The Art of Manliness - Manvotionals - Brett McKay [98]
The last point which I shall venture to present to you in this list of the characteristics of true honor, is Modesty. … In conversation, rather inquire than declaim, rather follow than lead; or, if your duty and position calls you to lead, then strive to draw out others rather than to make a display of yourself. In setting forth your own capacities and merits, rather obtain the endorsement of others whose judgments and opinions are worthy of respect, than take pains to assert your own opinion of your worth. In your intercourse with others, and especially with those of the opposite sex, be respectful, be courteous, be pure-minded, be pure worded, be deferential. Do not be tempted under any circumstances, or upon any occasion, to give up a certain amount of quiet reserve, into which you will permit no one whatever to intrude. This is absolutely necessary if you would secure your own self-respect, and the thorough respect of others.
You are growing up to live, and move, and act, in the world of men, to be Citizens of this or some similar community; and the sense of true Honor which you manifest in your youth will cling round you, and ennoble and dignify you in your age. With greater and greater earnestness, then, avoid and forsake all that is low, base, mean, unworthy, and depraved, and follow the right and the true way; aiming to set in yourselves an example of the beautiful union of these grand constituents of true manly Honor: Truth; Fidelity; Courtesy; Reverence; Modesty.
AFTERWORD
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Now that you’ve reached the end of this book, you’re hopefully feeling strengthened, invigorated and inspired to live the seven manly virtues.
But you may also be feeling a bit discouraged. Perhaps the standard of manliness laid out in these chapters seems impossibly high—an ideal that can never be reached.
It probably is. And thus our cynical world would tell you, “Why bother?”
This is why cynicism is the cancer of manhood, the disease that has sapped our virility and eaten away at our thumos.
If you set your ideals high, while you may never reach the peak you’re aiming for, you will assuredly go much farther than if you had fixed your sights on low hanging fruit or upon nothing at all. Not only will you climb higher, you will find your manhood along the way. The blood, sweat and tears you shed as you struggle toward that difficult peak will transform you into the man you wish to be. The reward is not in the destination, but in the striving.
This is a truth the great men you have met within these pages knew well. For example, while Benjamin Franklin never attained the “moral perfection” he sought in living a life of virtue, he believed he was “a better and a happier man” than he would have been if he had not made the attempt.
Becoming a man is not a one time event; it is a decision you make each and every day. It is a decision to rebel against society’s low expectations for men. It is a challenge to not accept a life of apathy and mediocrity and to seek to become the very best man you can be. It’s a decision to take the hard way, to take the path of virtue, honor and excellence, and to leave behind a lasting legacy. At its core, manliness is the decision to simply try and to keep on trying. To stand with Teddy in the arena, to fall and to get up, and to never become one of those “cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”
The voices of the great men of the past rise from the dust, hearkening to you to join them in this legacy of manliness. Will you answer the call?
PERMISSIONS
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CHAPTER 1: MANLINESS
Manliness Is Teachable: From EURIPIDES, COMPLETE GREEK TRAGEDIES, EURIPIDES IV. “The Suppliant Women