Because there is very little honor left in American life, there is a certain built-in tendency to destroy masculinity in American men. –Norman Mailer
Be aware of the trends that develop in society and why they develop. You can’t always go with the flow nor should you want to side with the masses. Sometimes you have to fight what’s going on around you by forging something stronger within you.
Honor is fleeting. It cannot flourish where vanity is king. It won’t thrive where envy and jealousy are the most common attributes.
Honor is the standard by which you carry yourself. It’s acting with justice and respect, integrity and character. It’s being a moral man when everyone else acts in convenience.
Honor is doing what must be done and what’s just even if it be a detriment to yourself. You don’t matter, your character does. Character is what helps you make decisions. Character is what helps you navigate the uncertain and murky waters of life.
Convenience has no place in an honorable man’s life. Convenience doesn’t rule his decision-making process. It can’t. Yet, it takes practice and self-awareness to understand what road should be travelled and what decision should be made.
We cannot be men if we do not live and act with honor in spite of our own welfare.
It’s easy to be honorable when honor is the easy decision, the sexy decision, the profitable path. But that’s not what honor is. Honor is staying the course through ridicule and pain, through trials, tribulations, and disaster. It’s not compromising who you are for convenience’s sake, nor fame’s, nor popularity’s, nor wealth’s.
As honor leaves American life, the attempt to destroy masculinity in American men, in all men, will follow.
Don’t let it.
Aspire not only to be a good man, but aim to be good at being a man. Be the protector and provider of your family and your community. Be the last line of defense. Be the source of logic and wisdom. Be all you can be or be nothing.
