If a dick doesn't make a man a man then what does

If a dick DOES make a man then I spend my life interacting with some very confused people... I don't know, they just keep insisting that I'm a girl

 

Is there a difference between man or woman because in my eyes being a "man" is taking care of your responsibilities, doing what you have to do to take care of your family, and being there for the people you care about. Regardless of gender anyone can be a "man."

 

Well I look at it at two things. A male, an organism with semen, etc, whatever,. A man, the 'Man' of the house. Idk that's what I see. Like a 'Man' is anyone who takes the role of like a father, brother, 'Dominant' one. Idk I'm a male but I don't see myself as ever being a man, simply a 'guy'.

 

I can't answer your question but obviously it's something you have. If you didn't have it you'd put 'female' to your gender and would be okay with that. But it's not the case so obviously "that something" isn't physical, like a penis, it's not something you can touch with your hand, it's something that was imprinted in your soul...
Nice muscles btw :icon_wink

 

That is not the right way to think about it... a man is a category, there is no absolute definition of what a man is, it's just what it means to people and that varies a LOT. A man should be whatever you think a man should be. YOU get to define it for yourself and that is what matters. Just because someone doesn't agree doesn't mean they are right. Nobody can claim they are right because it is an opinion not a fact...

Don't beat yourself up over something like this OK??

 

Ditto, man. Something about the term "man", it doesn't seem like it's mine to take, and not because I'm FAAB. I can totally be a guy - hell, I'm a guy - but I don't know, being a man feels different somehow, more machismo, something I can't relate to as well.

But in response to the OP, if you feel you're a man, then you're a man, regardless of what other people think. I know it can hurt with family and stuff, my family's pretty Christian and I doubt they'll ever see me like that and it sucks. :icon_sad: (*hug*)

Also this.

What's Normal Anyway? - Man Ingredients

 

If you look at the common traits that men share, there are many good ones but was also have to realize that there are some less than good ones. We can be overly aggressive, overly competitive, uncompromising and prideful. Unfortunately if you ask "What makes a man?", you have to include those less than good traits (and many others) because that's how it is. We are never totally good or totally evil. We are always some combination of both and the balance of that combination can change moment to moment.

 

Incredible post. Hats off to you, sir.

 

Honestly, as I see it, I've learned that the only way to be a man is just to be a man. That's seriously it from what I understand. You're only as much of a man as you're willing to be. I will say that it hasn't come easily to me, but don't listen to what other people say makes you manly because being insecure and making excuses, if anything, makes you very unmanly. Just be who you are and be strong. You're a guy just like any other guy is a guy. You just weren't born with the equipment.

 

I feel ya. Really sucks when everyone thinks you're just a masculine woman. My sister still calls my transition "going butch", which pisses me off to no end. Sometimes, unfortunately, you can't make them see it. People you know will inevitably keep seeing you as female. I suggest going out of town where no one knows you and trying to pass. You may not get called "sir", but I guarantee you will be called "ma'am" a lot less, if at all. So if you can get out of town for a day, I suggest doing that. That could help your confidence. Just be the man because that's who you are, and say what they may, no one can take that away from you.

 

The point is that you asked a very complex question with the expectation that there is a simple answer. I'm sorry to tell you that there isn't.

There are probably very few traits that men have that some, and maybe many, women do not. It is a matter of degree.

While I know many people, I am fortunate enough to say that there are 3 people (sadly one passed away last year) that I consider to be Best Friend Status. In all 3 cases, what I found out long after the relationships were established, was that we were all Sagittarians. I'm not trying to have a discussion about astrology, but the message is this. We all shared the essentially the same personality traits, but we were all very different. For the same trait, one would be at one end of the scale, another person would be at the other, with the other 2 somewhere in the middle. Same traits, but the difference is a matter of degree. That's what made 4 distinct personalities.

As an exercise, list every trait that comes to mind that you associate with men. Then make another list of men you know (relatives, friends, teachers, etc.) and compare them to the first list. You'll likely find those traits in most of the people. However, for those who may come up short, do you have any reason to believe that they are something less than a man?

Part of the stereotyping of gay men (and I realize that does not fit you specifically) has to do with being less than a man or something other than a man. Obviously, as you phrased your question, they do have the right plumbing, but they are men who love men. They are still men and will always be men. However, they do embrace a different sexuality.

Once again, you have asked an exceedingly complex question. Unfortunately the idea of what defines a man and what defines a woman is strongly rooted in misinterpretations, half-truths and a lot of B/S. There is just no easy answer to this.

 

Actually, if I lost my penis, I would change my identity to N as in neuter because I don't have a genitalia and I operate on the framework that sex is what determines what is a male/female/inter/neutro/ambi while I acknowledge that sex is multi-dimensional. For most purposes, people rely on the anatomical characteristics because it is easier and more convenient while there's less confusion when it comes to holding a conversation. I'm not one of those people who relies on generalization based on observation and feelings to determine what makes a male or a female and I can only respectfully disagree with those who disagree on my perspective of this. I consider myself a cis-genderless because I think of myself as male only because of the penis for the most parts while my body shares the average characteristics of other bio-male while I have no idea what it is like to feel "male" or "female" or whatever as the concept does not seem to register into my mind.

Disclaimer: If my perspective does not apply to you, I'm not going to argue and will respect your identity and am aware of other frameworks of thoughts.

 

a dick doesn't make a man

it makes a man BETTER(!)