11 Rare Things Truly Good Men Do

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Dr. Laura Podcast

Episode: 11 Rare Things Truly Good Men Do
Host: Dr. Laura Schlessinger & SiriusXM
Date: May 18, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode, Dr. Laura Schlessinger and her co-host/guest commentator take a deep dive into the traits that set truly good men apart—traits that often go unnoticed or undervalued in today’s world. Inspired by an article from YourTango.com, the conversation highlights 11 rare behaviors and qualities that exemplify integrity, reliability, and character. Through candid anecdotes and research-backed insights, Dr. Laura unpacks why these traits matter and how society—and especially women—might be enabling their decline. The episode is punctuated by Dr. Laura's trademark no-nonsense style, humor, and moments of personal vulnerability.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Showing Up and Following Through

[01:49 - 02:26]

• Dr. Laura: Explains that good men show up and keep their word, unlike the 25% of men in a YouGov survey who have stood someone up on a date.
  • "A good man follows through on his word." — Dr. Laura Schlessinger [02:21]
• Co-host: Notes that many women tolerate poor behavior, which perpetuates it.

2. Telling the Truth

[02:48 - 03:08]

• Dr. Laura: Points out how fundamental honesty is, yet questions why it’s so rare.
  • "That seems so simple." — Dr. Laura [02:48]
• Co-host: Argues that it takes real courage to be truthful "in a world of spinelessness." [03:06]

3. Standing Up for Others

[03:13 - 06:04]

• Dr. Laura & Co-host: Discuss the importance of defending others, sharing personal stories (including Dr. Laura defending Rush Limbaugh when he lost his hearing).
  • "But a good man stands by. Even though it's awkward, it's overwhelming at the moment." — Dr. Laura [03:36]
  • "So when you actually see men in particular someone stand up for others, that's a majorly impressive thing to do." — Co-host [03:58]
• Dr. Laura emphasizes this as a central characteristic of a man with character.

4. Comfort with Being Alone

[08:48 - 09:26]

• Dr. Laura: Highlights the value of being comfortable alone, linking it to healthier relationships.
  • "Learning to be comfortable with being alone is a major mental health step..." — Dr. Laura [09:03]

5. Active Listening

[09:26 - 10:14]

• Dr. Laura & Co-host: Describe how good men actively listen—not for personal gain, but out of genuine interest and care.
  • "It's not transactional." — Co-host [10:00]
  • "'I'll listen because at the end of it I'm going to get my goodies' is not active good listening." — Co-host [10:14]

6. Following Through on Promises

[10:14 - 10:53]

• Dr. Laura: Observes that many people break promises for social convenience, but good men keep their word.
  • "Turns out about 30 to 40% of promises tend to be broken. So seeing someone who keeps his word is special." — Dr. Laura [10:40 - 10:43]

7. Taking Accountability

[10:53 - 11:13]

• Dr. Laura & Co-host: Note society's aversion to admitting fault, emphasizing the integrity it takes to own mistakes.
  • "Taking personal accountability...that's why it's impressive when you see a good man who has enough integrity to do so." — Co-host [11:13]

8. Being Present as a Father

[11:31 - 11:52]

• Dr. Laura: Shares the sobering statistic that 1 in 4 kids in the US don’t live with a father figure.
• Co-host: Calls active, engaged parenting "rare, and it's something we need more of."

9. Thinking of Others

[11:52 - 12:08]

• Dr. Laura: Notes that truly good men are considerate of others’ needs and preferences.

10. Loyalty

[12:08 - 12:39]

• Dr. Laura: Points to a survey indicating that 74% of men would betray their wives if they wouldn’t be caught.
  • "Men who would stay loyal regardless are literally...true rarity and special." — Dr. Laura [12:39]

11. Being Reliable

[13:08 - 13:33]

• Dr. Laura & Co-host: Stress that predictably reliable men are foundational to a functioning society.
  • "There's something remarkable, refreshing about a man who is reliable enough you can sort of set your watch to integrity." — Dr. Laura [13:27]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "But a good man stands by. Even though it's awkward, it's overwhelming at the moment." — Dr. Laura [03:36]
• "I did the right thing and told people that were doing that that they were disgusting. Yeah, I do stuff like that." — Dr. Laura [05:35]
• "Learning to be comfortable with being alone is a major mental health step and a major skill that improves your quality of life and the relationships around you." — Dr. Laura [09:03]
• "Turns out about 30 to 40% of promises tend to be broken. So seeing someone who keeps his word is special." — Dr. Laura [10:40]
• "Men who would stay loyal regardless are literally...true rarity and special." — Dr. Laura [12:39]
• "There's something remarkable, refreshing about a man who is reliable enough you can sort of set your watch to integrity." — Dr. Laura [13:27]

---

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 01:49 – Trait 1: Showing Up / Making and keeping appointments
• 02:48 – Trait 2: Telling the truth—why honesty feels so rare
• 03:13-06:04 – Trait 3: Standing up for others, including personal anecdotes
• 08:48 – Trait 4: Comfort with solitude and its importance
• 09:26 – Trait 5: Active listening beyond personal interest
• 10:14 – Trait 6: Following through on promises; stats on broken promises
• 10:53 – Trait 7: Taking accountability and facing mistakes
• 11:31 – Trait 8: Being a present father and societal implications
• 11:52 – Trait 9: Thinking of others and being considerate
• 12:08 – Trait 10: Loyalty and the stark survey result
• 13:08 – Trait 11: Reliability in men and its importance for society

---

Tone & Style

Dr. Laura’s tone is direct, matter-of-fact, sometimes humorous, and aimed at pushing listeners toward self-improvement and honesty. She mixes personal anecdotes, stern advice, and societal critiques for an engaging, punchy delivery. The co-host/guest commentator provides additional context, support, and a conversational dynamic.

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Takeaways

The episode serves both as a tribute to rare male virtues and as a call-to-action for both men and women:

• Men: Aspire to these traits, recognizing their importance and rarity.
• Women: Stop enabling bad behavior; reward and expect the best.
• Everyone: Understand the societal importance of integrity, reliability, and accountability.

---

Listeners finish the episode with a renewed appreciation for the quiet, steadfast qualities of good men, armed with both philosophical motivation and practical reminders of what to look for—and to be—in their relationships and communities.

Transcript

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

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[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

Thank you for listening to my morning monologue brought to you by Golden Crest Metals, helping everyday investors protect what they've worked so hard to build by adding gold and silver to retirement portfolios. Learn [e-mail] Protect Remember, you can hear my radio program daily on Sirius XM Triumph and connect with me 24 [e-mail] okay, the article is called 11 Things

[Co-host / Guest Commentator]

Good Men do that don't seem impressive until you realize how rare they are. And this article is from yourtango.com love thingsgoodmendo.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

Okay, so here are 11 things good men do Showing up According to a survey from YouGov, 25% of men have

[Co-host / Guest Commentator]

stood someone up on a date. Good men never do something like this. Evidently, it's a good growing trend. Make a date, make an appointment. Don't feel like it. You don't go, don't call, don't do anything.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

But a good man follows through on his word.

[Co-host / Guest Commentator]

Unfortunately, it's an increasingly uncommon thing to see because women tolerate a lot of crappy behavior from crappy men, which gives more men the permission to be crappy men. Unless they were brought up by an alpha male who tells them, I don't care, you're not going to be a crappy man no matter what's going on around you. 2. Telling the truth?

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

That seems so simple.

[Co-host / Guest Commentator]

Why is it so difficult? Oh, you might worry about how it's

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

received, how it might ruffle feathers.

[Co-host / Guest Commentator]

But a good man is known for his truthful personality.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

It takes guts to be that guy

[Co-host / Guest Commentator]

in a world of spinelessness. 3.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

Standing up for others. At least in that quality, I am

[Co-host / Guest Commentator]

a good man because I have always done that on air, off air, in person, since I was A little kid.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

I am geared. Something's going down around me, I jump in.

[Co-host / Guest Commentator]

Does it get you in trouble?

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

I don't care.

[Co-host / Guest Commentator]

I just can't stand by.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

But a good man stands by.

[Co-host / Guest Commentator]

Even though it's awkward, it's overwhelming at the moment.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

We often take granted, we often take for granted the idea that others should

[Co-host / Guest Commentator]

defend us until we actually have to defend somebody ourselves.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

So when you actually see men in particular someone stand up for others, that's

[Co-host / Guest Commentator]

a majorly impressive thing to do. It also helps especially jaded people feel a little hope for the future. I always jump in. I'm a crazy woman. I do that and stores in life on the air,

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

on the air thing

[Co-host / Guest Commentator]

that I am reminded of, by the

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

way, I don't do the opposite.

[Co-host / Guest Commentator]

I don't use my show to destroy people.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

But back in the day, way back

[Co-host / Guest Commentator]

in the day,

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

evidently, and I don't know all the facts, so I have

[Co-host / Guest Commentator]

to say evidently, evidently Rush Limbaugh was

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

misusing some drug

[Co-host / Guest Commentator]

which you had to get prescriptions for. And evidently he. Evidently he was.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

Anyway, it messed him up real bad

[Co-host / Guest Commentator]

and he lost his hearing. Deaf. I never knew that was a potential side effect of that particular drug, but I guess it is. He eventually had cochlear. Cochlear implants put in. But I was hearing and I read

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

all sorts of things like, good, he deserves it.

[Co-host / Guest Commentator]

Mostly because of his political opinions. I thought that was off the chart mean and off the chart cruel. And I went on the air and defended him.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

Never heard back from him about it.

[Co-host / Guest Commentator]

And I didn't care whether I did or not. I did the right thing and told people that were doing that that they were disgusting. Yeah, I do stuff like that. I don't tolerate that sort of stuff very well. If I find out about it, I mean, there's all kinds of stuff I don't know anything about. So standing up for others, real important in a man.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

It's one of the. To me, that's one of the center

[Co-host / Guest Commentator]

things of a man having character. He won't stand by and be quiet.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

As people age, it's normal to ask what more they could be doing to take care of their health. It's important to be proactive, especially when it comes to your brain health. Don't wait for something to feel off before taking action. Make your next checkup count. Ask your doctor about your risk factors for dementia and a cognitive assessment. Visit brainhealthmatters.com for more information and resources provided by Lilly.

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[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

Feel uncomfortable about being alone? We freak out.

[Co-host / Guest Commentator]

I'm scared about being alone.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

Geez, you want other people to want you around when you can't stand you alone?

[Co-host / Guest Commentator]

Come on, be serious.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

Learning to be comfortable with being alone

[Co-host / Guest Commentator]

is a major mental health step and a major skill that improves your quality

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

of life and the relationships around you. Because you don't need,

[Co-host / Guest Commentator]

you want. And there's a big difference.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

5 Active Listening Article goes on to say you might have noticed that many men practice active listening only when they

[Co-host / Guest Commentator]

want something from the person talking to them, whether it's a date, sex, a business deal.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

That kind of listening has conditions attached to it. And is a sign of the person

[Co-host / Guest Commentator]

who really does not stick to their morals.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

But rare is the man who does not ignore people who don't serve him.

[Co-host / Guest Commentator]

It's a mark of being a good and therefore attractive man. It takes a lot of patience to listen to others, especially when you're not in a gimme situation. It's not transactional.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

I'll listen because at the end of

[Co-host / Guest Commentator]

it I'm going to get my goodies is not active good listening 6 following through on Promises Good men always follow through on things they've said they would do.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

And when you actually rely on people

[Co-host / Guest Commentator]

keeping their word, it becomes clear how often people will make promises they don't keep just to keep the social life easier.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

Turns out about 30 to 40% of

[Co-host / Guest Commentator]

promises tend to be broken. So seeing someone who keeps his word is special.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

Taking accountability for their actions did you ever notice how many people seem totally

[Co-host / Guest Commentator]

averse to saying that something is their fault?

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

Or how often do you see men

[Co-host / Guest Commentator]

trying to avoid admitting they messed up until it's too late?

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

Taking personal accountability Difficult because it involves

[Co-host / Guest Commentator]

that sinking feeling of admitting that something is your fault and then having to do something about it. That's why it's impressive when you see a good man who has enough integrity to do so.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

Being present as a father in the US around 1 in 4 kids don't

[Co-host / Guest Commentator]

live with a father figure in their lives. Wonder what that means?

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

Seeing a man who is an engaged

[Co-host / Guest Commentator]

parent is rare, and it's something we need more of.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

Thinking of others.

[Co-host / Guest Commentator]

Small gestures, whether questions about preferences or accommodations can be hard to keep up without thinking of others.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

But men who are conscientious about their relationships with others tend to be rare

[Co-host / Guest Commentator]

gems and think about the needs, wants, preferences of somebody else. Loyalty.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

That's one of those things that is highly praised.

[Co-host / Guest Commentator]

Hmm. But what if?

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

And men are not immune to those

[Co-host / Guest Commentator]

desires of what if?

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

A survey from Credit Dunkey revealed that 74% of men would betray their wives

[Co-host / Guest Commentator]

if they knew they were not going to get caught. Ouch. That means that men who would stay loyal regardless are literally I'm unheardy, true rarity and special. Last but not least, being reliable. Our entire world and our society rely on predictable, reliable people to run them. Good luck with that.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

Imagine how much of society would fall

[Co-host / Guest Commentator]

apart, which it has, if people who

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

kept things stable would decide that it's

[Co-host / Guest Commentator]

no longer their problem. It gets ugly fast and we see that in just about every city in America, and a lot of them are run by whacked out women.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

So there's something remarkable, refreshing about a man who is reliable enough you can

[Co-host / Guest Commentator]

sort of set your watch to integrity. It's remarkably rare in a world that keeps rewarding the flakiest, crappiest people. Okay, my number 1-800-375-2872.

[Dr. Laura Schlessinger]

If you like this podcast, be sure to rate it on Apple Podcasts or your favorite place to listen to my podcast. Of course, I'd love if you gave me five stars. And be sure to share this podcast with a friend on Facebook or your preferred social media platform.

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