If the Protector role is the center of masculinity, then the essence of masculinity is physical power. It’s the primary determinant of a man’s ability to defend himself in a fight and to resist being pushed. Therefore, it’s essential to how people instinctively determine a man’s manliness. You might label it as ridiculous, stupid, or antiquated, but it all comes down to how we assess men—could they maintain the perimeter in an emergency? Even the most progressive men and women still find that physically fit and strong men are more respectable, authoritative, beautiful, and manly than those who aren’t, even in this pleasant period of peace. Strength is still useful in our secure suburban world. When I’m working around my property, I want to be able to lift huge bags of mulch and put an attacker on the ground. I also want to know that I have the strength to carry someone out of a burning house and be able to save my own life in an emergency. Strength can be thought of as a kind of antifragility redundancy: while we can usually rely on technology and equipment to get the job done for us, you never know when you’ll need to get your hands dirty.
