Our father has an even more important function than modeling manhood for us. He is also the authority to let us relax the requirements of the masculine model: if our father accepts us, then that declares us masculine enough to join the company of men. We, in effect, have our diploma in masculinity and can go on to develop other skills.

Man Enough: Fathers, Sons, and the Search for Masculinity (ed. Penguin, 1994) - ISBN: 9780399518836