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I happen to think that some of the problems we currently face is a lack of real Masculine Role Models. Drifter's "Get off my lawn" thread highlights problems with family that probably have roots in "single mother" homes and lack of father's. 50% divorce rates, etc. So what does Being a Man mean to you? Share your thoughts, passages from books, how to videos, famous quotes, etc. I'll start with a passage from a book I'm currently reading entitled The Art of Manliness on Self-Reliance Every Man Should be able to Save his own Life from Endurance, 1926 by Earle Liederman Every man should be able to save his own life. He should be able to swim far enough, run fast and long enough to save his life in case of emergency and necessity. He also should be able to chin himself a reasonable number of times, as well as to dip a number of times and he should be able to jump a reasonable height and distance. If he is of the fat, porpose type, naturally he cannot do all, if any, of these things; he has nobody to blame but himself, and his way of living that has brought his body into its condition of obesity. Suppose - and it has happend many times - there should be a fire at sea or on a lake or river; should one be half a mile or more from the shore, he would be mighty thankful to realize, were he compelled to jump for his life from the fire, that he could swim that distance and reach the shore in safety. Suppose one were in a burning building and he had to lower himself hand under hand down a rope or down an improvised rope of bedclothing tied together to reach the ground in safety; he again would be thankful a thousand times that he possessed the strength and endurance in his arms and coordinate muscles that would enable him to save himself. Such things never may happen, and let us hope they do not, but what has happend always is possible to occur again - and, in fact, is always happening to someone. I do not believe in everyone striving to be a long distance swimmer, a long distance runner, or any kind of endurance athlete. But he should be able to swim at least half a mile or more; he should be able to run at top speed two hundred yards or more; he should be able to jump over obstacles higher than his waist; and he should be in condition to pull his body weight upward by the strength of his arms, until his chin touches his hands, at least fifteen to twenty times; and as for pushing ability, he should be able to dip between parallel bars or between two chairs at least twenty-five times or more. If he can accomplish these things he need have no fear concerning the safety of his life should he be forced into an emergency from which he alone may be able to save himself.