In popular culture and the media, we often talk about the unrealistic expectations placed on women, and the stereotypes that have, in many cases, oppressed them for centuries. And while it is of course absolutely right to talk about it, feminism is about equality after all and there are also truly damaging stereotypes placed on men too. These often cause a lot of internal dilemmas and sometimes even psychological trauma, so, without further ado, here are our 7 tips for the modern man.
Be your true self
While this golden nugget of life tips applies to all genders, it’s important for modern men to be told it regardless. Being your true self involves stepping out of the stereotypes if need be. You do not have to be buff, butch, hyper-courageous, obsessed with getting as many notches under your belt as possible and embarrassed about showing your emotions.
This is one of the most important life tips for the modern man, because it is an empowering thing for them. Take control of yourself and your actions. You can be who you truly are and, as the age-old quote goes: “those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.”
Take responsibility for your actions and your life
Understanding your past is one of the most important things you can do in your life, but as is taking responsibility for yourself and your actions. One of our life tips for the modern man is to acknowledge how your past might have conditioned you to behave in a certain way, but to also take responsibility for your life at present and truly change.
At the end of the day, nobody wants to reach aged 35 and still be acting in a way that they do not understand, or are blaming on the result of bad parents or a rough childhood. Sometimes you have to take the responsibility and put the work into yourself. This also means that you can’t expect other people to fix you.
Treat everyone with dignity and respect
To be a truly modern man, one of our life tips is to treat everyone – regardless of who they are – with respect and dignity, also known as treating others as human beings. It seems pretty obvious, but you’d be surprised at how many chaeuvenous pigs there are still out there.
If you’re wondering what exactly treating others with dignity and respect entails, it’s basically checking yourself and your privilege as a male and allowing others to have the same opportunities as you. It’s about allowing others the chance to speak and think freely, just as you have been afforded the opportunity to do.
Be a loving partner
It’s important to be a truly loving partner to your significant other as a modern man. It involves being understanding of all of them, including their flaws, and carrying out small acts of love which, in turn, do mean a lot.
To be a loving partner as a modern man, it might include doing tasks for your partner if they’re busy, be it getting an insurance quote before the deadline, doing the shopping, doing the washing or ironing. It’s important to share household duties like these to show how much of a loving partner you’re willing to be, and it shows that you are a modern man indeed.
Show your emotions
As we briefly touched on earlier, to be a modern man, you should show your emotions openly with those you love. In times before these, men were expected to always “man up” and forget how they felt, leading to a huge emotional void in a lot of men’s lives. It’s important to reclaim your emotions as a man and express how you feel – it doesn’t make you any less of a male.
Be good – your future child is watching
What a lot of modern men forget is that one day, based on probability, they’ll become a father. And when they do become fathers, they will understand just how important it is for children to have a role model – and fathers are 50% of the first port of call.
So, one of our life tips for the modern man is to remember that your future child is watching your movements, and you should show them what it is to be a good person. Think Atticus Finch from To Kill A Mockingbird and you can’t go wrong.
Never go back on your word
Our final life tip for the modern man is to never go back on your word. The world needs people who will be truthful and honest, and you can start providing that by making promises that you can keep. Stay true to yourself and you’ll be the perfect modern man, we’re sure of it.
