>children–>mom–>siblings–>friends, etc.

  41. If you are a father, then apologizing to your children when you’ve made a mistake, taking the blame when you shouldn’t have lost your temper. Also, never let your children hear you talk bad about them. And teach them that fighting is a last resort, and to never start one. Being tough isn’t about beating people up, it’s about knowing that walking away is not only tough but smart. Pretty much just teaching your kids.

    If you aren’t a father, then I guess truck nuts or a lot of assault weapons.

  42. I will just point to a couple of folks:

    The Rock, Jason Mamoa, Henry Cavill, Brian Shaw.

    All of them are entirely masculine, but also in touch with their sensitive sides as well with nothing to prove to anyone other than themselves.

  43. Takes charge and can turn a horrible group project into a success by any means.

    Keeps cool and is humble instead of arrogant, always eager to learn and improve instead of blaming.

    He has clear goals and can see his life plan fairly accurate.

    This is what I want to become.

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