Pearl Nash
Morality is often a tricky discussion as a lot of us abide by our own sets of morals. Our religions, nationalities, our histories, our ages, our genders, our economic status, and so on can change our entire belief systems.
But there is merit to ponder: What’s in a man?
What makes up his strength? What makes him good? What is his character composed of for it to be considered just and honest?
The very fabric of his being should be made of what?
What makes him morally strong and sound?
Let’s discuss:
1) They are honest
The dictionary definition of honesty is the uprightness of character or action. Honesty implies a refusal to lie, steal, or deceive in any way. It is being sincere, being frank, and being true.
The #1 trait for this list is honesty. Men with strong moral fiber are honest. They stay true to their beliefs and to who they are.
By the way, most of the items on this list are iterations or manifestations of honesty, if not completely overlapping.
But isn’t that the nature of character? People are complex and are never just one thing.
Speaking of something related to honesty…
2) They are loyal
Tell me who you loyal to
Do it start with your woman or your man?
Do it end with your family and friends?
Are you loyal to yourself in advance?
I said, tell me who you loyal to
Is it anybody that you would lie for?
Anybody you would slide for?
Anybody you would die for?
That’s what God for
-LOYALTY. Kendrick Lamar feat. Rihanna
Tell me it isn’t just me who automatically hears Kendrick Lamar and Rihanna going Loyalty, Loyalty, Loyalty when they read the word Loyal.
Tell me. Especially this verse 5. Where does your loyalty lie? Because we can sit here and say oh, men with strong moral fiber are loyal. Okay… but to what?
To whom? To their self-interest? To their country? Their brothers? Context is important here.
I think one of the clearest contexts we could take this one though, is with relationships, that’s where it hits home for a lot of us after all.
It seems like we read the tea on unfaithful men online on the daily that it’s sometimes rarer to see completely faithful ones but trust, there are still so many loyal men out there.
Don’t get me wrong, I believe loyalty in relationships should be the bare minimum and I’m not glorifying them for being loyal at all. It should be a given.
3) They treat everyone the same
From their bosses to the waiters serving them their food, they will treat everyone with the same respect and courtesy. Even kindness.
I automatically thought of Keanu Reeves, I have never seen or read a story about that man where he was anything but kind.
From his co-stars to the extras in his movie, to a random fan wanting an autograph, he treats everyone warmly.
Another celebrity that I could think of is Post Malone, and mind you I’m not even a fan of his, but even I have seen stories about his kindness.
And the late Robin Williams said it best, “Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be kind. Always.”
Helps put things into perspective, huh?
4) They are incorruptible
Men with strong moral fiber are incorruptible. To be clear, I’m not saying these men don’t have vices, that’s such a steep and narrow definition if so.
However, when it truly counts, that’s when their character shines through.
You can’t bribe these men, you know? They don’t sway under the weight of temptation (see #1 & #2) which also connects to the next one which is…
5) They will always do what is right
“The truth is that you always know the right thing to do. The hard part is doing it.” – Venugopal Acharya, monk, educator, author
There’s a difference between doing what is right and what is right for them.
At the very least, the right thing should be rooted in honesty, generosity, a good conscience, and accountability.
Doing the right thing is often difficult because it’s selfless and as humans, we have egos, greed, and selfishness to take into account.
That’s why I think one of the first things that people usually think of when asked to describe a morally sound person would be: they will do the right thing. And a man with strong moral fiber will do just that.
6) They are diligent and hard-working
There’s a slight difference between being diligent and hard-working but they do go hand in hand just the same. A man with strong moral fiber is both of these.
Automatically I remembered this story of a man who moved a mountain.
Dashrath Manjhi was an ordinary man with simple goals but the obstacle was as big as a mountain, literally.
After his wife was injured from a trek in the mountains, he vowed to open a road to help his village.
It took 22 years to carve a road, long after his wife passed away from being unable to reach medical assistance because of said mountain.
22 years. Just chipping away at a mountain with nothing but a chisel and a hammer, fueled with the sole need to help others.
Years later, he also refused fame, land, and money. He opted to donate the awarded land to his village so they can open a hospital.
This is an extreme example of diligence for sure. Most of the time, we won’t hear stories because these men don’t do it for the applause after all.
Because that’s another thing…
7) They are humble
“Maybe that’s enlightenment enough: to know that there is no final resting place of the mind; no moment of smug clarity. Perhaps wisdom…is realizing how small I am, and unwise, and how far I have yet to go.” – Anthony Bourdain
I have to be honest, I thought about another Kendrick Lamar song when I thought of humble, but I digress.
Humility seems to be so underrated compared to other traits that men (and people in general) seem to strive for. In the grand scheme of things, we are all so small and the world is so vast.
My point is that men with strong moral fiber are humble. To their core.
This is not to say that humble men do not celebrate their achievements, no, all I’m saying is that they’re not arrogant about it. There’s a difference between confidence and arrogance after all.
8) They are accountable
“A body of men holding themselves accountable to nobody ought not to be trusted by anybody.” – Thomas Paine
This goes hand in hand with responsibility; to be accountable for oneself and all that a person oversees. Their actions, their beliefs, their decisions, and all that they could create and destroy.
I said above that men with strong moral fibers try to always do the right thing but they also understand that it could sometimes come at a cost.
Accountable men understand the gravity of their actions. They understand how it could affect others.
They don’t blame others for any fallout either.
9) They are open to being corrected
“The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool.” – William Shakespeare
A man with strong moral fiber is no fool, but he doesn’t claim to know everything either. There is wisdom in allowing yourself to be corrected.
When someone can admit that there are gaps in their knowledge, they are open to filling those gaps with learning.
There is arrogance in being a know-it-all, arrogance in not letting others correct you, and as I said in #7, men with strong moral fiber are humble.
10) They are not afraid to be different
“Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” ― Oscar Wilde
In a world that dictates how people should live their lives, and how they should look or act, it’s an act of bravery to go against the fray.
Men who dare to be soft and gentle. Men who unabashedly like hobbies that might seem “uncool”. Men who reject outdated notions of how men should be. That takes character.
And know what else? It takes honesty. To be true to themselves even if the world judges them for it.
See, I told you, it’s gonna come back to honesty.
