How many of these skills do you have?
The top 10 skills every man should learn to lead a more fulfilling life.
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1. How to argue without fighting
If you’ve never even taken a crash-course in Non-violent communication, you may be missing a powerful tool that can help you go from angry fights to calm discourse. No, you don’t have to fight in order to solve all of your problems. Good men figure this out and employ diplomacy and intimacy instead of drama and distance. Do you know how to handle an argument without losing your cool?
2. How to prepare Protein
This is a holdover from ancient “huddle around the campfire” masculinity. It’s not necessary to be a meat-eater, but it is necessary to know how to cook the protein of your choice. These skills include barbecuing a steak to medium rare perfection, carving a turkey with confidence, or perfecting your recipe for quinoa and beans. Do you know how to prepare your protein?
3. How to fix everyday things:
Sometimes faucets leak and tires go flat. It’s extremely valuable to be capable of figuring out the solution to these problems. Of course, sometimes the right thing to do is to call in an expert instead of getting your hands dirty. Which leads us to the next skill every man should learn…
4. How to ask for help:
Too often, men isolate when what we really need is support. From simple things like calling roadside assistance to deeper things like asking for help while dealing with depression or life crises. We don’t have to go it alone, guys. Do you have other people who you ask for help?
5. Managing your money:
You don’t need to be rich to be a good man, but you will be happier if you are clear about your goals and where your money is going. A man who doesn’t know how to manage his inputs and outputs will have a harder time managing the balance of his life. Do you have financial goals and ways to get there?
6. Managing your time:
One of the best skills a man can learn is how to manage his time. A man who has a good hold on his time is more dependable, more prompt, and less disrespectful to others’ time. We’ve already established how manly respect is, so I won’t spend any more time on it. Do you take full advantage of your time?
7. How to think and consider new ideas without acting defensive:
This includes how to argue, but it goes even deeper. Can you read a philosophical book or theory and then clearly dissect which parts of it are better for you than your current philosophy? If you are stuck in what Carol Dweck calls the “fixed mindset” then you are not really considering outside perspectives that could help you live a more full life.
8. How to wear a suit and tie that fits:
Learning to dress well is more about embodying your best and less about impressing others, but it is true that “girls go crazy about a sharp-dressed man.”
9. How to lead a partner during a dance:
First of all, it’s just good dating advice. Second of all, dancing is the best metaphor for relationships. A good leader is not a forcer. A good leader is a good listener and a fluid decision-maker. If you know how to lead a partner during a dance, you’re going to naturally be better at actively listening to your partner’s needs and comforts before making a decision about direction.
10. Where you’re unconsciously xenophobic:
We are all unconsciously xenophobic. It’s built into us instinctively to protect us from “other” tribes and animals. Fortunately, this instinct is not as relevant in a globalized society. A real man is actively seeking ways to become more conscious of his fears and numbness to others. He is looking for ways to be more empathic and to create room for other people to prosper around him. In a lot of ways, these are just good leadership skills.
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Also by Dale Thomas Vaughn
How I Learned to Be Happy When I Am Alone | How Guys Go From Tough and Alone to Evolved and Accountable | Do We Really Need to Work? | 20 Lessons From My Men’s Group That Have Improved My Life |
Photo by Susanne Nilsson
Excellent article. Thank you!
The Fox News ladies were probably also chosen for their hard core conservative views. They are not professional enough when it comes to using their brains to think about what they are going to say before it comes out of their mouth but to be fair, the guys at Fox News are not much better either.
The problem is that investment firms don’t go out to the poor and miniority communities to teach people how to manage their money plus these same firms are run by people who don’t believe that ordinary people should be paid well. Of course, when you look at our top business leaders, they don’t know how to manager their money let alone their companies. When it comes to learning to dance, we seem to discourage dancing unless you are going to do it as a full-time profession. We emphasise physical sports like football, soccer, basketball, etc. In addition, schools have been… Read more »
That is true that many PEOPLE, in general, should/could learn all of these skills.
The problem with the ladies of Fox News is deeper than that. The biggest problem is the “females as decoration” mindset your society has (yes, many others, probably most, have it as well). They aren’t the best professionals one could find, but are some of the most beautiful and youngest “professional enough” women they could find.