100 Things Every Man Should Know How To Do

For years I've been puzzling over the question, "What does a man need to be able to do to be considered well rounded?" What skills does a man need to have to be a man's man? The list below is my take on the modern Homo Universalis (Latin), or Uomo Universale (Italian). In the Greek, an appropriate term would be polymath (from Greek "polys" (πολύς) meaning "much", great in quantity; and "mathese" (μάθηση) meaning "learning"), a person who excels in multiple fields, particularly in both arts and sciences. Informally used in contemporary discussion, a polymath is someone known to be skillful or excel in a broad range of intellectual fields. The other most common term for this concept is Renaissance Man (not to be confused with the 1994 movie of the same name, aka Army Intelligence, starring Danny Devito). For more information on Polymath, check out this entry in Wikipedia.

My approach is somewhat different, however. According to this entry of everything2.com, during the Renaissance it was thought that a Renaissance Man should:

  1. Be able to defend himself with a variety of weapons, especially the sword.
  2. Be able to play several musical instruments.
  3. Be able to paint and output other works of art.
  4. Be forever interested in advancing knowledge and science.
  5. Be able to engage in debates regarding issues such as philosophy and ethics.
  6. Be a skilled author and poet.

Of course, today's man need not know how to defend himself with a sword, be able to paint or create other works of art, or be a skilled author and poet. But a modern man does need to know how to tie a tie and unplug the toilet (numbers 1 and 30, respectively, in my list). And so, here is my ongoing list of things every man today should be able to do. Eventually the list will top out at 100, but this depends on others reading this list and contributing to it. Please note that I am intentionally and arbitrarily leaving out things having to do with sex, and am leaving out things that women might think a man should know. For example, a woman might say a man should know how to be a good kisser, but that's really important to women, not to (most) men. This is not a woman's list of things a man should know - this is a man's list.

Things every man should know how to do:

  1. tie a tie
  2. change a tire
  3. swim
  4. safely handle a firearm
  5. drive stick
  6. saw a board
  7. read a map
  8. read and write
  9. say I love you
  10. say I’m sorry
  11. say I forgive you
  12. give a toast
  13. His Social Security number and Driver's License number.
  14. apply a tourniquet to stop bleeding
  15. find north without a compass when outside
  16. make a cup of coffee
  17. drink a beer with friends
  18. choose a good wine
  19. how to hook up jumper cables to jump start a car
  20. how to push-start a car with manual transmission
  21. cook a steak on the grill
  22. clean a fish
  23. sew a button
  24. cook a simple meal
  25. operate the dishwasher, washing machine, and clothes dryer
  26. understand the basics of carpentry
  27. understand the basics of electricity
  28. set the clock on a VCR or DVD player
  29. light a fire
  30. give a good handshake
  31. fix the toilet (replace the ball and cock, etc)
  32. unplug the toilet (using a plunger or pipe snake)
  33. take apart the sink trap, clean it out, reassemble it
  34. check your oil and tire pressure
  35. defend himself in a fist-fight
  36. catch a ball
  37. Every man should be able to explain most of the rules for Baseball, Football, and Basketball. If you're from the hinterlands, include hockey. From anywhere besides the USA? Soccer.
  38. how to give himself a testicular exam
  39. How to answer these questions from a wife or girlfriend:
    1. What are you thinking about?
    2. Do you love me?
    3. Does this (blouse, skirt, dress, etc.) make me look fat?
    4. Did you think that girl was pretty?
    5. Would you get remarried if I died?
    6. Who was the best lover you ever had?
  40. Every man should know how to get out of his house during a fire
  41. where he will go if a tornado threatens
  42. how to put out the following fires:
    1. Class A - Wood, paper,cloth, trash
    2. Class B - Flammable liquids, oil, gas, grease
    3. Class C - Electrical, energized electrical equipment
  43. CPR
  44. The heimlich maneuver.
  45. change a diaper – or avoid changing one.

What other things should a man know? Click here to let me know!

 

 

 

 

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