In fairness, it should be asked: What is the definition of...

[Evangelicalhumanist]

A Man?

Another thread in this Debate Forum, asks "What is the definition of a woman?" It has had 8,160 views, and 542 responses -- which I think is a bunch. So it apparently aroused some interest.

But why has nobody yet thought to ask the corollary question: "What is the definition of a man?"

There was a time in human history, not so very long ago, when a woman who didn't behave "like a woman" could be considered a witch, and hanged, burned, squashed, drowned or whatever seemed most appropriate. To not be the mother of children was once considered to a very odd state of affairs for a woman. And to even think about being a leader, meddling in politics, pretending to be able to assess guilt in a trial, or worse, to participate in a trial as a litigator were simply unthinkable. Now, they can indeed aspire to be Presidents and Prime Ministers (and in many countries -- alas not the US -- are just that).

So? What is a man? (And I don't think Rudyard Kipling's "If" is a good place to start, even though it ends with the line: "And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!"

 

[Sirona]

I am not a feminist, but I know that Simone de Beauvoir wrote a critical book, "The Second Sex," with the implication that "male" is the norm and "female" is the oddity.
English also speaks of "mankind", "womankind" is a term which at least I never heard.

However, as your question is very open, it could also be understood in terms of "Which qualities are considered masculine?"

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

I am not a feminist, but I know that Simone de Beauvoir wrote a critical book, "The Second Sex," with the implication that "male" is the norm and "female" is the oddity.
English also speaks of "mankind", "womankind" is a term which at least I never heard.

However, as your question is very open, it could also be understood in terms of "Which qualities are considered masculine?"

But I meant it to be answered in the same the way as the question about "what is the definition of a woman," which was asked of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson during her confirmation hearings.

 

[Viker]

There's the mundane biologically assigned adult male then there are hundreds of cultural archetypes, so many to sift through.

 

[Kfox]

A Man?

Another thread in this Debate Forum, asks "What is the definition of a woman?" It has had 8,160 views, and 542 responses -- which I think is a bunch. So it apparently aroused some interest.

But why has nobody yet thought to ask the corollary question: "What is the definition of a man?"

There was a time in human history, not so very long ago, when a woman who didn't behave "like a woman" could be considered a witch, and hanged, burned, squashed, drowned or whatever seemed most appropriate. To not be the mother of children was once considered to a very odd state of affairs for a woman. And to even think about being a leader, meddling in politics, pretending to be able to assess guilt in a trial, or worse, to participate in a trial as a litigator were simply unthinkable. Now, they can indeed aspire to be Presidents and Prime Ministers (and in many countries -- alas not the US -- are just that).

So? What is a man? (And I don't think Rudyard Kipling's "If" is a good place to start, even though it ends with the line: "And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!"

A man is an adult human being with
*XY Chromosomes instead of XX
*A natural Testosterone level somewhere between 900-1200 instead of 15 - 25
*A Prostate instead of a Uterus.
There are a lot of other things I could list but I think you get the picture.

 

[Brickjectivity]

Its not something you learn from a dictionary but in practice. You allude to the definition, but its really not something bound to a definition but to experiences. You can describe men generally, but that is not a definition. If you choose a definition it necessarily doesn't include everything, so it leaves things out.

Were I asked this by Congress I don't know what I'd say. If I were being questioned as a potential supreme court judge I'd try to steer the conversation towards legal definition, but senators are notoriously belligerent in questioning. They have enough law schooling to know how to demand answers that are not relevant or are not possible.

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

A man is an adult human being with
*XY Chromosomes instead of XX
*A natural Testosterone level somewhere between 900-1200 instead of 15 - 25
*A Prostate instead of a Uterus.
There are a lot of other things I could list but I think you get the picture.

Okay, so nothing mental at all about it. The ultra-submissive gay bottom who likes wearing women's clothes and being tupped (see Othello: "now, even now, an old black ram is tupping your white ewe") by "real men," is, in your view, a man.

Funny, when I was growing up, that person was the object of innumerable slurs basically asking, "why can't you be a man?"

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

Its not something you learn from a dictionary but in practice. You allude to the definition, but its really not something bound to a definition but to experiences. You can describe men generally, but that is not a definition. If you choose a definition it necessarily doesn't include everything, so it leaves things out.

Were I asked this by Congress I don't know what I'd say. If I were being questioned as a potential supreme court judge I'd try to steer the conversation towards legal definition, but senators are notoriously belligerent in questioning. They have enough law schooling to know how to demand answers that are not relevant or are not possible.

Meaning (and kudos to you), you know precisely why such questions are asked in the first place.

 

[Kenny]

A Man?

Another thread in this Debate Forum, asks "What is the definition of a woman?" It has had 8,160 views, and 542 responses -- which I think is a bunch. So it apparently aroused some interest.

But why has nobody yet thought to ask the corollary question: "What is the definition of a man?"

There was a time in human history, not so very long ago, when a woman who didn't behave "like a woman" could be considered a witch, and hanged, burned, squashed, drowned or whatever seemed most appropriate. To not be the mother of children was once considered to a very odd state of affairs for a woman. And to even think about being a leader, meddling in politics, pretending to be able to assess guilt in a trial, or worse, to participate in a trial as a litigator were simply unthinkable. Now, they can indeed aspire to be Presidents and Prime Ministers (and in many countries -- alas not the US -- are just that).

So? What is a man? (And I don't think Rudyard Kipling's "If" is a good place to start, even though it ends with the line: "And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!"

In my view, a man is an XY who uses his authority and power to serve others and not himself. (however lacking my definition may be)

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

In my view, a man is an XY who uses his authority and power to serve others and not himself. (however lacking my definition may be)

Well, it is lacking, as you suggest....

 

[Kfox]

Its not something you learn from a dictionary but in practice. You allude to the definition, but its really not something bound to a definition but to experiences. You can describe men generally, but that is not a definition. If you choose a definition it necessarily doesn't include everything, so it leaves things out..

I gave my view of the definition of what a man is. If you disagree with that definition, state your disagreement

 

[Kenny]

Well, it is lacking, as you suggest....

Hey... I gave it a try...

 

[Brickjectivity]

I gave my view of the definition of what a man is. If you disagree with that definition, state your disagreement

KenS definition though incomplete was better than yours, because his had something about a man's duty or a man's drives. Men are dreamers and drifters, but if we can exercise discipline we can be closer to what we ought to be, which is people who make a difference. Men don't have a powerful drive to have babies, so our other drives are strengthened. We aren't fascinated so much by the dynamics of relationships or drawn to the stability of secure housing. These are external to us unless they are part of our mission or passions. We have to consciously pull ourselves together and decide that we are going to have a home or are going to have a career. We have to understand why and what it means. It doesn't simply fall into line with our passions. Our passions go all over the place. We can have so many different interests that we never accomplish anything. This is usually different than women, who have a lifelong craving for children and nesting. They feel a gravity towards that, even if they have strong interests in other directions. Men are less naturally directed I think.

There is more to our dna than reproduction. We don't have that drive women have to make babies, but instead our other drives are strengthened. We feel drawn to accomplish things and to change things and to wish for things to be improved after we are gone. Women have that, too, but they have more going on. They lean towards a different mix of drives and passions. If they don't desire children they often have to fight their craving for children. Men don't. We might fight our craving for sex, but that is not the same. Its a different craving and motivates us differently.

Men go through a maturing process that includes "Mid life crisis." This is a man thing. It is part of the definition of a man. A man looks back upon his youth and sees his age and his body failing, and he reassesses his own worth. Many men kill themselves at this time or before. It is part of the natural process that we doubt ourselves and question ourselves.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

A man is an adult human being with
*XY Chromosomes instead of XX
*A natural Testosterone level somewhere between 900-1200 instead of 15 - 25
*A Prostate instead of a Uterus.
There are a lot of other things I could list but I think you get the picture.

So all of those things are needed?

 

[Kfox]

Okay, so nothing mental at all about it.

No.

The ultra-submissive gay bottom who likes wearing women's clothes and being tupped (see Othello: "now, even now, an old black ram is tupping your white ewe") by "real men," is, in your view, a man.

Yes. He definitely is not a woman!

Funny, when I was growing up, that person was the object of innumerable slurs basically asking, "why can't you be a man?"

Sexist slurs from a jerk does not make you a woman

 

[Kfox]

So all of those things are needed?

And then some.

 

[Kfox]

KenS definition though incomplete was better than yours, because his had something about a man's duty or a man's drives.

Who decides what a man’s duties are?

Men are dreamers and drifters,

Not all men.

but if we can exercise discipline we can be closer to what we ought to be, which is people who make a difference. Men don't have a powerful drive to have babies, so our other drives are strengthened.

So if a male really wants to have children, he ain’t a man? You Jokin’ right? No offense intended, but the rest of your post was what I consider to be more absurd nonsense not worth responding to, so I left it out.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

And then some.

So you don't consider a man with de la Chapelle Syndrome to be a man?

Do you think that a man whose testosterone drops below 900 stops being a man?

 

[Aštra’el]

_____

Man

1) An adult human male, swordbearer

2) The ideal adult male- well built, healthy and valiant, who exudes vitality, vigor and masculinity- who fights to claim and protect what he knows is his.


An example of #2-

“Hordes of Chaos”- Kreator

______

 

[Brian2]

A Man?

Another thread in this Debate Forum, asks "What is the definition of a woman?" It has had 8,160 views, and 542 responses -- which I think is a bunch. So it apparently aroused some interest.

But why has nobody yet thought to ask the corollary question: "What is the definition of a man?"

There was a time in human history, not so very long ago, when a woman who didn't behave "like a woman" could be considered a witch, and hanged, burned, squashed, drowned or whatever seemed most appropriate. To not be the mother of children was once considered to a very odd state of affairs for a woman. And to even think about being a leader, meddling in politics, pretending to be able to assess guilt in a trial, or worse, to participate in a trial as a litigator were simply unthinkable. Now, they can indeed aspire to be Presidents and Prime Ministers (and in many countries -- alas not the US -- are just that).

So? What is a man? (And I don't think Rudyard Kipling's "If" is a good place to start, even though it ends with the line: "And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!"

It's probably getting more complicated to answer all the time these days.