75
http://www.esquire.com/features/essential-skills-0508?src=rss
Who’s to say what I should be able to do or not? Well on second thought this is not a half bad list. What is provided here is a short compellation of the essential skills to survive in the world as a male of the human species. What more could us guys ask for? This list covers some very important topics; I personally thought numbers, 1, 2, 5, 34, 37, 51, 63, and 75 were top of the list. This no doubt provides a handy, quick way to asses one’s ability as a person; however I can’t help but look at the problems this list creates and the shortcomings it is inherently held back by.
Allow us to initially look at this list as how it is portrayed, the ESSENTIAL 75 skills a man must have. The list backs it self into a corner right off the bat. It is physically impossible to decide which skills are more important than compared to other to a person, either male or female, in today’s modern world. Life today can not be broken down into compartmentalized experiences everyone will live through. The world today and any one person who inhabits this world is the most diverse it has ever been. We as humans are no longer either the hunter, farmer, blacksmith, or mother. We are all of that ( or today’s modern equivalent) plus more. With the advent of the technological revolution we have become multitaskers every second of the day. Web sites like Wikipedia allow us to be experts on any topic, and gather amounts information which would have previously unfathomable. The current structure of our societies make a list like this obsolete, there is no telling what an individual’s circumstances are and no way you can generalize everybody’s necessities for knowledge on a single list 75 bullets long.
This list also brought up an interesting perspective on the evolution of man. Not as much as a species but more so as a social being. Ask your self how much different would this list be if it was written 20 years ago, 40, 80. There would definitely be some similar topics cover; how to build a camp fire will probably still be on for future generations where as knowing quantum physics is probably making it’s first appearance.
It is impressive to see how much are lives as humans have changed in the relatively short period of time since our grandparents were born. The pace at which are planet is altering has been accelerating for the past couple generations and showing no signs of slowing down.
Where will we be in 40 years and will knowing how to tie a bowtie (#16) still be important?
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I did not read the list, but I get what you are saying. There are so many different types of people out there, so many different types of jobs, and the world is just so different. How can we make a list of the most important things a male needs to know how to do? I mean yes, I bet it is interesting and I bet they are all good things to know how to do, but there are unbelievably successful people out there that I can promise do not know how to do everything on that list. Also, the point that you make about what is on it and what will be on it in the future, if you think about how fast our world is changing, there are going to be things constantly getting added to that list, and therefore things getting removed, which are now no longer important.
I know many males (human) who don’t have to look at this list to survive or to thrive. Number 1 on my list is: Recognize the value of service and compassion.
I kind of like this list is just a joke really not meant to be serious I can see. I mean it’s from Esquire what do you expect? Its like going to Ask men.com and looking for a real article if your trying to make it out to be a serious topic. You aren’t going to find one on a site like that because thats what sites like that are for just fun.
This article seems like it has some valid points, but then some very invalid points. The first invalid point I found was #4: Score A Baseball Game. This is completely unnecessary because some men don’t like baseball, they like basketball, football, hockey, or some other sport better. I do agree with Mr. McEnroe that men do need to realize the value of service and compassion. Not all of these are completely false, as everyone should learn the skill of being able to tell when someone is lying, as that would be a very good skill to have in general.