Art of Manliness: How Manly Men Can Fight Poverty | The Art of Manliness
Lewis
· 1 year ago
This is perhaps one of the most important posts I have read on this site yet. It had some nice PT Bauer qualities to it.
Easton Ellsworth
· 1 year ago
Brett and Kate, this is wonderful. Thank you.
You have two number 4's in your list - just doublecheck it. But the points are all great!
We hope manly men and everyone else get out and do something about poverty - not just today, but from now on.
Adrian
· 1 year ago
Buy fair trade products. The extra dollar they cost goes into building self-sustaining communitys in third world countries. Also, most are organic, which is good for the environment, and your health.
Guy
· 1 year ago
Nice, but you do know that DressForSuccess.org is for women's suits only. I do know that the Men's Warehouse does a similar service for men's suits...
Granata
· 1 year ago
Great post. Your TJ story is compelling and I enjoyed reading more about your trip. My wife and I do the micro loan thing with kiva.org. I really dig the concept of helping people start their own businesses. Yeah it makes me feel warm and fuzzy to give, but I hope the people programs like these help get the same kind of thrill when starting out that I do when I start a new project.
Brian Buck
· 1 year ago
Great post. I wrote a similar piece for blog action day (but yours is more eloquant!). I think the mentorship is key to helping and teaching a class builds skill and hope. Thanks for all the great work on this site!
Peter H.
· 1 year ago
I looked at Dress for Success, and it is indeed only for women. I obviously have only men's suits, and I think it's a fantastic idea to donate them. Can someone there at AoM do some "finger work" and find us a place to donate our man-suits? Thanks.
Bo Pigpusher
· 1 year ago
Nice post.
Hey Brett: I don't quite get you guys on this site. If you spent 2 years on a missionary trip that must mean you're Mormons. But you throw around words like "ass" and "damn" with liberality, which isn't very LDS of you. So what it is? Are you guys Mormons just trying to be cool or what?
Brett_B
· 1 year ago
Bo,
I'm a mormon, and I wouldn't think twice about calling you an ass. Just kidding.
But seriously, lighten up. Mormons are as diverse as human kind. We each exercise our faith in our own unique way, and I think the Service Brett & Kate are talking about here is far more important than a mild profanity here or there.
Will
· 1 year ago
Great article. When you get to know people who are disadvantaged, you realize they're not so different from ourselves. This article provides some great ideas, and there are so many more ways to get involved. Volunteer a night at a shelter, and build a relationships with someone. Its not just the kids who need mentors, everyone needs someone in their life who cares and gives them a reason to improve. Look into legal support groups that help out the disadvantaged, the poor are often preyed upon. Donate to local food banks and Goodwill (remember shoes and belts too). Keep packs of crackers or something in your car to offer those who ask for money. Get your friends involved!
Brett McKay
· 1 year ago
Hey everyone- It's been brought to my attention that Dress for Success is only for ladies. I guess my research was shoddy. I read somewhere that they do men's suits as well.
Anyways, Men's Warehouse is running a suit drive during the month of October. Bring your gently used suits at any location. Here's a link for more info:
I'm glad to see Art of Manliness addressing the issue of poverty. So often men see helping others as sissy, but what could be more manly than helping others develop a sense of pride for themselves by being freed from the chains of poverty. I encourage all men to take a stand and find how you can help your neighbors and those around the world.
Snead
· 1 year ago
Great job. Thanks for posting.
Sherry
· 1 year ago
I really appreciate the practicality of this post. A lot of people want to help, but want to make sure it's real help & not merely throwing money at the problem. World Vision is an organization that helps people become self-sufficient. It's also easy to get your children involved in the excitement of truly helping people in need with the WV Gift Catalog.
justin
· 1 year ago
Now social concerns has added to the quality of this blog.
I volunteer for Gawad Kalinga, www.gawadkalinga.org which basically ascribes to the same philosophy to help poor in the Philippines. We build communities (not just physical villages) but we don't build it FOR those in need, we build it WITH them. There's an essential difference between shelling out tons of material help to all the poor in the world and actually being with them, sharing your lives, giving love and care to people who are essentially ignored.
And the crazy thing is that the philosophy of "giving care" is what's transforming a "third world" nation into something top notch.
When I was in the Philippines for 6 months volunteering I got to do some "manly" things I reckon, from learning how to answer nature's call without clean water and toilet paper, how to mix cement with a shovel, how to refuse drinks at a beach party in 7am with "toughies," endure mortifying living conditions, and such. But I did it because I loved the people I tried to help, and the trite irony of it all is that working with "the poor" actually lets them enrich our lives.
noebie
· 1 year ago
really great post - i like the practical suggestions!
Santa
· 1 year ago
This is so very true. It reminds me of the old proverb that says, "give a man a fish and you'll have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish, and you have fed him for a lifetime."
Feli Galker
· 1 year ago
"Join an international relief organization" - In Israel LIONS clubs are not (as in many other countries) for extra wealthy people. Through them it is possible to contribute and help the poor in many ways. Yet, while reporting the activities to the International Lions Clubs organization (www.lionsclubs.org) there is no "war against poverty" item to check. Yes there is a "homeless" item. But there are many who sleep under a roof yet are in desperate need of help, comodities, etc If any of you readers is involved with this organization, this is a fact to improve.
Zulu
· 1 year ago
A great way to help in this matter is to join and participate in philanthropic organizations. A manliness organization that has stood the test of time is the Freemasons; they have come to the relief of many throughout the centuries. Many of our founding fathers, including George Washington, were masons who felt that is every man’s duty to improve the world we live in through brotherly love, relief & truth. Most of your Granddads were masons as well as their fathers and so on. I am a mason and have come to the aid of many through the efforts of my lodge including job training, food, shelter, medical aid, child and senior care and a host of other charitable acts. Becoming a mason is no big mystery or cult as the media would have you believe; all you have to do is Google search ‘Masonic lodge’ in your town and give them a call. For those of you worried about Masonry as a religion, it is not. Masons do believe in freedom of religion and that every man has the right to choose how he will worship in his own way. My lodge consists of Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Muslims and a wide variety of men who have come together in peace for one common purpose; to aid and assist those in distress. Check out the Masons; you’ll be surprised how much they have done to help others.
A list of some great men who were/are Masons…you’ll be in good company! Jean Henri Dunant - Founder of the Red Cross Sir Alexander Fleming -Inventor of Penicillin Dr. Charles Mayo & Dr. William Mayo - Founders of the Mayo Clinic James Smithson - Founder of the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC. George Washington Theodore Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt Harry S. Truman Benjamin Franklin John Hancock Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Edwin E. "Buzz" Aldrin Henry Ford Nelson Mandela David 'Davy' Crockett Neil Armstrong Lewis and Clark Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong William "Count" Basie Nat "King" Cole Burl Ives Francis Scott Key Glenn Miller Mel Blanc Cecil B. DeMille John "The Duke" Wayne Bob Hope Ty Cobb Sugar Ray Robinson Samuel L. Clemens (Mark Twain) William Shakespeare Booker T. Washington
Steve Grossman
· 1 year ago
You forgot one. Use your abilities to create wealth and/or jobs.
All Comments
You have two number 4's in your list - just doublecheck it. But the points are all great!
We hope manly men and everyone else get out and do something about poverty - not just today, but from now on.
Hey Brett: I don't quite get you guys on this site. If you spent 2 years on a missionary trip that must mean you're Mormons. But you throw around words like "ass" and "damn" with liberality, which isn't very LDS of you. So what it is? Are you guys Mormons just trying to be cool or what?
I'm a mormon, and I wouldn't think twice about calling you an ass. Just kidding.
But seriously, lighten up. Mormons are as diverse as human kind. We each exercise our faith in our own unique way, and I think the Service Brett & Kate are talking about here is far more important than a mild profanity here or there.
Anyways, Men's Warehouse is running a suit drive during the month of October. Bring your gently used suits at any location. Here's a link for more info:
http://www.menswearhouse.com/aboutus/our_commun...
I volunteer for Gawad Kalinga, www.gawadkalinga.org which basically ascribes to the same philosophy to help poor in the Philippines. We build communities (not just physical villages) but we don't build it FOR those in need, we build it WITH them. There's an essential difference between shelling out tons of material help to all the poor in the world and actually being with them, sharing your lives, giving love and care to people who are essentially ignored.
And the crazy thing is that the philosophy of "giving care" is what's transforming a "third world" nation into something top notch.
When I was in the Philippines for 6 months volunteering I got to do some "manly" things I reckon, from learning how to answer nature's call without clean water and toilet paper, how to mix cement with a shovel, how to refuse drinks at a beach party in 7am with "toughies," endure mortifying living conditions, and such. But I did it because I loved the people I tried to help, and the trite irony of it all is that working with "the poor" actually lets them enrich our lives.
If any of you readers is involved with this organization, this is a fact to improve.
A manliness organization that has stood the test of time is the Freemasons; they have come to the relief of many throughout the centuries.
Many of our founding fathers, including George Washington, were masons who felt that is every man’s duty to improve the world we live in through brotherly love, relief & truth.
Most of your Granddads were masons as well as their fathers and so on.
I am a mason and have come to the aid of many through the efforts of my lodge including job training, food, shelter, medical aid, child and senior care and a host of other charitable acts.
Becoming a mason is no big mystery or cult as the media would have you believe; all you have to do is Google search ‘Masonic lodge’ in your town and give them a call.
For those of you worried about Masonry as a religion, it is not.
Masons do believe in freedom of religion and that every man has the right to choose how he will worship in his own way.
My lodge consists of Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Muslims and a wide variety of men who have come together in peace for one common purpose; to aid and assist those in distress.
Check out the Masons; you’ll be surprised how much they have done to help others.
A list of some great men who were/are Masons…you’ll be in good company!
Jean Henri Dunant - Founder of the Red Cross
Sir Alexander Fleming -Inventor of Penicillin
Dr. Charles Mayo & Dr. William Mayo - Founders of the Mayo Clinic
James Smithson - Founder of the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC.
George Washington
Theodore Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Harry S. Truman
Benjamin Franklin
John Hancock
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Edwin E. "Buzz" Aldrin
Henry Ford
Nelson Mandela
David 'Davy' Crockett
Neil Armstrong
Lewis and Clark
Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong
William "Count" Basie
Nat "King" Cole
Burl Ives
Francis Scott Key
Glenn Miller
Mel Blanc
Cecil B. DeMille
John "The Duke" Wayne
Bob Hope
Ty Cobb
Sugar Ray Robinson
Samuel L. Clemens (Mark Twain)
William Shakespeare
Booker T. Washington