What is "self-made man"

Self-made \Self"-made`\, a. Made by one's self.

Self-made man, a man who has risen from poverty or obscurity by means of his own talents or energies.

Self-Made Man: My Year Disguised as a Man is a book written by journalist Norah Vincent, recounting an 18-month experiment in which she disguised herself as a man—"Ned"—and then integrated into traditionally male-only venues, such as a bowling league and a monastery. She described this as "a human project" about learning.

In the book, she describes her experiences as a man in strip clubs, on dates, in a monastery, and as part of a men's support group.

In order to effectively pose as a male, Vincent acquired a buzz cut and flattened her chest using a small sports bra. She also hired a makeup artist to fake a five o'clock shadow and trained for months to imitate a deeper male voice.

Vincent joined a men's bowling team, where she says "[the men] just took me in ... no questions asked." She eventually became friends with them, even coming along to strip clubs and dating women who had no idea of her true gender. She later revealed that she was actually female to the men, who "took it well."

Vincent also recorded her book as a audiobook for Penguin Highbridge.

Vincent asserts that, since the experiment, she has never been more glad to be female.

A "self-made man" or "self-made woman" is a person who was born poor or otherwise disadvantaged, but who achieved great economic or other success thanks to their own hard work and ingenuity rather than because of any inherited fortune, family connections, or other privileges.

In the cultural history of the United States, the idea of the self-made man, an "essential American figure," looms large. It has been described as an archetype, a cultural ideal, a myth, or a cult.

A self-made man is a poor man who becomes successful through hard work.

The phrase may also refer to:

• Self-Made Man (book), an autobiographical book by Norah Vincent
• "Self Made Man" (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles), an episode of the American television series Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
• A Self-Made Man (film), a 1922 American silent comedy drama film starring William Russell