Very much like all university students I have fancied my thoughts to be those of a
philosopher or some new groundbreaking psychologist. I have watched a series of
movies, some related but some completely unrelated. Ive come to think about why I
enjoy all of these movies so much and it dawned upon me; all these movies have on
thing in common. All of the movies in my list have a male main character. This may
not come as much of a shock in fact it may seem so mundane, but I have felt that
these movies all explore different pictures of the male mind and state of being in our
world. I have somehow found myself relating, even if in the slightest, to every one of
these characters and this spark a thought in my head. If I can relate to every single
one of them on some kind of level, surely others out there do.
I have always found the study of psychology fascinating, just the way the human
mind works with all of its complexities, but in our everyday lives, it seems so simple
and natural. After playing around with my interest and gathering a little bit of
knowledge just to satisfy my curiosity, I found that I am indeed more specifically
interested in the difference between the male and female minds and their unique
fingerprints and complexities. Just the way we work and the way we think so
differently is such an absurd idea but is yet so interesting.
I have however, decided to focus more on the male side of this equation because it
is no secret that I am not a female and cannot connect with that work as much as
this.
Where to begin? Where do I begin to study a man?
I feel it is also necessary to delve into masculinity in our day and age, as I fell it
contributes significantly to what men are in our society.
A man by simple definition, is an adult human male. Unfortunately, I am pretty
opinionated so I will not Google search the definition because I will receive an
ambiguous definition that I feel contributes to the lack of modern manhood identity.
This, whatever the fuck I'm writing is, this is my work, written by me and coming from
my brain. I will give my own definitions and ideas about everything to the best of my
ability. I should also add that I began to read a book my girlfriend bought me. It is
called “Wild at heart” by John Eldredge and it basically unpacks manhood in its true
essence but also in the light of The Lord.
A man. A man. A man is wild but tamed. A man is dangerous but controlled. A man is
a fighter but with discipline. A man is a truly wild being at heart, it is a fire that can
never die. A man seeks to be wild, to be naughty. A man seeks to be dangerous,
seeks to be seen as a threat, it’s a power thing. A man needs a mission, a purpose,
something to tie their efforts to. “Deep in his heart, every man longs for a battle to
fight, an adventure to live, and a beauty to rescue.” this is Eldredge’s idea of the
purpose of a man. I feel a man needs more than that in todays society.
A man needs The Father
A man needs a dream and a purpose
A man needs space
A man needs somewhere to belong
A man needs something to conquer
A man needs a home
A man needs a family to protect and provide for
A man needs to be wild and dangerous and stupid.
A sharp and steady mind, discipline and control
A man needs other men
The order is of no importance or meaning after the first one but these are what I think
a man needs in his life's journey.
Every human being on this planet needs to know The Lord and Saviour and needs to
know the way around the Bible. Every human needs to have times where they
humble themselves to something much greater and seek refuge, help and guidance.
Not to make such a contrasting example but some of the most cutthroat men of their
times, respectively, all showed respect to God. From Kings who slaughtered
thousands on a battlefield but could still kneel before a greater power, to Mob bosses
who murdered people in cold blood and hustled drugs but would sit in the house of
God for confessionals and raise families under Christ. What I am saying is that no
man nor woman as a matter of fact, can make it far without a relationship with God.
A man needs a dream and a purpose. Just as a soldier will always need a mission, a
man will always seek purpose. A young boy needs to aspire towards something. You
need a destination in order to start moving but its deeper than that. A man needs a
will to live, something to live for. Something to get out of bed for, to wake up and fight
for. The one universal understanding everyone in the world has is that as soon as
you're born, you're walking straight towards death. A man needs to leave his mark on
the world in whatever way they can. It is a desperation that I unfortunately cannot
really explain but you see the desperation it drives, in the men we have today. We
have prisons filled to the brim with men that took pride in their reputation as a bad
people, but to their simple minds at least this world will remember them for
something. If I had to ask you why Elon Musk wakes up and decides to try to makes
himself richer everyday even though he has accumulated the most wealth the
modern world has ever seen, would you have an answer? Exactly, but it s a burning
feeling males are born with, to work and dedicate your life towards something
A man needs space. A man needs a space to exist. A man needs somewhere where
he can unapologetically be himself, whether he wants the hover from the ceiling or
sit quietly with a book in a corner, he needs space to be himself. We are
unfortunately in a time where that space is being reduced more and more as we go.
Men are now not really accepted to conduct themselves in their natural manners as
their behaviours are seen as destructive or offensive to someone. Ever seen men
together at someone’s house or farm or some secluded space where men are left to
their own accord? It is utter chaos. Ironically men find so much peace within that
chaos but it is so rare to find for them especially as adults. Men just require a space
where they can be uncensored and free.
A man requires association. Somehwere or even something to belong to. (
Schoolboy culture, cults, brotherhoods,gangs, social sport, bars and clubs)