The Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson Test
How to tell if your behavior is appropriate: a tool for men

Ever wonder if you’re doing right by your date/wife/friend/co-worker? Confused by “PC Culture” that says you can’t compliment a woman on how she’s dressed? Afraid to take meetings with women because you might accidentally cross an invisible line of appropriate behavior?
Fear no more. Because now there’s a foolproof test you can apply to any situation to find out if you are behaving like a decent human being. Simply ask yourself, would I do this to Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson? If the answer is no, don’t do it to your date/wife/friend/co-worker either. In fact, don’t do it to anyone at all.
Consider these common scenarios
- You’re running in a marathon and spy Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson standing on the side of the road with a microphone, reporting on the event. Do you slap him on the butt in a burst of exuberance?
- You’ve taken Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson out for dinner and drinks and he’s invited you back to his apartment. But soon after you begin kissing on the couch, he tells you he’s changed his mind. He doesn’t want to have sex. Do you try to force yourself on him anyway?
- Dwayne enters an elevator you’re riding in. Do you blatantly stare at his groin or ass?
- Dwayne is describing his idea for a new project. Do you interrupt him to describe your even better idea?
- Dwayne is doing his job — acting in a scene in a movie. Do you step in to instruct him how you think it could be done better?
- Dwayne fixes you a dinner of rice and salmon. Do you complain about the menu, telling him you’d rather have roast beef?
- Dwayne is working on his computer at the office. Do you put your hand on his shoulder as you lean in close to look at his screen?
- Dwayne asks for a business meeting. Do you tell him you want to meet in your hotel room, then answer the door naked under your bathrobe?
See how easy it is? Dwayne is the perfect ethical test. Because if you wouldn’t behave a certain way with someone stronger than you, you shouldn’t do it with someone weaker, either. It’s never appropriate to take advantage of an imbalance of power, whether it stems from physical strength or a superior position in a hierarchy. Might doesn’t make right.
Sure, if you’re the director of the movie, you might tell Dwayne how to play a scene. But you wouldn’t do that as a bystander. And even as his boss, your authority is limited to the objectives of the job.
So remember: all decent relationships are based on mutual respect, and don’t be a jackass. Be decent. Apply the Dwayne Johnson test.
For further reading…
My writing is free to readers who follow my links from Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn, but if you’d like to read more, click here to join Medium for $5 a month and they’ll give me some of that money. For an email whenever I publish, click here. Find more stories about Sex, Love & Family this List. And for more of the good stuff, follow Fourth Wave, where we’re changing the world for the better, one story at a time. Got one of your own? Submit to the Wave!






