Kudos to The Art of Manliness
As we mentioned in our last post, earlier this year we heard about a fantastic website: The Art of Manliness.
As the name implies, it’s a website dedicated to men. However, the thing that impressed us the most when we heard about it, is the dedication the site has to true manhood – honorable manhood.
The creators of the site didn’t like the way most magazines and sites focused on men delved too much into salacious material. They realized that the world needs more focus on things that build good character.
And we heartily applaud and support those efforts.
Here’s what creator Brett McKay said in the article that first alerted us about this great website.
There is so much sex in the men’s magazines that are out there. It just didn’t register with me as a man. As a young father, I didn’t want this stuff around the house. The Art of Manliness is about bringing back the idea of manhood and masculinity that is not like what the media portrays. It’s not about being big and buff and conquering the ladies. It’s about being a man of virtue, honor and courage. We want men to be engaged in the community, to see beyond themselves. The media portrays narcissism. We want men to think past that. It’s about sticking with something even when it’s hard.
Here are snippets from some of our favorite Art of Manliness articles from 2013:
Fathering With Intentionality: The Importance of Creating a Family Culture
Research has found that family culture plays a more important role in shaping a child than parenting styles, and the type of culture a family develops strongly predicts their happiness. Every family has a distinct way they work together to solve problems, achieve goals, and relate to one another. And just as business culture is created by default or through intentionality, so too is a family’s culture.
Creating a Positive Family Culture: The Importance of Establishing Family Traditions
Traditions, and the stories they tell about one’s family, play an important role in shaping a child’s personal identity. Children who have an intimate knowledge of their family’s history are typically more well-adjusted and self-confident than children who don’t. There’s something about understanding your past and knowing you belong to something bigger than yourself that instills confidence.
Choose traditions that most resonate with you. Having said that, as you review the list, try not to immediately write off some as silly or not elaborate enough. This isn’t only about what appeals to you as a jaded adult, but what will appeal to your kids. If you think back to your childhood, some surprisingly silly and simple stuff was a lot of fun and created great memories.
How and Why to Create a Family Mission Statement
In reality, the end product isn’t as important as the process – this task of creating your family mission statement is where the real magic happens. This is a life-long, multi-generational discussion. Don’t get discouraged by a single bad family mission statement meeting.
No one can control the kind of biological father they are born with. But every young man can strive to be the best possible father to his future self.
What Strengthens and Weakens Our Integrity – Part I: Why Small Choices Count
Becoming a man of integrity is not like riding a bicycle; you don’t learn how to do it once, and then expect to ride that ethical conviction as an automatic behavior for the rest of your life. Instead, acting with integrity is something you have to decide to do over and over again, and the more moral reminders you have in your life that reinforce your commitment, and the more regularly you encounter those reminders, the easier it is to stay on track.
How to Distinguish Between Urgent and Important Tasks and Make Real Progress in Your Life
If you don’t have any idea what values and goals matter most to you, you obviously won’t know what things you should be spending your time on to reach those aims!
In addition to great messages such as these, The Art of Manliness also provides fantastic tips on a variety of manly skills and other tips such as Knife Sharpening, Home Maintenance, How to Take Care of a Hat, How a Suit Should Fit, How to Escape a Sinking Car, and so much more!
If you haven’t yet clicked on any of those articles/links above, then do so now. You’ll find great, inspirational messages that help build good character. And if you’re a parent, they’ll help you with the generation you’re raising as well.
