What defines a Man? The Difference Between a Boy and a Man

I always believed that age would be the determining factor for how a boy becomes a man. I couldn't be more wrong. Being a man has more to do with the knowledge and wisdom you obtain through experience, which is then applied into daily practice. It is the character of the individual. A boy usually does not become a man until he has experienced the ups and downs of life. So yes, you can argue that the older a man is the more experienced he has in life. However, this does not necessarily mean he's obtained the wisdom and character of being a real man.

This means that even a young boy can become a man early on in his lifetime, depending on his experiences and the circumstances. Usually growth occurs the most through suffering. [Suffering shouldn't be taken literally, it is comprised of different things for different people. For me that entails pain and hard times.] There are probably real young men that exist in many different parts of the world because they are less fortunate to be born in or living in a struggling environment. In the end, maybe they are truly the more fortunate individuals for being able to become greatly respectful individuals. The mindset and determination of a man, his resolve, his conviction, and his philosophy, determines how great of a man he is or will become.

While age brings about experience and adulthood, it is not the determining factor for manhood. Examples of this can be seen very well in today's society. There are "men" in their late 20s even up into the 30s and sometimes even 40s that have yet to grasped the concept. It is their personality, their persona, who they are, and many of them respectable individuals. Zach Galifianakis, Jack Black, and Steve Carell comes to mind. Respectful, brilliant, genius comedians of today's culture. Despite their humorous and amusing character and witty nature, they are the epitome of the term "man-child". This is especially portrayed in Zach Galifianakis' roles in the hit movies The Hangover and The Hangover 2 and The 40-year Old Virgin. I am not against who or what they stands for, I just believe this image is not what one would think of when picturing the term "real men".  George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Hugh Jackman, Bradley Cooper, and Liam Neeson are better representations. Keep in mind it is not limited to just actors, there are many men in countless other fields of occupation, this was just the niche I chose to pick out from.

Skimming briefly to analyze today's culture and society, one may find that there are real grown adult men who behave as teenagers and children. I am an advocate of "age being nothing but a number", and the freedom to embrace being young at heart. However, I do not associate true manhood with playing video games such as World of Warcraft, Starcraft, or Call of Duty. There may be cultures around the world that will pay hefty sums of cash and rewards for professional gamers, and that is respectful, but more productive use of time can be spent to better society and the world.

Adult male figures should focus more on being "good" role models, by not advocating foolish behavior. Some of those individuals have not truly let go of of their childish self, for whatever reasons that may be. They are usually society's "man-boy" that involves a grown male behaving in ways a child would. Stop slacking and avoiding responsibilities, or at least show that being responsible is a greater priority. Play is ok as long as its not zero work, all play.

The age of mentoring is slowly dying. The species of real men are being overrun with "old kids". And we wonder whats happening to the children of today's world, why kid's of this generation are becoming less educated. Kids are raising kids!

Becoming a man is a reality check for the male species. The transition from a boy to a man is never easy. The experience usually creates a sense of void in the individual. Strength and courage is required to overcome this. It is when he is able to rise above and become a new, stronger person because of it, will he truly then become a man.