The 10 Most Important Skills Every Man Needs To Have

Being a guy can be easy, but, in certain situations, it’s more difficult than trying to escape a room that’s been locked and is holding you captive.

Since progressing from a boy to a man is important in your life, we’re giving you the 10 things that every single guy should know how to do before he can officially claim such a promotion. Even if you don’t have each and every one of these, sit back, relax and try to learn them—your life will become more complete when you do.

10. Tie A Necktie

They’re tricky and we don’t often wear them—unless you work as a lawyer, banker, car salesman or on Wall Street, it seems—but tying a necktie is critical in going from a boy to a man. There’s just something about walking into a store and trying on ties as simply as you would pants that’s important.

9. Talk Shit

We’re not talking about putting yourself in a situation where you or anyone with is in harm, but we are telling you that you’ve got to know how to bust someone else’s balls all in the name of good fun. There’s a line that should never be crossed, of course, so don’t offend anyone and end up with a black eye, but talking shit is the embodiment of every man—so use your words wisely.

8. Write

You don’t need to be paid as a writer to actually be a writer, if you catch our drift. Writing is a skill overlooked these days since everyone claims to be such visual beings, but it’s now a craft that should absolutely be utilized. From writing a proposal for a business to a hand-written note for your partner on the kitchen table in the morning as a surprise, when a man can write well, it gives him instant credibility.

7. Listen

We all have an opinion—social media has proven that—but the process of going from a boy to a man takes patience and humility, which are two traits that can be attributed to listening. Now, we’re not saying you have to be a good listener, but you do have to make an attempt at it, hearing out your superior at work, partner, parent, friend or sibling so that they can give you their two cents. You don’t know it all, so slow down and listen to those who might be wiser than you give them credit for.

6. Throw A Ball

It doesn’t matter that you haven’t played little league baseball or pee-wee football in 15-plus years, one skill that should never leave a man is the ability to throw a ball. This can be as simple as showing up to a tailgate and playing a 30-minute game of touch football, or showing your three-year-old nephew how to throw a baseball, so don’t underestimate this small—yet important—skill.

5. Change A Flat Tire

You don’t need to be Mr. Handyman here, guys, but for the love of God, make sure you can save yourself, your lady or some stranger by changing a flat tire. It can be a daunting task because a) you don’t do it often b) you’re lifting a two-ton car onto a tiny jack and c) you know that, as a man, you’re supposed to know how to do this. But, take a deep breath, don’t rush through it and complete the task at hand when forced into the situation.

4. Forgive

Much like listening, forgiving someone is a necessary trait in becoming the man you actually want to be. Sure, you may have been betrayed by an ex-partner or gotten screwed over by a friend by a bogus start-up, but time heals all wounds, and it’s important to practice that. In fact, some of your great successes can probably be attributed to a lesson learned from forgiving, so don’t be afraid to do it no matter how difficult it is. Pride can be the death of you.

3. Cook

No, this doesn’t mean preheating the oven to 400 degrees and tossing in a frozen pizza, fellas, but rather actually cooking. Like, you know, following directions from a recipe. When men hear the word “cooking,” they often find themselves struggling to differentiate from mac ‘n cheese, their grandmother’s Thanksgiving feast and those guys on the Food Network who are putting together insane dishes. That’s foolish, and should be avoided, because knowing how to pan-sear some chicken and slab some BBQ sauce constitutes as cooking—and it’s simple as hell to do.

2. Charm

Charming someone often gets associated with picking up a woman, but that’s not the only way men should be using this skill. While knowing how to speak to a lady to make her feel confident, sexy and wanted is crucial, charming should be used in everyday life for things as simples as conversing with the person at the cash register at the grocery store or treating a waitress with the respect he/she deserves. This isn’t to be confused with manipulating or conniving, but using your charm to score a table at a crowded restaurant should be something we all aspire to do.

1. Kiss

There’s almost nothing worse than being told you’re a bad kisser, as it’s the one thing that we’ve done pretty much our entire lives. That said, it’s not always the skill men are best at, as many go too sloppy or porn star-ish, and not enough sensuality. Kissing someone and meaning it is to be done with passion and patience.