To be a man is to live your life by the army values. I taught this to my son & even my two older daughters. They can all recite them. I make my troops adhere to this standard and I think it is a good guide for all. That being said, I have found my life to be more aligned with the Man from LaMancha - To dream the impossible dream..........

I know this all sounds cliche, but if you live those 7 values you'll be a responsible adult

Most of us haven't been in the army. What are those 7 values?

Everybody learns them as they enter service from day one. They do change about every 5 years and people try to redefine them. They are much different from the ones I learned back in the late 70's but they remain pretty close in intent.

These are the current ones:

Loyalty
Bear true faith and allegiance to the U.S. Constitution, the Army, your unit, and other soldier.

Duty
Fulfill your obligations.

Respect
Treat people as they should be treated.

Selfless Service
Put the welfare of the Nation, the Army, and your subordinates before your own.

Honor
Live up to all the Army Values.

Integrity
Do what’s right, legally and morally.

Personal Courage
Face fear, danger, or adversity both physical or moral.

My Mom taught me all those values.

The Army becomes the mother to many.

Wait a second, one of the 7 values that you are supposed to follow in the Army is to follow the 7 Values? Seems like there are only 6 values then, because it's sort of understood that the values are already there to be followed.

Overall, I like them. They are good values.

My Doctor, Dentist, and Boss, are female. They all probably think I'm difficult. :lol:

I think nothing about it. I behave the way it seems ... good, proper, appropriate... whatever word you might attach to behave. I go to work. I warn my boss that something's coming down the pike we need to deal with. I make a cup of coffee. I stop to buy gas. I cook dinner. I install molding. I watch House. I drink Cheerwine. I eat pizza. I read a book. etc. etc. etc.

I do all these things and others because I want to, or because I feel they're necessary for me for some reason--whether for my own well-being or due to some obligation I have to other people. I don't do any of them because "I'm a man" or "Men are supposed to do X."

There is a micro trend within that which is fascinating to me, here in the southern US. Among lower-economic Hispanics, computers are very much not masculine, they are feminine. This is because they have no exposure to the geeky male model, the only place computers exist for them is in their mothers' administrative jobs--i.e., bookkeeping, human resources, secretaries. Ask a group of Hispanic boys if they want to learn about computers, and they will laugh it off as equivalent to playing with Barbie dolls.

Now that really is fascinating. I love gender questions. They're so fundamental to how we see ourselves and yet so knotty as to be almost unfathomable.

I noticed that too, but I also agree, nevermind. Pretty good ethos for anyone, and especially for an army.

I better ask the Magic Eight Ball. More definitive responses...;)

Hey I am still composing my answer.

Apparently being a man means taking a damn long time to answer a bloomin' question, and even then effectively saying "it's none of your damn business" :p

Mostly it means being able to pee standing up. I am more defined by the fact that I am a computer geek, a musician, and a Christian, than by my gender.