Masculinity

What is Masculinity? When I close my eyes and try to picture masculinity I instantly see a tall, athletic man with some scruff happening on his chin. He then speaks to me and I hear a deep voice filled with confidence. He isn't shy; he's bold. He works hard for what he has in life. He is tough and doesn't sweat the small stuff. He is also very strong physically and emotionally. This is how I view masculinity. Many of my thoughts on masculinity are shaped by what society has taught me and this is also how I was raised. This is my ideological notion of masculinity and it could be very different than another persons ideology but for the most part our views would be very similar because this common ideology has been in forced in our daily lives in everything we do. Like for example we learn men are stronger in grade school when they are asked to carry the desks to another classroom while the girls carry the chairs. We learn they should have emotional strength when we  people say, "Boys do not cry". Also almost every movie we watch shows a man who is the picture of masculinity like for example Gerard Butler. He's tall, strong, tough, athletic, etc. One thing that people should think about though is if this is the only way masculinity can be portrayed. I have thought about it and I feel that any man can be masculine as long as he himself believes he is masculine. Stereotypical "nerds" can be masculine because they are very smart, independent, and hardworking. They may not all look physically masculine but they still are. Take a minute to think about this for yourself, how do you view masculinity?