I am going for another article on mindset today. But I will be brief because my thoughts are not the highlight here. Instead, I want to share a recent podcast by Jack Donovan, who I’ve referenced before. Jack’s work serves a sort of inspiration and foundation for many of my own thoughts about what I’m working to build here.
At just over 10 minutes long, this is an easy listen while you’re on the go or in the car.
About Jack Donovan
Jack is a somewhat controversial figure.
He makes no bones about promoting traditional masculinity as something valid and worthy. He despises the celebration of weakness and victimhood. A lot of popular culture outlets, the ones that know him at least, call him an extremist and write him off.
However, he makes good points.
I’m not one to ignore what someone says because another person with a bigger microphone doesn’t like it. Political correctness is tricky like that.
I first came across Jack via a message board about small unit tactics training. The context of the discussion was building a tribe of people who were serious about training, fitness, and teamwork. They recommended Jacks first book, The Way of Men. I purchased it in audio format and listened to it twice while driving coast to coast.
It too is worth the read or listen.
Some Takeaways
Strength matters.
I’m not explicitly referring to the physical benefits of being stronger, faster, and more capable. Instead, this is about the philosophy of being strong. For whatever reason, modern society has shifted to value the weak over the strong. In our rush to nullify gender roles and differences, which is a different topic until itself, we’ve glossed over one of the primary things that make men different: strength.
There is joy and honor in being strong. It honors the memory of those who came before us and gave all they had so that we could survive. Strength signals that we have our lives together. We are, after all, the end result of millions of years of survival-of-the-fittest strong organisms.
Perhaps it’s time to act like it.
I know I slack at times from hitting the gym. After a great run for about a year, my most recent injury really hit my motivation. Well, the doc gave me the thumbs up and I don’t really have any more excuses.
It’s time to honor the ancestors.
Keep a Weather Eye Out
In the coming weeks, you’re going to see an uptick in the amount of fitness and mindset related posts. I’ve been ignoring those areas in favor of more equipment posts, which is honestly backwards. Mindset and physical capability trumps gear every day of the week, so it’s time to dig into it.
Trudat.
Indeed!
Strange timing! I just listened to Jack Donovan’s “Violence is Golden” last night for the first time and loved it.
As to the mindset vs gear posts, you know what kind I like. I’m always down for a discussion on how to think about stuff.
That’s a good one, too. A great excerpt here: “There are something like two and a half million people incarcerated in the United States. Over ninety percent of them are men. Most of them did not turn themselves in. Most of them don’t try to escape at night because there is someone in a guard tower ready to shoot them. Many are “non-violent” offenders. Soccer moms, accountants, celebrity activists and free range vegans all send in their tax dollars, and by proxy spend billions and billions to feed an armed government that maintains order through violence. It is when our ordered violence gives way to disordered violence, as in the aftermath of a natural disaster, that we are forced to see how much we rely on those who maintain order through violence. People loot because they can, and kill because they think they’ll get away with it. Dealing with violence and finding violent men who will protect you from other violent men suddenly becomes a real and pressing concern. A pal once told me a story about an incident recounted by a family friend who was a cop, and I think it gets the point across. A few teenagers were at the mall hanging out, outside a bookstore. They were goofing around and talking with some cops who were hanging around. The cop was a relatively big guy, not someone who you would want to mess around with. One of the kids told the cop that he didn’t see why… Read more »
I can’t imagine the look on that kid’s face.
Some people just don’t realize how thin the ice we’re all skating on really is. I’m just trying to learn how to swim.
Matt, never heard of this guy Jack Donovan but any guy promoting rugged masculinity in this culture is squared away. Ordered his book and for sure mandatory reading for my two boys. No doubt about it!! Great new look to the site!! Keep em coming!! All the best sir.
Thanks Jerry, I’m glad you like the new look and feel. I’m still making a few tweaks here and there, but figured it wasn’t worth delaying any longer just for those.
Enjoy the book! I’ve only gone through the first one, but I’d love to get through the next couple as well.