Ben Galt

Gone are the day’s when a mans “man-ness” was defined through rites of passage. When his social status was established through ceremonies and milestones marking significant events like “coming of age”. At the very least he had a defining moment socially recognizing his transition from boyhood to manhood.

However growing up in a western society where rites of passage have fallen by the wayside, the critical skills a man requires in order to develop a strong lion-like posture in a modern world have somewhat changed.

With that in mind, I’ve taken the liberty of listing some of the most vital skills a male adult should develop in order to re-discover his masculinity and ‘become a man’ in a society littered with miss-matched gender roles.

Top 10 Vital Man Skills

1. First and foremost a man should know how to reverse a trailer. Requiring 15 attempts to back one into a driveway makes you look like a rookie and it’s simply not good enough.
    
2. A man should be able to assemble anything from IKEA. If you’re not a lumberjack and you can’t carve a coffee table from a log using only a hammer and chisel, this is the next best thing. Granted their instructions can be disjointed at best, however they do have instructions so there’s no excuse!
    
3. A man should be able to simultaneously drive a manual shift car and eat a Big Mac while not spilling any of its contents. Now you may think this is a useless skill and truthfully, you’d probably be right. However what this represents is ability to multi-task. Something we most certainly CAN do even though women have tried to convince us we can’t.
    
4. A man should know how to sharpen a kitchen knife using a steel. If you’re not sure what a steel is, I’ll save you the embarrassment and tell you. It’s a steel pole about 10 inches long connected to a handle with a very fine abrasive edge used for sharpening knives. At the very least you’ll look manly using one.
    
5. A man should be able to read road maps. Enough said!
    
6. A man should know how to fix a leaky tap. Taps are not complicated devices so If you’re not confident pulling one apart to change the washer you need to learn how. Always remember; You’re not expected to know how to build a house with a Swiss army knife, but men fix things, it’s part of what we do. Embrace it!
    
7. A man should know how to change a tyre. The last thing you want is to look like an idiot in front of your lady friend because you don’t know how to. Believe it or not there actually is a procedure to follow when doing this so it’s important to get it right.
    
8. A man should know how to give a proper hand shake. Like it or not everyone you meet will make a judgment about you based on your handshake either consciously or sub-consciously. With that in mind it’s important to make your first impression a good one. The last thing you want is to leave someone thinking you’re a limp-wristed push-over who isn’t comfortable in his own skin.

   So here’s a few tips: A good manly handshake should be firm, not too soft or you’ll look like a pansy, not too strong or they’ll think you’re compensating for something. Also remember to make eye contact, not showing eye contact during a handshake blatantly shows a lack of confidence, a gesture not welcomed if you’re looking for respect.
    

9. A man should know how to cook steak on a barbeque. The grill is our playground, so get comfortable with it. In fact most men can flip a steak, neck a beer and chat to a mate all at the same time. Isn’t that multi-tasking? I’m pretty sure it is!
    
10. A man should be able to give a woman flowers. Granted this one isn’t as much a skill as it is a declaration of ones feelings, however it’s important that you can do this because it highlights 2 significant things about you. 1) You think she’s special and you’re not afraid to show it. 2) You don’t care what nay-sayers think about your gestures of affection. In other words you’re telling her you actually have a pair of balls.

    Now many men find this one challenging, and if you’re one of them, I can offer you a word of encouragement. The biggest fear associated with giving flowers has its roots in vulnerability, fear that your affection may not be received the way you hoped it would. Remember, it’s not a sign of weakness, but rather a bold statement of strength that you’re prepared to do what others are not. And she will recognize it.

Phew!

Suffice to say it’s important to note that many other prominent man skills have not been included in this list and just because you haven’t mastered them all, it doesn’t make you any less of a man. However if you fall short on over half of these skills and cannot make up the difference with other man talents not referenced, I strongly suggest you seek HELP.

Remember, practice makes perfect!

Also, if there are any other prominent man skills I’ve neglected to mention above that you feel trump the ones I’ve chosen, please leave a comment below and I’ll be sure add them to a future list.