Do men still need “manly skills”? While they might not be necessary to survive, they’re still necessary to thrive. There’s no question that we don’t live in the same world that our grandfathers inhabited. Our economy is built on specialization, with each person or company having a particular niche, with the result being that none of us is forced to develop a broad array of skills in order to navigate through life. This phenomenon is further bolstered by the advance in technology, which enables most men to live their lives by pushing buttons. Many of the manly skills that were necessary a few generations ago are optional now, at least in terms of being able to provide financially.