Men Aren't Men...They're Not Really Anything

It's the man's responsibility to make tough and sometimes controversial decisions in the short run that enhance the lives of his family and further the advancement of society in the long run.  We are hunter-gatherers.  We have a responsibility to provide, to shelter, and to defend.  The woman is the homemaker, nurturer, supporter, and emotional rational that balances the man's inability to empathize.  The man's role is synonymous with security, progress, brute strength, and rationale. After all, men built the world, did they not?

What a sexist thing to say!  Perhaps...but that does not make it less accurate.  It is, however, accusations of sexism, prejudice, and the like that have lead to a society of men too afraid to assert the forceful drive that comes so naturally; we've suppressed it to such a degree we've lost touch with our ability to simply be men.

In your household men are still expected to change lightbulbs, mow the lawn, fix the car, and open a stubborn jar of pickles, yet it is considered sexist to say women are expected to cook, clean, care for the children and manage the home.  We have roles, stated or unstated, and it is clearly defined roles that allow any organization, family, or machine successfully function.  Most women still prefer the man to be the breadwinner in the relationship and find drive, work ethic, and an ability to provide as attractive qualities in a mate.  

The feminization of America is partly to blame.  Women have continued to enter the work place in record numbers since the beginning of the 20th century and, unfortunately for women, society has welcomed them with open arms.  It's unfortunate because we now expect women to be as productive in the workplace as men are, all the while expecting them to remain just as productive at home in the role they have held for millennia.  We expect women to now pull double duty and, as a result, echoes of the need for "work/life balance" resonate among working women.

I get upset when I think how this concept of "work/life balance" has become a universal mantra chanted by men and women alike.  The result is generations of men who are nothing more than lazy and chalk it up to needing "balance" in their lives.  Balance for what? Your responsibility as a man is to provide and your ability to do so will fill your family with more security and pride than being home for dinner every night will.  I know plenty of men with tons of spare time: they're unemployed and the family isn't any better off despite all the time they get to spend together.

Men, don't twist your laziness into some sort of noble gesture to provide your family with emotional support by striking "balance".  This is not your role.  Get over your ego and fear of failure...cutting yourself short and calling it "balance" is an ingenious way to half-ass your way through life masked as something honorable but it is an embarrassment. Get to work...you may frustrate some but they'll love you more in the long run.