Men, in your personal life, what do you consider to be strength or a source of power for you?
After having a conversation with @JosyJosy, we brought up how many men have different views of what they consider personal strength and what they value as such. For me, I consider physical size and literal strength as "strength." Being big, powerful, and dominant. Which is why I loathe and despise the shitty-ass fucking height that I am; it's the complete opposite of physical strength. I feel like a lion stuck in the body of a mouse.
But as Josy implied, many men do not value or care about physical strength or size at all, which is why some 5'4" (163 cm) men can be comfortable with who they are, despite how that's seven inches weaker than even I am! I'm a short-shit myself, and some men are even smaller than me, and yet aren't nearly as bothered by their height and lack of strength and power as I am. They'd rather make money or whatever. But I don't value the same things some other men do, like being wealthy or rich. A billionaire can still get his ass kicked by a poor man. Billions of dollars mean nothing in the apocalypse. I don't view wealth as having much strength or power at all.
We also talked about martial arts and how both her friend and me do martial arts, but it doesn't make me feel any stronger, tougher, more badass or anything. Because as she said, I don't view martial arts as strength. (I kinda do, but you'd have to be on the level of Bruce Lee or Mike Tyson, both of whom were short men, before I begin to take you seriously.)
What do YOU consider to be strength or power?I'll leave anonymous opinions on for this one, but trolls won't be tolerated.
Wow, I feel that a lot of people who are so into physical strength are just missing the point. This whole ego thing tied into how much you can lift. I hate that stuff, I have beaten guys who can easily outlift me. Endurance counts, skill etc. To me it's more about strength of character. I've been studying martial arts for 45 years, and a small guy can be fast, and agile and very skilled.
Truth is that many muscle bound guys are just SLOW, and wind easily. Keep out of their range for about 10 seconds then get inside of their reach and...
But mentally tough is a whole different game. Grit, the ability to keep going even if you are tired, hurt and sick. These matter to me much more, the guy who is stuck in a headlock and is uppercutting the other guy so hard that he's rocking his attacker off of his feet, then finds out years later that he had his neck broke in that encounter. Or the guy that gets stabbed goes and stiches himself up with dental floss and then goes after the guy that stabbed him, or the guy who has his fist broke in a fight and still beats the opponent down, or the guy who walks over a mile with a knife sticking out of his leg boot filled with blood and a bandana wrapped around the hilt to keep it from moving. These are what matter to me.
Courage and resolve. They'll stand up to adversity; don't shirk; do the right thing. They also have moral courage, emotional security, and strong ethics.
I immediately thought of Audie Murphy - 5'5" - one of the most decorated American combat soldiers. I think of combat pilots who tend to be smaller in stature to fit into airplanes. There are also explorers, rock climbers, athletes, and all kinds of hard working laborers who don't rely on size and bulk.
It's great to be strong, fit and capable, and to look good. But I think obsession with bulk and muscle can sometimes indicate insecurity rather than inner strength. That stuff is just for show.
@Lliam Very well said. If you look at BUDS classes (Basic Underwater Demolition SEAL school) it isn't the really big guys who do well, it is the average size guys who have the mental stamina.
I would say good personality, being welcoming warm person who can switch to his "bad" side if something wrong is happening. Being confident and good nature person is what I think is being "strong man" or as an strength. Mind > muscles
Muscles and being egoistic about how buffy you are or how much you can bench is sign of weak man, who hides his insecurities. I am not saying that just because you have the dedication to have a nice body makes you insecure, but if you boost about that a frame it as "strong man" in from of others, that is what I am talking about. I know couple of guys like that, they were dumb guys, with shitty personality.
I considered having a personality and intelligence to be more of a strength. I don't care if another man can bench press much harder than I can, if he doesn't have nothing worth talking about or if his personality just like a blank cover I wouldn't consider him as strong. It like a girl who only looks and nothing else, I don't consider her as beautiful if she has no other skill as well.
That's interesting. I get told by many women I have an unforgettable personality and everyone who truly gets to know me (the few who do) can tell that I'm quite intelligent. But I don't view any of these things as strengths or positives. But you and other people out there do. It's... Intriguing. Thank you for sharing.
You Welcome and yes that truly what most women like in a guy, and the same in vice versa us men like girls who actually have some qualities besides her being pretty.
I view strength similar, but to me that is just one aspect of it. Strength also includes strength of character, and willingness to stand up for your beliefs, and those in your care.. To accept the truth when presented rather than choosing the path of hope, faith and feelings. Being true to your self and others. A peraon could be the strongest man in the planetphysucally, but if theyre without strength of character theyre pathetic and weak in my opinion.
"Courage", a form of strength, is doing the "right" thing when you are absolutely shit scared. Most people have never been fully "introduced to themselves".
My idea of Strength: The ability to respect your enemies even as you fight, argue, or discuss with them. Something we are dearly missing in Politics, Society, and everyday conversations nowadays.
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