What is masculinity? That's a question every man should be asking himself.

The Start

What is masculinity? This question is a core reason why I started this blog and photography project here at The Man Effect. I have been pursuing and exploring this question for years. I love it and the ramifications on my life it has had.

Masculinity, manliness, and the nature of men are not only something that I believe every human should take the time to ponder on. As humans, it is also something we should conceptualize and analyze the belief of how men exist and represent themselves in immediate and extended communities.

Moving forward, I think it would be appropriate to build some foundation of a definition before we proceed with the importance and impact this question can and does have on our lives if we are open to going down this path.

37 Killer Quotes To Encourage You In Facing Problems And Adversity

Life has been known to throw a few problems at those going through it. Yet, the men who face, overcome, and do not cower in the presence of adversity. They grow exponentially, and the life they live is different than those who do not.

I am curious to know, have you encountered hardship and problems as I have? I mean there is no way I can be the only human on this earth! HA

Masculinity coaching and why men should consider hiring a life coach.

I had just watched one of my close friends go through a painful divorce and could not fathom how he was still holding on. We regularly talked throughout the process, and I watched him keep pushing and not give up. Later on, when I was thinking and reflecting on this painful experience he was going through I suddenly remembered, he had hired a life coach and spoke so highly of him.

I remember thinking how cynical I was of the term "life coach" and how I felt I knew my judgments were accurate.

13 Ways For Young Men To Mature And Conquer Extended Adolescence

Some call it prolonged adolescence others call it extended adolescence, regardless in my opinion immaturity has been bleeding into the early and mid-twenties in a way that is entirely new to the western culture. We have previously touched on this topic here "Why Prolonged Adolescence is the New Epidemic."

Beginners guide on how to compliment women.

The art of a genuinely placed compliment to women is an essential skill of a well-rounded man. I am no professional, but I have seen the fruit from taking cognitive action in this arena. So, I wanted to share what I have learned.

Taking the time to compliment those around you will give you a tangible experience on the power of your words.

Simple ways to become more masculine.

Looking masculine holds a powerful cultural context in today's day and age and trying to attain this look for some men is highly desired while others naturally fill the role.

I decided to write down some characteristics on how to look more masculine. I divided them into outer attributes and inner qualities that I believe will help you on your journey.

Taking the time to work on the internal qualities first allows you to build a healthy foundation, so you are not motivated from a place of insecurity. Work on your foundations of who you are, changing the outside has little to no fruit if you do not give proper attention to who you are internally.

5 Attributes of Authentic Masculinity

Authentic masculinity is a commodity desired heavily in western culture. With the increased exposure of sexual harassment and rise in advocacy for women's rights, there seems to be a decent amount of confusion around the topic of masculinity these days.

Now, I believe that many things define what makes a man, a man, but often this is something, not cognitively thought about, or given attention. There are many assumptions lived by in the realm of masculinity.

Why I want men to let certain dreams die.

I was recently asked by a friend jovially what the quote of the day was, in response I thought I would attempt to create something original and out came this remark, "The best fertilizer for a new dream, is the carcass of an old one."

As these words came to my mind and I found myself communicating them, I discovered it resonated deeply with where I am at personally in my journey.

I am sick of victim-hood bullsh*t, it's time to take ownership for your own life.

I have this memory from the 1st grad like it was just yesterday. It had recently become popular among my classmates for some odd reason to pull the chair out from under someone as they were trying to sit down, therefore making them plummet to the ground and making a fool of them. I had decided to join in on this fad and instantly got reprimanded by my teacher due to a crying classmate and poor execution of the prank. I will never forget my response to the teacher though. As any good child brought up in the conservative household, I replied to this verbal attack with "The devil made me do it." For some reason, in my head, I believed that if I blamed it on the devil, this would make it, so I was not responsible for my actions. Nothing transpired after getting reprimanded by my teacher other than me having to apologize to my victim, and a fragment of my past is ingrained eternally into my memory.

Why Technology Is Redefining Masculinity

More than feminism, progressive politics, or Hollywood, one thing has permanently altered the role of men in society. Take a look at your smartphone or the truck you drive. Single-handedly, technology is redefining what it means to be a man in the modern era. Gender roles, jobs, and the hierarchy of society have all revolved around the place of men as the stronger of the sexes, and women as the child bearers. Within a century, those roles have transformed.

3 Things Woodworking Has Taught Me About Life.

Not long ago I was getting ready to move to a new house within the Kansas City limits and on a whim of random inspiration, I decided that I was going to give away and sell all the furniture that I currently had not made myself in my bedroom. The reason for this was I desired to create an atmosphere of immediate need for furniture. Why did I intentionally want this pressure? I knew myself all to well that is why. As the old mechanics say "A squeaky wheel gets fixed."

Why I Stopped Relying On God To Make Me Masculine.

The idea of a deity having a role in making me more masculine is something I found rooted deep in my youth, most likely from watching and reading about Greek mythology or Biblical characters such as Hercules and King David and just the culture I was brought up in; the images of these incredibly masculine men who seem to be able to take life by the testicles are fascinating to me. Why did God intervene in their masculinity and not mine? Has their been outside intervention in my development as a man? King David, for example, found strength in the Judaic God whom he worshiped while out in the wilderness as a shepherd. Legend has it that the supernatural confidence imparted to him enabled the conquering of a lion, bear, and even a giant with simply a sling and stone. Now Hercules on the other had was the son of Zeus and a mortal to my understanding; he went on a myriad of outrageously epic adventures that required the strength given to him by the Gods. These images of masculinity indirectly implanted a mentality in my life that God was what will make me a true man. I hope to displace this belief on some levels from my life.

Why I Honestly Desire To Be Masculine.

My personal journey of attempting to define what it means to be a man has been a long and arduous process that I am honestly unsure if I will ever find the desired goal. The process has been the most sculpting and humbling thing of all it would seem. This quote seems appropriate to this subject context.

“The journey of a thousand miles, begins with one step.” ~ Lao Tzu

Since “The Man Effect” was started out of my personal desire of wondering what it means to be a man cross-pollinated with my desire to do a photography project, I thought it was finally time to sit down and write about why I long to be a masculine, because I believe this will help give context and understanding to my motives for this project.