Character in How to Be a Real Man

Only Character: the latest headlines first, then BRO’s own Character stories and video. All of Be a Man →

Becoming a man worth marrying is a skill list, not a vibe

The culture tells you not to bother. The actual list is short, boring, and almost all of it is learnable inside a year.

GuideBRO for HerNina Castellan2 Oct 20266 min

He knows about the waiter test. Watch the second mistake.

Every man has heard he should be nice to the waiter. The tests that still tell you something are the ones he doesn't know he's taking.

Ask BRO

Rehearse the raise conversation with me

Ask it

GuideBoys & GirlsSam Ortiz1 Oct 20267 min

Kick the Can Still Works, If You Let Kids Run It

The old backyard games cost nothing and teach more than most leagues. The trick is teaching the rules once and then getting out of the way.

Names.com — The name is the first thing you sell

PartnerNames.com

Young Men6 min read

What one heavy night actually does to your body at twenty

Your liver clears about one drink an hour and doesn't care how strong you are. Everything after that's chemistry, not character.

Poll

When did you last ask for a raise?

GuideBRO for HerNina Castellan23 Sept 20265 min

Envy is an input problem, and you control the inputs

Comparison isn't a character flaw you were born with. It's a feed you built, a wanting you never named, and a habit you can change in an afternoon.

GuideBoys & GirlsSam Ortiz1 Oct 20266 min

The Free Birthday Traditions Your Kid Will Remember at Thirty

The party fades by Tuesday. The pencil line on the doorframe doesn't. Pick a few rituals that cost nothing, and never skip them.

GermProof.com — An invisible germ barrier on your skin for hours

PartnerGermProof.com

GuideYoung MenSam Ortiz23 Sept 20266 min

Nobody replaced the schedule school used to give you

Drift isn't a character flaw. It's what happens when every external structure disappears at once and nothing gets built to replace it.

Quiz

Is your money actually in order?

Six questions. No email required, no sales pitch at the end.

GuideOld SchoolDean Shaw23 Sept 20265 min

A Man's Word Was His Whole Credit File

My grandfather borrowed a post-hole digger once and gave it back sharpened. That habit still buys more than a good resume does.

GuideBoys & GirlsSam Ortiz29 Sept 20267 min

The Driveway Pickleball Court Starts at the Kitchen Line

You don't need a real court or a real net. You need sidewalk chalk, twenty feet of rope and the patience to skip the serve for a month.

Ask BRO

Plan a cook for eight people

Ask it

GuideDadsCal Brennan23 Sept 20266 min

Your son won't outgrow the tone you use with his mother

The tone, the interruptions, the way you talk about her when she's out of the room. He's copying all of it, and he'll use it on his wife.

PartnerWhackAWoke.com

GuideOld SchoolNina Castellan23 Sept 20266 min

She Never Ordered For Me at a Restaurant and That Was the Point

Grandmothers had a whole curriculum for raising girls who don't fold, and almost none of it was a speech.

Poll

Where does your phone charge overnight?

GuideDatingMarcus Vale23 Sept 20266 min

A standard costs you something. A preference doesn't.

The culture doesn't have standards, it has moods. Decide your line at noon, because midnight is a terrible negotiator.

GuideDadsCal Brennan23 Sept 20266 min

Your Kid Doesn't Need A Tour Of Your Work, They Need A Shift

The visitor badge and the donut are a wasted day. Hand them a real task with a real standard, and let them watch somebody correct you.

Dude.com — 16 advisers who listen, talk and pray with you

PartnerDude.com

GuideOld SchoolNina Castellan23 Sept 20266 min

The Manners My Grandmother Drilled In Still Open Doors

Thank-you notes, arriving early, remembering the name of the guy who fixed your truck. Small old rules that make people want to help you.

Quiz

Does your wardrobe actually fit you?

Five questions, honestly answered, and a plan for the next fortnight.

BRO Seniors7 min

100 Things You Already Know That Younger Men Don't

Dads5 min

She's taking notes on how you talk to her mother

Ask BRO

Build me a 30-day training plan around two sessions a week

Ask it

GuideBoys & GirlsCal Brennan23 Sept 20266 min

Set Up the Internet for Your Kid Before They Can Argue Back

The filters, settings and house rules that work on a seven-year-old, plus the one sentence that does more than all of them combined.

Shirts.com — Design it with AI. Wear it this week.

PartnerShirts.com

Dating6 min read

How to end it without making her wonder what she did wrong

Do it in person, say it in the first minute, and don't leave the door cracked open because you feel bad.

Poll

Where does your best time with your kids happen?

Older articles