Friday, April 6, 2012

Morals, Values, and Convictions

Real men are not afraid to stand up for their convictions, even promoting their personal values in society.

Many people feel a bit strange about sharing their values, or talking about what they think is right and wrong.  It is as though they feel like they are passing judgement on anyone who disagrees with them.  Being "intolerant" of other people and their ideals.

Not only will a manly man have strong morals and values, based upon a lasting foundation, but he will not be afraid to tell people when he thinks they are wrong.  Of course he won't be ungracious about it, and he will expect others to challenge him on his position.  It is a good thing to have strong convictions arising from your values, but to be closed to discussion about the formation of them is rather weak.

Even more important is the attitude to challenge which is welcoming of the "battle of wits" (in a sense) which sees the opportunity to refine a point of view, perhaps even working together to find the best ethical position.  It is good for men to have a strong faith also, and to not be ashamed of this so long as their is good reason to believe.  Blind faith (truly blind faith) is ridiculous to the manly man because it would mean he is rely on his emotions at the expense of reason.  Not to say that manly men don't get emotional, just that they have enough control over them not to act against reason.

So men, I challenge you to step into the arena at the next opportunity.  Take up your sword and offer your perspective when an ethical question arises in the lunch room.  Give your opinion, and then explain why you think the way you do.  If anyone else is opposed, ask them why they think that way.  You will be surprised at the bonding with your "enemy" that arises once you have worked out the basis for your disagreement.  You will find that polite, reasoned disagreement is a powerful character trait.  But remember not to let your opponent get away with a purely emotional line of reasoning.

Be bold, and be strong!  Convictions that are worth making public will shape society for the better.  Our world needs strong men (and women) more than ever before.


1 comment:

  1. "Even more important is the attitude to challenge which is welcoming of the 'battle of wits' (in a sense) which sees the opportunity to refine a point of view, perhaps even working together to find the best ethical position. It is good for men to have a strong faith also, and to not be ashamed of this so long as their is good reason to believe. Blind faith (truly blind faith) is ridiculous to the manly man because it would mean he is rely on his emotions at the expense of reason. Not to say that manly men don't get emotional, just that they have enough control over them not to act against reason."

    -I agree with this. One topic that could be plugged into this is this: "Should men stand up for the rights of women being sexually assaulted in Hollywood businesses?"

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