And I would say, don’t just listen to your wife (although she should be foremost; you’re closest to her, and she knows stuff about you that no one else does), but to your mother, sisters (both the biological ones and the ones you have in Christ), and to your daughters. They are your mirrors of who you are as a man, in the same way that husbands, brothers (family or Christian) and sons are mirrors to us women. That kind of learning takes humility, but it is learning all will be better for.

I sometimes struggle with many of the things in this post. My father lost his father very young, so he had no close male on which to model his life. Also, I never had a grandfather for that type of male role model.

To answer Jim’s question, I’d say young men have to reject the staunch independence that society implies we need to be manly. Just as young ladies need to reject the appearance requirements advertisements force on them. Which requires a stronger man, to struggle and fail, or to seek help and flourish?