Being a Man in the Lousy Modern World

Today's blog post is based on a podcast from The Art of Manliness:

Emerson famously said “society everywhere is in conspiracy against the manhood of every one of its members.”

My guest today says things have gotten a lot worse since Emerson uttered those words over a century and a half ago. His name is Robert Twigger. We last had him on the show to discuss his book Micromastery. Today we discuss a book he wrote 20 years ago called Being a Man in the Lousy Modern World. We begin our conversation discussing how the modern world infantilizes men so they’re easier to control, and whether Robert thinks things have changed since he initially published the book. We then dig into the four factors Robert says need to be in place for a man to feel like a man, and why experiencing these qualities has become harder to do in the present age. We then discuss what Robert did to counter the currents of modern malaise like hiking the Pyrenees mountains and learning a martial art, and whether doing those things actually made him feel manlier. We end our conversation with what men can do to start fighting back against the conspiracy against their manhood.

Here are the highlights from the program:

• The impetus for this book when Robert wrote it 20 years ago 
• What is it about the modern world that makes manliness feel obsolete?
• How the modern world keeps us perpetually children 
• The 4 factors to be in place for a man to really be a man 
• Watered down modern rituals 
• Is courage truly rare? How do we test ourselves?
• What is it about handiness that makes you feel manly?
• Violence and manliness 
• Passivity vs. action 
• Society’s disservice to boys and men 
• How to find courage, rites of passage, and adventure in our world 
• Do these self-made rites of passage make a difference in your psyche? 
• What Robert’s kids thought about the book 
• What can men do today to start feeling more masculine?

Interesting days

Today - Another Look Unlimited Day, Duchenne Awareness Day, Beer Lover’s Day, Superhuman Day, Buy a Book Day, Salami Day and Acorn Squash Day

Tomorrow - Quiet Day, Star Trek Day, Pardon Day, Iguana Awareness Day, Actors’ Day, World Physical Therapy Day and Literacy Day

Next Tuesday - Eat a Hoagie Day, Cream Filled Doughnut Day and Gobstopper Day

Week long celebrations:

Sep 12 -  Sep 18: Housekeepers Week

October 7 - Bring Your Bible to School Day, Bathtub Day, Frappe Day and Team Margot Stem Cell and Bone Marrow Awareness Day

Month long celebrations:

September 15 - October 15: Hispanic Heritage Month