The Greatest Act of Rebellion Today is Being a Gentleman. (Updated)

(Way back in March, I had posted a toast on being a Gentleman, and why I considered us to be the modern Rebels. I think it was time for an update.)

Welcome to the Modern Age,

The age of the Individualist,

The age of the Greedy,

And the age of the Cynical,

A time when a Man’s success is measured

By his bank account

And respect for others optional.

Or so say the Insecure Men;

The Selfish,

The Avarice,

And the Contemptuous.

All men who settled for conformity and mediocrity,

As they substitute the content of the heart

For the content in their wallets.

Is this really the road we want to follow?

Is this the world we want to live in?

Is this how we want to be remembered?

In a world full of inequality and injustice,

In a time where little is expected from Men,

Being a Man of Quality is an act of rebellion.

So let’s raise our glasses to the Modern Rebels,

To the Gentleman-Scholars

To the Warrior-Poets

And to the lost art of Chivalry.

To the Men battling to preserve a proper way of life,

As they are living proof

There are still Good Men in the world.

Let’s toast to the GentleMen whose currency is

His Honor,

His Character,

And his Integrity.

To the Noble Men

Who’s word is worth more than any contract,

And their handshake is worth more than any signature.

In a world full of full of people,

Telling you what’s you’re doing wrong,

Here’s to those that show you what to do right.

Here’s to a Sincere Man with a sincere smile

Here’s to Self-Confidence and Self-Respect.

Here’s to Personal Style and Personal Growth.

Here’s to men who set themselves apart,

            Not by the suit they wear,

But by their assertiveness.

Here’s to being rich in laughter and life.

Here’s to the wealth that comes from real friends.

And the luxury of knowing you are not alone.

Here’s to love in the face of adversity,

Here’s leaps of faith after a heartbreak,

And the daring needed to take them.

Here’s to those who hold themselves up to a higher standard;

To the Gallant,

To the Cavalier,

And to the Caballero.

Here’s to proving so many people wrong.

To being Men of Quality

To being a Gentleman.

Men of Quality Don’t Fear Equality.

A man has two options in a relationship: Either stand up and be the man she needs or sit down, so she can see the man behind you.

-Unknown- (If anyone knows who it was, let me know to give proper credit.)

Gentlemen, today I am speaking directly to you. Usually I keep it rather generic and open to either gender of readership, even if I speak about Gentlemanly issues. But today I want to direct myself specifically to men. Because I want to talk to you on why you should neither fear Feminism nor be shamed by the Feminist into becoming an ally.

This weekend, two Vids were going around the internet. One was Emma Watson’s speech on Gender Equality for the UN’s HeForShe movement. The other was a PSA from It’s On Us, organization focused on people understanding how we are all responsible to stop sexual assault.

Unlike most write-ups you can stumble upon online about feminism or about sexual assault, neither of these were about shaming men on how women are treated. And this is important because in neither issue women are exclusively the victims and in neither issue men are exclusively the aggressors.

Gender inequality and it’s sutdle effects affect both women and men. Yes, feminism started as a woman’s movement (hence “Femin”ism) but in its current manifestation, it’s about Equality for BOTH genders, in rights and opportunities. As a gentleman, this should make perfect sense, as you understand the importance of offering respect to everyone, to understand that nobody is above anyone else.

Feminism isn’t about putting men down, or hating men or shaming them into submission. Feminism isn’t about women hating femininity or men hating masculinity. Feminism isn’t about removing Genders but about understanding how, even with our differences, we are equally capable and deserve equal respect.

The problem is that you will find wave after wave of men complaining how women use feminism to their convenience, as well as wave after wave of extremist feminist women trying to shame men into submission. And that’s where you treat the issue of feminism, just like you treat every other moral and social issue; YOUR actions should be a reflection of YOUR values.

You can’t condemn men based on the actions of some men; neither can you condemn feminism based on the actions of some feminist women. Both cases are a result of insecure people using an ethical issue in unethical ways.

So what do you do? Read, educate yourself, be critical of your beliefs. Understand that what you have been taught before might be wrong. Understand that what you are told now might also be wrong. Create your own opinion and avoid being a sheep. Do understand that everyone should be treated equally without removing what makes them different.

Below you will find both Vids I mentioned above. Please sign up with both organizations, as good causes need good men.