There's an old joke slash meme that goes something like this:
"Guys literally only want one thing and it's disgusting."
Its used to imply, obviously, that men are shallow and crude creatures.
TikTok creator and simple-life advocate Nolan Reid, however, has a different idea of what men really want.
Nolan recently made a video about "Little things in life that make men happy."
The hilarious list includes:
- A fridge full of beer.
- Drinking said beer in the garage. With your dog. And a good buddy.
- Finding a cool stick.
- Kicking a rock.
- Staring at water.
- Dropping rocks into said water.
As a fellow man, I would say: Yeah. That pretty much covers it.
It really doesn't take much! Watch Nolan's full video to see the rest, and just appreciate how much joy and satisfaction he gets from these simple thing.
People loved Nolan's list – so much so that they began adding their own ideas of "simple things men love."
The video racked up hundreds of thousands of views across TikTok and Instagram.
One commenter wrote, "He just described my whole personality." Another added, "This guy gets it."
Others chimed in with their own additions to the list, like staring at a fire for hours. Or just peace and quiet.
But most of the nearly 200 comments were just people chiming in to say one thing:
"Hell yeah."
Finally, someone who understands us.
Nolan's ultra-relaxed vision of "masculinity" is honestly so refreshing.
Men on social media are usually bombarded with the Andrew Tates and Jordan Petersons of the world, influencers who constantly berate us to make more money, lose weight and add muscle, sleep with more women, take charge, relentlessly self-improve.
I like Nolan's much chiller idea of masculinity. It reminds me of being a kid, taking pleasure in the simple things, not racing to be anywhere, not trying to impress anyone or prove anything.
Nolan's entire account is a breath of fresh air, an antidote to hustle culture. His videos find joy in:
- Breaking down cardboard boxes
- Driving at sunset
- Going fishing
- Throwing a frisbee
- Wearing t-shirts
A daily visit to his page is almost like a meditation. I highly recommend giving him a follow to add a little counterprogramming to your social media feed.
Nolan says in another recent video that he started making TikToks and Instagram reels just for fun, but discovered along the way that he was really passionate about the message.
"I never thought that my simple living and love for little things would resonate with so many of you."
He said he hopes to inspire people to "take a step back and enjoy the good simple things in life."
I suddenly have the urge to go chuck a rock into a river, so I would say: Mission Accomplished!