Avoiding the Pyrrhic Victory
Self-proclaimed descendant of Achilles, King Pyrrhus of Epirus was a Century military leader who, in 280 BCE, is known best for his battle with the Romans. In a war taking his namesake, Pyrrhus defeated the Romans during the Pyrrhic war, a series of battles to try and quell Roman influence. After his victory, the Greek...
Roosevelt’s 1884 Valentine’s Day
Today is Valentine’s Day, and whatever your feelings are on the holiday, you can at least rest assured that today probably won’t turn out as bad as Theodore Roosevelt’s 1884 Valentine’s day. On this day in 1884, Roosevelt was in the New York legislature when his family told him to come home. When he arrived...
Know Your Hardwoods
There are 8 major types of widely used hardwoods. While I’m no expert in woodworking, this article should serve as a starting point for learning about the various types of woods and how to use them properly. 1. Mahogany Mahogany is a dark wood that gets darker over time. Mahogany is one of the finest...
Iowa State Daily Discusses Manliness
In a well-written opinion piece by Iowa State student Barry Snell, traditional notions of manliness are challenged much in the same way I distinguished machismo versus manliness. In his article, he writes: Manliness now appears to be thought of as some sort of sexism, an outmoded way of male behavior or a belief system, or...
Fragility of Manhood?
In an interesting study by the University of South Florida, psychologists concluded that a man’s sense of manhood is a precious commodity that, when damaged, results in compensation or restoration. The study went like this: [Researchers] Jennifer K. Bosson and Joseph A. Vandello had some college-aged men do “feminine” tasks, such as braiding hair, in...
Is the “End of Men” Exaggerated?
I recently read an extremely thought-provoking article by author Ken Solis on The Huffington Post that raised some interesting questions into this modern study of manliness and the current state of men. If you read articles on the subject by William Bennett, you are sure to have some level of depression. Ken Solis questions this depression commonly...
A Retreat With a Humble Yet Important Mission
The Insight Intensive retreat has simple aims for young post-college men: Get up. Clean your room. Hold meaningful conversations. Resolve your differences. Eventually, it moves on to setting some goals: Staying in school, getting a job, or both. Moving out of their parents’ homes when they leave this place is a hope for many. They are...
Bennett Strikes Again: Men as Jokes?
We recently covered William Bennett’s thoughts on modern manliness, and although I didn’t agree with a lot of what he said, I still consider it one of the more insightful articles on manliness in the mainstream media. Bennett recently wrote a similar article, also equally interesting, about men as the butt of jokes in modern...
The Fear of Divorce?
A new article on the Huffington Post investigated the question of why young men tend to avoid marriage. The traditional explanation is that men fear the commitment to one person. However, Vicki Larson’s article suggests an alternative answer: Daryl Motte and Seth Conger have got a lot going for them. They’re young, attractive, smart, employed,...
Bennett and the Decline of Men
While I disagree with most of William Bennett’s political views, it is important for any well-rounded man (or person in general) to have the ability to take a level-headed approach when evaluating statements. Mr. Bennett was the Secretary of Education under George H. W. Bush, and he recently wrote an article about manliness. Some parts...
“Dad Skills” Going the Way of the Dodo?
One of my favorite websites, The Art of Manliness, recently had a story (and subsequent stimulating conversation in the comments) about “dad skills” and the 21st Century. “Dad skills” are generally what we would consider as anything a dad teaches his son or daughter–stuff like how to fix a car, change a light bulb, unclog...
New Study Investigates Teenage Friendships
A new study by Niobe Way, a professor of adolescent psychology at New York University, published in her book “Deep Secrets: Boys’ Friendships and the Crisis of Connection” (Harvard University Press), found that teenage males who abandon their close relationships with their male peers often become emotionally disconnected men who long for adult relationships....
