Will Briggs has written a thought provoking post over at The Art of Manliness blog asking if manliness is obsolete. Using "three classes of manly virtues" to explore the subject, he rightfully concludes that manliness is still needed.
Here's his conclusion:
"But the ultimate reason to embrace manly virtues is that they are virtues. Being the best man you can be is a calling. The world may not thank us if we follow it, but thanks isn’t what we’re after. Excellence is, and charity."
Virtues. Calling. Thanks. Excellence.
Being a man is a challenge. It's a much maligned, misunderstood, misused and generally thankless job. And those aren't the reasons it's challenging either.
The primary reason it's a challenge it that it's meant to be. The challenges of manhood are the very things that make us men if we'll allow them to mold, grow and inspire us.
I'm reminded of the story of the man who was told by God to push a large boulder in his yard. Everyday the man pushed and pushed, but to no avail. After a year of efforts he was utterly defeated because he had failed to move the rock at all.
But God told him he was not a failure. He told him to look at how his body had become strong, chiseled and powerful. Then He reminded him that he had not told the man to move the rock, simply to push against it. Because of that effort, and the results it produced, the man was now ready for a task.
And so it is with much of what we encounter in life. What we see as the great challenges are there to push us forward, not defeat us. Don't allow them to defeat you. Understand that manly virtues are worth the work and that being a man is indeed a calling.
Now heed the call.
Here's his conclusion:
"But the ultimate reason to embrace manly virtues is that they are virtues. Being the best man you can be is a calling. The world may not thank us if we follow it, but thanks isn’t what we’re after. Excellence is, and charity."
Virtues. Calling. Thanks. Excellence.
Being a man is a challenge. It's a much maligned, misunderstood, misused and generally thankless job. And those aren't the reasons it's challenging either.
The primary reason it's a challenge it that it's meant to be. The challenges of manhood are the very things that make us men if we'll allow them to mold, grow and inspire us.
I'm reminded of the story of the man who was told by God to push a large boulder in his yard. Everyday the man pushed and pushed, but to no avail. After a year of efforts he was utterly defeated because he had failed to move the rock at all.
But God told him he was not a failure. He told him to look at how his body had become strong, chiseled and powerful. Then He reminded him that he had not told the man to move the rock, simply to push against it. Because of that effort, and the results it produced, the man was now ready for a task.
And so it is with much of what we encounter in life. What we see as the great challenges are there to push us forward, not defeat us. Don't allow them to defeat you. Understand that manly virtues are worth the work and that being a man is indeed a calling.
Now heed the call.
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