Scott Galloway's Three Roles for the Modern Man.
The statistics surrounding modern young men present a portrait of quiet crisis that's been developing for generations, a phenomenon I've observed through countless conversations with fathers, sons, and men grappling with their place in a world that has fundamentally reshaped traditional masculine roles. Scott Galloway, a professor at New York University and father of two sons himself, cuts through this cultural fog with the pragmatic clarity of someone who's studied these patterns not just in data sets but in the lived experiences of the men around him.His new book, 'Notes on Being a Man,' arrives at a critical juncture, proposing a framework built not on political ideology but on three foundational pillars: Protect, Provide, and Procreate. The first role, to protect, reclaims a concept often twisted into aggression.Galloway invokes the Yiddish term 'mensch'—a just, honorable person—as the true north for healthy masculinity in 2025. This isn't about starting bar fights; it's about breaking them up.It's a default setting of looking out for family and community, a conscious sacrifice for something larger than oneself. He draws a stark line, arguing that men who conflate masculinity with coarseness, savagery, or bullying are not masculine but anti-masculine, a distinction that resonates deeply when you listen to men talk about their desire for purpose beyond themselves.The second role, to provide, has been seismically altered by economic and social shifts. While women have powerfully entered the breadwinner sphere, Galloway contends the provider role remains vital for men, not as a sole burden but as a core component of creating stability, self-respect, and social capital.He refreshingly acknowledges the modern nuance here—that being a provider can sometimes mean gracefully 'getting out of the way' of a partner who excels financially, while picking up the slack elsewhere without ego or resentment. This reflects a more collaborative, less transactional view of partnership that many younger couples are striving for.The third pillar, to procreate, is framed not as a rigid obligation but as a biological and societal imperative for species survival. Galloway wisely broadens this definition, recognizing that those who cannot or choose not to have children can fulfill this role as great uncles, aunts, mentors, and friends, investing in the next generation regardless of biology.The ultimate objective, synthesizing these three roles, is what author Richard V. Reeves calls 'surplus value'—the transition from being a net consumer in society to a net contributor.For a man, this means providing more love, support, and stability than he received, measured in the quiet, profound metric of being a better father than his own, a more present friend, a more reliable colleague. This framework offers a compelling alternative to the polarized debates around masculinity, suggesting that the path forward isn't about reverting to an imagined past or dismantling male identity, but about channeling innate drives toward constructive, community-oriented ends. It’s a conversation that deserves more than just headlines; it requires the kind of reflective, personal examination that Galloway invites, and that so many men are silently craving.
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#masculinity
#modern men
#Scott Galloway
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#mental health
#social roles
#surplus value
