Principles for Young Men: Building Value and Purpose

The primary project of every young man is to build value within himself, share it with others, and play the long game for compounding rewards.

### Timeless Principles for Young Men in 2024
* 👨 The project of a young man involves defining his **usefulness to the world**, as there is a historical pressure on men to **earn their place in society**.
* 💑 Develop the ability to approach women in person and state your **sexual interest** in the simplest and most **respectful terms**, with **self-improvement** being the ultimate dating advice.
* 💍 Choosing a long-term partner is one of the most important decisions a young man can make, as a **great partner can make every endeavor easier and more enjoyable**.
* ⏳ Almost all valuable traits in a man compound slowly over a long period of time, so **avoid falling into short-term status games**.
* 🎓 The primary project of every young man should be to **continue their education indefinitely**, learning important life skills they didn't acquire in school.
* 🧠 Try not to think of life as a series of achievements, but rather a series of explorations, to avoid **entangling your ego and identity** in them.
* 💪 "Satisfaction and self-respect as a man will grow in proportion to the **value that you bring to those around you**."
* 🌍 Recognize that today there is **more freedom and opportunity than any other time in history**, so **push yourself, build value, and share it with others**.

- Weak men try to convince
the world they are not weak. Strong men try to convince
the world of nothing. There's a lot of terrible advice for young men on the
internet, and I get it. Being a man in 2024 is (beep) confusing. So in this video, I'm going to explain
some timeless principles that are important for any
young man to understand. (bright music) Let's start with this. The project of a young man means defining your
usefulness to the world. A woman's value to society is innate. She has an inherent
potential to create life, but men we're expendable. Young men, especially as
long as there's one man somewhere with a working dick, civilization is going to be fine. Therefore, throughout history, there has been an intense
pressure on young men to earn the right to be part of the tribe, society, or civilization. As the philosopher
Camille Paglia once wrote,

A woman simply is, but a man must become. The project that Paglia alludes to is the becoming of a man. It is therefore to build your value to become a net positive for society. As men, we have a deep instinctual desire to do this. It's largely what generates confidence and self-esteem, and it gives our lives a sense of meaning and purpose. (upbeat music) Develop the ability to approach women in person and state your sexual interest in them in the simplest and most respectful terms. Assuming you have your together and don't look like a basement-dwelling troglodyte, you will absolutely be shocked how far this will get you. Ultimately, the only good dating advice is self-improvement. Everything else is either a detail or a distraction. Build value within yourself, give that value to those around you, and most of your dating problems will take care of themselves over the long run. Choosing a long-term partner

will be the most important
decision you make at this stage of your life. I know no one tells you
that, but it's true. A great partner will
make every other endeavor that much easier and more enjoyable. A bad partner will make
every other endeavor unnecessarily difficult and complicated. So choose wisely. And if you're really
struggling with women, then read my men's dating book Models: Attract Women Through Honesty. It sold nearly half a million copies and even 12 years later,
it continues to be one of the bestselling
men's books in the world. (bright music) You're probably like most young men and that you're incredibly impatient. You wanna prove your status and worth now. You want the fast car and
the fat bank account now. You wanna bang the hot girl now. Trust me, my dude, I get it. Almost all things that
are valuable in a man compound slowly over
a long period of time.

Wealth, knowledge, strength, self-awareness, emotional maturity, family. These things are not found. They're slowly built. Over the course of years and decades, there will be many temptations to bypass the long status game for a bunch of short-term bullshit status games. This is the biggest mistake that I made when I was young. I thought I could shortcut the long-term value game by winning a bunch of dumb short-term value games found in parties, video games, nightclubs, and traveling. These experiences were a lot of fun, don't get me wrong, and I did learn some things from them, but ultimately they probably distracted me from the bigger and more important goal of developing myself. (upbeat music) If the value of being a man compounds slowly, then that means the primary project of every young man should be to continue their education indefinitely. You do not stop learning when you finish school. On the contrary, the real useful education has only begun.

Your project then is to learn the things they didn't teach you in school. How to relate to people, how to be dependable and trustworthy, how to listen well, how to take risks, how to communicate your thoughts
and feelings effectively. How to stomach rejection,
how to manage your emotions, how to admit when you're wrong. If you have emotional
or mental health issues, now is the time to deal with them. Not when you have a girlfriend,
not when you're married, not when you're already
fucking up your kids. Get it taken care of now. Everyone will thank you
for it decades later, which leads me to the sponsor
of this video, Betterhelp. There's a bit of a meme
going around right now that therapy doesn't work for men. And as a man who got therapy in his 20s and benefited greatly
from it, that's bullshit. The key is to find a good therapist, a therapist who understands
what you're going through

and won't condescend to you,
or ignore your problems. And this is what's great about Betterhelp. If you're unhappy with your therapist, you can switch at any time. You can take your time, find someone who's the right fit for you. When I was 23, I noticed
that I seemed to sabotage every romantic relationship I was in. So I got therapy, and I
found a male therapist who I felt would understand a
lot of my sexual insecurities, and he was great. He actually helped me immensely. So as part of your continued education and your discovery of yourself, get your emotional
together, get some therapy. Everyone will thank you for it later. Go to www.betterhelp.com/markmanson to get 10% off your first month. Use the link in the
description to learn more. (bright music) Try not to think of life as
a series of achievements, but rather a series of explorations.

You're not trying to achieve money. You are simply exploring
the means to make money. You are not trying to achieve sex. You are simply exploring your sexuality. You're not trying to achieve six-pack abs. You are simply exploring the potential of your health and fitness. This allows you to
pursue worthy experiences while not entangling your
ego and identity up in them. Because even the most
noteworthy achievements, when laced with ego, will turn
you into a selfish asshole. (upbeat music) If you have to say you are something, you are not that thing. If you have to convince people
that you are high value, then you are not high value. If you have to make people respect you, then you are not worthy of respect. The best way to earn respect
from people around you is to first give it unconditionally. Took me a long time to learn that satisfaction
and self-respect as a man will grow in proportion to
the value that you bring.

to those around you. Don't make the same mistakes that I did. (bright music) Don't be afraid of your emotions. Learn to recognize your
emotions and state them bluntly, but never let them
dictate your life to you. Emotions are merely a
suggestion, not a decree. Don't make excuses. Don't blame the world
for your shortcomings. Don't become bitter or resentful about things that don't affect you at all. (bright music) The world will constantly
try to seduce you with moral outrage. Usually these narratives are sold by other men whose projects
have been derailed, men who have failed themselves and others, and are trying to prove to you
that success is impossible. This outrage is empty calories. Don't buy into these narratives. (bright music) Become an expert of your own mind. Learn what motivates you.
Learn what scares you. Learn what tempts you and
what vices derail you.

Test and build systems for yourself. What gets you to exercise in the morning? What helps you have
difficult conversations? What gets you to stop drinking
before you go too far? What upsets you unnecessarily? What the ins and outs of your own mind is? This will affect everything you do. (upbeat music) Complaining and talking shit is how weak people relate to each other. Train yourself to stop doing both and stop hanging around
people who do both. You are the average of the five people you surround yourself with. So take a long hard look
at who you're choosing. (bright music) The world may seem like shit. The world always seems
like shit to young people, but recognize that today there is more freedom and opportunity than any other time in history, yet fewer men are willing to act on it and take it than ever. The average young male is undereducated, underemployed, overweight, broke, and has never approached
a woman in his life.

Just fucking try. My God, just
try and you're already ahead. So push yourself, build
value, share it with others. Push yourself, build value,
share it with others. Rinse and repeat. Play the long game. Start compounding value
within yourself now, reap the massive rewards down the line. Then it's just a matter of being patient. Compounding takes a long time, so never interrupt it unnecessarily. Just remind yourself periodically that it's only going to
get better as you go. And when you do get there, it won't be some big celebratory moment. Nobody's gonna throw you a parade. No. Once you get there, you actually won't even know you're there until one day you see an old video or a story or someone
reminds you of something and you kinda laugh to yourself and say, Wow, can't believe
I used to be that way. I would say, I'd congratulate
you when you get there.

I will be happy for you. But once you're there, you won't need any
fucking congratulations. You'll be fulfilled all on your own. Instead, I'll just do you a
favor by ending this video. After all, you've got a lot of work to do, so it's time to get started. (upbeat music)

My Honest Advice for Young Men

#1 NY Times Bestselling Author. World Champion Non-Fuck-Giver.

For all sponsorship/business inquiries please email Chad Boukzam at chad@cndentertainment.com


Mark Manson

Young men face the pressure of proving their usefulness to society throughout history.

Building value within themselves and choosing a long-term partner are crucial for their confidence and self-esteem.

Patience is key, as the things valuable in a man take time to develop and compound.

The Long-Term Game of Personal Development

Personal development is a gradual process that cannot be rushed through short-term indulgences.

The primary focus for young men should be continuous education beyond school, learning essential life skills and addressing mental health early.

Therapy can be highly beneficial for men's personal growth when the right therapist is found.

The Power of Therapy and Self-Exploration

Betterhelp offers the flexibility to switch therapists and find the right fit.

Therapy can have a significant impact on overcoming personal challenges and insecurities, as seen in the narrator's experience.

Mark Manson's message emphasizes the importance of self-exploration and growth, shifting the focus from achievements to valuable experiences and self-respect.

Recognize and express your emotions, but don't let them control your life.

Refuse to buy into narratives of moral outrage promoted by others.

Understand your own mind, motivations, and weaknesses to build effective systems for yourself.

Avoid complaining and negative talk, and choose your social circle wisely.

Despite the world's challenges, recognize the freedom and opportunities available, and take action to improve your situation.

Pushing Yourself to Build and Share Value

Pushing yourself to build and compound value within yourself is crucial for long-term success.

The process of compounding value takes time and patience, with the rewards becoming evident in the long run.

Achieving this personal growth and fulfillment is a quiet but significant accomplishment, not reliant on external validation.