Men Want To Lead Again!

 

Men Want To Lead Again!

Baby Boomer values are being increasingly rejected by younger generations, who see them for the handicaps they are for both society and for themselves as individuals. Many Baby Boomers did very well in the best possible cultural, social, economic and political climates in their youth. But many of their values are now increasingly out of touch with what younger men see as important traits to succeed in life. As Newsweek notes,

“Gen Z Males 3 Times More Likely Than Boomers to Prioritize 'Dominance'

Gen Z males were three times more likely to prioritize "dominance" than baby boomers in a new study by consumer insights platform GWI.

Males from the Gen Z population—ages 13 to 28—ranked as more traditional in several of their ratings. While 71 percent of male baby boomers said "caring" is a quality men should possess, just 43 percent of Gen Zers said the same. That was the lowest rating of any generation…

…The rise of "manosphere" content creators like Andrew Tate has also preached the importance of being an "alpha male," while encouraging disrespect and even sometimes violence toward women in the process.

The shifting views on masculinity and dating could have long-standing ramifications, especially as many women are simultaneously frustrated over dating in the modern age…

…In the new GWI report, Gen Z males consistently showed a preference for what's largely seen as "traditional" gender roles, more so than their baby boomer elders.

While Gen Z males were nearly three times more likely than boomers to prioritize "dominance" as a key trait, at 23 percent versus 8 percent, they also valued strength more than older generations.

The priority of "strength" as a trait declined with age across the generations, as 52 percent of Gen Z males said it was the most valued trait…

…"While many women are embracing confidence and independence, young men are being drawn toward traditional ideas of masculinity, placing a greater importance on strength and dominance compared to older generations.”[1]

While the article notes that to some degree boomer men might prioritize strength less than younger men because of their stage of life, it also notes there are sociological and cultural reasons for this difference. My advice to young people is that they should question many of the values of the Boomer generation. How often do you hear about how some 65 year old woman who is leaving her husband so she can live life to the fullest? Too often. Or how often do you hear about the older man who has traded in the wife of his kids for his secretary or some other younger woman? Boomer men basically made this lifestyle change famous. Boomers are also still divorcing like they have been across their whole lives. It is remarkable to watch.

I’ll never understand why someone blows up a marriage they have been in for 40 or 50 years. What could you possibly gain at that stage of your life by starting again? Could this be one of the primary causes of increasing homelessness amongst older women? It must be at least part of the answer right? 

Ignore the Andrew Tate stuff. In fact, just go ahead and ignore Andrew Tate and those like him. I do. But those feminists, female teachers, and other women who are blaming men like Andrew Tate for the change in attitudes of young men need to look more in the mirror for the real reasons. Andrew Tate is not causing this wave of awakening in young men, he is riding the wave of it. As are many other male influencers. These guys are all over the place. And they are succeeding because, whether or not they are good men, they are pointing young men to something they inwardly crave: how to be strong and how to be respected.

Many young men have seen how this world jumps on and continually crushes men who have shown even a hint of weakness. Men should never be violent to a woman, unless he is defending his life of course. But remember the ancient Greeks thought it was dishonourable for a man to not be able to subdue a female warrior without hurting her. There is wisdom there. Men are far stronger than a woman and Western civilisation has a long tradition of disliking men who use their strength to harm women. But men are recognising that if they do not cultivate strength they will be trampled on often by stronger men, but probably more often by women as well, who will overlook them or cast them away like so much trash if they can’t properly establish themselves. Such is the way of this world.

The values of the baby boomers, who consider themselves more conservative but are probably the most progressive generation ever recorded in history - if rejecting every value of your parents can be considered progressive - have proven to be very unhelpful for young men.

As a Millennial I saw clearly how men were taught to be sensitive, shun strength, not worry about sport, and to defer more and more to women. This was all through our education system. I also saw how some of those guys struggled to establish themselves as men a little later in life. Whereas the men who were strong, athletic and confident did not have the same issues. I also have seen how Boomers have mercilessly mocked Millennials as the overly offended and sensitive generation. Gen Z have taken note. They are adjusting. 

The truth is the Bible commands men to be strong in various ways on multiple occasions. There are many good examples, but here is one of the best, “1 When David's time to die drew near, he commanded Solomon his son, saying, 2 “I am about to go the way of all the earth. Be strong, and show yourself a man,…” (1 Kings 2:1-2). A man’s strength is an asset. It is a God-given attribute that we are to steward, nourish and use for the good of the women in our lives, our mother, sisters, wife and daughters especially, and it is not an accident that no matter what women say in studies they prefer strong men. God designed this. 

The church would be much wiser to be teaching young men how to focus and harness their strength in a godly way, rather than teaching young boys and girls that they are capable of the same things. Boomers invented the worldview that says this, and since they have been teaching it to young boys and girls, boys have been falling further behind in multiple areas. It is good that young men are starting to wake up to this. The church should take note and seek to guide their young men for the good of themselves and society in general.

Men want to lead again. Let’s teach them that God created them to do so, at least in their homes. And let’s teach them how to do so in a godly way.

List of References

---

[1] Suzanne Blake, 2025, https://www.newsweek.com/gen-z-men-3-times-more-likely-boomers-prioritize-dominance-2103767