But though direct moral teaching does much, indirect does more; and the effect my father produced on my character, did not depend solely on what he said or did with that direct object, but also, and still more, on what manner of man he was.

Note from KBJ: The term wasn’t invented yet (so far as I know), but Mill was referring to “role models.” Boys who grow up without fathers are deprived of this. They may find a substitute in the form of an uncle, a grandfather, a neighbor, a coach, or a teacher, but it’s not the same. One reason our society is in such bad shape is that, under the influence of feminism, we have subsidized fatherless childrearing. If you subsidize something, you get more of it.