The Ideal Man II

Artist unknown

Artist. Philosopher. Medical Doctor. Athlete. Entrepreneur. Is there a best type of man, and ideal occupation which all must admire and respect? It is certainly the case that one who practices an admired profession may not in any other respects display ideal or worthy characteristics in temperament and personality. So at the core of an ideal man is his own character, what makes the man who he is and what he does and why he does it. At the center of it all, is the "soul" or the mind, or whatever you want to call it, but that is what forms and molds the man, much more so than any other more superficial traits he may possess or titles he carries. If a man or woman is a cardiac surgeon, for example, or a high powered lawyer, is that because they planned cleverly and worked hard for that position, or does it have more to do with their parents bequeathing unto them priveleges that most people can only dream about? Does talent and determination a great career make, or is it moreso a matter of life circumstances and financial resources? The reality seems to be an uncomfortable mix between the two.

What does appear to be the case however is that there exists the potential for any man, if they truly dedicate themselves to it, to go beyond what is considered "average" or "normal" and progress onto a level more advanced than most people would guess to be realisitc. I am referring to any realm of human achievement, inner and outer. Whether it is in the area of self-mastery ie to stop abusing alcohol, or in the area of being elected to the political office they set a goal for, great progress is possible for those who strive for more. Who sets the bar besides? No one can truly say with certainty if a man is capable of this thing or that (unless there is substantial evidence for the assertion).

I suppose one way that you can try to define the ideal man is by comparing and contrasting him with the average man, or better yet, the mean and spineless man. The ideal man engages in the cultivation of the soul, because of his romantic nature or through concerted effort. The mean man has a strong tendency to engage in either idleness or moral debasement. The ideal man has a passion for progress, the mean man has a complete lack of ambition for himself and lacks any desire for wellness or good for the society around him. I could go on for a lot more examples, but you get the point. A good reference regarding this concept that comes to mind is the Confucian comparison of the high man and low man, which details basically what it means to be a gentlemen and a bastard, and how to tell the difference between the two.

It is important to have a passion for progress. One should keep the model for the ideal man in mind sometimes, if at least for comparison's sake. In doing this, you will probably feel some slight sense of shame or a twinge of dissapointment, because you will most likely not match that ideal that you have in your mind and wishes. But that is okay. In my view, being and living the example of the ideal man is a bar which may be perpetually out of reach. He is a figure that exists in some higher plane, he lives in a hallowed place one strives to reach, ever the hero that we wish we could be but we would nonetheless feel unworthy if we had to take his place today. Or tomorrow for that matter.

We each can have our own versions of what an ideal man is, how he is like. I view an ideal man as super fit, super smart, tough as a rock, passionate, aggressive, competent, capable, ambitious, and principled, in a nut shell. There are different versions, based on one's own beliefs and preferences, with a few universal or very common traits that would show up in all descriptions I suspect. But whatever the model for you, do some comparing and striving, not necessarily to emulate what you typify an ideal man to be, but rather focused on what you can do to better yourself and society. Live your own ideal, in terms of your goals, self mastery, actions, and have the courage and backbone to do your best in all circumstances.