Who's More Masculine?

Yesterday's post addressed the masculinity crisis that is plunging the West into a dark age. A critical aspect of the problem is that academia, the media, and even misinformed manosphere bloggers have given men false ideas of what authentic masculinity is.

By the same token, most people reduce the vice of effeminacy to mean acting like a sissy. That is only one way in which men can be effeminate, which actually denotes lacking virtues essential to living their vocation as men.

For your edification, here is a short quiz on masculinity and effeminacy according to the Scholastic and Aristotelian traditions. In each section, you will be presented with two images, each depicting men engaged in various behaviors. Use your judgment to discern which man in each set is exercising masculine virtue and which is displaying effeminacy.

Post your responses in the comments. Since everyone is made to possess all virtues, though men and women are called to higher degrees of perfection in the virtues most proper to their respective sexes, women are encouraged to take part in the quiz as well. I'll post the correct answers tomorrow.

Ready? Begin.

Section 1

Ladies Man

A. Though still in his early 20s, Richard is highly accomplished with women. He delights in pursuing young, attractive females, keeps a stable of several girls in rotation at all times, and has bedded dozens of high quality women. He is open to marrying and starting a family someday, but he wants to have fun first.

Nice Guy

B. Scott is the same age as Richard. He is also unmarried but is looking for a woman who is good wife material. His search has proven rather difficult, but since Scott is committed to voluntary celibacy before marriage, he is still a virgin.

Who is masculine? Who is effeminate?

Section 2

Man Cooking

A. Alan often works 50 or 60 hour weeks, but he makes a point of being home on time to cook Saturday dinner for his family whenever possible. Having cooked for himself since college, Alan is even better in the kitchen than his wife, but he delegates important parts of the meal prep to her, and she gladly assists.

Woman cleans. Man watches TV.

B. After a hard work week, Dave enjoys kicking back and watching Formula One racing on TV. He has made it a house rule that his wife is to perform all the Saturday housework without disturbing his R&R, invoking his headship of the family. Desiring to live the Biblical model of marriage, his wife honors his wishes and does all the cleaning while he unwinds.

Who is masculine? Who is effeminate?

Section 3


A. Jeffrey recently took the plunge and accepted a partnership at a new startup venture organized by his friend. His wife is supportive, but she is openly wary of the risks Jeffrey took by leaving his more secure corporate job and investing a sizable chunk of the family's savings in the new business. Jeffrey allays her fears by pointing out that, should the startup succeed, his vastly higher earning potential will greatly benefit them and their daughter.

Wage Slave

B. Dominic finds his corporate rat race job stressful and stultifying. He, too, was offered a ground-floor partnership in the same startup as Jeffrey. But unwilling to risk his family's finances, Dominic stays at the job he hates.

Who is masculine? Who is effeminate?

Section 4

Man Listening

A. Glenn attends a company seminar, where he hears a speaker discuss a proposed policy initiative. His gut tells him the proposal is a bad idea, but he's not sure he's qualified to give useful feedback. Instead of speaking up, Glenn reserves judgment and listens quietly.

Speaking Up

B. At the same event, Mike boldly and easily takes to the mic to voice his take. He doesn't let his unfamiliarity with the subject matter deter him but forges ahead, sure that sharing his opinion is better than keeping quiet.

Who is masculine? Who is effeminate.

Section 5

Man Walking Away

A. On the way into the office, a junior coworker envious of Darren's promotion snidely insinuates that Darren slept with their female boss to get the job. Darren leaves the insult unanswered and walks away.

Men Arguing

B. After leaving a meeting where James impressed his supervisor with a presentation he'd worked on for weeks, a spiteful colleague falsely accuses him of stealing his idea. James responds in kind, putting the little weasel in his place with a withering insult.

Who is masculine? Who is effeminate?


  1. Masculine:
    1. B
    2. A
    3. A
    4. A
    5. A

  2. More masculine
    1) B
    2) A
    3) B
    4) A
    5) A

  3. Interesting. I won't give my answers but I'm very curious whst you think they are.

  4. B A A B A

    (The trickiest were sections 3 and 4. For 3, I don't equate taking risks with a failure to provide and would much rather live with a man who wasn't miserable. For 4, I'm assuming the question at hand is a moral rather than a practical one.)

  5. I feel pretty unqualified here, but since you said women are encouraged, well, here goes:

    1 B.

    2 Both. There's no mention of hardship for the second fellow's wife, so if we are to assume both are satisfied, what would be the problem with this arrangement?

    3 B. If failure legitimately jeopardizes the future of the couple's children, how can this risk be justified?

    4 A. Nobody likes a gamma.

    5 Neither. The first fellow, whatever his reasons, is shirking his responsibility to thwart a bad actor before he poisons the whole office's morale, and the second is failing to maintain his dignity or charity when he asserts himself.

  6. B

    3 was tricky... but risk aversion is the hallmark of the pusslord 😄

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  8. 1. B
    2. A
    3. Not enough info. Depends on the situation, but generally A is the better choice. Digging yourself out of a hole is the better option, when the option is available. But suffering is not objectively a bad thing.
    4. More information is needed. It depends on the situation, but asking questions beats being silent.
    5. A

    The #1 problem with men today is how lazy and low energy we've gotten. Utopia was so supposed to take care of itself so just sit back and let it happen, I suppose. It's not about throwing punches or having a sharp tongue, but actually acting and trying to do what's best despite the hardship has become very uncommon.

    The effeminate man is the man who never acts, who lets the world flatten him into the dirt while his love ones are under attack, and who finds excuses to run away. Situational examples aside, just not being a chump is a good place to start.

    EDIT: Misread a question.

  9. 1. B
    2. A
    3. A, though I don't think B is effeminate
    4. If there is no other opportunity to correct the situation, then A ought to speak up. If there is a period in which dissent can be entered, then B ought to remain silent
    5. A

  10. 1: B. Easiest question.
    2: A. Trickier, but if he's genuinely better in the kitchen then taking the lead while that persists is correct.
    3: B. By far the toughest for me. I want to say A, but re-reading and noting "and investing a sizable chunk of the family's savings" tips it over into recklessness.
    4: A. Speaking up when you don't really know is for women and gammas.
    5: B. Second toughest, but in a team setting, giving teammates reason to doubt your self-confidence hurts your and everyone's effectiveness.