Depending on your point of view, badassitude can be defined by a number of things- size, strength, prowess, skill, reputation, whatever. Here are five images- figure out for yourself which one represents the biggest badass:

Now here’s the real point of this post. The point was NOT to figure out who is the true badass among badasses here (we all know it’s a straight contest between Batman and John-117, and the Master Chief would almost certainly win). The point is to show what a badass looks like. Note the characteristics that every single one of these characters has in common:

• Physical strength
• Overwhelming presence, either through size or charisma
• The ability to inspire confidence through one’s presence alone
• Brevity of speech and/or laconic wit
• The ability to project power through body language
• Inordinate intelligence and/or skill
• Iron will

Understand that these are exclusively masculine characteristics; a woman who displays all of these traits is not a woman that most men find attractive because they clash with the very nature of femininity. These traits make powerful men what they are. Seek to emulate them. Build upon them. The point of these traits is not necessarily to make yourself more attractive to women, it is to make yourself a better man.

When you are the best man that you can be, you will automatically be attractive to women- but you will still need to cultivate the skills needed to move beyond the mere “wow, he looks good” stage to the “wow, I want to get to know him better” stage.

But that is a subject for another time.