Experts say that your personality is formed by age 7. And until your early teenage years you are usually under the protective thumb of your parents, guiding you away from danger and bad decisions. But before you know it you get to make your own decisions, which in some way will direct your life down one of many paths. So it’s a good idea to figure out where you stand on certain issues sooner rather than later.

A lot of this happens rights in front you and you don’t even realize it. We tend to pick up the opinions of our family and friends because that’s what we see most often and until we expand our world (i.e. moving out on your own, going to college, etc) we take the opinions of our close social circle as gospel. But as we grow up/ mature we start to question things more, not necessarily to argue what we’ve been instilled with, but often times to attempt to explain our position to others. You’ll soon realize that your opinion may differ from your parents – which isn’t always a bad thing!

With the upcoming presidential elections, this is a great time to be more cognizant of your stance on all kinds of issues. By watching the daily news or grabbing any daily paper you can see both political parties arguing their views. One side of the other will resonate with you for your own reasons. Be aware of that and realize how you feel about these issues. Also think about why you choose “x” over “y”. This will give you good insight into your values and morals.

It’s good to know where you stand for all kinds of reasons. First, it will educate you on who you want to vote for. But also you’ll be more aware and informed, and in turn be able to hold your own in conversation. It will provide you insight on the type of person you want to date/marry, and what kind of citizen you want to be. You’ll know what types of products you’ll want to buy and use. You’ll feel better supporting or not supporting certain charities. You’ll view the world as an active participant instead of just following the crowd.

As a man it’s good to know where you stand and why. It shows you have an opinion and stand for something. It shows you are taking the lead in your life and choosing a side. It’s easy to be “on the fence” and not commit to either side. But a man knows where he stands and he can tell you why he believes in what he does.