Where Have The Good Men Gone?

Last Saturday an article ran in the Wall Street Journal provocatively titled, "Where Have All The Good Men Gone?" Author Kay Hymowitz ponders the decline of character among men in their twenties, so many of whom are living a "pre-adulthood". Being a man in my twenties, I found this article equally insightful and challenging. With the development of a knowledge economy requiring advanced degrees, growing affluence in the United States, and a shift in the post-college narrative, more and more young men succumb to the temptation of irresponsibility and a second adolescence. To make matters worse, the current recession leaves many of those young men who desire responsibility struggling to find meaningful work. Yet, what seems to define many men in my generation is their willingness to settle for their parents' basement when success, however they define it, doesn't come immediately. I have faced and given in to that temptation myself in the past.

While this article does well in identifying a problem, a proposed solution is mysteriously absent. The simple admonishment "Man up!" won't work. In spite of our immaturity, the truth is that Millennials face brand new challenges, both as a result of our environment and our upbringing. That isn't to say the buck should be passed, only that, like those men that came before us, we need coaching. Nevertheless, I read this article and am challenged to be all the man that I am called to be. If you'd like to read the article, you can find it here.

- Joel