Truth is, he's not real. But you can get more from Atticus Finch on what makes a man a man than hordes of gladiators and UFC fighters pounding on each other.
Who is Atticus Finch? Although he is a fictional character that came to life from the novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Atticus Finch didn't leap tall buildings, hold flaming brimstones, or swoosh bodies in half with Adamantium claws.
He is a man described (in the novel) and seen (in the movie) in a three-piece suit, a widower with two kids, and for all intents and purposes, quiet. He is a lawyer by profession when lawyering is not yet the new priesthood (quoted from the movie The Devil's Advocate). He uses his wits, not his fists. He never gambled nor smoke. He prefers walking than driving and would rather spend hours reading than do anything else.
How to Measure a Man
"Manly? You're kidding, right?" These are probably the questions you're now asking considering the tons of sleazy social media literature you've been reading on about the contemporary man - you should wear this or wear that; you should grow a beard or you should keep a smooth chin because that's what women want; you need to chisel your core in time for the summer. The list goes on how you should look like a real man, right?
What makes him more manly than guys who spend hours in the gym in front of a mirror flexing muscles is that he carried something much heavier than barbell plates - he carried himself with dignity and taught his children empathy. Don't get us wrong. We have nothing against going to the gym and staying healthy, but our point is more than packing muscles in your pectorals or carving washboard abs.
If there's a man you would want to be, it'd be Atticus Finch. His character doesn't jump off the page of the novel, but his values seeps through your veins like heroin and you would crave for more. Like heroin, he gets you high - spirit high. Your soul shouts "I want to be like him!" if you get to know him.
It's A Dirty Job, But Somebody Has To Do it
You've heard that phrase many times before, but how many among us really got our hands dirty from doing what was right? How many times did we march to a different beat when we know that not all that is popular isn't what is right?
Atticus Finch couldn't find a different drummer, but instead took the drum and banged on it anyway. He took on Tom Robinson, an African American client, who was accused of raping a young white woman at a time when racism in America was at its worse. As a result, Atticus Finch earned the townspeople's enmity.
But Atticus Finch went on and defended Robinson to the best of his abilities. It's a dirty job, he rolled his sleeves up and he did it.
Intgerity and Empathy: Moral Compass
At one time, it was reported that Pope Francis criticized capitalism saying "when stockmarkets crash, news are all over it; when a homeless man dies of hunger in the street nobody seems to bother."
Strip a man of his dignity and he loses integrity. When he loses his integrity, he becomes weak and stops being a force for good for his friends, family and society.
Atticus Finch exhibits integrity via his supernatural empathy - the ability to put one's self in the shoes of another. He talked to his son, Scott, about the importance of understaning others. To quote from the book:
"If you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you'll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view - until you climb into his skin and walk around in it."
Atticus Finch is not superhuman. He is a man.
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