What is True Glory?

You will always find in me the same perseverance in labor, the same firmness of resolution, the same love for my people, the same passion for the prosperity of my state, and the same ardor for true glory.

So said Louis XIV, the most powerful and memorable man of his age.

For a long time now, I have been thinking about what it means to live a good, purposeful life. Those who know me will know that I detest the culture of the modern Western World, calling it degenerate and soulless. Why is it, I keep thinking to myself, that we now have people from first world countries joining ISIS? Albeit this only has happened in very small numbers, why would people from the West, often educated, even conceive of joining such a group?

I pondered this a bit further. The only conclusion that I can draw is it is part of a desperate search, because life in the West has completely lost all meaning. There is no "It" factor - no drive or guiding cause that people are fervently devoted to and will risk everything to bring to fruition. There is no drive to greatness. There is no greater call to labor for something magnificent. There is only a race to be the biggest degenerate attention whore.

The leader of the free world. This is it? Is this what the West is offering?

The West used to have "It." The followers of George Washington at Valley Forge and Morristown who didn't desert had "It." Joan of Arc's soldiers had "It." As a friend of mine rightfully remarked, Martin Luther King and his followers had "It" too. Henry V's speech in the Shakespeare play of the same name personifies "It:"

Having thus elucidated perhaps on a long tangent, I return to Louis XIV. He had "It" as well, as did France throughout his reign. Although he was born lucky, he did not rest on these laurels as did his successor, Louis XV. He had a clear vision of what he wanted France to be, a clear vision of bringing glory to himself and his country, and worked long and hard to fulfill that vision. He was not just attractive as a king, he was attractive as a man. He was willing to embrace hardship to make France and himself great.

Embracing hardship is another key concept that is required to attain True Glory, and it is a key component of why the West is spiritually dead, but more on that in a moment. Seeking True Glory is something akin to spirituality. When doing so it almost feels like you are conversing with your higher self.

For most of the existence of civilization, religion served as a guidepost for people's lives. It gave them direction and focus and it gave them a cause to serve. Religion was the great task for people to devote themselves to accomplishing, a task that went beyond mindless immediate self-gratification. It took effort and sacrifice to serve your god, and saving your soul, in certain traditions, was a lifetime commitment. Other traditions had other commitments, but they all had commitment in common. The tangible rewards might not have been apparent to most people, but they were certain that the otherworldly rewards for their spiritual labors would eventually come.

Joan of Arc's devoted service to France was, in her mind, the same as her pious service to God.

Let's turn back to Louis XIV once again:

Two things were without doubt necessary: very hard work on my part, and a wise choice of persons capable of seconding it.

Louis was a man that would not be satisfied with anything less than sensational, and the only way to achieve something of that nature is precisely through the method he outlined above - very hard work on your part and the right kind of help.

So.......what is True Glory? How, exactly, do we define it?

In my mind, True Glory is the achievement of something spectacular, something that people will remember you by for a long time to come. The story of Achilles is one that exemplifies this. He had two choices: stay in Greece and have a loving family, but be forgotten, or go to Troy and live a short life full of glory, where his feats, and hence his name, would be spoken of from the lips of the countless generations yet to be. Although the Troy movie didn't quite do the story right, I think it more or less got that part down as well as it could:

Which fate would you choose?

Fortunately, in the real world we likely won't have to choose an early death to achieve True Glory.

The ending of this video about Louis XIV also I think gives us a good obituary, and lets us know unmistakably that he had achieved True Glory.

True Glory can thus be seen as a massive and...glorious accomplishment (or accomplishments), worthy enough for people to remember you by long after you die. The ancient Greeks called this kleos (everlasting glory and renown - "what others hear about you."). Fortune is too fickle regarding who gets remembered in the end, but living a life worthy of remembrance and admiration is a goal the elect who choose to strive for it can achieve. All of the Twenty Men on my list achieved (or have achieved) states of True Glory in their lifetimes, but in their own different ways.

The physical, tangible reminder of Louis XIV's glory.

However, that end is a privilege. Very few people wind up achieving states of True Glory.

As you can see, this is quite different from simply, "finding your life's purpose." Quite often "finding your life's purpose" means the following:

Flailing about in, to again quote Louis XIV, "inactivity and indolence," a narcissistic hedonism from which you essentially accomplish nothing. #YOLO, it's all about me and what makes me happy, yo.

Someone can easily say that his life's purpose is to sleep with as many girls as he possibly can, devolving into the worst PUA bullshit along the way. While a good sex life is certainly a component of living a fulfilling life, and Giacomo Casanova (one of the above-mentioned Twenty Men) did achieve a state of True Glory partially in this way (through the literary acumen he had to pass his exploits down), better things can likely be done, and Casanova was more than a seducer, but an interesting adventurer.

Breaking out of prison was one of Casanova's feats.

And we can go down the list to even less worthy endeavors. Some might say that they can achieve True Glory in bullshit causes that simply make them feel good, or even worse, basking in attention whoring. None of these are worthy of remembrance, and none of these will bring True Glory, only mediocrity.

The difference between True Glory and "finding your life's purpose" can therefore be seen as an added objective element - will the sum of your life's work be worthy of remembrance in the eyes of others ("what others hear about you")? While you must not live for others, this element requires a degree of contemplation beyond hedonistic drives. In essence, it ensures you are not an island unto yourself, which "finding your life's purpose" can often be an excuse to mean.

Attaining True Glory requires a great deal of discipline and fortitude to deal with setbacks. You must fervently believe that the thing you're doing is right. If you don't, you will not have the vigor to achieve the glory. All of the men on the linked list, even though there was surely an undercurrent of opportunism, felt to their bones that they were doing the right thing for themselves. People that achieve states of True Glory are filled with unbridled enthusiasm, ready to go out into the world and kick some ass, even when at times, it's their own asses that get kicked.

Modern Western culture does not have this, and it is not promoted. We are told instead to be isolationist automatons whose purpose in life is to be consumers. Technology has made this worse. It is perhaps not so surprising that destructive ideologies take root, as they offer adventure and meaning where there is little to be found in a sedentary, consumerist lifestyle.

The iPhone camp. This is, so we are told, the good life.

In that same regard it's not so surprising to me that many people are becoming social justice warriors. While the rise of the social justice warrior is I think a confluence of many factors, this is one of them. Our lives in the industrialized world, long devoid of any real hardship or challenges, inspire a lack of drive, especially with decreased economic opportunities (despair is the other side of this particular equation, but that will be addressed in another post). There is a very primal quality in philosophies that offer not comfort, but struggle. They call to our deepest needs. Part of the reason that war stories resonate with so many people, and why people are fascinated by war, is because it requires a courage, valor, self-sacrifice, and discipline that peacetime rarely does. This is why, in the absence of any other struggle, people seem to need to make up their own struggles, no matter how irrational or destructive, to find meaning. ISIS and "social justice" are both manifestations of this.

Mattress girl's lying attention whoring is a perfect example of the deep-seated human need for struggle, even when none can be found.

The trick then, seems to be to call up that wartime zeal and enthusiasm and direct it toward doing something great - to achieving kleos - everlasting fame, by doing something worthy of having your name spoken of on the lips of countless generations. Perhaps you yourself have no need to be so remembered. However, your deeds should be worthy of remembrance, because such remembrance means that you accomplished something truly magnificent.

You must wake up every day with enthusiasm. You must know yourself and where you want to go, and have a vision for the direction of your work. You must make tireless day to day efforts to bring that vision to reality. You should want to achieve something great, something worthy of remembrance and praise - not for others, but to achieve your own immortality. Athena says it best in this 1997 adaptation of Homer's Odyssey:

Odysseus: I see you're no longer with me, Athena, and it's alright. I can do everything myself.

Athena (appearing with a laugh): Is that any way to speak to your protector?

Odysseus: Athena!

Athena: I think the wine swells your head, my Odysseus. Are you drinking because you fear your future?

Odysseus (drinking, laughing, smirking): Me? I'm afraid of nothing!

Athena: I'm teasing you. You're angry with me.

Odysseus: Athena! You could have helped me persuade Agamemnon, on the day of my son's birth no less!

Athena: I'm a goddess after all. I have other duties. And don't forget, I can be seen by whom I choose. I did not want you to escape this journey, because I want you to go. I want you, my brave Odysseus, to defeat the Trojans.

Odysseus: I've fought long enough.

Athena: No. You're destiny's to do battle, to become immortal, to have your name on the lips of endless generations!

Odysseus: No! I have no need to be remembered by endless generations.

Athena: Odysseus! You cannot lie to me! I know your true character! I know your pride, your vanity!

(Some more dialogue.)

Athena: You see the good in them (your men) because they love you. You must use this good to defeat the Trojans. You must be brave, my Odysseus.

Odysseus: I have no fear, as long as you're with me (Athena vanishes before he finishes).

This conversation encapsulates the Homeric hero, and indeed it is Homer's example which I wish to emulate on my own journey to this True Glory, as it is most in line with my natural talents. He became like his heroes, achieving a state of True Glory, of kleos, by writing about them. I hope to do the same.

Homer became, like the heroes he wrote about - immortal, by writing for posterity his stories of Troy.

"Hero" is actually an operative word here, because while we think of it as describing something grand these days, something almost superhuman, its original meaning was simply "he who is worthy." Those worthy of glory will be those who are worthy of it - who contribute the most to acquiring it.

True Glory is different from happiness and contentment. It's of course important to be happy, and I do not need much to be happy and content. However, happiness and contentment are most often excuses for stagnation - the very disease Western civilization is suffering from, while others are hungry for something more. We of course need to be happy in life, but we must never rest on those laurels, lest we become complacent. The greatest part of being human is our ability to do feats of greatness, to leave a legacy for eternity in finding and experiencing this beauty and this True Glory, which are only possible in this time and place in the universe's history - a universe whose future likely promises to be cold and dark, and the possibility of glory will sink into the blackness with it. We owe it to ourselves and to the universe that created us to burn as brightly as we can while time still allows, to be living (for life is a unique creation of the universe) expressions of the natural beauty of the cosmos.

Carl Sagan used to say that "we are a way for the cosmos to know itself." In the same tradition, True Glory is a way for us to be agents for the universe to glorify itself through the deeds of life.

Louis XIV wrote:

Praise is of a very delicate texture, and we should be very careful how we are caught by its dazzling appearance, as it requires much penetration to discern truly our flatterers from our real admirers.

But however obscure the intentions of our courtiers may be, there is nevertheless, a certain mode by which we may turn everything they say to our advantage; which is simply, to examine ourselves closely on the subject of praise which others have bestowed on us; for when we hear certain encomiums which we ourselves are unconscious of deserving, it will immediately lead us to reflect on them (according to the temper of those who bestowed them) either as a malignant reproach for some error, which we, in consequence, should immediately endeavor to correct, or as a secret exhortation to a virtue to which we have hitherto been insensible.

Supposing even that we conceive ourselves really deserving of that which is spoken in our favor, instead of simply contenting ourselves with the praises which we have received, they ought rather to serve us as a stronger stimulus to merit new encomiums; for this assuredly is one of those mediums whereby the elevated mind may be distinguished from those who never rise beyond mediocrity; to behold the latter charmed with the empty noise of applause which is incessantly flattering their ears, abandoning themselves to inactivity and indolence, eager to persuade themselves that they have done enough; while the former, continually burning with an equal ardor, seem never fully satisfied, as if everything which is lavished to allay that fire with which they seem to burn only to increase its violence.

It is only after this manner, my son, that glory becomes amiable; the thirst for which it inspires is not a weak passion which becomes cloyed with possession; it is never obtained but by strong efforts, and never becomes satiating; and he who can rest contended without seeking new favors is unworthy even of those which he has already received.

Although we may never achieve the state, it is the desire, the zeal, and the work that make life meaningful and which rescues us from indolence and nihilism. That is its greatest virtue - fulfilling this deep human need. The journey to True Glory is equally as great as the destination.

At the conclusion of this entry, I'm still somewhat unsatisfied. Is this the true way to live a good life? I think I'm heading in the right direction, and I believe my underpinnings are right, but is what I've said the correct path? I'm still not entirely sure what it all means. I'll just have to keep looking, and adding to this thesis, with words and deeds, as time goes by.

The fate of the universe doesn't look good. Burn brightly now!

Neomasculinity, Schisms, & The Future

There has been a fair amount of controversy over the past few days regarding a philosophy that has been crystallized into something that Roosh calls Neomasculinity. Some on The Red Pill subreddit have called Roosh a sellout and accused him of simply attempting to profit. Manosphere laureate Rollo Tomasi got in on this act. Others of the MGTOW persuasion have accused the ideas of attempting to get men back onto "the plantation."

Roosh made a video response below:

I'll interject some thoughts onto this whole affair - Neomasculinity, the schisms, and the future that Roosh speaks of. While there was always some underlying tension within the broader cross-section of the net known as the Manosphere, this is perhaps a more substantial earthquake than what we've seen in the past between "The Red Pill" and MGTOW on one side and the philosophy that Roosh is crystallizing on the other.

It is however, helpful to remember that The Red Pill subreddit doesn't necessarily encompass the whole of the belief system. In fact I'd strongly argue that "The Red Pill" is by itself not a belief system at all. The Red Pill is simply a thing - the thing that signifies that you are aware of certain truths that modern, feelings-based society wishes to cover up: namely, that equality is a false construct, and it is questionable how desirable civilization should be in adhering to it. Clearly, some degree of an imposed equality is necessary for the functioning of a just social order, but where should the line be drawn? To those of us who take the Red Pill, it is very clear that the "equality" train has long gone off the rails.

In my mind, the Red Pill was always simply a thing, not a belief system in and of itself. Frost has explained the different Red Pill stages very well on his own blog.

Of course, "taking the Red Pill" will inevitably lead you to see, to some degree or another, the profound sickness and malaise of Western civilization in its current state. How you interact with this fact, and what you intend to do about it, is what will comprise your actions and your belief system.

The tenets that Roosh simplifies as Neomasculinity is one such belief system. I'll begin with my own history to outline some of the value I see in this.

I first became aware of game in late 2009. I suppose you could call this my first encounter with "the Red Pill" as Frost describes above. My realization that being attractive to women was in some respects a skill that could be manipulated of course thrilled me. However, I never really committed to it. I just didn't develop the discipline. I now see why that was.

2009 was, I suppose, the tail end of what has come to be called "Game 1.0" - the behaviors and lifestyles popularized by the early pioneers in the modern field of seduction such as Ross Jeffries, Mystery, and Neil Strauss. However, while this work was innovative and unquestionably established the foundations of all that has come since, like all early efforts, it was imprecise and lacking in something. It was still a child growing up.

It was a child growing up because it focused too much on certain behaviors being a magic pill to cure your problems. Though the old PUA doctrines were not exactly advertised this way, and they did make many mentions of overall self and life improvement in terms of social status, bodybuilding, etc., it did not emphasize this enough, I think. There was also no greater meaning attached to game. The only goal was to maximize your sexual self-fulfillment, which is of course very important to your happiness as a man, but this goal existed in a vacuum and was not connected to any underlying meaning. It was these two factors that I now see as responsible for failing to instill any kind of higher zeal and discipline in me, because they simply were not motivating enough, even with the promise of sexual improvement. I have always been a big picture thinker, and Game 1.0 was only one small part of a whole, a whole that was, in that community, a vacuum.

In the spring of 2013, I found Return of Kings. Although the quality of the overall content and comment section has declined as the site has grown, before 2014, it was a bastion of collected insights and experiences from a wide range of men (albeit with the sprinkling of clickbait). Quintus Curtius' articles were, and continue to be, the foundation of the site's quality, and it was his work, above all others, that started the genesis of my own evolution as a man.

Return of Kings, with Quintus exemplifying it in its highest degree, took the bedrock of what I already knew about game and infused it with higher purpose. The first aspect of this was rediscovering and bringing out your full potential as a masculine man. Game was seen as part of being who you were born to be - a masculine man fulfilling your life's purpose. This was something on the tip of my tongue and that I always knew instinctively from the time I was a little boy, but seeing it in front of me solidified it. This was a truth that politically correct society does not want men to know.

There was also rich content about history and polity - identifications of cultural problems, negative mindsets, and incubating a positive belief system that was motivational for men to act in their natural role to fix the social degeneracy that is blatantly on display for all to see. At once, a world of substantial self-improvement of mind and body was linked with a higher belief system - the striving for beauty, excellence, glory, truth, and a flourishing of life for both yourself and your society. This changed everything. I ultimately became the person I am now, and will become the person I will be, because of it.

A month ago, I read Daniel Lubetzky's Do The Kind Thing, a book which goes over his life's story of how he evolved from a kid always attempting to sell something, to a struggling businessman with big dreams and grit, to the founder of a sprawling business enterprise and how he got rich. I have meant to write a post about the lessons I gleaned from that book, but haven't gotten around to it. One central theme of importance in the book is toward the start, where Lubetzky outlines a crucial motivational factor - that your business be one of social importance. In his own case, he attempted to bring together people in conflict regions through economic cooperation by selling the products they made together. This allowed him to do his part in bringing peace to those regions. It was this higher purpose that motivated him to build his business, even when times were tough. This higher purpose and belief system - that what he was doing was right, motivated him to continue. However, he makes one crucial point:

The purpose does not sell the product. The product sells the product.

When talking about your own life, you are the product. What you get out of it is what you sell, and you need to be high quality to sell yourself. This is most obvious in game, but it is also present in everything that you do.

The social mission of your enterprise and your desire to produce a high quality product fuse in Lubetzky's philosophy - the former motivates the latter. His devotion to his social mission greatly helped him to develop the discipline he needed to become successful in life.

Lubetzky calls this the "And Philosophy." It is possible to get out of many seeming conundrums by realizing that they are not conundrums at all, by thinking with "And" instead of "Or." It is possible to build a profitable business AND have a higher social purpose at the same time.

This is what I saw with the doctrine that people like Roosh and Quintus Curtius were putting forward. It is possible to have a good life, get good with women, AND fight for a world you value - rooted in history, pursuant of an ethos of beauty, and conducive of a society based on "liberty - not license" (credit again to Quintus). It also helps you to fight against a society that engages in politically correct social engineering, which strips people of their inherent characters in order to build a homogenous world of equalist automatons. This is the AND philosophy that has been offered in what Roosh is calling Neomasculinity.

And you know it's the real deal because it does not sell any magic pills like the empty Game 1.0 did. Neomasculinity is nothing in fact new, it is simply a useful simplifier to describe the things that people like me have already been doing. Those that get too caught up in labels, as I have done before, are usually those that are prone to mob thinking.

As for the future? Which will survive in the long run - Neomasculinity, MRAs, MGTOWs?

These things are for the most part dependent on the social, political, and economic environment. Movements and belief systems don't arise in a vacuum. What I think will survive depends in large part on the probability of societal outcomes based on a distribution curve of likely futures that I see unfolding. This will be explained in another post.

I do however think that it is most likely that MGTOW will fall by the wayside and Neomasculinity will be more stable, for a few other reasons besides what I see as the likeliest social outcomes:

1. MGTOWs are overwhelmingly composed of bitter, angry men with nothing positive to offer. They spend 90% of their time bitching about women. While this may be understandable, it is not productive.
2. Most will not reproduce. In the minds of MGTOW, game is somehow "gynocentric" (as are most things regarding masculinity).
3. It is an empty philosophy. To them, anything positive seems to be "gynocentric." Again, they have a need to attack women by "going their own way," revealing that they are, in fact, not "going their own way." Consider this comment below by Jose Martinez:

That is the point though and our objective is to starve the beast. And I am fine with it because all of us who are gen x and millenials never had a future to be a husband, father, and the head of the household to begin with. And you have to understand that women voted in all this shit that men today have to deal with. So you have to ask yourself why should you continue to white knight when they see no problem with men being killed in war and putting themselves in danger the most compared to women? I think it is time for women to get the full equal treatment and let them fend for themselves without our help. That would be the only way to see real change.

This reveals essentially, a "gynocentric" worldview. Instead of building their own world and achieving something like a Homeric hero (something which women will want to be a part of), their goal is to not do something. There is also a blatant and humorous implication that women will be the ones to change things because men are "going their own way," which strips men of their natural leadership role as well as of any agency.

Also, I have a hint for you MGTOWs out there: what we have now is the product of a cross-section of economic, political, and social trends. It cannot simply be reduced to "women voted all this shit in." Women did not "vote in" resource depletion, offshoring, perverse tax incentives, and global Ponzi credit, just to name a few things.

4. They, like feminists, and incidentally MRAs, deny the true nature of the sexes, as you can see by the implication above. To deny that men benefit enormously from the company of good, feminine women is to deny the true nature of men. Consider this absurd comment from Sandman, a popular MGTOW who I responded to in the previous post:

A man needs love from a woman like a fish needs a hook. Love kills a mans creative spirit. I kills his ambition. It's like a tranquilizer. I have never felt more alive then when single and have a purpose in life.

I have heard this comment, almost word for word, from someone else before. Want to guess who it is? Want to guess what ideology it was in service to? It's also wrong (unsurprisingly), but it would take another post for me to elaborate on why.

Anyway, upon hearing further about this "Sandman" character, my initial distrust has increased. Supposedly he wants in the end to buy an egg, hire a surrogate, and be a single father. Apparently, it's fine for the Manosphere to rail against single motherhood, where a child is deprived of his or her father and thus a crucial part of forming his or her identity, but it's alright to deprive that same child of his or her mother. I can only speak for myself, but having a loving mother was very nourishing, even if she did take it a bit too far. This mentality, I predict, will only continue to fuck up the identities of future generations. This information reveals fundamentally that MGTOWs operate on the same "everything goes and nothing matters" mentality as the radical "social justice" left that we are fighting, and they claim to hate.

Neomasculinity however, stands for something more solid. It is, in Roosh's words "a living philosophy" of the "AND" kind that blends individualism with social responsibility and higher purpose. It may be a minority, but as Quintus Curtius often remarks - "minorities can and have achieved lasting change." He is right. This is the most potent minority I've ever encountered. This is why I believe in the end we will be the ones standing.

Update: I have released a video regarding this matter:

Labels, MGTOW, & Neomasculinity

The video below is mainly an outcropping of this post, critiquing "Sandman's" MGTOW-centered critique of Roosh's conceptions of Neomasculinity.

Quarterly Report - Q3 2014

Yep, it's that time again. The year sure is passing isn't it? Time to outline once again how I've done with regards to my four major goals for the year.

1. I've continued to progress with my writing, but it has slacked somewhat this quarter in comparison with the first two. I did want to finish by August, but I haven't. The end is drawing nearer, but I need to write at a higher frequency. There have been other things in the way, but those things will soon draw to a close. I also realize that this is an excuse somewhat, and I don't want to make those.

2. Again this is the one that's seen the most improvement. Aside from continuing to contact some old friends (one of whom I saw last week), I have approached and dated more women this quarter than I have in my entire life, and my game is improving by leaps and bounds. I've dedicated a lot of energy to it this past quarter (when it's been warm) and will now need to figure out how to maintain it over this quarter when it cools off. I also need to get together with my friends at a higher frequency.

3. I had a bad allergy season in September, which caused me to slack somewhat, but my physique has made some gains, particularly on my shoulders and abs. My obliques have developed more, and I think I'm starting to see the shadows of my four pack becoming a six pack. Perhaps the next stage of my fitness regimen will be to devote certain full days to certain body parts (such as a day for shoulders, etc.), but I will have to see.

4. This front has mostly been filled with me taking a real estate sales licensing course. I'm finished with it now, and am ready for the proctored exam next Monday. I expect to have my sales license within a month. This will allow me to devote more time to my book and Showdown of Arms.

Rundown:

Writing: Satisfactory
Social Development: Excellent
Workouts/Exercise/Nutrition: Good
Making Money: Progressing, but needs improvement

Why I've Stopped Being a Regular Reader of Return of Kings

This one is going to be a bit painful for me to write, but in my opinion, it needs to be said, and I will follow the advice of Victor Pride when he says to write what you feel down to the depths of your bones, and not publish anything less.

I owe much to Return of Kings. It is undoubtedly the source and community that galvanized me last year to get off my ass and make something better of myself. I needed motivation, discipline, and community. The information coming out of Return of Kings - the hard truths and the fascinating truths, not watered down by any ridiculous adherence to political correctness, is a fountain of knowledge from which all men need to drink, and I am proud to have contributed a couple of articles to the site. Over the past year, I have done things I never even conceived of being possible before, including meeting more women than I ever have in my life, and Return of Kings was the foundation that spurred this personal growth. It exposed me to things and people I had not considered.

That being said, Return of Kings is not a perfect fountain, and that fountain's imperfections have sent me somewhat away. I of course have been and will continue to be an avid reader of anything that Quintus Curtius puts out, because his articles are of consistent high quality - illustrating wisdom that continuously helps me to become a better man. The other articles however, have been on the downswing for months.

Personally, I think there is far, far too much bitching about things - particularly women. Yes, all guys need to know the unvarnished truths about the basics of female psychology, how to handle it, what to watch out for, what to do, and what not to do. However, that is among the first things you learn. The fact that articles continue to come out regarding this topic, often with a negative tone, looks more like bitching to me at this point, rather than anything positive that will turn guys into better men. For instance, do I really need to know (again) why your girlfriend is overrated, read yet again why some guys are traveling to Asia to find women, or read yet another article about the nature of women? Do I really need to read (again) about how The Manipulated Man is the supposed red pill bible?

As you can see, for every article such as Quintus' latest, which warns us about the chaotic whims of fortune and shines light on a fascinating historical case study in discipline, there are easily three or four of the ones that are highlighted above, which beat a dead horse at best and just sound like pure bitching at worst.

I've also noticed that as I've done more things to make myself a better man - training, working on my websites, getting my real estate sales license, writing my book, expanding my social circle, going out and meeting women, etc., I have also read Return of Kings less and less overall. And I wonder if it's the same way with other guys out there. Perhaps this is the reason why guys such as YouSoWould, Mark Manson, Steve Jabba, and others have stated that you can tell that guys aren't successful if they do this kind of stuff too often. At what point does the Manosphere become very much like the feminists and other social justice warriors it professes to despise - complaining about things and demanding they change, instead of changing ourselves for the better?

Do you complain a lot about the lack of femininity in American women, or do you spend more time becoming more masculine instead?

There will be imperfections in any community, and this is the biggest imperfection here. Some of these things do need to be said, of course, but the mean needs to be found, and I think ROK has deviated to the extreme, as has much of the community. I will still continue to go to ROK, but overall you will get more bang for your buck at places like Bold and Determined, Good Looking Loser, Danger & Play, Christian McQueen, etc.

ROK's biggest asset is the reach it has. This is also its biggest fault. It wakes more guys up than anything else. But at the same time it requires clickbait articles and therefore lacks quality control. Once you've woken up, it's time to walk the road. I'm not convinced that ROK is the best companion for that journey. It will always have a place, but not the primary one.

Can You Stand?

Over the past month I've watched the Sharpe series starring Sean Bean portraying Richard Sharpe, a soldier that rises from the ranks to eventually receive his Lieutenant Colonelcy during the Napoleonic Wars. Sharpe's rise begins by his saving the life of the Duke of Wellington in the first episode. Sharpe is somewhat atypical - he achieves his status in the army by merit, rather than wealth or blood. In an age where most officers were gentry who bought their commissions, this is unusual, and Sharpe needs to deal with the snobbery of the aristocrats throughout his entire career in the series.

Sharpe also deals with questions regarding the choices he makes with women (many of which are poor), and the strong comradeship he has with his friends, particularly Patrick Harper, who becomes the regimental Sergeant Major and saves Sharpe's life more times than can be counted. The bond between Sharpe and Harper is probably closest to Aristotle's idea of a true friendship.

Overall there are very powerful masculine lessons to be gleaned from this series, and I recommend watching it (I haven't read the books yet). However, the most powerful lesson of all came to me from the second episode: Sharpe's Eagle. Let's let Richard Sharpe do the talking from this point (skip to 5:25):

"This place is called Talavera. There's gonna be a battle here tomorrow. You'll fight in it, maybe even die in it. But you won't see it. There's a lot of smoke in a battle. Our cannon, their cannon. Our shot, their shell. Our volleys, their volleys. You don't see a battle, you hear it! Black powder blasting by the ton on all sides. Black smoke blinding you and choking you and making you vomit! And the French come out of the smoke - not in a line, but in a column. And they march towards our thin line. Kettle drums hammering like hell and a golden eagle blazing overhead. They march slowly, it takes them a long time to reach you, and you can't see them in smoke, but you can hear the drums, and they march out of the smoke and you fire a volley, and the front rank of the column falls, and the next rank steps over them with drums hammering, and the column smashes your line like a hammer breaking glass, and Napoleon has won another battle. But if you don't run, if you stand until you can smell the garlic, and fire volley after volley, three rounds a minute, then they slow down. They stop. And then they run away. All you've got to do is stand and fire three rounds a minute! Now you and I know you can fire three rounds a minute, but can you stand?"

Sharpe later tests his men again:

After the incompetent commander Simmerson falls back, Sharpe rallies the troops with this short, decisive speech:

"Now, I know you can fire three rounds a minute, but what I want to know now is - can you stand?"

I think that this quip, and this analogy, works rather well towards life in general. When it comes to overcoming any challenge, it's often not whether you have the skill to do it, but whether you can stand in the grit.

Here's a personal example. A couple of weeks ago, I was coming back home from a stint outside. I did two approaches earlier in the day and got rejected twice. On the way back home I saw a very beautiful girl - one of the best looking girls I'd seen in a while. She's just my kind of girl too. Blonde, beautiful blue eyes, great body. This was on the street, and not doing street approaches often, I was about to pussy out from approaching.

I walk away.

Miraculously, she changes direction to walk down where I'm walking down.

My mind spins. I see her looking around, almost as if she was exploring. I know that when a girl does this she's usually open to a chat. I second-guess myself and tell myself I should approach.

Still, it's the street, and I walk away again.

As she turns once again, I turn back toward her. My mind spins. I third-guess myself.

My mind and I knew that I could approach girls and start conversations with nearly any of them (including on the street). But could I stand?

I turn back and move toward her. I open her and go on an instant date. Although she had to leave the city the next day (I tend to have this sort of luck), I'm still in contact with her, and she's planning to move here in December.

I had the skills, but what was more important here was that I "stood."

Such is often the case. As Sharpe said: "I know you can fire three rounds a minute, but can you stand?"

I know that you can lift this weight. I know that you can pull yourself up this many times. But then you feel the burn and the pain and your body is screaming at you to stop. You and I know that you can push yourself up again, you have the capability - but can you stand?

You can write more than you do now. I know you have the capability to write 2,000 words a day. But can you stand?

And so on.

"Standing" is probably even more important than ability when it comes to success. You can have all the ability in the world and still lack success because you wouldn't stand. You wouldn't bust your ass in the face of adversity and conflict. You'd run away. That was me in a nutshell until last year, and I still have a ways to go with regards to this.

Take somebody that has half the skills though, and can stand every time, and he'll likely be at least moderately successful in any endeavor he wishes to choose.

Whatever it is you fear, or are hesitant to do, stand for one minute. If you can do this, your fear will vanish, and your skills will be brought to bear. If you can just stand for one minute, you've likely gotten it done.

So, I know that you and I can fire three rounds a minute. What I want to know now is - can we stand?

Ten Lessons in Life from Louis XIV

Louis XIV was King of France and Navarre from 1643 to 1715. His reign was the longest in European history, and he presided over a period of immense transformation. Under him, France emerged as the leading power in Europe, and not just in military or political affairs, but in the arts and culture as well. He bent the nobility to his will. The great nobles who had once participated in the Fronde and their heirs had been reduced from being lords of vast estates to quarreling with one another over who had the right to hand Louis his clothing in the morning. Louis' territorial gains were immense, and he forever ended the threat of an aggressive Spain by placing his grandson on the Spanish throne in 1700, and successfully defending that claim (admittedly not without great cost).

Throughout his long life, Louis was motivated by an insatiable desire for glory and the attaining of magnificence. Unbeknownst to most, however, is that Louis left behind a significant collection of memoirs and letters. These were eventually coalesced into a book. It is not widely read today, but I was pleasantly surprised to be able to find the work online.

It is a long read, and admittedly can get tedious at times. However, there are a large number of extremely relevant passages within its pages that teach invaluable lessons on being a great man - leadership, the wielding of power, the psychology and motivation to win, and how to live a fulfilling life. I've collected what I thought were some of the most relevant lessons that Louis has to teach us, and present them below:

1. Be Informed, Learn From History, and Follow the Examples of Other Great Men

Poor information will lead to poor decision-making, as Louis writes:

"Whoever is poorly informed cannot avoid poor thinking."

"A sovereign should take the greatest care to be informed of his own times, for if a man is fully informed he will always do what he should."

Louis was no stranger to history. He knew that he needed to learn the valuable lessons that other men could teach and pass on. Just as we are now learning from him, he learned from others:

"The example of illustrious men provides very useful perspectives for war and peace, so that a naturally great and generous soul, contemplating these actions, would be inspired by them and ensure that the lessons of history can inspire others as well."

"I have heard it said that all the great heroes of the past were conversant with literature and that part of their greatness was due to their literary study. Particularly I found the study of the past to be very useful in becoming wise in the art of war..."

“It is not sufficient for a prince who wishes to distinguish himself from others merely to know what is passing in his own time, but that he ought also to inform himself of every remarkable circumstance which took place at a more remote period. I considered that the knowledge of those great events which have taken place in different centuries, when meditated upon by a solid and active mind, would tend to fortify his reason in all important deliberations; that the example of those illustrious men and singular achievements which antiquity furnishes us with, would supply with useful hints either for war or peace, and that a generous and enlightened mind, intent on the ideas of those glowing virtues, would ever find a stimulus to the practice of great actions.”

2. Shut the Fuck Up

It is wiser to say less than it is to say more:

 “One of the best experiences to practice is to listen oftener than to speak; for it is a difficult matter for persons who are fond of speaking to refrain from saying something too much.”

Admittedly, I still have much practicing to do in this area.

Although Louis did not write this himself, the notes at the end of the first volume reveal this bit of information from a contemporary, Madame de Calyus, writes:

"He carefully examined the respective dispositions and thoughts of his hearers: he was extremely prudent: he knew how every word which a monarch utters is canvassed over in public, and he often kept to himself those discoveries which his penetration had enabled him to make. If important affairs were the subject in question, the most learned and enlightened persons were astonished at the knowledge he displayed; they saw that he was more thoroughly conversant with the matter than they, and were charmed with the manner in which he expressed his thoughts."

The abbe de Choicy also said of Louis:

"His unprepared and least studied answers outdid the most carefully digested speeches of others."

3. Regulate Your Conduct Wisely

As Louis found it wise and necessary to regulate his speech wisely, he says the same regarding one's overall conduct and moral character:

"A bloody and ferocious temper is despicable in a man, and beneath the dignity of a king."

"On every occasion declare yourself to be on the side of virtue and against vice."

"The greater the merit and virtue of the prince, the harder the envious will try to dim his brilliance. Therefore some faults will be attributed to him which he is entirely innocent. Therefore a sovereign cannot live too wisely or too innocently. It is not enough to provide for general affairs, but you must regulate your own morals."

4. Make Decisions with Conviction

What ultimately separates the successful from the unsuccessful in life is the ability to make good decisions. Louis knew intimately that all avenues of thought must be considered, but that holding off too long will only create timidity or worse. In this vital area of life he has this to say:

"There are often troublesome occasions which may cause you to hesitate in making a decision, but once you do, and think you have seen the best course, you must take it."

“Uncertainty will sometimes make a prince pass very painful moments; but when a reasonable time has been bestowed on the examination of an affair, he must take a determination according to his best judgment, without protracting that state of suspense any longer.”

However, Louis warned the Dauphin not to make decisions too hastily either:

“Better to conclude our business somewhat late than to ruin it by using too much precipitancy. Our impatience only tends to delay that which we eagerly wished to forward.”

5. Get off Your Ass

Louis XIV did not simply cultivate France as the leading power in Europe by engaging in idle hedonism. He in fact astonished the country when he said that he would rule without a prime minister after the death of Cardinal Mazarin in 1661. He was determined to do the work himself, and devoted himself to his work so much that on the very same day that he had an operation for an anal fistula in 1686 (an extremely serious condition at the time), he still attended his council meeting later. On the subject of working hard he notes:

“You will always find in me the same perseverance in labor, the same firmness of resolution, the same love for my people, the same passion for the prosperity of my state, and the same ardor for true glory.”

 “Two things were without doubt necessary: very hard work on my part, and a wise choice of persons capable of seconding it.”

A typical day for him might have gone like this:

“The morning, as usual, was taken up with the different councils of justice, commerce, finances, and dispatches; the afternoon, with the current affairs of the state, and in the evening, instead of following any diversion, as I had been accustomed to, I reentered my closet in order to business, either to talk about the war with Luvois, who had that department, or on other affairs which I had resolved to examine myself; and if after that I had any time left, I employed it in writing these Memoirs which you are now reading.”

Louis in fact made it a rule to work twice a day with various other people aside from the hours he worked alone or devoted to extraordinary affairs. He notes:

“I cannot tell you what fruits I immediately gathered from this decision. I could feel my spirits and my courage rising. I was a different person. I discovered something new about myself and joyfully wondered how I could have ignored it for so long. That first shyness, which always comes with good sense and which was especially disturbing when I had to speak at some length in public, vanished in less than no time. I knew then that I was king and born for it.”

The biggest impediment to glory is sitting around and doing nothing. This is a sort of suicide by stasis, and I know this intimately because that's how I used to be. Louis notes in great detail just these dangers:

"Nothing is more taxing than prolonged idleness. You will be disenchanted first with affairs, next with pleasures, and third with idleness itself. You will seek everywhere in vain for what cannot be found. That is the problem with rest and leisure without some labor to precede it."

6. Have No Favorites

Louis XIV, in consolidating absolute power in the monarchy, made sure to elevate himself above anyone else. He clearly understood the danger of placing too much esteem in a single person, even his own family, as such attachments could prove dangerous:

"Have no attachment ever to anyone."

"My brother, who, without doubt, in the state things were in, could not have very urgent business, and who from his own inclination did not think proper to occupy his time with anything that was useful or agreeable, had at his leisure hours resolved to demand that his wife when in the presence of the Queen might be allowed an arm chair. In consequence of the friendship which I entertained for him I could have wished never to deny him anything, but aware of the consequence this encroachment might be, I let him know, immediately, with all possible delicacy, that I could not grant his request; that I was willing to do everything to elevate him beyond my other subjects, and would always do it with pleasure; but that such demands which seemed to interfere with my own dignity, I thought it my duty to refuse. In short, I begged him to never indulge in any such thoughts, and endeavored to convince him by good reasoning how necessary it was that I should respect the rank which I held, how much his own pretensions were ill-founded, and how useless it would be for him to persist in them."

7. Your True Friends Are Never Yes Men

In his instructions to his grandson, the Duke of Anjou, who was soon to become Phillip V of Spain, he remarked:

"Love all people attached to you, do not give preference to those who flatter you most, and hold in high esteem those who for a good cause venture to displease you. They are your real friends."

In the main memoirs to his son the Dauphin, he wrote this about the nature of courtiers and their flattery:

“Praise is of a very delicate texture, and we should be very careful how we are caught by its dazzling appearance, as it requires much penetration to discern truly our flatterers from our real admirers.

“But however obscure the intentions of our courtiers may be, there is nevertheless, a certain mode by which we may turn everything they say to our advantage; which is simply, to examine ourselves closely on the subject of praise which others have bestowed on us; for when we hear certain encomiums which we ourselves are unconscious of deserving, it will immediately lead us to reflect on them (according to the temper of those who bestowed them) either as a malignant reproach for some error, which we, in consequence, should immediately endeavor to correct, or as a secret exhortation to a virtue to which we have hitherto been insensible.

“Supposing even that we conceive ourselves really deserving of that which is spoken in our favor, instead of simply contenting ourselves with the praises which we have received, they ought rather to serve us as a stronger stimulus to merit new encomiums; for this assuredly is one of those mediums whereby the elevated mind may be distinguished from those who never rise beyond mediocrity; to behold the latter charmed with the empty noise of applause which is incessantly flattering their ears, abandoning themselves to inactivity and indolence, eager to persuade themselves that they have done enough; while the former, continually burning with an equal ardor, seem never fully satisfied, as if everything which is lavished to allay that fire with which they seem to burn only to increase its violence.

“It is only after this manner, my son, that glory becomes amiable; the thirst for which it inspires is not a weak passion which becomes cloyed with possession; it is never obtained but by strong efforts, and never becomes satiating; and he who can rest contended without seeking new favors is unworthy even of those which he has already received.”

8. Maintain The Frame of the Master

Louis was a firm believer in his divine right to rule. This seeped into his internal psychology from the time he was a small child. It became his standard programming and he acted in that part without fail throughout his life. When it comes to maintaining this frame, Louis has much to say throughout the memoirs:

"The mistakes I have made, and which have caused me infinite trouble, have been caused by kindness, and by allowing myself to surrender too heedlessly to the advice of others."

"If you must punish people who you are naturally disposed to, do it, as the interests of the state must come first."

"Treat your servants well, but do not allow them too much familiarity, and trust them still less. Use them when they are well behaved. Dismiss them on the least fault."

"Divide the execution of your confidence. Do not entirely trust it to anyone. Assign various persons various functions in keeping with their talents. This is perhaps the foremost talent of princes."

"Men are always tempted to use the power they have. No one shares in your work without participating in your power. Leave only as much of it to others as you must, for however careful you are, you will always lose much more of it than you should."

“Take particular care to avoid granting favors to those persons who have their way with offering bribes. Be bountiful yourself, and time your liberalities as well as you can, but receive no presents, excepting very insignificant ones. If it should so happen that, on certain occasions, you cannot refuse accepting some, do not fail to make more valuable ones in return, as soon after as you conveniently can.”

"Never allow yourself to be ruled. Have no favorites or prime minister. Listen to and consult with your council, but decide yourself."

“Nothing is so dangerous as weakness, of whatever kind it be. To command others, one must raise oneself above them; and after having heard all sides one must decide on the judgment one may come to with an open mind, always keeping in view to order or do nothing unworthy of oneself, of the character one bears, or of the greatness of the State.”

"When we behold a prince busily employed in looking after every thing which is done for the good of the service; when we see that nothing can escape his sight; that he discerns every thing, weighs every thing, and that sooner or later he punishes or rewards every person; it is impossible that but he must be better obeyed, and better esteemed."

Louis also understood the psychology of crowds, and the arrogance of the mob mentality. In this day and age especially, the advice he gives is very sage:

“In a popular assembly, the more you assent to, the more they grasp after: the more you caress them, the more they will despise you; and that which they are once put in possession of is retained by so many hands that you cannot deprive them of it but by extreme violence.”

“Of so many persons who compose those numerous assemblies, the most ignorant are those who often take the greatest liberties; and if you pay any deference to their opinion on any one occasion, they pretend to the right ever after to regulate your projects according to their own fancy; and the continued necessity you will find yourself under to guard against their attempts will be more troublesome to you than all the other interests of your crown; for which reason the Prince who is desirous that his people should enjoy a durable tranquility, and that his dignity should descend entire to his successors, cannot be too careful in suppressing such audacious assemblies.”

9. Never Take Serious Advice From Women

Louis XIV had many mistresses during his reign (or rather, during the early part of it - his string of mistresses lasted from the late 1650's to the early 1680's). This combined with his astute mastery of social dynamics and the maintenance of power meant he was speaking from very extensive experience. On matters of the heart, he has this to say:

“While we abandon our heart we should remain masters of our own mind. We should separate the tenderness of the lover from the resolutions of the sovereign, and the beauty in whose possession we rejoice should never be allowed the right of speaking to us on business, or interfering about the persons we employ.

“In the same manner as a fortified place is attacked, so is the heart of a prince. The first step is to take possession of every post or avenue leading to it: an artful woman at first sets about removing all those who are not in her own interests; she inspires us with suspicions against some and excites our displeasure against others, in order that she herself and her own friends alone may be listened to; and unless we are well on our guard against these practices, we are exposed to the necessity of giving offense to every person in order to gratify her alone.

“From the instant that you allow a woman the liberty of speaking to you on affairs of importance, it is impossible but what she must mislead you. This predilection we feel for her, induces us to approve of arguments that are bad in themselves, hurries us insensibly into her way of thinking, and her own weakness, causing her to prefer frivolous interests to more solid considerations, she infallibly adopts ill-timed and pernicious resolutions.

“Women are eloquent in their expressions, pressing in their requests, obstinate in their notions; and all this is often found merely on some aversion against some individual, some wish to promote another, or some promise imprudently given. No secret can be safe in their keeping for they may, from mere simplicity and ignorance, discover what should be concealed, or if they possess wit and knowledge, they seldom fail to form secret intrigues and connections; they have them a certain set of counselors, who are to advise them how to preserve or promote their own greatness, to whom they never fail to impart everything which they know, with a view merely to those advantages which they may derive from the circumstance.

“It is in these councils that they in every instance deliberate about what course they shall take, what means they shall adopt to accomplish what they have undertaken, to rid themselves of those who may have hurt them, to advance their friends, to entangle us still closer in their fetters; while we all along have no other means left to escape than to forbid their speaking about any subjects, save those of pleasure and amusement, and make up our minds not to believe any one of their suggestions concerning matters of business and our confidential servants.

“I will candidly confess, however, that a prince whose heart is strongly possessed by love, being at the same time disposed to esteem her whom he loves, will find it hard to observe these precautions; but the more painful the trial the brighter our virtue appears; besides it is certain that these precautions are most indispensable and that it is for want of their being attended to that we behold in history so many fatal instances of royal houses extinct, thrones destroyed, provinces laid waste, and empires overturned.”

10. You Alone are Responsible for Your Fortune

Most people are keen to blame other people or circumstances for the misfortunes that they are suffering. This is in fact a form of narcissism, because it holds the implicit belief that you are essentially infallible. We've all fallen into this trap, and modern society only encourages this innate narcissism far further than it should go. Louis admonishes this mindset:

“The greater part of mankind are accustomed to regulate their conduct by their humor more than by their reason, and very often have nothing to guide them in their designs but their honor and their passions, that disposition of theirs, which always remains the same, always keeps them in the same route; so that in any disorders which they see in their affairs, or any misfortunes which happen to them, they have not the good sense to seek the cause in their conduct, but they impute every evil to the simple caprices of Fortune, and do not consider that if after they had felt her first blows they had adopted a new method of acting with her, they would most assuredly have secured themselves from greater evils; for it is certain that one of the safest remedies against the changes of Fortune is to know how to change with her, and you ought not to think my son, that the firmness of which I spoke to you at other times is at all opposed to the maxim which I have established for your guidance here, as that virtue does not consist in always doing the same thing, but in doing the thing which tends to the same end."

“Habit is the most safe and most convenient mistress to render all things easy to us; the most arduous labor in itself insensibly becomes easy to those who are inured to it for a long time, and such dangers as at first astonish the multitude have so little effect upon those who are accustomed to them that they behold them undismayed.”

"The surest way of acquiring glory is always to follow the dictates of reason."

"Those who have enough merit to succeed often find a certain greatness in recognizing their errors."

"Time, action itself, and the aid of heaven usually break a thousand paths and uncover a thousand unexpected solutions."

There is much more wisdom to be gleaned from the pages of these memoirs, and brevity requires that I cut the entry off here. If you want to learn more I suggest taking up Roosh's big ass book challenge and reading them yourself. You can find the full book here. There are also some valuable excerpts here and here.

A more condensed version of this post can now be found at Return of Kings.

...And Then They Fight You

Likely as part of the ongoing echoes of Elliot Rodger, comedian Chris Gethard (who I'd heard of but never saw) made this video attacking the men's underground online (for lack of a better term, because it's a wide community, so wide that trying to lump them all together as these people are trying to do really constitutes a fallacy of composition):

It was hard for me to watch this (hell it's hard for me just to look at the thumbnail), but watch it I did. While Elliot Rodger still of course takes the cake for most pathetic male of 2014 (thus far), this guy is a solid runner-up. This guy is an absolute fucking loser. He may have gotten lucky and made it big in comedy, but he has the mentality of a loser, and if he had not been so fortunate, he would be a nameless nobody, and content with it.

First let's talk about the non-verbal communication. The guy looks like a nerd. Smug, emasculated smile. Thick-rimmed glasses, slouched shoulders. You can obviously tell he doesn't work out. Bad style. Then of course there's his voice. It is weak, submissive, completely lacking in power. He is speaking from his throat, not his chest and diaphragm. Most communication, as we know, is non-verbal, and you can tell just by these things that what he actually does say is going to be completely worthless. He does not disappoint.

Most of the video consists of the usual Cultural Marxist shaming tactics, sprinkled with a bit of factual inaccuracies (the wage gap myth). Standard PC stuff. Then he goes into what makes the video stand out.

First he talks about how he didn't have the best time in high school given his appearance. But it "turns out OK." We all know this probably meant he wound up settling in some way. Instead of trying to actually improve his appearance, he settles.

Then he goes into the most hilarious part of this aptly titled "rant.:"

"You'll realize you'll just want to have an HDTV and a lady who thinks you're reasonably cool. One day you'll be like 37 and you'll have a mortgage and you'll be totally OK with that. You'll be completely fine."

In other words, perpetually working for somebody else, getting into debt, and settling for whatever girl you can get is totally fine. Don't aim for anything higher than mediocrity. Mediocrity is fine.

I suspect he probably wants to pull us all down to the level of his own inner misery. He does this by pulling out the standard leftist shaming tactics (in this case calling you a "woman hater") if you disagree with him.

It's hilarious, but also sad. Twenty years ago this guy would be laughed at like the nerd that he is. Now he thinks he's actually in a position to tell other men what they should do.

However, it's also a sign that we're beginning to reach the "then they fight you" portion of Gandhi's famous quote.

The ignoring phase was just that.

The laughing phase was when game first started to come to the mainstream and people laughed at the douchebags in top hats (somewhat justifiably). This then carried over to the next generation where they tried to lump all of the men's underground into that same category.

When they began to realize that that was not the case, and that the underground was continuing to gather steam, the fangs began to come out. This is the latest iteration. It's pathetic, but a sign of a positive step forward.

Because we all know what happens after they fight you.

Always Be In Motion

The key to being a complete man? I've discovered that it's actually very simple, and it's independent of anything external. It's easy. It's not something you need to work for. It's not something that needs to be handed to you. It's not something that you need to take. You have the ability in you all along. Much discussion has been centered around acquiring a good frame, well, I think it's pretty simple.

Always be in motion.

Stasis is death. I should know.

It doesn't matter how fast you move. On some days you will move faster, and on others you will move slower. Just have your ends defined and move toward them. Do what you can do, every day.

If you can't do one thing, do something else.

Injured and can't work out? You've got another end, I hope. If you're writer, write something, and hold yourself accountable for not getting to where you intended.

If you aren't working for some reason, lift weights. Lift and look for something.

Afraid to approach women? That's OK. Everyone is. Work on it and at the same time progress in other goals. It will build you into a better man and thus give your more confidence.

Everyone has different goals, but progress towards them. Never remain in stasis.

Most people are in stasis. They're not serious about getting the things they say they want. They live day-to-day, doing their menial tasks.

Don't be like that. I used to be like that until a year ago. But I changed my thought process and resolved to take action, and I have continued in that ever since.

And it's important that you change your thoughts, because they are your constant companions. You become what you think about, but you need to have the desire and the dedication to take action, big and small. This is how you are in motion, you put your thoughts into motion by your actions.

If there is one thing that can be described as "alpha," this is it. Alphas are always in motion. They always lead, always take the initiative. They are never supplicating (unless it's a ploy for power, in which case it's still proactive). They are never in stasis, never passive.

It's really this simple. Examine any successful man in history and he will have this quality. Look at my list of the twenty men whose traits I seek to incorporate into my own personality. It is a diverse list. It ranges from vagabonds to kings, but they all had one thing in common: they were always in motion.

This is the secret to "alphadom" and success. Even when you talk of pure game, it involves you being in motion with women, you leading, commanding, never being passive.

Doing things, even if only a little at a time, adds up to a big difference over a relatively short period. Just keep at it. Keep on moving, and never lose sight of your goals. Never let a thought of doubt poison your mind.

You must have a grounded identity (which you acquire also through thinking, hobbies, the books you read, etc.) and an unfailing confidence in your own greatness. Being constantly in motion, even if only in your thoughts, will give you that confidence, which will increase with accretion.

If you are internally grounded, and externally in motion, there will be little that can get in your way.

They Don't Give a Shit About You

Like most reasonable people, my response to Sheryl Sandberg's #BanBossy campaign was one of mockery and ridicule. It is perfectly emblematic of modern feminism and more broadly, Cultural Marxism. It is centered on the feelings of special snowflakes, showcases juvenile attempts at promoting victimhood, and then proceeds to make demands on others to assuage the warped worldview of its creator and her sympathizers. In short: it is another example of politically correct, insecure narcissism.

Does this sort of thing piss me off to a degree? Of course it does. These people are destroying our culture with their feelings-based tripe, and naturally I don't want it to continue. However my overall reaction will be one of mockery and then ignoring it.

I saw one commenter on the video lambast it, outlining how boys are lagging behind in college admittance and degrees, are far ahead in suicide rates, etc. (I don't remember his comment verbatim, and I won't sift through thousands of comments on that video to find the one in question.) He was understandably pissed off that despite all these issues, "girl power" continues to be pushed to the forefront, and the powers that be completely ignore all problems facing boys.

While his remarks were true, I replied that they don't give a shit about you anyway. As Frost said, "sperm is cheap, eggs are expensive." Society simply doesn't give a shit about boys, I said, and that's fine by me.

It really is.

Why is this so? Because it gives the best men impetus to smash through obstacles and rise to the top. I don't want to be coddled. I don't want to think of myself as a victim, and I don't want to be treated like one. This is precisely why I consider MRAs to be losers. They are the equal and opposite of the feminist coin. They set themselves up as victims and blame all their problems on the opposite sex. And, while I haven't seen a very large sample size, most of who I have seen seem every bit as unattractive as their feminist counterparts.

That's why I'm hesitant to bring up men's issues in response to this campaign. Society doesn't give a shit about men and that's fine. We need to be grown-ups and solve our own problems, and when that happens, things will be set to rights.

Instead, I told him, link up with guys that are committed to striving upward and being their best selves. Cultivate your mind and body, and make definite plans of action. That is what makes men what they are, and why we fortunately will be spared the infantile bile of the "LeanIn" variety.

It's a harder path to follow, but it brings with it the better reward. While I still have a ways to go to get where I want to be, this choice has already made me a far better man than I was when I started.

Wisdom from Lone Survivor

Lone Survivor is a big movie now, and my like of it compelled me to read the book it was based on, written by Marcus Luttrell with the assistance of Patrick Robinson. It is a compelling read, with much wisdom to be gleaned in its pages.

I'll share some of the wisdom I found most profound below:

 "I was about twelve when I realized beyond doubt that I was going to become a Navy SEAL. And I knew a lot more about it than most kids my age. I understood the brutality of the training, the level of fitness required, and the need for super skills in the water. I thought I would be able to handle that. Dad had told us of the importance of marksmanship, and I knew I could do that.

"SEALs need to be home in rough country, able to survive, live in the jungle if necessary. We were already good at that. By the age of twelve, Morgan and I were like a couple of wild animals, at home in the great outdoors, at home with a fishing pole and gun, easily able to live off the land.

"But deep down I knew there was something more required to make it into the world's top combat teams. And that was a level of fitness and strength that could only be attained by those who actively sought it. Nothing just happens. You always have to strive." (pg 53)

Here we see Marcus Luttrell identifying clearly his life purpose. If you've read Think & Grow Rich you will know what this means. We also see the influence of strong masculine role models in this chapter- his father, his mentor Billy Shelton, and we will also see the influence of the SEAL instructors later on.

In chapter four, Marcus and some others managed to make a four-mile run in thirty-two minutes. He describes how the instructors at BUD/S harangued those that could not:

"I remember, vividly, him yelling out to them that we, dry and doing our push-ups up the beach, were winners, whereas they, the slowpokes, were losers! Then he told them they better start taking this seriously or they would be out of here.

"Those guys up there, taking it easy, they paid the full price," he yelled. "Right up front. You did not. You failed. And for guys like you there's a bigger price to pay, understand me?"

"He knew this was shockingly unfair, because some of them had been doing their genuine best. But he had to find out for certain. Who believed they could improve? Who was determined to stay? And who was halfway out the door already?" (pg 117)

Later in the same chapter, Chief Bob Nielsen, the lead instructing petty officer, makes these remarks:

"Your reputation is built right here in first phase. And you don't want people to think you're a guy who does just enough to scrape through. You want people to understand you always try to excel, to be better, to be completely reliable, always giving it your best shot. That's the way we do business here.

"And remember this one last thing. There's only one guy here in this room who knows whether you're going to make it, or fail. And that's you. Go to it gentlemen. And always give it everything." (pg 123)

After this, the trainees meet the commanding officer, Captain Joe Maguire, a onetime commander of SEAL Team 2 and the future Rear Admiral commanding SPECWARCOM:

"First of all, I do not want you to give in to the pressure of this moment. Whenever you're hurting bad, just hang in there. Finish the day. Then, if you're still feeling bad, think about it long and hard before you decide to quit. Second, take it one day at a time. One evolution at a time.

"Don't let your thoughts run away with you, don't start planning to bail out because you're worried about the future and how much you can take. Don't look ahead to the pain. Just get through the day, and there's a wonderful career ahead of you." (pg 124)

This is sound advice which Marcus echoes later in the chapter:

"I later learned that when a man quits and is given another chance and takes it, he never makes it through. All the instructors know that. If the thought of DOR enters a man's head, he is not a Navy SEAL.

"I guess that element of doubt forever pollutes his mind. And puffing, sweating, and steaming down there on that beach on the first night of Hell Week, I understood it.

"I understood it, because that thought could never have occurred to me. Not while the sun still rises in the east. All the pain in Coronado could not have inserted that poison into my mind. I might have passed out, had a heart attack, or been shot before a firing squad. But I never would have quit." (pg 136-7)

Again, if you have read Think & Grow Rich, you will recognize the similarities to the philosophy Hill laid out and what is written in these preceding passages. Thoughts turn into actions, and actions turn into habits, and habits become your destiny.

Later on, Marcus describes the dedication and sheer pain tolerance of his comrades when the operation goes terribly wrong:

"Then Danny was shot again. Right through the neck, and he went down beside me. He dropped his rifle and slumped to the ground. I reached down to grab him and drag him closer to the rock face, but he managed to clamber to his feet, trying to tell me he was okay even though he'd been shot four times.

"Danny couldn't speak now, but he wouldn't give in. He propped himself up against a rock for cover and opened fire again at the Taliban, signaling he might need a new magazine as his very lifeblood poured out of him. I just stood there for a moment, helplessly, fighting back my tears, witnessing a brand of valor I had never before been privileged to see. What a guy. What a friend." (pg 225)

This quote is self-explanatory. One cannot help but marvel at the hardness of these guys, and the dedication they had for their friends. Think about the so-called tight spots you've been in in life. How many of us have complained at the slightest inkling? Then think about what these guys went through, and you'll realize how pitiful it is, and strive to improve yourself.

"I could still hear gunfire, and it was growing closer. They were definitely coming this way. I just thought, don't move, don't breathe, do not make a sound. I think it was about then I understood how utterly alone I was for the very first time. And the Taliban was hunting me. They were not hunting for a SEAL platoon. They were hunting me alone. Despite my injuries, I knew I had to reach deep. I was starting to lose track of time but I stayed still. I actually did not move one inch for eight hours." (pg 246)

Consider Marcus' discipline under such stressful conditions, and again, think of the stress you faced. Did you keep your composure, your discipline? Let it serve as motivation. It certainly does for me.

"Right after that, must have been around midnight, a new figure entered the room, accompanied by two attendants. I knew this was the village elder, a small man with a beard, a man who commanded colossal respect. The Taliban immediately stood up and stepped aside as the old man walked to the spot where I was lying. He kneeled down and offered me water in a little silver cup, gave me bread, and then stood up and turned on the Taliban.

"I was not certain what he was saying, but I found out later he was forbidding them to take me away. I think they knew that before they came, otherwise I'd probably have been gone by then. But there was no mistaking the authority in his voice. It was a small, quiet voice, calm, firm, and no one spoke while he spoke. No one interrupted either.

"They hardly said a word while this powerful little figure laid down the law. Tribal law, I guess. When he left, he walked out into the night very upright, the kind of posture adopted by men who are unused to defiance. You could spot him from a mile off..." (pg 296-7)

There were about eight men with AKs interrogating Marcus in this room, but the village elder trumped all of them with his dominant body language and voice. His status as the elder was probably known by them, but he played the part. His frame was one of dominance and self-assurance, fostered by the mindset of his own status. This is the Strategy of the Crown, described in law of power #34.

Nearing the end of the book, two more passages are profound:

"I looked at the silent bell outside the BUD/S office and at the place where the dropouts leave their helmets. Soon there would be more helmets, when the new BUD/S class began. Last time I was here I'd been in dress uniform, along with a group of immaculately turned-out new SEALs, many of whom I had subsequently served with.

"And it occurred to me that any one of them, on any given day, would have done all the same things I had done in my last combat mission in the Hindu Kush. I wasn't any different. I was just, I hoped, the same Texas country boy who'd come through the greatest training system on earth, with the greatest bunch of guys anyone could ever meet. The SEALs, the warriors, the front line of the United States military muscle. I still get a lump in my throat when I think of who we all are.

"I remember my back ached a bit as I stood there on the grinder, lost in my own thoughts, and my wrist, as ever, hurt, pending another operation. And I suppose I knew deep down I would never be quite the same physically, never as combat-hard as I once was, because I cannot manage the running and climbing. Still, I never was Olympic standard!

"But I did live my dream, and then some, and I guess I'll be asked many times whether it had all been worth it in the end. And my answer will always be the same one I gave so often on my first day.

"Affirmative, sir." Because I came through it, and I have my memories, and I wouldn't have traded any of it, not for the whole world. I'm a United States Navy SEAL." (pg 379-80)

This passage particularly struck me. Despite all the injuries, the loss of his friends, and the mental anguish that came from all of it, Marcus still says it was worth it. Here you can really see the faith of a man who had found his purpose in life, and his persistence in fulfilling it.

"In the fall of 2006, Marcus Luttrell was redeployed with SEAL Team 5 in Iraq. At 0900 on Friday, October 6, thirty-six of them took off in a military Boeing C-17 from North Air Station, Coronado, bound for Ar Ramadi, the U.S. base which lies sixty miles west of Baghdad - a notorious trouble spot, of course. That's why the SEALs were going.

"The fact that the navy had deployed their wounded, decorated hero of the Afghan mountains was a considerable surprise to many people, most of whom thought he would leave SPECWARCOM for the less dangerous life of a civilian. Because even after more than a year, his back was still painful, his battered wrist was less than perfect, and he still suffered from that confounded Afghan stomach bug he had contracted from the Pepsi bottle.

"But the deployment of Marcus Luttrell was a personal matter. He alone called the shots, not the navy. His contract with the SEALs still had many months to run, and there was no way he was going to quit. I think we mentioned, there ain't no quit in him. Marcus wanted to stay, to fulfill his obligations as leading petty officer (Alfa Platoon), a position which carries heavy responsibilities.

"To me, he said, "I don't want my guys to go without me. Because if anything happened to them and I wasn't there, I guess I would not forgive myself." (pg 385)

This is part of the afterward that closes out the book, and to me it perfectly summed up Marcus Luttrell and his entire life's philosophy and experiences, and those of the SEALs - their brotherhood and the strict devotion to fulfill their purpose, to never quit from the fight, and ultimately, to win.

This book increased, massively, my respect not just for the SEALs, but to all who serve and have served in the armed forces. These are all warriors, and their attitude is perfect. It is one of winning, and should be adopted for all forms of life. This is a book every man should read.