Honestly, I wanna take this question seriously. I haven't thought this deeply in awhile...(probably should've made this a DM)

I think...integrity is a very important thing to a man. Doesn't matter if he's Audie Murphy or the biggest bastard you know, most men who are respected have integrity. What I mean is...they do what they say they're gonna do. I think that's what made a lot of John Wayne's western characters so compelling. The guy was just an actor, yet hailed as an American Icon and Hero, just because of the impact he had on male culture in America. Nobody would doubt his "manliness" either. Same with Audie Murphy, the guy was 5'5 19 years old, and the most decorated soldier in WW2, became an actor afterwards, and suffered from what we now call PTSD, yet if you read about what he did during the war...not a soul alive could say "he wasn't a man".

I mean, everyone wants to put to huge, tall, strong, tough guys, but truth be told, if you're looking for that, most of the "toughest" guys in history were actually fairly short. Floyd Mayweather, Bruce Lee, and Audie Murhpy. All of them under 6 foot. So I don't think it's got anything to do with physicality.

It's more just...I mean when you're young you always look up to your dad if he was around and providing for the family. Because you could depend on him for help and such. Had nothing to do with him being an intellectual, he could be a blue collar guy with a hard job. Nothing to do with how tall or strong he was, your uncle could be stronger and taller, but I think it was that he was there for you and the family.

I feel like with the breakdown of the "family" in America's culture, coupled with a general lack of respect for elders within the youth, and being told we're villains by every medium on the planet (practically every movie or show villain for decades has been an evil white businessman, basically Lex Luthor). We've demonized wealth, power, and charm to the point that if someone has all 3, then we just assume they've wronged someone to get there with their power or charm, so we should steal from them to right that social wrong (socialism).

I think we've just let intellectuals dictate who we are for far too long. People need to stop preaching, and start listening or just stay the hell outta everyone else's business. A man can't be a man, if he's not free to be a man. I think that goes for everyone really...people in general, I think it might be that simple...