Things a father should teach his son

To stand tall have a firm grip and a long stide

How to stop a fight and how to finish one

That you should always let your work speak for it's self

When you meet someone new, Leave knowing
1, There name
2, There eye color
3, The sound of there laugh

Always open the door for a lady and NEVER hit a girl
 
How to grow your own vegetables.

How to tie a knot, for fishing or any other purpose.

How to shoot pool.
 
How to fish.
How to shoot.
How to play poker.
How to make a slingshot.
How to tie a truckers hitch.

And they have served me well.
 
Practicals:
How to...
throw a baseball, football, and a good skippin' rock...
tie a tie, fishing knot, and a bandana...
shine shoes, a flashlight while they're helping, and car...
grill a burger, scramble eggs, and make a PB&J sammich...
open a bottle without an opener and start a fire without a match...
clean up his own mess, finish what you start, recognize where your help is needed and give it freely...
have a firm handshake and look people in the eye...
be both generous and sensible with money...
and probably a ton more that don't come to mind.

Intangibles:
How to...
fear God...
live peacefully...
be gentle with a lady...
work hard without external reward...
treat people as you would like to be treated...
treasure integrity in yourself and honor it in others...
and to recognize that...
people are just folks...
everybody has a purpose and life is precious...
selfishness is a thief...

Other:
never play pool with a guy named Shark...
never play poker with a guy named Lucky...
always know at least one clean joke...
an honest mechanic, a trusty barber, and the love of a good woman are the most you can hope for...
 
How to look another man straight in the eye.

How to get straight back on your feet when you have been knocked to the ground.

How to be honest.
 
How to frame a wall, put on roof shingles, paint a house, change a tire, shoot, fish, dig a foundation. As Red Green says, "If the girls don't find you handsome, they at least ought to find you handy."
 
To do the right thing because it's the right thing to do.
To stand up for himself
To stand up for those who can't stand up for themselves.
To know the difference between a woman and a lady.
How to treat a lady.
How to shoot quickly and accurately.
To know the difference between motion and action.
how to start a fire, find water, and shelter.
Learn to heal. Causing damage can be done by a moron, healing is difficult.
Learn to love and to accept love.
Learn to appreciate what he has.
finally, to know that you can be strong and gentle at the same time.
 
What about:

Don't tug on superman's cape,
Don't spit into the wind,
Don't mess around with the ol' long ranger

But, more seriously, Carthage said: "work hard without external reward..."

I once had a discussion with agroup of educators who told me how important it was to tell children how good they were, and how good at doing things.

This (IMO) really teaches the NEED for external validation, and NOT "self-esteem" as folks like to say nowadays.

The praise needs to ring (be) true and be result oriented.

What I see above (other than necessary skills like fire, water, shelter, food) is down to two things.

Personal integrity, and,

Personal responsibility.

Neither seems to be regularly taught any more.
 
Polonius’s advice to Laertes:

"And these few precepts in thy memory
See thou character. Give thy thoughts no tongue,
Nor any unproportioned thought his act.
Be thou familiar, but by no means vulgar.
Those friends thou hast, and their adoption tried,
Grapple them to thy soul with hoops of steel;
But do not dull thy palm with entertainment
Of each new-hatch'd, unfledged comrade. Beware
Of entrance to a quarrel, but being in,
Bear't that the opposed may beware of thee.
Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice;
Take each man's censure, but reserve thy judgment.
Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy,
But not express'd in fancy; rich, not gaudy;
For the apparel oft proclaims the man,
And they in France of the best rank and station
Are of a most select and generous chief in that.
Neither a borrower nor a lender be;
For loan oft loses both itself and friend,
And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry.
This above all: to thine own self be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man."

Hamlet

Act 1, Scene iii

maximus otter
 
maximus otter said:
Polonius’s advice to Laertes:


Hamlet

Act 1, Scene iii

maximus otter
Click to expand...


Between this and the Sig line, this may be the smartest sounding post ever.
 
Yes, yes, those are all very nice. But what I'm looking for here is more the simple practical things, stuff like

How to light a pilot light

How to replace a fuse or reset a breaker
 
OK Gollnick

How to cook (best way ever to seduce a woman)... ok next to buying her a car

What to look for in a good knife
 
I came across this a few years ago and have it hanging on my wall. I though it appropriate.

O Cormac, grandson of Conn", said Carbery, "I desire to know how I shall behave among the wise and the foolish, among friends and strangers, among the old and the young, among the innocent and the wicked."
"Not hard to tell", said Cormac.
Be not too wise, be not too foolish
be not too conceited, nor too diffident
be not too haughty, nor too humble
be not too talkative, nor too silent
be not too hard, nor too feeble
If you be too wise, one will expect too much of you
If you be foolish, you will be deceived
If you be too conceited, you will be thought vexatious
If you be too humble, you will be without honour
If you be too talkative, you will not be heeded
If you be too silent, you will not be regarded
If you be too hard, you will be broken
If you be too feeble, you will be crushed.
 
I have two questions about the responses here:

First, two posters mentioned that it's important for a man to teach his son the difference between a woman and a lady. Obviously, as Johnniet's post reflects, there are some fairly obvious reasons for knowing the difference. But I'm wondering if, beyond the realm of potential sexual opportunities, knowing the difference would create a divergence in treatment. In other words, to what end will this knowledge make a difference aside from long-term versus short-term relationship potential? Are you teaching your sons to be a gentleman sometimes (when they're in the presence of a lady) or all the time (respect her even if she doesn't respect herself)?

Second...

"How to suck up to powerful people who you despise, but have to work with."

I'm open to hearing any lessons you've learned in this regard (aside from just plain sucking it up). :rolleyes: I'm thinking that I might learn that one in my next life (or in the afterlife). ;)

I also think that most of these lessons would be very relevant to girls also. Don't ever underestimate the importance of the father/daughter relationship. Girls love their dads.

Here's my list: (Trying to focus on men specifically.)

How to do basic repairs, ie, plumbing, electrical, structural, etc..
How to use most tools. (I'm amazed by how many men can't do either of these and don't want to learn either.) :eek:
A strong, confident handshake (girls too)
How to deal with various emergencies (dry runs) (girls too)
How to fight. (very important.) (girls too)
How to shoot. (girls too)
How to pitch a tent.
How to hunt/fish.
How to work on a car. (girls too)
How to cook on the grill.
 
Many good ones already on the list, let me add a few.

How to light and smoke a fine cigar
How to drive both fast and safe
How to write a love letter
How to check and change your car's oil
How to play poker and chess
How to armwrestle
 
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