30 Key Characteristics of a True Gentleman

Learn how to become a true gentleman with our latest guide.

Talking about the character traits that define a real gentleman, we all know that most men are for the all-inclusiveness idea. A high percentage of men on earth the term “true gentleman” only creates a standard that some men can’t or are unwilling to meet. They think of the characteristics of a true gentleman as something they can’t achieve.

But honestly, all men are and should not be the same. All of them are a work in progress. This means that the definition of a true gentlemen needs to be redefined to do away with the negative restrictive label.

Now, the list below explores 30 key characteristics of a gentleman.

How to be a True Gentleman

A true gentleman has feelings, is genuine and caring

Since time immemorial, men have been painted as abrasive and cold Neanderthals when it comes to performing kindhearted activities. 

Right off the bat, you need to understand that having feelings as a man is a strength and not a weakness. After all, your emotional expressions help you to build a powerful connection with yourself and your surroundings.

Outright ignorance of basic human feelings only portrays a man as a careless and in-genuine creature.

A true gentleman gives more and takes less

A real gentleman is one who refuses to succumb to the urge of advancing their selfish agenda. In all areas of life, he is willing to give more than he takes, especially when it comes to being a gentleman when dating.

Such kind of a man is always aware that putting other people first can help him accomplish things efficiently and faster than he can realize.

Men who advance their selfish interests to achieve their goals quickly are barred from calling themselves true gentlemen.

A true gentleman is honest with himself 

How honest you are with yourself is even more important than being honest towards people around you. The problem with most men has to be the fact that they don’t spend enough time examining who they truly are, and therefore they fail to discover ways of making themselves and others happy in life.

This disconnect prevents a man from achieving his full potential. Humans are creatures that desire to live a full life. But it is almost impossible to achieve that if you are hiding your true identity.

A true gentleman always strives to improve himself

Self-development is yet another trait of a true gentleman. Since the world is always evolving, a man should always be improving himself as well.  Failure to evolve may see you left behind time, which would mean that you are wasting your years.

No matter how intimidating or looming this reality of life may sound, it remains the truth.

Amassing a lot of knowledge and utilizing and suing it to improve life is even more fulfilling, but you cannot achieve that unless you adopt the status of a man who is on constant self-development.

He is honest with people around him

Honesty is the foundation on which trusts rests. Without honesty, relationships grind to a halt.

Whatever scenario, a real man should express what he thinks and feels, of course tactfully, without getting abrasive or abusive.

But remember that defining who you truly are is the first step to being honest with people around you.

His actions match his words

A real man’s actions should be triggered by his words. When he says something, it should not end there but develop visible action.

What this means is that a real man listens and understands the experience of others, so that he can come up with a way to act.

He prays or sets goals

A true gentleman may start his day by seeking the guidance of God to help him progress well throughout the day. He prays humbly seeks wisdom in his prayers and then listens for his next steps.

If he is not religious, he may set goals and intentions for doing good and enhancing his life.

A real man communicates calmly

As you may have realized, positivity is all that defines the character and behavior of a true gentleman. 

He understands his temper and tries to communicate healthily and positively. He is indeed a true gentleman.

Anger only serves to escalate a conflict, which inevitably escalates negativity in a man. Keeping calm when things get messy helps to maintain relationships, and the opposite is true.

He listens and respects opinions

What this means is that a real man is one who opens his brain to life. He values people that challenge him with different ideas and opinions. Sometimes, a true man has to be wrong in order because his opinion is not necessarily the best.

Additionally, he is curious to interact with people to learn how they view life.

He appreciates what surrounds him

Often, we don’t show gratitude for what we have. We have things that previous generations could not even imagine existing.

We can live a full life only if we can express gratitude. We also learn to appreciate what surrounds us. By doing that, we qualify to be called true gentlemen.

 He gives to a larger cause than himself

He who contributes to the world leaves a legacy, is a true gentleman. A real man does not seek validation for what he is doing. He is also aware of the fact that real fulfillment and happiness emanate from contributing to the community around us.

He understands that if he does things that benefit him only, those things won’t last long because they will leave with him. 

That is why he strives to leave a legacy and many positive stories people will tell of him when he is no more.

A true man believes in what is right

In the recent past, men have always laughed at the jokes of other men for fear of ridicule. But that is already a thing of the past.

Today, real men surround themselves with men who do the right things only. They are, without fear of being ostracized, ready to call out wrong-doers, at least for the sake of respect and honor.

Anyway, why would you remain mum on actions you don’t approve of?

He puts himself in the shoes of others

A real gentleman understands that communication is a two-way process. That’s why he listens and digests what other people have to say, ensuring they are being heard. He tries to understand, empathize and show genuine interest in other people’s problems.

He is ready to work with others to achieve change

No true gentleman is afraid of standing up and working with others for a common good. He is always open and available to work for total humanity. Life Coach Rubbin Nina believes that a real gentleman does not fear to labeled.

He naturally makes others feel secure and comfortable

Whether it is in dating or any other scenario, a real man will always ensure others feel comfortable and safe for the best experience.

It is mostly not something they plan to do but it shows itself naturally. 

He is balanced

Since friends and family come first, he prioritizes this group without forgetting to attend to other matters. This implies that he is an all-rounded true gentleman. Experts will tell you this kind of person is the contemporary renaissance man.

He rides in confidence

Self-confidence. Confidence. Confidence in others. All these describe the level of self-belief a man can grow and become.

He believes he is the best image of himself desires only the best. Nothing short of that.

A true gentleman is a man of integrity

Integrity originated from Latin, and it means whole. Or sexy, something like that. When it comes to being a true gentleman, being a man of integrity is just sexy because you leave a mark everywhere you go.

To put it simply, the best definition of a gentleman is “less talk, more action”.

He knows how to spend money

How a man spends his money truly defines him. Real men make informed decisions about spending, unlike fake men who spend as if there’s no tomorrow.

True gentlemen operate on a budget and they also make decisions to plan for their future.

 He is humorous

Men should strive to put a smile on someone’s face. They should also accept to be the pun of everyone’s joke. Taking yourself too seriously is not being man enough.

He has mentors

His shape is thanks to men he calls mentors. He respects and likes them very much. And since he is a true definition of a gentleman, he finds time to regularly hang out with them because their insight helped mold him.

He is flexible and adaptable

He has many ups and a few downs in life- a fact he appreciates. Often, things don’t go his way and he has a terrible down. But he picks himself and calls it another chance. He tries again.

The good thing with true men is that they are not choosy but everything they can to lead a better life. If it’s about their careers, they don’t lose hope because office jobs are scarce. They instead start green groceries, where they are ready to get their hands dirty while at it.

And they are comfortable with whatever scene you throw them in. They are indeed gentlemen.

He is faithful and values commitment

He means what he says, and vice versa. Even when people refuse to follow through with his opinions and ideas, he sticks to values. Such guys are naturally faithful and loyal in relationships.

He avoids competing with others

Most men grow up believing that they should fight to conquer. For the true gentleman, he finds such mindset shameful, so he does not succumb to the urge to compete.

He understands that to compete against himself is better than competing with anyone else.

Why would you compete with people who are living their own lives yours, anyway?

He is a down to earth gentleman

He is practical and realistic. He does not pretend and he easily overcomes life illusions. His humility makes other people shower him with praises. He does not uplift himself.

A true gentleman is humble, and therefore he commands respect no matter who he is.

He has a desire to lead

A true gentleman is always on the frontline to lead in everything. You will easily recognize their unique ability to guide others on what to do. Because of his long-term thinking capability, the actions he takes today have a great positive impact on the future of society.

They belong in the tribe of the world’s top leaders.

He knows that little things count the most

When we talk about the characteristics of a gentleman, we cannot ignore the aspect of attention to detail, because that is what being a man is all about.

True gentlemen are organized and detail-oriented. When it comes to pursuing their dreams, they know that the overlooked things count the most.

A true gentleman is courageous

The brave die before cowards. But cowardice does not help matters either. It is better to pursue what you want even in the presence of doubt.

Courageous men do not fear approaching new faces and sparking conversations with them.

He is optimismistic

A real man value the role of positivity in his life. He approaches everything with a positive attitude, something that is difficult especially in a negative society such as the one we live in right now.

Positive gentlemen tend to help more, smile more and laugh more. They believe that with positivity, great things happen.

He is whatever he wants to be!

A real gentleman is whatever the hell he desires to be. He creates his lifestyle around happiness, fulfillment, positivity, and personality. One thing he avoids is to let society define how his lifestyle should be, how he should dress, etc. 

He is true to himself and does not place labels on others. The biggest problem the world is battling in this century has to be negativity, where people place labels on others to avoid understanding every person.

You Can Have Characteristics of a True Gentleman

If you have all these characteristics, then congratulations! But if you don’t, you can be a true gentleman by starting to practicing each point starting today. Here are additional magazines with plenty of information for gentlemen.