"100 Skills every man should know" Response

Aidan Anderson

8/26/2020

"100 Skills Every Man Should Know" Response

   While I know how to do a number of skills on the list, I am going to focus on doing a pushup. I don't remember when I learned how to do a pushup, or how I felt when I learned it, but I certainly know how I feel when I do one now. When I do a pushup, or exercise in general, I feel good. Knowing that I am in control of my body, and that I am actively doing work to make my body stronger and healthier, is a good feeling. I would not say however, that it feels good to "demonstrate" to others that I know how to do a pushup. For me exercise of any kind is something that I feel proud of myself for doing, but I take no pride in showing my ability to exercise, or the results I get from it, to other people, whether it be at the gym, on social media, or under any other circumstance.

    I think doing a pushup was included as a skill that every man should know, because exercise is something that helps keep people healthy, and a pushup is a very basic, yet beneficial exercise. Knowing how to do a pull-up and squat with proper form were included for similar reasons. I do not think that there is anything about pushups or exercise in general that make them inherently masculine, and I think having an understanding of how to keep your body healthy is something that everyone can benefit from, regardless of gender. As a matter of fact that is a common theme for a large part of the list. Some other entries that I think everyone can benefit from are: knowing how to read, knowing how to make a logical argument, knowing how to perform the Heimlich maneuver, knowing how to make shelter/fire in a survival situation, and knowing how to perform CPR. Those are just the ones that came to my head from the initial list, but if I were constructing my own, I would add critical thinking, cooking in general, practicing compassion, self defense techniques, and self control. I do not think it is my place to construct a list of skills that women should know, but if I had to make one, it would be a copy of my list of skills that everyone should know, and the more I think about it, so would my list of skills that all men should have. 

    The only skill that comes to mind that I do not think anyone should have is lying. Everyone naturally learns how to lie, at a surprisingly young age, but to actively pursue the skill of being untruthful and deceptive just seems malevolent to me. But even in the case of lying, there are certain instances where it is harmless, and being good at it results only in good things, such as when playing poker, or any other game where bluffing is allowed. Perhaps there is nothing inherently bad or good about skills, but it is how we use and apply them to our lives that is bad or good.

P.S. Here is a link to photographic evidence of me doing a pushup to silence my many doubters. I apologize for the low quality and blurriness of the picture but I guess the person who took it did not master skill number 26.