Let's also be careful to distinguish between macho and manful.
The former implies a sort of testosterone-fuelled preening which is often form over substance. Big muscles, a domineering attitude, a belief in the supremacy of physical presence and more than a little arrogance.
Manful, by contrast, is much more about the more positive aspects of traditional* masculinity. You don't need big muscles, a string of notches on the bedpost or a Ferrari Wang to be manful. You do, however, need to be respectful and able to make such provision as is appropriate to those around you.
The macho man might think that the apotheosis of masculinity is to be able to pulverise a Royal Marine in an illegal bare knuckle fight. The manful man knows that cheerfully assisting a elderly lady who has broken down on a country lane gets far nearer the mark.
Regards,
Peter
* To avoid further unpleasant and entirely unnecessary misunderstandings, can I make it clear that when I say "traditional", I do not mean that a) traditional is always right or b) that anything in what I say is supposed to undermine female emancipation or gender equality, both of which I wholeheartedly and unreservedly support.
