My 5 Best Qualities of a Modern Canadian Man

Just so you didn't think I was bullshitting you yesterday, here is my list of the qualities that I think Canadian** men should strive to improve- always and forever. To me, there is no static state of perfection or achievement. As much as we achieve as humans in one aspect of our lives, we also fall backward or stagnate in some other aspect. That said, I have to say that this list applies to women as well.

Compassion- Striving to understand where others are coming from and adjusting our ears, hearts, opinions and fists accordingly: Their contexts, their feelings, their histories, their biases are just as important as our own. Most conflict arises from not respecting this point.

Intelligence- Pursuing higher learning on any level in life. Whether it is in a trade, an art, a philosophy, a humanistic pursuit, a domestic responsibility, etc. Also, we should spread that knowledge with an open mind. Teaching is just as important as learning and teachers must constantly learn from those they teach.

Balance- Respecting that our lives can and should be augmented by a breadth of interests and pursuits. At the same time, recognizing that focus on only one or a few of those potentials is limiting and makes us shallow and stupid. On the other end of the spectrum, spreading our lives too thin among competing priorities also makes us shallow and stupid. Above all, balancing worldly responsibilities and frivolous (but necessary) distractions with the needs of our souls and the needs of the souls closest to ours is balance.

Judicious Discretion - Using power judiciously. Understanding that if by supporting the rights of one we take from another and they suffer, that injustice needs to be addressed or ameliorated at any cost. Killing only if need be in self-defence or in direct defense of others' lives. Spending and conserving wisely.

Communicative Openness- Taking time in life to reflect on, identify and understand one's inner self. Openly expressing our feelings and philosophies to others without fear of vulnerability. Admitting our vulnerability makes us strong.

**I say Canadian because this is where I live and is the culture I am most familiar with. Why do I think these should be Canadian qualities per se? Only because they reflect the kind of society we have built here in a traditionally fairly liberal, relatively socially-conscious state. Of course, this is all just my opinion.

Note: For those of you who aren't sure how this works. Once you are tagged you may participate by writing a post on this topic and linking back to the permalink for this original post in your piece. Then you should "tag" 5 others with the responsibility of continuing the meme onward. As long as you include a link to my post in yours I will be able to track all of the action and do a wrap-up post in a couple of weeks summarizing the best posts and some demographic data.

Now I am officially tagging 5 more bloggers:
Scott Tribe
Red Jenny
Polly Jones
A Little Thought at Just Society
KevvyD at Blevkog