…is basically maintaining the respect of your social circle.  I instinctively feel a longing for its nostalgic Britishness, the idea of acting beyond one's own interests.  It still is an important force in the Middle East, and the Far East ("face").

But actually, it's very closely related to machismo – think of the synonym, Virtue (vir = man).  And of course, what that means is that you are forced socially to behave in a particular way, possibly against your better judgement.

So where did it go?  The Christian creed of love thy neighbour contradicted the traditional notion of vengeance (family feuds go on for centuries in the name of honour) – the idea of acting ethically, rather than in order to impress others, was another challenge.  The emergence of feminism challenged traditional male virtues.  Then, in the carnage of the First World War, the principle of living and dying as a man of honour became absurd, when men died like dogs in ditches, by gas or by bomb.

So I'm not in favour of a revival.  But after watching a play today in which men were portrayed as gauche, irritating or smug, I do think manhood needs revisiting some time soon.

From Thinking Allowed, Radio 4