Man caves allow men to be men in their thoughts and actions. It is the place where there is no judgment of behavior and where men do not have to put up with the things they put up with on a daily basis. It is the place where men can go and relax, and reconnect with their manly self. It can be everything a man wants it to be and no one can question it because it is his cave.
Everything about the man cave is personalized to speak about the qualities and interests of the man of the cave. The room can have any theme and can be furnished with the best recliners and chairs the man chooses. It is a haven for men to come together and be men in their own right. There are certain rules man caves can have and all of them should be unanimously welcomed by other men. In case of a problem with the rules, remember the golden rule of all man caves – the man of the cave is always right.
Top 20 Man Cave Rules
Man caves can have rules. These are decided by the man of the man cave. The caves are a reflection of the men who created them. The rules are decided by the creators and all who step into the cave will abide by them. Exceptions are allowed when the man of the cave allows it. In no event shall the visiting men let their male comrade who is the man of the cave down.
While each man has his own set of rules for his man cave, there are common rules that most man caves follow. These are rules that are universally accepted by all men and that most men are comfortable with. If you want to set some rules for your man cave and don’t know where to start, these top 20 man cave rules might be a good place to start.
1. My Room – I Make or Break the Rules
Man has had to live following certain societal norms and restrictions in his day-to-day life. He yearns for the time when he gets to make the rules and break them at will. While he loves to work with others and be flexible for them, the desire to rule his own territory is exceedingly large.
A great man cave is one where the man of the cave is allowed to make or break the rules. It goes without saying that there should be no one questioning it. However, the man of the cave can also let his friends break the rules if he is okay with it. Ultimately, he is the head of the operations of the man cave and can decide to run his cave the way he wants to with his rules and regulations.
2. I Alone Decorate My Cave
The man of the cave decorates the room to showcase his personality, interest, and tastes. While he had to take in the considerations of other members of the house for matters regarding the house, he has the sole right to design and decorate his own cave. The room is about him and who he is and he is not afraid to show it to the world.
The man and the man alone can decorate his cave. He does not appreciate others decorating the room for him with their objects. Everything in the man cave is decided by the man of the cave. He can choose to keep things and throw things out. He knows where each object should be placed. It is his cave and he chooses to decorate it as he pleases. He can take input for the decoration from his guests but the choice of color, ambiance, and objects in the cave are all his selection. He takes great pride in the fact that he has decorated his room.
3. No Whining or Crying Allowed
The man cave is a place to relax, hang out, and chill. It is a place that is made to rejuvenate a man and keep him in good spirits. It is the place where the man can go in and come out in a fresh state of mind. That being said, whining or crying in a man cave destroys the real purpose behind it.
There shall strictly be no room for whining and crying in the man cave. It is a place for relaxation, laughter, fun, and excitement. It is where the man reconnects with himself and his friends to become new again. Whining and crying destroy the aura of the man cave. The man is entitled to permanently ban any person who is responsible for dampening the spirit of the man cave.
4. No Talking About Feelings
One of the reasons why a man retreats to his man cave is to get refuge from the barrage of touchy-feely conversations he had to have with a lot of people including the woman of the house. While it is good to talk about emotions and feelings, he is hardwired to be a strong man and move on with his life. He needs a place where he can be himself again and not talk about feelings. The man cave promises that.
There are no emotional and touchy conversations in the man cave. In fact, rude conversations can be the norm. Men can joke and laugh about the touchy-feely conversations they have had. No one wants to talk about their feelings. They live through it and laugh about it with their friends over a beer.
5. Strictly No Drama
Men have had enough drama in the real world. The ideal world for men is the one without drama, where they can do whatever they want without being questioned or brought to task. They hate drama and love to be in a place without it – which is why they choose to not have any in their man cave.
Men cannot tolerate drama, especially in their man cave where everything works around them. They can show the door to anybody who creates and/or indulges in drama. There is enough drama in life so keep it out of the man cave.
6. Short Conversations are Appreciated
Men do not like to have long conversations, especially when they are not interested in the person or the subject. They want to get to the point and keep their conversations short. Especially when they are in the middle of something, like watching the finals of the NBA or Super Bowl, they want to give only short answers while still being glued to the television.
While women may not appreciate the short conversations, mistaking them for a lack of interest or attention, men love to keep it short and simple. A smile or a nod can also count as a conversation in a man cave.
7. Selective Hearing Only
After having been bored to no end in real life hearing everyone around them, men need a place where they can hear what they want to hear and reply back when they want. This selective hearing as a rule in a man cave greatly interests men who only choose to listen to what they want to listen to.
It is no joke when a man ignores your talk and only replies to one of your friends in the man cave. Maybe you’re boring the group with your talk and may want to change the topic.
8. Thick Skin is Important
Men are dealing with people in everyday life who might not have thick skin to take some personal jokes and laugh at it. They yearn for the time when they can pick on somebody without worrying about hurting their feelings. The man cave is the perfect place to mercilessly pick on others. Men can be men in this place and not worry about what the other person may feel because feelings are not allowed in the man cave.
Having a thick skin is important to take the insults thrown your way, laugh at it, and throw some of your own on others. The weak shall perish in this environment. No hard feelings because it is all fun and games in the man cave.
9. Beer is Always Available
The man cave is all about men hanging out and having a good time. What better way to start conversations and share laughs than with a beer? It is a rule that there be beer available at all times in the man cave. It puts the man and his guests at ease and brings out the best in them.
The man of the cave has beer available for him and his guests in his man cave. Everybody is invited to crack open a can and join in the fun. No amount is too much. One can have as much as one wants to have without complaining about the brand. It is free beer and the man of the cave decides the brand he wants to treat his friends.
10. Junk Food is Welcome
There are no dietary restrictions and focus on healthy eating in the man cave. The man goes back to his college days where he used to stay in dorms and bond over junk food with his friends. There is no adherence to eating food based on daily calories or healthiness.
Burgers, pizzas, hot dogs, potato chips, and ice creams are the norm in the man cave. No man shall turn down these options for salads and fruits. Indulge in some junk food and don’t care about it while you’re in the man cave.
11. I Control the Remotes
The man of the cave has total control over the remotes in the cave. Men have grown to be gracious in their day-to-day activities allowing women to change channels or watch television when they have an interesting flick coming up. While they care about sports scores, they give up their control over the remote to make those around them happy.
But this rule does not apply in the man cave. Men have control over all the remotes in the room. They decide what should be on television.
12. My Shows 24/7
Men love their shows on television and would love to watch them on repeat all day. Even though they love sports channels, they are kind towards family members who want to watch other channels and yield to their demands.
This does not happen in the man cave where the man is the ruler. He has sole authority over the shows on television and can watch what interests him 24/7. This includes repeats of sports games, highlights, and post-game shows. The man watches what he wants in the man cave and that is the bottom line.
13. No Chick Flicks Ever
Men have sat through chick flicks trying to enjoy it but without success. They do it for the love of their women. They care about them and watch the flicks together with them to show their affection.
But inside a man cave, men get to express themselves and be who they are. There are no chick flicks on television – never, ever.
14. Scratch Where It Itches
Men have to conduct themselves around other people while they are in the outside world. They have to be wary of their surroundings, the people whom they’re talking to, and how they look. They do not do things that might be looked down upon and thought of as gross or inappropriate.
All restrictions fly out of the window in a man cave. Men restrained from scratching themselves in public because that would be inappropriate can enjoy scratching while in the man cave. Wherever it scratches, the man is free to scratch and be satisfied. No restrictions whatsoever.
15. Belching and Flatulence Allowed
The man restrains himself in public. He feels the need to let go but cannot since there is a public norm to follow. All restrictions are shattered once the man retires to his man cave. He is allowed to belch freely. Flatulence that can destroy one’s reputation in public is allowed in the man cave. The man and his guests can be men inside the man cave without worrying about anything.
16. No One Shall Be Judgmental
Men have learned to say the right things and play the game in public because they are judged by their words and actions. They cannot truly let go of their true selves for the fear of being judged and bracketed.
This does not happen in a man cave. The man and his friends in the man cave shall not be judgmental. There are no opinions formed on the behavior and attitude of men in a man cave. They are allowed to be men to express their thoughts freely and put no restrictions on themselves about being judged.
17. Pets are Allowed
Pets brighten up a place. They bring joy and happiness to the place they are in. This is why man caves should allow pets. When your dog walks into your man cave with its tail wagging and ready to have some playtime, you are allowed to keep it in the room. You and your friends can bond with the pets and make the good times last longer.
18. I Clean My Cave Whenever It Pleases Me
Men have had to keep high hygienic standards of living because of the social norm and the woman in the house. Even though they feel like slacking and not cleaning their room or throwing things around, they aren’t allowed because of the social norm.
All norms go out of the window in a man cave. The man decides how his cave looks and feels like. He has total control over it. He does not need a hand to help clean his cave. In fact, he decides when he wants to clean his cave. You may not like his hygienic standards but you can keep your opinion to yourself because the man of the cave will clean his cave whenever it pleases him.
19. Men are Always Right
Men have been synonymous with giving others a voice and playing the role of a protector in public relations. This has meant that men do not always do much talking even though they love to talk and assert their points in important matters.
The dynamic changes in a man cave where men are always right. No matter what opinion the public holds or the women in their lives hold, a group of men in a man cave talking about a matter can arrive at any conclusion and they are always right. There are no arguments about it.
20. Whatever Happens in the Cave Stays in the Cave
The actions of men in the real world might be remembered and pointed out to them at different times in different places. They have to be wary of their actions in public.
However, this does not hold true in a man cave. Whatever happens in the man cave will stay in the man cave. The men do not talk about it in their public lives but can laugh about it when they get together again in the man cave. This is mostly an unsaid rule to be followed by all in the man cave.
Man caves are an excellent place for men to be men and truly embrace their masculinity. They are free from the prying eyes of people who look for gossip and can enjoy the company of their fellow men going through similar public life ordeals themselves. The man cave is a refuge, a shelter, and a place of rejuvenation for men. The rules of the man cave draw the line between a life with norms and the life men love to live.
Sources:
http://mancavedetails.com/top-50-man-cave-rules-for-your-sign/