Connor Beaton argues that manhood is developed through confronting inherited and present masculine pain and by accepting trials others place before you. He encourages learning from good men without mimicking them exactly, and leaning into confronting, frightening invitations as opportunities to expand one’s limits and sharpen masculinity.
How do you become a man? Most men are born into some type of masculine pain. Contend with the masculine pain that you've been given. Contend with the pain that is in the male lineage of your life. You should learn from the men who are good and just, but do not feel the need to become them. Use the trials that other men set before you as stepping stones to sharpen your own manhood and masculinity. Look at the trials that other men are putting before you. Sometimes you have to lean in to the invitations that feel confronting and frightening. They might even be disguised as opportunities. So there might even be an element of that that there's a challenge in your life right now that is meant to push you beyond the boundaries and the limits of how you see yourself as a man.
How to Raise Strong, Unshakable Boys in Today's Culture, with Dr. Shefali Tsabary
