What It Means to Be a Man

A good man refines his inner strength to help strengthen those around him.

Aristotle, who taught Alexander the Great, believed the practice of virtue to be the foundation of good leadership. Everett Collection/shutterstock

“Traditional masculinity” was recently deemed “harmful” by the American Psychological Association (APA). Among the traits it directly condemned were “emotional stoicism” and “self-reliance.”

The APA report on “Guidelines for Psychological Practice with Boys and Men“ was followed by an inflammatory commercial from shaving product company Gillette, which likewise condemned traditional masculinity by framing it as abusive and devoid of empathy.