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“Obsolete” man skills

Vices Posted by zamoose 5 years, 5 months ago

I hated every word of this article. Come, let us mock it.

https://www.askmen.com/entertainment/austin/obsolete-man-skills-you-should-ditch.html

5 replies

  • elancaster65

    elancaster65

    5 years, 5 months ago

    Hunting? Maybe. But not give it up as a manly pursuit. It still serves a purpose. And it is a skill that translates over to other aspects of life. Now cooking? Absolutely! Especially with fire! That is a manly skill to be obtained and honed.

    Fighting. “The best defense against evil people are good people who are skilled at violence.” – Unknown

    You must know how to defend yourself. Period. My martial arts instructor puts it this way: “I think a warrior only fights when he runs out of words.” – Master James Matthews

    So yes, learn to mediate. But when it's time, fight. And fight like the third monkey on Noah's Ark and brother, it's beginning to rain.

    Car Repair. Yes, my 2018 Kia Optima is drastically more technical than my 1966 Ford Mustang, but the basics of how a car works have not changed. One must have a working knowledge of "how a starship works Mr. Saavik". Otherwise you won't know if your mechanic is ripping you off or not. Technology, coding as he puts it, is just another iteration of the advancements that makes your car more than just mere transportation. It makes it the next in the line of automotive evolution. And that evolution means greater freedom. Freedom that cannot be experienced the same way on the interwebs. No. IRL is much more engaging, satisfying, nourishing and enlightening than living vicariously through some Instasnapagram account.

    Fixing things at home should be ditched? Yeah...talk to me when your circuit breaker pops and the Wife can't get on line to shop because the wifi is down because it REQUIRES ELECTRICITY! Duh. Knowing how to do basic home repair means you can save a few bucks over calling the repair guy. And it will give you a feeling of great satisfaction knowing you saved the day for your wife and maybe you might be rewarded with some marital calisthenics.

    As for swapping it for decorating? Yes men, we should know that stripes and plaids do not match when choosing a color pattern for the living room sofa. And yes, the stuffed moose-head is a classic so it stays in the den. Doesn't mean you have to binge watch Project Runway. Just have a well-rounded idea of what goes with what.

    Leading. Someone has to be the boss. Someone. Whether it's a woman or a man, doesn't matter. Someone has to herd the cats. Most men are intrinsically wired to do that. We are intrinsically wired to be problem solvers. Does that mean that all men go about it in a equitable way? Nope. Men, and many woman are all about the power, the corner office, and the influence that comes from being a leader. So lead, men. Lead rightly. Lead reasonably. Lead properly. Lead justly. Lead humbly. When crunch time comes, and it will, sitting around asking for consensus when everyone's trying not to cause offense, lead. And lead to victory!

    Cont'd next post...

    Reply

    • elancaster65

      elancaster65

      5 years, 5 months ago

      Being a Disciplinarian. Discipline is not punishment. Discipline should not be harsh, overbearing thuggery. Discipline is...well I'll let D. Bruce Lockerbie explain: “To any father who really cares about his children, nothing is of greater importance than their training for discipline, their instruction in principles. Together these make up their character, which Aristotle defined as the decisions a person makes when the choice is not obvious.”

      We need to be disciplined in our training. Whether it is waging war or losing weight or studying for a final, or raising children. And encouraging, urging, pushing, people to do and be their best is the best form of being a disciplinarian I can think of.

      Emotions. The strong silent type man is not necessarily an emotional blank. He may be skilled in not revealing every emotion as it presents itself. Like a cell phone call on speaker in public, not every emotion needs to be expressed all the time. Men emote. They just do it differently than women. Because we're men and they are women and the two are wired much differently.

      Emotional maturity is not spilling all the time. It is knowing when and how to express emotions. Men aren't normally expressive in the way some modern philosophers think we should be. Ever been to a sporting event? Yeah, we emote differently there than if we were watching a Hallmark movie.

      Who here cried when Old Yeller died? When Peter Parker was dusted in Avengers: Infinity War? When they show pictures of crosses in the French countryside near a D-Day beach? When your child is suffering or hurt? Me too.

      Now if you are having mental problems then by all means, seek help in dealing with those problems. Vague-booking on FB is not seeking help. It's seeking attention. Hashtagging on InstaSnapTwitter is not seeking help. It's seeking confirmation of your bias. Those are not proper ways of dealing with emotions. And while the false narrative of the stereotypical male as being an emotional neuter has lead to many to judge men wrongly; we are normally not jammed up, stomped down, emotional powder kegs waiting to go off. Having control of your emotions IS a sign of emotional maturity.

      That's my two cents. Spend it wisely.

      Reply

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