There really is no such thing as a tough guy. Unicorns have a better chance of existing. No matter who you are, no matter how much physical pain you can take, no matter how strong you are, no matter how much be-hind you can kick, there is someone or some thing out there that can make you cry like a 6 year old with a skinned knee, so feel free to drop the act. What does exist are toughER guys and fake tough guys. As a public service, I am going to explain the difference.
Fake tough guys have a skewed idea of what a tough guy acts like. Fake tough guys will say "WHAT?!" if you look at them, they never smile at others, or perform any acts of kindness, they pick fights with weaker opponents (because only the insane pick fights that they are going to lose), they hate homosexuals, they always have a speech about how the less fortunate brought it on themselves, they carry weapons, they are chauvinists, they drink large quantities of alcohol (this makes them "tougher"), they like violent movies, they feel obligated to drive big vehicles, they don't like children, and so on. I don't feel like adding any more traits. We all know these people. Most of us don't like them either.
The posture and look of a toughER guy is unmistakable. It is easy to tell that he is going to be a heck of a combatant AND this look doesn't go away whether he is squaring off with another person, cuddling a teddy bear, or smiling at children. The fake tough guys typically don't have this part figured out. If a stout looking man (OR woman, lets not forget the toughER girls) comes into a pediatric clinic holding a 6 year old girl's hand with tears in his/her eyes, don't mess with this person. This person will give you brain damage.
One of the most peculiar parts of possessing any significant amount of strength is that the need to prove yourself isn't quite as important. If you are not compensating for anything, you are typically not afraid of being seen petting a dog or being kind to strangers. Displays of affection are not off limits for the toughest among us. Who does a prize fighter normally thank? God, his/her (training) team, his/her mother, father, wife/husband, and his/her kids for their support, and he/she does it with tears in his/her eyes. Prize fighters often admit that their strength was lent to them by their families. Sometimes a prize fighter will thank the pope. Often this monster-in-the-ring will say something about charity, or the less fortunate.
Manny Pacquio is considered one of the world's nicest and most charitable people and there was nobody who could even come close to beating him in the ring. He has admitted that his biggest goal is to help other poor Filipino kids that are experiencing the same difficulties that he did. He does what he does for his home country and the people that live there. There are no reports of him saying "WHAT?!" when somebody looked at him.
Manny brings up another trait of the toughER guys. Many times, somebody became strong because they were countering adversity. I am sure that there are some people out there that are tough by nature, but I don't think that I have met any of them. When you see somebody struggling with the same issues that you have, there is always a little bit of sympathy and an urge to help that person, isn't there?
So, I would like to give this piece of advice to the general public: give in to kindness. Help a neigbor or a friend, love your children, and don't waste your time trying to look "hard." That kind of behavior is an obvious sign of weakness.
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