Be Macho

A real man can take care of himself and his family. A real man is intelligent, respectful, and confident, but also knows how to lose, how to ask for help, and how to do what's necessary. Being a real man takes work. If you want to learn to cultivate a more macho persona, you can learn to act the part, look the part, and avoid the stereotypes that give "macho" guys a bad name. Learn to be a man. See Step 1 for more information.

Steps

Acting Macho

  1. Learn to be self-reliant. A macho guy can take care of himself and his family. If you want to cultivate a macho persona, learn to do more things for yourself and rely on others less for basic tasks. Can you change the oil in your car or do you take it to the shop? A macho guy should know how to intelligently approach any situation that calls for it without panicking. Here's a brief list of macho stuff it would be good for any guy to know:
  2. Enjoy manly hobbies. Playing Xbox is fun and all, but there are probably more macho things you could be doing. A macho guy gets outside and does things with his hands. Masculine hobbies can be a great way of bonding with other men and feeling the testosterone flow freely. Try out a few macho activities to see what you like:
  3. Be an expert at something. A macho guy is an intelligent guy who makes learning as much as he can about something a big priority. Whether it's for work or a hobby, you should actively try to learn and master a subject. People should want to come to you for help because of your expertise in a particular subject, not the other way around.[1]
    • Never take others down for knowing more than you do about something. It doesn't make you macho to treat ignorance like it's some kind of "cool" thing, it just makes you stupid.
    • If you're really talented, you'll be able to back up your talk with action. Bragging to your friends about how great you are in the sack, how fast your new car goes, or how great your outside jump shot is may be macho, or it may just be a load of lies. Brag about something worth bragging about.
  4. Form solid relationships with other men. Being macho is no fun if you don't have an A-team of like-minded macho dudes ready to stomp around the woods getting wild and howling at the moon with. Every man needs other men to bro-down with and get in touch with their jerky-eating, beer-swilling, shadow-boxing, knife-wielding genes. Get some macho friends and do macho things.
    • Find masculine role models that you respect and learn from them. If you're learning a trade, apprentice yourself to a man that you admire personally and professionally and learn everything you can from him.
    • Spend time with your male family members to get to know them a little better. Try to strengthen your relationship with your father, your uncles, and your male cousins. Blood between macho men should be thick.
  5. Withhold excessive displays of emotion. When a macho guy scores a touchdown, he calmly walks over to the referee, hands him the ball, and gets back to the scrimmage. Business as usual. Showing off is for guys who have to compensate, because macho guys are cool and detached and unaffected. A macho guy should look like you'd want to give him the leadership role when the post-apocalypse goes down, because he's the one staring into the crowd of zombies with a bored smirk. Macho guys should neither be crushed by a failure or overcome by a success. Treat anything that happens, good or bad, as a curiosity.
    • If you ever have to cry in public, be stoic and calm, speaking without a cracking voice. Macho tears are like rain in the desert: it should be shocking, but not unappreciated. People will know the situation is serious if a macho guy like you is shedding a single gravely tear.
  6. Be yourself. Being macho doesn't mean you have to drive your car recklessly, drink too much, and treat everyone like dirt. A real man acts like himself, stands up for what he believes in, and is a genuine person, first and foremost. A real macho guy isn't putting on an act, he's just being a man.

Being Confident

  1. Provide for your family. Be reliable and keep a good job so other people will be able to rely on you. Make yourself available and be a good role model for the other male members of your family. Teach them what you know and learn as much as you can about them.
    • Sometimes, what gets called "macho" is really just a guy compensating for a lack of confidence in himself and his ability to care for those around him. Guys who can't keep their own household together have to lash out at other guys, brag to everyone around them about how great they are, to keep up the status-quo. If you really do provide for your family, keep a good job, and make your partner happy, there's no need to compensate with faux-machismo.
  2. Carry yourself with a macho swagger. A macho guy is a confident guy with friends, strangers, and coworkers. People should notice when you walk in a room. Sit up straight, walk with good posture, and look people in the eye directly. Speak clearly and loudly and with conviction that the things you say are trustworthy, correct, and worth listening to.
    • A macho guy lets his presence be known physically and vocally, but without trying actively to intimidate others. There's a difference between being macho and being a jerk. Don't insult people to tear them down and hold yourself up. If you like to get into trash-talk sessions with your friends, draw the line somewhere.
  3. Say what you mean and mean what you say. A macho guy stands up for what he believes in and speaks from an intelligent and informed point of view. Don't be afraid to speak your mind honestly and clearly. If you disagree with someone, let your disagreement be known respectfully, even if it would be easier to let it slide.
  4. Lose graciously. Have the confidence to let failures and losses roll off your back. Learn to lose calmly and move on. A macho guy can lose graciously, win with humility, and learn from his mistakes, rather than letting them turn him into a defensive jerk.
    • It's also important to learn when you're wrong and admit it. If you're having an argument and start changing your mind, or if your decision turns out to be the wrong one, say so. Own up to it. Be a man.
  5. Make people come to you. Macho guys will often cultivate a mysterious presence that acts like a magnet for people, especially women. If people think you're a man with secrets, a man who has something to say, they'll gravitate toward you and become interested. It's part sex appeal, part charisma, and part machismo.
    • Be quiet. Be a good listener, and don't speak unless it's absolutely necessary. It's hard to be macho when your mouth never stops moving.
    • Be serious. Mysterious macho guys aren't usually goofballs. Think of the grave seriousness of veterans and old sea captains.
    • Be sensual. Understand the loving arts of massage and pleasure. Be a sexual Olympian.

Avoiding Stereotypes

  1. Be courteous and respectful to women. If one thing gives macho guys a bad name, it's that they treat women poorly, talking down to them, objectifying them, and being rude in general. A macho guy treats all the women in his life respectfully. Learn to talk to women one-on-one, calmly and with courtesy.
    • You don't have to put on a big show to attract women. It's a turn off and shows that you're just putting on an act. Remember: Be a man. Never cat-call or use pick-up lines to talk to women. You're better than that.
  2. Eat vegetables and have a well-rounded diet. Some men think it's "cool" to only eat meat, and develop a dislike of green vegetables and other foods because they think it's non-masculine. Unfortunately for them, a diet that consists mostly of red meat and avoids green vegetables leads to things like prostate, stomach, and bowel cancer. There's nothing macho about having your prostate removed and becoming sexually impotent and incontinent.[2]
  3. Drink responsibly. Being able to "hold your liquor" isn't a sign of masculinity, it's a sign of alcohol abuse. There's nothing wrong with enjoying a couple of drinks among friends--especially a straight bourbon, dark beer, or a Manhattan--but you need to know your limits and avoid pushing them as a way of showing off to your friends. It can lead to serious problems.
    • This also goes for other self-destructive vices, like smoking and using other drugs. Abusing substances is a sign of insecurity, not a sign of manhood.
  4. Drive safely. There's nothing macho about speeding, cutting people off, or revving your engine at stop-lights. If you're a real man, you don't need to overcompensate by showing off in a big car.
    • If you've got a jacked-up ride that you're really proud of, show it off to your friends in your driveway, or on open road, but don't show it off in the middle of traffic. Strangers on their morning commute don't care about your horsepower, and it won't make you look more macho to peel out from stoplights in front of them.
  5. Have protected and responsible sex. A macho guy doesn't need to be promiscuous to prove it. Practice safe sex and move at your own speed. Ignore guys who brag about sexual prowess. They're probably just watching too much porn and making stuff up anyway. You're a real man and you know it.
  6. Ask for help when you need it. This is maybe the oldest macho stereotype: Being unwilling to pull over and ask for directions. Sure, it can be embarrassing to admit that you're wrong, or to admit that you need help with something, but it's worse to get in over your head and make the situation worse. A macho guy wants to do something right first and foremost, not do it shoddily by going it alone. You can't do everything solo. Ask for help.

Looking Macho

  1. Take care of your appearance. A macho guy should perform basic grooming on himself without spending too much time or money on his appearance. To look macho, you need to be clean, smell good, and dress appropriately, but not look like you spent more than 5 minutes getting ready in the morning, or that you care about your appearance.
    • Skip things like manicures and expensive haircuts. Instead, learn to trim your own neckline and beard with a trimmer to keep yourself looking good between basic cuts. Trim and clean your fingernails regularly, but don't worry about your cuticles.
    • Shower and wear clean clothes that fit appropriately and highlight your masculine physique. There's nothing macho about stinking and wearing the clothes a teenager wears. Learn to dress yourself.
  2. You can't go wrong by wearing jeans. What does a macho guy wear? The simpler, the better. A basic look that features any style of jeans, a clean white t-shirt, and work boots looked good in the 1950s and it still looks cool today.
    • Dress appropriately for work. Don't wear flip-flops and board shorts to your job, or you risk looking like a chump. Get a solid pair of shoes or boots and get the job done.[3]
  3. Start working out. A macho guy has a macho physique, probably not from spending time at some expensive gym doing pilates, but from lifting heavy stuff in his garage. Develop a muscle-building routine that you can do at home with materials you already have. You don't need to buy expensive weight equipment or trendy gear. Barbells will do the trick.
    • Focus on your abs and biceps above all other muscle groups. Do sit-ups of different varieties and at different angles to build your six-pack muscles and perform bicep curls and bench presses to work on your chest and arms.
  4. Get some scars. A macho guy gets his hands dirty and leads a physical life that will probably result in some dings and dents in the ol' dude. Don't worry about it. Embrace activities that you know you can handle, and be adventurous. You only live once.
    • This doesn't mean that you should be irresponsible and put yourself at risk. Get scars because you dirt-bike and work on your car, not because you get into bar fights or drive like an idiot.

Tips

  • Be confident.
  • Groom well.

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://www.boldsky.com/relationship/love-and-romance/2012/become-macho-man-029955.html
  2. ↑ http://www.everydayhealth.com/mens-health-pictures/why-being-a-macho-macho-man-is-bad-for-your-health.aspx#/slide-8
  3. ↑ http://www.askmen.com/money/how_to_300/357b_how_to.html

You may like

Retrieved from "https://kipkis.com/index.php?title=Be_Macho&oldid=279188"