Why Old Men Are Manlier Than You

Dudes throwing bones. A manlier exercise there is none.

When speaking of masculinity or femininity, it's easy to start thinking about maleness and femaleness, which is practically the same thing as thinking sexually: babymaking potential and potency are what we're talking about.

Nothing like old men or old women to set us straight. What's more feminine than several old women gathered on a front porch, or around a kitchen counter? And what's more masculine than some old(er) men gathered around a table, throwing dominoes? I think at face value most people would agree, without argument, that the dudes pictured above are very manly. But why? They're no longer as strong as you, nor as handsome, nor, one prays for thy sake, as able to keep a woman. They can't be as manly as you are, by all the standards...and yet you recognize that these guys are more manly than you.

Manliness is like the Marines. Once manly, always manly. And that's why these guys look manlier than you do. You never lose true manliness (although you can lose the pretense). It only accrues and stacks. Yeah, you show up and do your work, that's manly; these guys have payed their dues. You too are a man under authority, you say to this man "go" and he goes; these guys have been there and back, and they've made the hard decisions for those under them. You're raising your kids, sure, and it's been hard; these guys have seen it through, their hearts have burst with pride and shame for their children, and now the grandkids are here. You are manly, sir, but not as manly yet as these old guys.

This accruing of awesomeness is why old women are more feminine than girls. It's why old men are more masculine than boys. And it's what you have to look forward. Being old will be a beautiful thing; all thy honors will accrue unto thee, and God willing, thou shalt rest on thy manly laurels.

If you don't see the superior masculinity of old men, by the way, you have more to pick up of another virtue: wisdom.