What is a man?

[Ralidyn]

How do you define a man?

When does a boy start to be considered to be a man? What makes that boy a man? Age? Are there requirements? Is it based on age, maturity (if that's measurable), a good job, a house, a family?

Do you feel it's a set of standards that need to be met or something else?

Edit: Please leave discussion about woman out of this as it doesn't answer the question nor does it add to the discussion. Thank you.

[Deleted]

A miserable little pile of secrets.

Sorry, had to be done


Okay, to contribute: A boy becomes a man if he is mature in my opinion, as he left the learning process of social behaviour in his youth and is now a fully grown social-individual, who found his own identity and can now take full responsability for his actions and mistakes.

[Deleted]

To me a man is somebody that has the conviction to stand up for his beliefs no matter the consequences. Age, marital status or employment status has nothing to do with it.

[Catta]

A boy who learned to act mature in public :P

[Trigg]

It's totally subjective and relative in terms of outside or in some cases inside variables.

In some peoples minds a man is only a man once he passes a certain age. Others he could be a man after he makes his first kill. People could view the person's decisions which could decide if he is a man or boy in their eyes.

In some cases a man is just a term for every human being on the planet regardless of gender.

For me i generally just stick to both age and maturity. If someone still finds anal jokes funny for istance, i consider them a childish imature boy, however in terms of age he'd still be a man, but would be childish and imature which are two characteristics of a boy.

[Deleted]

To me a man is somebody that has the conviction to stand up for his beliefs no matter the consequences. Age, marital status or employment status has nothing to do with it.

Well then it seems there are very few men this days.

[Santti]

Good question, with many answers. I once heard that you only become man after army. Some said after marriage, and some after you are 18.

I consider a boy becoming a man after he is 18 myself.

[Rumsgone]

To me a man is somebody that has the conviction to stand up for his beliefs no matter the consequences. Age, marital status or employment status has nothing to do with it.

I agree with this one hundred percent.

[FathomFear]

To me a man is somebody that has the conviction to stand up for his beliefs no matter the consequences. Age, marital status or employment status has nothing to do with it.

Question--why would this definition be specific to males/men? Wouldn't that be a reasonable expectation of adults in general, regardless of sex or gender?

[Gimvarg]

pretty deep question. My opinion is when the boy stops wondering if he will still be considered "a boy." By that I mean, when you realize yourself that you are grown and moved on from your childhood. I considered myself still a child up until i was about 22. I was still working a stupid job, not thinking about my actions, no real responsibilities, and such. Then I met the girl who became my wife and conceived our son. About there, I changed inside, grew up alot and became "a man." just my thoughts. hope it helps.

[Deleted]

Question--why would this definition be specific to males/men? Wouldn't that be a reasonable expectation of adults in general, regardless of sex or gender?

Because that is not what the OP asked. It applies equally to females in my opinion.

[Deleted]

I consider a boy becoming a man after he is 18 myself.

You must be young. Usually 30-40 yo ppl wouldn't consider a 18 yo to be a man.

[Senarx]

Requirement: Beard.

[Deleted]

Good question, with many answers. I once heard that you only become man after army. Some said after marriage, and some after you are 18.

I consider a boy becoming a man after he is 18 myself.

Most of the 18 year olds = kids (I'm 18 and im a kid, more mature than 16 year old but still a kid.)

You go to army then get a job and you are man.

[Deleted]

A man is a person of legal age in his country who has a set of XY chromosomes with all accompanying genes in functioning condition or someone who has expressed a clear desire to be legally considered a man due to transgenderism, intersexualism etc and has taken successful measures towards being legally recognized as such.

In the case of chromosomal disorder, the default is assumed to be the same as whatever sexual organ the person has.

[Tsimp]

A man is a person of legal age in his country who has a set of XY chromosomes with all accompanying genes in functioning condition or someone who has expressed a clear desire to be legally considered a man due to transgenderism, intersexualism etc and has taken successful measures towards being legally recognized as such.

You're thinking of a male.

[Xisa]

If you have to ask...then you don't have it.

If you don't have it, then you don't know what to ask.

If you don't know what to ask, then you won't know how to get it.

If you don't know how to get it, then you won't have it.

[Agent Mercury]

Purely a matter of opinion but it is strength of mind to me.

[Deleted]

someone who has a penis...

[Deleted]

In English, lower case man (pl. men) refers to an adult human male (the term boy is the usual term for a human male child or adolescent)

Thanks, Wikipedia!