1. Getting women/girls pregnant is a demonstration of manliness. The right mentors will teach your son that producing children has nothing to do with manhood, because nearly every man is born with the ability to procreate with a woman. Similarly, having many females can be a symbolic of many things that have nothing to do with manhood. The right mentors will teach your son that impregnating females is not an accomplishment, nor is mastering the skill of manipulating them. The true accomplishment is raising a son into a man who is capable of changing the world around him.
2. Manhood is measured or proven and demonstrated by aggression – as in, the more aggressive he is, the more manly he is. This aggression manifests itself in many ways – short temper, violence and hostility, to name a few. His ability to differentiate when it is appropriate to be aggressive, from when it is not, will be distorted because this ability is taught and learned. The right mentor will teach your son that manhood is reflected in having the judgment to decide when aggression is necessary and when it is unnecessary to achieve a desired result. The right mentors will teach your son that a man who cannot control his temper and whose actions are determined by his fleeting emotions is foolish, and is actually weak.
3. Manhood is defined by virtue of possessing money and material items. While there is great value in both financial stability and the ability to support one’s family, there is little value in merely possessing money if the man who possesses it is a fool. The idea that consumerism and materialism is healthy, intelligent or masculine is totally wrong. In other words, manhood is reflected not only by one’s ability to obtain money, but also by his ability to use it wisely to support, invest in, and build his future.
By Mervin A. Bourne, Jr., (adopted from “A Single Mother’s Guide to Raising a Son”)