The 21st century man

It does not matter how good or tough men are. Trauma always leaves a scar. It
follows a man from his workplace to his home. It can change his life for the better while
reminding him of his personal history. It helps a man decide between falling back on
what he knows and starting something new. It is the history or experience behind the scar
that shapes and guides men today. A typical 21st century man is good but not perfect. He
faces and overcomes challenges that test his character. The scarred men of today must
deal with the same life perils under a different microscope than the one dealt with in the
past. Although the 21st century man is believed to be narcissistic, he must ultimately
build a social support system in order to remain innovative, noble, and empathetic.
A 21st century man is ideally a good man. An example of a good man is a marine
soldier. He exhibits chivalry by serving and honoring his country. He has good character,
which is expressed through selflessness, generosity and courage. Moreover, he is noble.
He joins the Marine Corps ego-less and becomes a strong leader. Through the facilitation
of many groups such as the Marine Corps, men in the 21st century have been able to build
cities from dust and increase innovation and design significantly. In fact, due to the
economic realities of the 21st century, men are significantly more empathetic towards
other groups. According to the 2014 Millennial Impact Report, 87% of all millennials
[young adults] have donated to a charity this year. While this practice of altruism is
impressive, it is important to note that not all good men are perfect in the 21st century.
The International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health reports that
males die three to four times more often by suicide than females. Statistics like these
indicate a much deeper issue.
The challenges men face in the 21st century build character. One of the most
arduous challenges faced by a man today is war. The traumatic brain injuries, loss of

limbs, suicidal thoughts and posttraumatic stress build up coping skills through
influence throughout the years. Men not in the military are dealing with the issues of
poverty, earth destruction, cultivation of creativity, and conquering disease. The latest
innovations in technology such as smart phones allow men to thwart their attention away
from these issues. [.]
A major difference between the 20th century and 21st century is the perception of
masculine heroism. The firefighters and policemen who helped and served on 9/11 were
hailed as heroes. However, the soldiers who came back from fighting in Iraq or
Afghanistan shortly after were labeled as robots who blindly signed up for fighting with
the most aggressive army in the world. There was no heroic praise for these 21st century
men. The pretext for which they fought the war on terror was proven to be a lie. This
situation at home created a stressful environment. Although World War II soldiers fought
in a war just as difficult as the war fought in the 21st century, they had just come through
The Great Depression with trauma and adversity that better prepared them for the stress
they encountered, eventually giving them thicker skin. In the final years of World War II,
the armys annual suicide rate didnt budge above 10 soldiers per 100,000 according to a
study published in 1985 by the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research. In 2009, there
were reports of more suicides than actual combat fatalities. Also in contrast with WWII
soldiers, no one knew what it meant to be a wartime operator for more than a decade. By
the time a 21st century soldier gets comfortable back home, the days of deployment creep
up taking him right back onto the traumatic field. This level of disconnection is a major
disruption for our masculine society as it alienates the men from each other and from
friends and family back home leading to social anxiety.

Situations such as these eventually force challengers to argue that the 21st century
man is actually a narcissist fool with a self-sense of entitlement, a false sense of selfimportance, extremely low attention span, and very little patience. They see a soldier as a
man who is paid to simply uphold his oath to the constitution rather than a man
encompassing characteristics of nobility, empathy or innovation. Also, there is some truth
to the fact that many soldiers do not enlist for selfless reasons. Theres also an ulterior
purpose the United States offers free education among many other benefits. If soldiers
were so selfless, the United States would see no reason to offer medical or educational
benefits. When a soldier returns home from war have seen cruelty, having been in
situations hed never imagined, certain negative attributes obviously arise.
The difference between men from the past and a 21st century men is that the 21st
century man is willing to seek help from friends, family, and professionals. Countless
soldiers return home with scars and PTSD. In the past, men were encouraged to man
up, rub some dirt on it and move on. The 21st century has changed in ways that
allows everyone to understand the stress and create an open forum for social support. The
funding given to neuroscience researchers, psychiatrists, and sociologists has increased
by 200 percent since the beginning of the 21st century war. The Internet allows soldiers
and the 21st century man to connect to a wider group of people, start dialogue, and
ultimately promote positive social change and acceptance.