Manhood is not obtained overnight a simple bar mitzvah isn’t what separates you from the boys. Manhood isn’t the stage after puberty or how much facial hair you have but rather a maturity level shown by supporting ones self and that of his peers around him.

Image via Wikipedia

A man is not a male with big muscles who can bench press 100kg’s and take down a man twice the size of him. No, a man is some who displays acts of courage and honour through this wisdom of his ways. Manhood isn’t measured by physical qualities rather mental capabilities and common sense. Say a male is presented with a challenge of losing a job. A boy will lose his temper, let testosterone take control and go into a frenzied rampage of hate. A boy will not go out looking for a job, he will mope about and waste away. A man however has initiative. After his downfall he gets right back on the horse and keeps looking for a new job, not letting the failure of his last job influence him in any way.

A man can take care of himself, raise a family independently and take care of them as well. A man is an independent person who knows when he needs help and when to give it. Paying bills, doing the shopping or organising that doctors appointment for your injured knee. These are only small milestones you will face on the journey to becoming a man. A boy chooses to face these chores differently leaving the people around him affected by his laziness.

Losing your virginity, being the captain of your baseball team and having a lot of money does not make you a man. The wisdom you instill on your life and on people around you, independency and selflessness does, next time you are faced with a challenge think twice and ask yourself “how would a man go about this?” Because a simple decision is what separates the men from the boys.