Thank you for sharing this with me. There’s a lot to consider here and I’m still working my way through it, but some initial thoughts:
I was especially struck by the analogy comparing the serpents in the cradle to the venomous ideologies targeting young boys today. As a father of two young sons this is a major concern for me. You described tyrants (who I’d argue are almost universally weak men) of the past so threatened by the idea of strong men that they sought to destroy boys while they were still children. I think we’re living through a form of that today.
And I like how you point out that both heroes were undone by their vices. Manhood is not just about possessing strength, but applying it to virtuous ends. I’m reminded of the Arthurian ideal of might serving right.
I wonder if the lions might symbolize unrestrained, self-serving strength.
Overall, a great piece that’s got me thinking about how I can use these stories to encourage my sons to value strength, courage, and virtue, to prepare them to strangle the snakes and lions that they will encounter throughout life.
Of course Drew, I'm glad you got something out of it. I think we as a collective need to continue discussions surrounding these issues facing children and their development. We have to nurture the next generation.
I also really like your comment about the lion symbolizes self-serving strength. The animalistic nature of it being unrestrained is quite interesting and is something I'll have to research further. This could be a great topic for future discussion as well.
Thank you, and I believe so! Where much of the manosphere is so focused on being the alpha, the stories of Samson and Hercules show how even the most machismo can be completely undone by their vices and shortcomings.
And yes sir, King, Warrior, Magician, Lover is amazing, it does a brilliant job of show how masculinity not only has to be developed, but also balanced.
Exactly! It’s actually really interesting to me - the lessons about pride and other vices can be taught to us, culturally, infinite times and we’ll still elevate masculine figures who aren’t temperate enough.
The balancing portion is one of the coolest takeaways from KWML for sure.
Thank you for sharing this with me. There’s a lot to consider here and I’m still working my way through it, but some initial thoughts:
I was especially struck by the analogy comparing the serpents in the cradle to the venomous ideologies targeting young boys today. As a father of two young sons this is a major concern for me. You described tyrants (who I’d argue are almost universally weak men) of the past so threatened by the idea of strong men that they sought to destroy boys while they were still children. I think we’re living through a form of that today.
And I like how you point out that both heroes were undone by their vices. Manhood is not just about possessing strength, but applying it to virtuous ends. I’m reminded of the Arthurian ideal of might serving right.
I wonder if the lions might symbolize unrestrained, self-serving strength.
Overall, a great piece that’s got me thinking about how I can use these stories to encourage my sons to value strength, courage, and virtue, to prepare them to strangle the snakes and lions that they will encounter throughout life.
Of course Drew, I'm glad you got something out of it. I think we as a collective need to continue discussions surrounding these issues facing children and their development. We have to nurture the next generation.
I also really like your comment about the lion symbolizes self-serving strength. The animalistic nature of it being unrestrained is quite interesting and is something I'll have to research further. This could be a great topic for future discussion as well.
Thank you!
I am stunned by how good this was, the values you preached, and the examples you gave. Everything was great. Keep the good work. 👍
Fantastic stuff! It’s a great counterweight (complement?) to the alpha stuff we talked about.
I also really enjoyed King, Warrior, Magician, Lover. I’ve read it like 3 times and reference it every few months.
Thank you, and I believe so! Where much of the manosphere is so focused on being the alpha, the stories of Samson and Hercules show how even the most machismo can be completely undone by their vices and shortcomings.
And yes sir, King, Warrior, Magician, Lover is amazing, it does a brilliant job of show how masculinity not only has to be developed, but also balanced.
Exactly! It’s actually really interesting to me - the lessons about pride and other vices can be taught to us, culturally, infinite times and we’ll still elevate masculine figures who aren’t temperate enough.
The balancing portion is one of the coolest takeaways from KWML for sure.