Horror.com Forums - Talk about horror. - So, What Exactly IS A 'MAN'?

I am SO sick of this 'macho man' type bullshit...I can't stand guys who think that drinking, fighting, and driving a truck is what makes a male person a 'MAN'

Alex and Seri's father have informed them that:

@ Alex: "You shouldn't be cooking (only your MOTHER should do that), you should be mowing the lawn...You're too skinny, you need to 'workout', and you need to learn to fight..."...etcetera

So, I told him "How can you tell a kid who's almost 13 that he's too incompetent to use a stove but he should be operating a lawnmower? That's a little confusing, dontcha think?"..."Alex is a very loving, caring, sensitive, intelligent individual, NOT physical, and there isn't a DAMNED thing wrong with that"...Alex has a heart condition, he certainly doesn't need the heat and exertion that mowing (especially THIS yard) would put on him, and Alex LOVES to cook, when he was 6 years old (and helping me to make pineapple upside down cake, cookies, etcetera) he said he wanted to own a bakery...But his father never thinks about things like that, or how anyone else feels...And I have tried to teach Alex that fighting is STUPID and unnecessary, unless you have to defend yourself...I have taught him that you never hit anyone smaller or weaker than you, and you NEVER hit a female, nor do you instigate a fight...There are far better, more intelligent ways to deal with things...His father will never understand the importance of BRAINS over braun

@ Seri: "Why don't you find a REAL man, instead of going out with these pussies?"...Seri has had 2 boyfriends...Her father was CONSTANTLY challenging them to fight with him to 'see what you're made of...See if you could protect my daughter' God, he's SUCH a caveman...They refused, so they weren't 'good enough for her'...They didn't drink or smoke, and they were more into music and computers than fighting and acting stupid...And I have some bad news for Seri's father, Seri kinda likes somewhat 'girly guys'...And I often wonder if it's BECAUSE OF her father...

Some 'men' think that as long as you work hard (whether you use the money you make to pay the BILLS or not:rolleyes:, or meet all of your responsibilities) that you are a 'real man', and if you happen to get a few dents in your truck from ramming some guy's head into it at a bar, well that's just what 'men' do...I'm gonna have to disagree

Dustin is the COMPLETE opposite of my ex...That's why we're still together ;)...And Dustin always helps me to calm Alex down when his father has made him feel like shit

Dustin is not a fighter (but he WILL defend himself and his family if necessary, although we're intelligent enough not to put ourselves in the types of situations where defense would likely be necessary in the first place)...He's a sensitive person, a musician, a writer, a thinker, a computer nerd and an excellent cook...All of the things that my ex considers to be 'weak', and things that he could never be

My ex makes exactly SIX times more money than Dustin (which my ex thinks is an indication that he is a 'better MAN' than Dustin), but my ex is deep in debt (as he has ALWAYS been), and can't manage to pay his bills on time, OR pay child support (which is fine by me, because the less contact the better)...Dustin, with much less income, manages to pay all of our bills AND pick up the slack in taking care of Alex and doing things for Seri, because their father is always broke...and Dustin has NEVER complained about that

In my eyes, Dustin is the 'real MAN'...And if he's NOT considered a man by majority standards, then fine, I'll just take whatever the hell he IS

The reason I actually made this thread (besides venting :p) is to:

1) Get some responses from the females to see what THEY consider a 'man' to be...Everyone has their own opinion, maybe I'll find out that mine is different from most, or maybe my thoughts will be supported...Either way, it would be interesting to find out

2) Find out what the guys really think it means to be a REAL man

3) See if the definitions for a 'man' are different in the eyes of the females and the males...I think this part will be most interesting...Perhaps even help to understand part of the miscommunication between males and females...And emphasize the difference in mentalities between men and women

Heh...Do you guys EVER get tired of feeling like my 'test subjects'?...I can't help it, human psychology enthralls me...So, please just humor me, huh? :)