Art of Manliness - Latest Comments in The Warrior’s Guide to True Manliness

Re: The Warrior’s Guide to True Manliness

LongTimePatriot — Sat, 26 Jul 2014 15:14:42 -0000

I could not agree more. Spirituality and a belief in the afterlife are a major distinction between men and lower animals. It is right there with art, jewelry, evolving tools, speech, clothing, a sense of time, and symbol use. Delayed gratification is an essential warrior trait (and hunter, and angler, etc.). Living for the ultimate prize, with honor and with moral scruples is an essential part of being a warrior and a man. ~ Former Staff Sergeant, Engineers (CMBT) (HVY) and then Aviation Maintenance.

Re: The Warrior’s Guide to True Manliness

Batzn — Thu, 24 Jul 2014 23:38:00 -0000

I just dicovered this article and I read it exactly in the right moment.

>It is only until after a life changing event that most of us have this
warrior instinct woken within us. For many it is the call to overcome
adversity through a circumstance in their lives that requires a warrior
spirit.<

In 4 days we are loosing the house we are currently living in. It wasn´t my fault, nobodys gonna belive me but thats ok, and I was down for the first hours after i heard the news.

Now its my time to shine, to finally become independent. Its to win or to loose. I have some places where i could stay for a month but i want to avoid this when its possible. Its my life changing situation because im only 21 years old. I´ll find something as soon as possible.
If i find a flat or room for me in the next 2 weeks i consider this as an accomplishment. Im in the shittiest situation i´ve ever been because of some other things but when I overcome them I can do anything.

And thanks for your articles in general.
Now its time to get going and to work on it.
Lets do this.

Re: The Warrior’s Guide to True Manliness

Batzn — Thu, 24 Jul 2014 19:38:55 -0000

I just dicovered this article and I read it exactly in the right moment.

In 4 days we are loosing the house we are currently living in. It wasn´t my fault, nobodys gonna belive me but thats ok, and I was down for the first hours after i heard the news.

And thanks for your articles in general.
Now its time to get going and to work on it.
Lets do this.

Re: The Warrior’s Guide to True Manliness

Hasher — Fri, 30 May 2014 06:18:10 -0000

Okay, but how does the "We could die at any minute, so go for it" attitude fit in with the "Delayed gratification is more mature" ethic?

Re: The Warrior’s Guide to True Manliness

SUNinU — Tue, 15 Apr 2014 06:24:28 -0000

@qajar.
Its a great speech. Very strong, especially in the hands of Mr. Nicholson (apologies if name spelled incorrectly)
However, what must be remembered is that he broke one of the ethics of any true warrior and that is protection and understanding of those who are weaker.
Great blog, and great comments.
Good to have true warrior debates.
However, perhaps the warrior spirit is acceptance of other views.
My picture is that a warrior carries a sword. Its in its sheath. As a last resort, when all other possibilities are exhausted, a warrior will draw his sword, and in that moment, with regret, he/she is prepared to kill.

Living in the moment/Its the journey not the destination.

e.g. a basketball player.
Play every moment as though your life depended on it, but be detached from the final score.

just my own thoughts. Please feel free to comment, with respect please.

I too am learning. I have some things to offer in terms of wisdom of a warrior, but aren't we all just learning the way by trying and failing and learning.
Surely that is part of the way of a warrior.

Brian

Re: The Warrior’s Guide to True Manliness

qajaqr — Wed, 05 Mar 2014 18:22:29 -0000

I'll just toss this in here, and I think it needs little, if any, introduction..

Col. Jessep: Son, we live in a world that has walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Lt. Weinburg? I have a greater responsibility than you could possibly fathom. You weep for Santiago, and you curse the Marines. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know. That Santiago's death, while tragic, probably saved lives. And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives. You don't want the truth because deep down in places you don't talk about at parties, you want me on that wall, you need me on that wall. We use words like honor, code, loyalty. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom that I provide, and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just said thank you, and went on your way, Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a weapon, and stand a post. Either way, I don't give a damn what you think you are entitled to.

Re: The Warrior’s Guide to True Manliness

Edwin — Tue, 03 Sep 2013 17:49:39 -0000

Evan , Spencer,

Thank you!
I really enjoyed your article.
If I could sum up this article:
A remarkable way to view life in a different perspective - one worthwhile.

Re: The Warrior’s Guide to True Manliness

Robbie — Tue, 25 May 2010 05:36:45 -0000

english teacher*

...yes, i do see the irony. It was a lack of editing on my part.

Re: The Warrior’s Guide to True Manliness

Robbie — Tue, 25 May 2010 05:33:41 -0000

I dont understand what is wrong with all of the people on this post arguing and criticizing this post. All the author is doing is using a warrior analogy to illustrate very valid and constructive points about living as a well rounded man. You people contradicting the points in this article either have an inflated sense of self-importance, or you just love to criticize anything. So what if it was lifted or inspired by other writings? Led Zeppelin borrowed much of their influences material and made it into the most enduring and popular rock and roll music of all time, as did the Beatles, as did the Stones...and THEY in turn are heavily derived from by modern music today (White Stripes from Zeppelin, off the top of my head). The same principle applies. Who are you to get all pissy about the citing of the article? Are you an English teachers or something? Get over yourselves. This post has many valid and useful points, and to the authors...well written and thanks for the inspiration.

Re: The Warrior’s Guide to True Manliness

Robbie — Tue, 25 May 2010 05:26:17 -0000

hgjup

Re: The Warrior’s Guide to True Manliness

MichaelJ — Wed, 19 May 2010 14:02:55 -0000

I, for one, enjoyed and appreciated the article. The follow-up comments are even more interesting. I didn't realize the concept of a warrior was such a lightning rod for dissent. Perhaps this is yet another indicator of the our culture's decline in manly values that this website works to reverse.

Re: The Warrior’s Guide to True Manliness

Steve H — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 11:32:18 -0000

I agree with living in the moment, but to say the destination is unimportant is a fallacy. Most people seem to have some belief in an afterlife. That being the case, the destination becomes quite important. For example, I don't think my creator would be pleased if I scammed people out of their life savings to improve my quality of life along the way. The article doesn't seem to address righteousness in the quest. Rather it seems to suggest someone should pillage and plunder anyone who dares step in the way. The article states; "It is better to have a followed a path in your life that brought you happiness in the moment, than to have followed a path that promised happiness at your destination." That's not a fact, but an assumption. If the author is correct, then I guess most of the people on this planet are suckers. To me anyway, that's a very dangerous assumption, and one that has eternal consequences. I'm not trying to proselytize, I'm just sayin'.

Re: The Warrior’s Guide to True Manliness

rolloverbethoven — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 15:46:53 -0000

To any and all of the individuals who don't like the premise of this article....it is quite simple..........you people are not , and were never meant to be ....warriors. I say that not as a put down....but as an observation that society needs farmers....and nurturing types.....these two groups of people needs individuals to stand up and fight when the circumstance calls for it......they need protection so as to continue farming, nurturing and whatever their temperament calls for. So feed your warriors, take care of them when they are battle weary.....most importantly........step back and get out of their way when your survival is at stake and your well being is threatened.

Re: The Warrior’s Guide to True Manliness

Paul Hughes — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 19:07:09 -0000

Some of this has been said by others, but this post was not good.
First, as at least one comment noted, most men were not warriors — not in Sparta, and not 500 years ago. Not ever.
Second, even those who were warriors were often driving by something other than fear, of death or anything, or the survival instinct. Motivations were good and ill, and some of the good ones, which presumably is what we're interested in here, were defense of home or country, love of God, and so on.
Third, there are the factual errors — Lance Armstrong won most of his Tour de France crowns before being diagnosed, and he was PLENTY driven WAY before that; in fact it could be argued he has become a bit arrogant with the hubris-like pride stuff since that diagnosis. Martin Luther King Jr. was LED by racism to do his inestimable work? I'd suggest he was not reactive in that way, nor would we want to say the racism led to the good work (props to racism on that one, eh?). Rather his strength clearly came from God, as also his ability to continue the struggle. He believed the U.S. could be what it had promised to be, so that motivated him as well. It wasn't the racism.
Next we have the unfortunate contradiction that these rules will put you on, "the never-ending road to greatness" ... but the journey is better than the destination. So is it the never-ending road (no destination) or not?
Speaking of which, "All paths are the same" ??? I trow not. A fundamental assumption of this entire enterprise is that there are good ways of become more manly, right? That would be the basis for saying "do this, don't do this," which every post does every day.
(And anyway, how can "choosing the correct path" matter, as the authors suggest, if all paths are not only the same — but "lead absolutely nowhere"?)
Finally, Mr. McKay, even if you didn't write the piece, which is clear (as you say) from the very first line ... this is your website. Maybe the comments section cannot be held against you (many web logs note just that) but surely we can expect you to read / edit (or reject) guest posts that are unworthy of your otherwise exemplary work? I'd guess the magazine editor wanted something along those lines, since he is one.

Yours kindly,

paul hughes

Re: The Warrior’s Guide to True Manliness

Brett — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 10:26:17 -0000

@Johnny-

Quite dishonorable of you, sir, to call me out by name without bothering to read the very first line of this post which says that I did not write this article. A strange oversight for a magazine editor.

Re: The Warrior’s Guide to True Manliness

Johnny Deadline — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 02:07:33 -0000

As a professional magazine editor it's obvious to me that the the concepts, structure and even the order in which the ideas are presented were lifted directly from three books by Carlos Castaneda. Primarily from "The Teachings of Don Juan," but also from "A Separate Reality" and "Journey to Ixtlan." This is known as plagiarism. Valid material to be sure, but quite dishonorable of Brett not to cite Castaneda.

Re: The Warrior’s Guide to True Manliness

Le dauphin — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 13:37:27 -0000

Hey,

Death over a (man's) shoulder was, in fact, discussed (at length) in Castaneda's Journey to Ixtlan- A book which opened my mind widely, and from which I grew a fair amount. Thanks for the refresher & incitement : )

Y'all might also like Leadership Lessons of the Navy SEALs, The 48 Laws of Power, & Good to Great. They're also insightful, rousing & generally yang.

Regards,

Dauph

Re: The Warrior’s Guide to True Manliness

John Walker — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 11:34:41 -0000

Opinions are like arse holes (everyone's got one).

Re: The Warrior’s Guide to True Manliness

harigast — Mon, 04 May 2009 23:04:04 -0000

i like how many of you turds got this totally wrong. from the comments made by said turds, i can tell you have no drive for real life unless it involves getting to the next level of world of warcraft. maybe you friendless virgins should move out of your mom's attic/basement and get some sun.

Re: The Warrior’s Guide to True Manliness

RealTaiji — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 12:55:46 -0000

I like Castaneda too. 3 Rules bind the universe.

Re: The Warrior’s Guide to True Manliness

Jared — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 17:19:01 -0000

Kudos to the author. I've been rereading this article to get inspired over the last few days. It has become my "manvotional." I'm making some very big and tough decisions, and this is helping me in that a lot.

I sincerely disagree with all dissenters and found their logic to be poor and/or greatly flawed.

Re: The Warrior’s Guide to True Manliness

Brett McKay — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 23:20:05 -0000

@Justus-

I don't remember deleting your comment...are you sure it went through? The last comment I got from you was on the Wartime Sacrifice post.

Re: The Warrior’s Guide to True Manliness

Justus — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 18:52:43 -0000

Lol Was my comment deleted? I did get rather off topic. I sure hope it wasn't deleted because I was opposed to the article because, quite to the contrary, I completely agree with the article. And I agree with Loki as well. Sometimes things like this aren't meant to be literal.

"By and large, this is a crock. Most men in most places have been farmers, not warriors; warriors have in general been a parasitic class on the farmers. The choice of a (fake) Spartan for your image is a case in point — the citizens of Sparta were all non-productive warriors; the productive work that fed them was done by helots (serfs). See this fascinating article."

And to the writer of that comment...Would you rather be the Helot? Or the Spartan? Think about that.

Re: The Warrior’s Guide to True Manliness

Loki's Playground — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 02:14:15 -0000

Well so many responders have proved their lack of worth and understanding. What are you looking for? Spoon feeding? Silver platter?

Look at what is being said beyond the black words.

Fools...

To those who saw past the black words... much of what was said by you needs no further clarification. The authors have doen a great job.

But I challenge you to look at one thing. Rather than the concept of a fear of death. Awareness of it and understanding of it. It is not a fear of it but an acceptance of it.

Re: The Warrior’s Guide to True Manliness

EnchantedApril — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 00:09:02 -0000

Hence SPORTS. In my mind, Hockey is one of the last bastions of where it is still societally acceptable for me to express testosterone aggression and pummel each other in a MANLY fashion. The position of where there is a player who is The Enforcer I totally respect. Then again, after being basically a good provider, I look for men who are SUPERB PROTECTORS. My late husband taught me to shoot. Do you know how, too? Mazel tov!