40 Quotes about What It Means to Be a Man and How to Be a Good One

Men, just like people of all genders, deserve to feel valued and encouraged for who they are and to have the freedom to express the full range of their emotions with no judgment. Here are 40 quotes that highlight this.

In past decades, men were not encouraged to express a wide range of emotions. They were expected to remain stoic, and their display of aggression was more socially accepted than any other emotion.

Thankfully, we are no longer living in past decades where masculinity is measured on aggressiveness and a lack of emotion. But the truth is, everyone deserves to feel and express their full range of emotions to live healthy lives.

In most recent times, men are encouraged to be more expressive and to understand that their emotions don’t undermine their masculinity. If you’re a man in need of such encouragement or you have a man in your life who needs it, here are 40 quotes that could help.

Oscar Wilde's quote: “To have become a deeper man is the privilege of those who have suffered.” | Image: AmoDays

“A great man is hard on himself; a small man is hard on others.” — Confucius

“If you perform the sacrifice of doing your duty, you do not have to do anything else. Devoted to duty, man attains perfection.” — Bhagavad Gita

“The most persevering becomes the most talented.” — Maxime Lagacé

“To have become a deeper man is the privilege of those who have suffered.” — Oscar Wilde

“You will earn the respect of all men if you begin by earning the respect of yourself.” — Musonius Rufus

Bhagavad Gita's quote: “If you perform the sacrifice of doing your duty, you do not have to do anything else. Devoted to duty, man attains perfection.” | Image: AmoDays

“Big jobs usually go to the men who prove their ability to outgrow small ones.” — Theodore Roosevelt

“The real man smiles in trouble, gathers strength from distress, and grows brave by reflection.” — Thomas Paine

“If a man’s mind becomes pure, his surroundings will also become pure.” — Buddha

“The way of a superior man is three-fold: virtuous, he is free from anxieties; wise, he is free from perplexities; bold, he is free from fear.” — Confucius

“The first step to being a good man is this: You must deeply feel the burden of the stones someone else [is] carrying.” — Mehmet Murat ildan

Maxime Lagacé's quote: “The most persevering becomes the most talented.” | Image: AmoDays

“The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good.” — Samuel Johnson

“To be a man requires that you accept everything life has to give you, beginning with your name.” — Burl Ives

“It takes a great man to be a good listener.” — Calvin Coolidge

“Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.” — Abraham Lincoln

“We need men who can dream of things that never were.” — John F. Kennedy

Musonius Rufus's quote: “You will earn the respect of all men if you begin by earning the respect of yourself.” | Image: AmoDays

“He who stops being better stops being good.” — Oliver Cromwell

"The heart of a good man is the sanctuary of God in this world.” — Suzanne Curchod

“The man who is deserving the name is the one whose thoughts and exertions are for others rather than for himself.” — Walter Scott

“Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one.” — Marcus Aurelius

“You spend time with your family? Good. Because a man who doesn’t spend time with his family can never be a real man.” — Don Vito Corleone

Theodore Roosevelt's quote: “Big jobs usually go to the men who prove their ability to outgrow small ones.” | Image: AmoDays

“The successful man will profit from his mistakes and try again in a different way.” — Dale Carnegie

“Nothing deters a good man from doing what is honorable.” — Seneca the Younger

“The mark of a great man is one who knows when to set aside the important things in order to accomplish the vital ones.” — Brandon Sanderson

“If unwilling to rise in the morning, say to thyself, ‘I awake to do the work of a man.’” — Marcus Aurelius

“Life is too short to be little. Man is never so manly as when he feels deeply, acts boldly, and expresses himself with frankness and with fervor.” — Benjamin Disraeli

Thomas Paine's quote: “The real man smiles in trouble, gathers strength from distress, and grows brave by reflection.” | Image: AmoDays

“A man may conquer a million men in battle but one who conquers himself is, indeed, the greatest of conquerors.” — Buddha

“Men are like steel. When they lose their temper, they lose their worth.” — Chuck Norris

“A good man will want you to shine. He wants you to be your amazing self. A good man loves to show off his happy, intelligent, amazing, powerful woman.” — Anastasia Netri

“Pride is much the same in all men, the only difference is the method and manner of showing it.” — François de La Rochefoucauld

“One can know a man from his laugh, and if you like a man’s laugh before you know anything of him, you may confidently say that he is a good man.” — Fyodor Dostoevsky

Buddha's quote: “If a man’s mind becomes pure, his surroundings will also become pure.” | Image: AmoDays

“Try not to become a man of success but rather to become a man of value.” — Albert Einstein

“Being a ‘good man’ is something you do, not something you are.” — Luvvie Ajayi

“Adversity toughens manhood, and the characteristic of the good or the great man is not that he has been exempt from the evils of life, but that he has surmounted them.” — Patrick Henry

“A good man would prefer to be defeated than to defeat injustice by evil means.” — Sallust

Confucius's quote: “The way of a superior man is three-fold: virtuous, he is free from anxieties; wise, he is free from perplexities; bold, he is free from fear.” | Image: AmoDays

“The good man is the man who, no matter how morally unworthy he has been, is moving to become better.” — John Dewey

“You cannot dream yourself into a character; you must hammer and forge yourself one.” — James Froude

“A man’s got to have a code, a creed to live by, no matter his job.” — John Wayne

“There is nothing noble being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.” — Winston Churchill

“Good men who exercise power are really the most fascinating of all people.” — John Keegan

Mehmet Murat ildan's quote: “The first step to being a good man is this: You must deeply feel the burden of the stones some else [is] carrying.” | Image: AmoDays

There are many local organizations available over the world and they all offer to create a healthy sense of community for all men. Alternatively, many virtual communities on social media exist that also aim to encourage men to develop themselves with time.

Virtual or in-person, these communities are created for men from all walks of life and aim to ultimately make the world a better place for all people by encouraging men to become their best selves. If you’re a man and are in need of a healthy sense of community online, take a look around on different social media platforms and you won’t be disappointed.

If you enjoyed these quotes, you'll love this compilation on the value of self-respect and how you can build it.