The Good Man Project began with a simple idea:
We are creating a conversation about the changing role of men. Care to join us?
Sixteen years later that conversation is even more important.
The world is changing faster than most of us can keep up with. Technology is reshaping work. Families are evolving. Relationships look different than they did a generation ago. Perceptions of masculinity continue to change. And each of these changes raises new questions — not just about what it means to be human, but about what it means to be a good parent, a good partner, a good friend, and a good person.
At The Good Men Project, we’re not looking for people with all the answers.
We’re looking for people who enjoy wrestling with questions.
Some of our writers are published authors. Some have spent years building an audience on a medium or substack. Others publish their first articles with us. We love it all the way.
The most important thing is curiosity.
We believe the best conversations happen when people are willing to share their experiences honestly, listen to each other, and explore difficult ideas with an open mind.
If you ever thought, I wanted to write about it, Maybe it’s your invitation.
Here are seven writing prompts to get you started.
1. I told my son he couldn’t play football. What he did next surprised me.
Sometimes the most meaningful conversations about masculinity begin with a parenting decision.
Have you experienced a moment with your child that changed the way you think about raising boys, girls, or the values you hope to pass on?
2. The day I looked in the mirror and realized I didn’t know what it meant to be a man.
Most of us inherit ideas about masculinity long before we examine them.
Was there a moment that challenged what you believed? What happened next?
3. Ten traits you want in a partner that you’ll never say out loud.
We all carry personal expectations in relationships.
What is yours? Where did they come from? Have they changed over time?
Sometimes the conversations we avoid say the most about ourselves.
4. Do you think a changing climate will test what it means to be human?
Each generation faces different challenges.
Whether you’re thinking about climate change, natural disasters, or just preparing your family for an uncertain future, what responsibility do you think men bear today?
Has that responsibility changed?
5. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received lately?
Sometimes a sentence changes the way we see the world.
A piece of advice you can’t stop thinking about? Why does it matter? And who to listen to?
6. People say dating apps are the problem. What if they just released something big?
Modern relationships are changing.
Maybe dating apps are part of that story. Maybe they are making a more profound change in appearance.
What has your own experience taught you about connection, commitment, loneliness, hope or love?
7. Is financial success still how you see yourself as a person?
For generations, many men were taught that providing financially was central to their identity.
Do you still believe?
Has your career changed the way you think about success, purpose, family or self-worth?
Did any of these prompts surprise you?
well
We’re not asking you to define masculinity.
We invite you to a conversation
The Good Men Project has always believed that the most interesting discussions start with honest questions rather than easy answers. Sometimes a personal story becomes a conversation about parenting. Sometimes a relationship becomes a conversation about culture. Sometimes a workplace experience becomes a conversation about identity.
This is how good conversations grow.
If one of these prompts makes you think, I wanted to write this, We would love to hear from you.
Whether you’re publishing your first article or your hundredth, thoughtful writing has a home here.
Join the conversation.
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Photo by Etienne Giradet on Unsplash
