Manning Up. How to be a better man in today’s society and digital world. Part 2. Chapter 1: What is a man?

Chapter 1. What is a man?

Introduction may be found at this link: https://medium.com/@bro24/manning-up-how-to-be-a-better-man-in-todays-society-and-digital-world-b93350aec608

So, what is a man? Sounds like a simply question to have an answer, right? Well it seems in today’s society with the preferred pronouns from certain segments of society or possibly this present younger generation we may possibly get a variation of answers, or it may be difficult for them to answer. So let’s simply start with what merriam-webster dictionary defines as a man.

1 : an individual human
especially : an adult male human

Well that wasn’t a well defined definition was it? Let’s then look a the definition of male.

1 : of, relating to, or being the sex that typically has the capacity to produce relatively small, usually motile gametes which fertilize the eggs of a female

Guess that is a little better. However, I tend to like how Wikipedia defines it a bit better.

A man is an adult male human.[1][2] Prior to adulthood, a male human is referred to as a boy (a male child or adolescent). Like most other male mammals, a man’s genome usually inherits an X chromosome from the mother and a Y chromosome from the father. Sex differentiation of the male fetus is governed by the SRY gene on the Y chromosome. During puberty, hormones which stimulate androgen production result in the development of secondary sexual characteristics, thus exhibiting greater differences between the sexes. These include greater muscle mass, the growth of facial hair and a lower body fat composition.
Male anatomy is distinguished from female anatomy by the male reproductive system, which includes the penis, testicles, sperm duct, prostate gland and the epididymis, and by secondary sex characteristics, including a narrower pelvis, narrower hips, and smaller breasts without mammary glands.
Throughout human history, traditional gender roles have often defined and limited men’s activities and opportunities. Men often face conscription into military service or are directed into professions with high mortality rates, resulting in a shorter life expectancy than women. Many religious doctrines stipulate certain rules for men, such as forced circumcision. Men are over-represented as both perpetrators and victims of violence.

Now let’s see how the Bible Dictionary defines man.

“Heb. ‘Adam, used as the proper name of the first man. The name is derived from a word meaning “to be red,” and thus the first man was called Adam because he was formed from the red earth. It is also the generic name of the human race ( Genesis 1:26 Genesis 1:27 ; 5:2 ; 8:21 ; Deuteronomy 8:3 ). Its equivalents are the Latin homo and the Greek anthropos ( Matthew 5:13 Matthew 5:16 ). It denotes also man in opposition to woman ( Genesis 3:12 ; Matthew 19:10 ).

Heb. ‘ish, like the Latin vir and Greek aner, denotes properly a man in opposition to a woman ( 1 Samuel 17:33 ; Matthew 14:21 ); a husband ( Genesis 3:16 ; Hosea 2:16 ); man with reference to excellent mental qualities.

Heb. ‘enosh, man as mortal, transient, perishable ( 2 Chronicles 14:11 ; Isaiah 8:1 ; Job 15:14 ; Psalms 8:4 ; Psalms 9:19 Psalms 9:20 ; 103:15 ). It is applied to women ( Joshua 8:25 ).

Heb. geber, man with reference to his strength, as distinguished from women ( Deuteronomy 22:5 ) and from children ( Exodus 12:37 ); a husband ( Proverbs 6:34 ).

Heb. methim, men as mortal ( Isaiah 41:14 ), and as opposed to women and children ( Deuteronomy 3:6 ; Job 11:3 ; Isaiah 3:25 ).
Man was created by the immediate hand of God, and is generically different from all other creatures ( Genesis 1:26 Genesis 1:27 ; 2:7 ). His complex nature is composed of two elements, two distinct substances, viz., body and soul ( Genesis 2:7 ; Eccl 12:7 ; 2 co 5:1–8 ).
The words translated “spirit” and “soul,” in 1 Thessalonians 5:23 , Hebrews 4:12 , are habitually used interchangeably ( Matthew 10:28 ; 16:26 ; 1 Peter 1:22 ). The “spirit” (Gr. pneuma) is the soul as rational; the “soul” (Gr. psuche) is the same, considered as the animating and vital principle of the body.
Man was created in the likeness of God as to the perfection of his nature, in knowledge ( Colossians 3:10 ), righteousness, and holiness ( Ephesians 4:24 ), and as having dominion over all the inferior creatures ( Genesis 1:28 ). He had in his original state God’s law written on his heart, and had power to obey it, and yet was capable of disobeying, being left to the freedom of his own will. He was created with holy dispositions, prompting him to holy actions; but he was fallible, and did fall from his integrity ( 3:1–6 ). (See FALL .)”

I realize that was a much longer definition for a man, however I do like it better especially when it is derived from the Word of God and since He is the Creator of all things, I tend to prefer His definition. How about you?

I think a good place to start learning to be a better man in today’s society and digital world is to first know how a man is defined, especially from the Bible. The second would be to understand male personality types. Personality Types that decide a man’s characteristic traits. There are many male personality types out there, but not all of them are the same. Some male personalities are more common than others, and understanding this is important for relationships. With that in mind, I will share some of the most common known male personality types. Keep in mind, a man may not completely align into one type or the other, but a man’s personality type will be more of one type than the other in which they will fall under. The main ones are alpha, beta, gamma, delta, omega, and sigma. All of them are unique in their own way and have different characteristics that determine them. There are tests to find it out. As a man, you may look into what traits you possess and see which one you are.

Below is a brief summary from Influence Digest. So this summary is not my words. Although it is not an entirely comprehensive and psychological guide, it does provide a fair summary. Again, I would suggest that a man take an official and credible test from a reliable source to be more accurate.

“Beta Male
This personality type is attached to men who are more submissive. If you were ever asked by friends the question “are you a beta male” they probably thought you have this trait. Beta males are often known to be people pleasers and often quite helpful. They are usually the male in a group who gets along best with everyone and is trusted by many.
Beta males tend to work well in teams, they also make great listeners and can offer good advice when needed due to their willingness to compromise on most issues. Their peaceful nature makes it easy for them to get along with others even if their opinions differ from each other.
Other features of beta males are that they tend to be very good-looking and likable. However, these men can struggle with getting into relationships as their friendly nature often means that they are taken advantage of.

Alpha Male
This is probably the most common male personality type. They are strong, confident, and always ready to take on the world around them. Alpha male personalities are often admired because of their self-confidence but this is not something they can turn off when needed so it makes sense that others may feel intimidated by alpha males’ loud nature.
They don’t usually see themselves as bullies per se or, even control freaks. However, they do like to be in charge which means you better listen up if an alpha male speaks! A man like this needs someone who will stand up for him against other people’s criticism too. Just try not to get into arguments with anyone else yourself while dating one though.

The Gamma Male
Gamma males are also known as male feminists or male allies. This male personality type is characterized by their desire to be seen as equal, regardless of sex or gender identity. Rather than insisting on being dominant in social interactions, gamma males are quietly aware that they have more to learn from the women around them.
While some men may feel intimidated by strong and successful women, gamma males feel empowered when surrounded by females who are comfortable wielding power over themselves and others. Women find empowerment through the support network of other spirited ladies, whereas gamma males tend to seek out female mentors for guidance instead of seeking similar advice amongst male peers.

The Omega Male
This male personality type is believed by some to be the male equivalent of a female’s Alpha personality type. Whilst this may not always be true, there are certainly similarities between these men and alpha females. While omega male traits don’t necessarily mean that someone will lack confidence or drive it can often become difficult for them to express their needs in relationships or personal life situations.
The omega male characteristics are the following:
calm and stoic
low energy levels
gentle nature but with strong opinions when pushed to the limit
very introverted male
male with low self-esteem
male who often struggles to stand up for themselves in the face of conflict or pressure from other people
male who may have a history of mental health issues

The Delta Male
Delta males are often the male equivalent of the “wallflower”. They are typically quiet, reserved individuals that have a hard time expressing their feelings. While they may seem shy or timid to others, deep down inside they often possess inner confidence and drive with which most other male personality types cannot compete.
Delta males make up around 13% of all male personalities, according to recent estimates of male demographics studies conducted by psychologists. At first glance, delta males appear relatively normal. However, upon closer inspection, one will notice certain differences in both body language and facial expressions when compared with alpha (dominant) male behavior patterns.

The Sigma Male
This personality type is often misunderstood and misinterpreted. This male personality type falls outside the traditional male types, so it can be difficult to understand at first. However, sigma males are extremely rare, making only about one percent of all men fall into this category. The male understanding these traits will help them better connect with other people but also bring more success in their lives as well!
These men are confident and like to stand out. They do not care about following social norms, instead of living life on their own terms. Sigma male personalities tend to be very different from the rest of society but are often seen as eccentric because they do things differently than most people around them.”

Now that we have defined what a man is, and summarize the top 6 male personality types, what do you think today’s society defines or portrays as a man?

We will talk more about that in part 3 of series or chapter 2. I will also be having a female guest sitting down with me on the podcast and on the Purpose Principles Passion YouTube Channel on the PlayList, “He Said, She Said”. So stay tuned, subscribe, and check back often.

This concludes part 2 (chapter 1) of this multipart series. The Introduction may be found at this link: https://medium.com/@bro24/manning-up-how-to-be-a-better-man-in-todays-society-and-digital-world-b93350aec608