This story originally appeared on the Gents Cafe Newsletter. You can subscribe here.
“Manners maketh man.”
That is how Colin Firth briefly explains it in Kingsman, before schooling a group of thugs.
To me, its significance is deeply rooted in each aspect of life, combining the traits of my character and the way I physically appear into a graceful and elegant presence both to myself and others.
I am a detail oriented person and firmly believe that the attention I give to the minutiae is paramount to the personal sphere – applied to the way I dress, talk, and manage my spaces – because it reflects the outer sphere, concerning the way I interact with others and diverse environments.
But is the figure of the gentleman vanishing among younger generations?
Many young men struggle to find role models nowadays, due to the type of content the vast majority of us consume; however, there are plenty of role models – you just have to know where to look.
For me, it started from hobbies and passions, and from three figures especially: Daniel Craig’s 007, Henry Cavill and Roger Federer.
Everything about them fascinated (and still fascinates) me: their presence, the way they dress, how everyone seems to hang from their lips when they talk and last but not least, the air of finesse that surrounds them no matter the occasion.
Their influence on me was strong, and I started applying some things I learned from them in my day-to-day life: paying attention to the way I combined verbal and nonverbal language to better convey my message during conversations, or how to choose pieces of clothing that complement my image.
Naturally, everyone has different experiences; but if you choose the path to becoming a gentleman, it is probable that your mind – consciously or not – selects elements around you that you can use as powerful examples to get closer to your goal.
Regardless of age, striving to become a more refined version of ourselves is a goal every man should aspire to, and passing this idea down to younger generations is, in my opinion, only beneficial for our future.
Here’s to growing into modern gentlemen, together.
