#236 Being a man

“Man the f*** up!”, a phrase spoken for decades from high school and college weight rooms to business meetings and military boot camps. Nowadays such words are frowned upon. But why? Since when did being a raw beast of a man who could protect his family and work hard towards the ultimate goal of survival and prosperity become a bad thing? One could argue since modernity led to an easier and more comfortable way of life, the result is an intellectual culture who lacks respect for the hardened individuals who made our cushy lives possible. The sailors who brought us to this land, the warriors who fought for it and the workers who built upon it.

This is not to say that there is no room for change or that this is the only way, but rather an acknowledgement that manliness and masculinity has always existed, and rightfully so. Being a man doesn’t need to be nice, it doesn’t need to be pretty, it needs to be survival. Survival of family and survival of the tribe. Getting it done, no matter what it looks like. The famous general Napoleon Bonaparte was recognized for his victories on the battlefield which meant putting emotions aside and completing the task. You can be assured that failing to do your job resulted in a verbal lashing in order to secure victory and reduce casualties. Being a man means that sometimes the ends do justify the means, so man the f*** up and get it done whether it’s in the classroom or in the workplace.