Guy's Guide To Life How To Become A Man In 208 Pages Or Less

Chapter One ;Manly Myths ;This is probably the worst idea ever, but the first thing I want you to do as we kick-start the first chapter of the book is to (drum roll . . .) turn off your brain. Flip the mental switch. I'm going to ask you a series of multiple-choice questions, and I want you to answer them as automatically as possible. Don't think too much. In fact, don't think at all. Go with whatever pops into your head first. Ready? ;1. Which of the following occupations is the most manly? ; A A A A A a. Accountant ; A A A A A b. Construction worker ; A A A A A c. Nurse ; A A A A A d. Teacher ;2. If all were equally attractive, which of the guys below would the hot girls be most interested in at school? ; ; A A A A A a. The varsity quarterback ; A A A A A b. The valedictorian ; A A A A A c. The first-chair violinist ; A A A A A d. The yearbook editor ;3. You just fell down a full flight of stairs between periods. Your backpack spilled across the floor, you're pretty sure your ankle's broken, and something like five hundred people are now eyeing you like a monkey just climbed out of your butt. What's the proper response? ; A A A A A a. Ask someone to call 911. ; A A A A A b. Ask someone to call your mommy. ; A A A A A c. Ask someone for a tissue, then start crying like a baby. ; A A A A A d. Get up and act like you completely meant to fall down the stairs. That bone shard sticking out of your sock? Just a little scratch. Walk it off. ;Ten bucks says this is how you answered, in order: Construction worker, Quarterback, and the No-big-deal approach to falling down the stairs. How do I know? Because those were my answers, too. I'm a guy, and I can guess how most guys think, even with turned-off brains. Which reminds me-time to reboot. Unknot the noodle. That's all the nonthinkage you get for the remainder of this book. Let's get started. ;What Is a Man? ;Most of us have a pretty good idea of what it means to be a guy. A guy is active, strong, and masculine. A guy is athletic and competitive and a natural leader. A guy is tough, macho, and doesn't show pain. He's not controlled by emotion. He's laid-back, cool, and confident in all situations. He never cries, never shows weakness. He's in charge. He's a stud. ;Also: we're wrong. ;We've been brainwashed by the myths of manhood. We've been snookered by male stereotypes. What's a stereotype? A stereotype is a set of beliefs about the "typical" characteristics that are supposed to apply to all members of a certain group of people-women, men, blacks, whites, Hispanics, whomever. Stereotypes can be positive or negative, and are a way for society to distinguish one group from another. Occasionally they're accurate. But mostly they're oversimplified, offensive exaggerations. ;We've all heard them, of course. You're aware of any number of stereotypes about certain races, from the supposed athletic prowess of African-Americans to the impressive work ethic of Asians. Distasteful? Yep. Racist? Probably. But did you also realize that there are stereotypes about men? It's true. As guys grow up and slog through the process of becoming a man-something you're knee-deep in this very moment, by the way-we tend to buy into wrong ideas about what a man should be. Those misconceptions are based on stereotypes, and the stereotypes are everywhere. You hear them at school, at home, in church, and especially in the media. #xBoyett, Jason is the author of 'Guy's Guide To Life How To Become A Man In 208 Pages Or Less', published 2004 under ISBN 9780849945342 and ISBN 0849945348.