08-23-2021, 03:11 AM
(08-22-2021, 06:25 PM)NOMAD Wrote: Day 98 (cont'd)
What I'm about to write has been on my mind for the better part of the day.
One thing that really disgusts me is hypocrisy. Claiming to subscribe to one set of values/beliefs while actions clearly displaying another set of values/beliefs is about as low as one can get on the 'pathetic scale'. But, I'm certainly not infallible and I've been guilty of the very thing that I'm so sickened by. So, when I talk a good game about personal accountability...yada yada...but the rest of my comments, journal entries, etc don't back that, I want you guys to give me a swift kick right in my ass. Call me out. Check me. The worse it hurts, the more I probably need it. My goal isn't to be praised or to have my feelings tickled. My ongoing goal is to be better than I currently am. That doesn't mean I'll accept blatant logical fallacies, but if I'm wrong, show me where. I respect that. I can even respect differing opinions, particularly if I understand the logic.
Now, for some frank talk. I don't see a lot of people in this world that I respect as men (mainly speaking from my personal life, from family members, to friends to coworkers, etc.). I see a bunch of little boys in men's bodies and it's sad. In my mind, steel sharpens steel. We, as men, should hold each other accountable (insert damned near any topic here) and we're better for it. This isn't a 'beat on your chest', my dick is bigger, gorilla mindset. This is genuine development as men. And the more 'real men' we surround ourselves with the better men we inevitably become. I'm not super optimistic about what I see regarding the concepts of accountability, maturity. masculinity, etc in our current society. I don't mean to sound like a downer here, but I'm afraid that the few of us making headway toward being better men are the exception instead of the rule. If so, I can live with being an outlier.
As I said above, my ongoing goal is to be better and I can assure anyone reading this that there is plenty of work to do there. I'm not really sure why I typed all this. Maybe there's someone that needed to read it. Maybe there's a lurker, like me, that went years without joining the forum. In any case, I'm going to bed. Goodnight everybody.
I also agree on this. I have noticed the downward spiral of masculinity in myself and others and it has bothered me as well. There are so many single topics that can be covered but for me I've isolated about 5 things (I'm sure there is more depending on who you ask) that I boil down to being a man.
1. Self Mastery
2. Self Sacrifice
3. A masculine display of love and emotion
4. Longsuffering
5. Leadership
I have taken stock of my own life and find myself lacking in a lot of these areas so I have gone about the process of building these places up. This is actually the first time I've talked about it because I wanted to BE about it before the words came out.
Where are the men of character? Where are the Aragorn's of our age? Where are the noble men that don't put on the tough guy facade but are the pillars emotionally and spiritually and leadership-wise of the communities they choose to be in? I know it's an idealistic line of thought but a romantic view if masculinity is sorely needed. We need to fall in love with being men again.
I could write for a while on this topic but I think we are very similar on our views about this.
