What is the difference between being male and being a man?
What gives us the perception that some men are more manly than other men?
If you were to believe the superficial layers of our culture, it would be that being big is good. Bigger is better – so why not for men, too? Get ripped in 6 weeks! Kick sand in other guys’ faces, because you are huge!
Intellectually, many of us know this is garbage. But we may still feel inadequate when football stars, boxers, and others are lauded for their bodies. No wonder that football players play up. They think they are the pinnacle of manliness, and are made to feel like it, too. But they may have souls, vision, ignorant, narrow, withered, immature.
But it is so easy to compare, to measure size. To see big muscles.
A man’s vision, his courage, the breadth and depth of soul are harder to gauge. Only he truly knows it, if he brave enough to look in the mirror.
Has he lived with a fierce spirit? Has he sacrificed himself for others? Does he put other things ahead of himself? Has he let humanity into his heart and soul? Or the universe? Has he been brave enough to listen, to learn? Has he been tough enough to care for others? Manly enough to look after others?
