By definition What it means to be a good young man today
WORDS | JOSHUA SHANNAHAN
B eing a young man in today’s world is difficult. Being a good young man is even harder. However, it is still something that every boy at Christ’s College is trying to achieve. So why do we still get it wrong? It is not because we lack good intentions. Most young men I know want to do the right thing. The challenge is that we are constantly being given different definitions of what that looks like. Growing up, a 2003 song really stuck with me: Where Is The Love? Not only did Dad and I enjoy listening to it on road trips, but the meaning behind it really stayed with me. “I feel the weight of the world on my shoulders
I’ve always admired Kobe Bryant. At his peak, it was easy to see him as someone defined purely by greatness. One of the best basketball players of all time. However, after he retired, what stood out most was not his achievements, but how often he spoke about his daughters. He had already reached the highest level of success in his sport, yet what anyone could see was his love for those closest to him. And when I think about my best friends at Christ’s College, I realise something similar. I know all of them will go on to change the world in their own ways. Some will become doctors, some teachers, some business owners, some professional athletes. However, I don’t think that is what will define them in my life. What will define them is whether they had my back when I needed it most. Whether they showed up when things were difficult. Whether they were patient, kind, and loyal when it mattered. Those are the same people who will stand beside me at my wedding one day. Not because of what they achieved, but because of who they were to me. And that brings me back to what it means to be a good young man today. It is not about being perfect. It is not about fitting one definition of strength or success. It is about becoming someone who is steady, kind, and reliable for others. Someone who understands that real strength is not domination, but the ability to choose patience, restraint, and care in a world that often rewards the opposite. In the end, I think the man most of us are trying to become is not remembered for how loudly he lived, but for how deeply he cared. That, more than anything else, is what I now understand it means to be a good young man.
As I’m gettin’ older y’all people gets colder Most of us only care about money makin’. Selfishness got us followin’ the wrong direction Wrong information always shown by the media Negative images is the main criteria
Infecting the young minds faster than bacteria Kids wanna act like what they see in the cinema.” The Black Eyed Peas convey the same struggle that young people experience today. The group depicts a world where people feel increasingly disconnected, where material success and media influence shape what we value, and where young minds are constantly exposed to images and messages that pull them in different directions. However, despite the obstacles detailed, the answer to being a good young man comes through the title – ‘love’. In trying to become a good man myself, I’ve realised the men I admire most are those who consistently show love. I think of my Dad. I think of my teachers who gave up their time to help others. I think of my friends who showed up when I was struggling. The strength of these men who I look up to is not measured by how intimidating they are, but by how patient they can be, how dependable they are, and how much they care for the people around them.
COLLEGE 2026
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