Crisis of Masculinity: Rediscovering Ancient Manhood Virtues

True manhood is not determined by biology or social constructs, but by earning manly virtues through initiations into mature masculinity.

### Initiating Boys into Manhood: The Crisis of Weak Masculinity
* 🧑 "Manhood must be earned through the cultivation of **manly virtue**, as it is not given, but a **prize**."
* 🌍 "Manhood is a state that must be achieved through challenges and ordeals, and this notion is **universal across all cultures and time periods**."
* 👨 Boys today are not being initiated through **Rites of Passage Ceremonies**, and they lack the traditional support of **fathers, elders, and comrades**.
* 🏞 "The safe nest of the mother's world must be left behind, and boys need to be thrust into the **chaotic, untamed world** to catalyze **true masculinity**."
* 💪 "Two major forms of initiation into manhood are the spine initiation, focusing on **challenge, responsibility, and self-reliance**, and the heart initiation, about **surrender, confronting mortality, and returning with a renewed sense of love**."
* 👑 "Men who have endured both the **spine and heart initiations** emerge as mature men who are ready to **lead with love, courage, strength, and wisdom**."
* 📚 "Subscribe for part two and more content on **masculinity, philosophy, and the Warrior's Way**, and check out the book '**The Psychology of Slaying Dragons**' for a **deeper journey of initiation**."

today we will abandon the Western confusion and notions of toxic masculinity, and examine how ancient cultures and traditional peoples answered the question of manhood. What does it mean to be a man? Now, I'm not arguing to put man into a rigid box. Each man is a unique composition, and I honor him as an individual, but there are also universal qualities, virtues, and attitudes that are essential to manhood. We must create a vision of manhood to guide us, or else our boys will continue to remain lost, and our culture will suffer. We must create some kind of foundation and framework around masculinity if we are to outgrow the boy psychology that the West is stuck in. In this first video, we are looking into the initiation process into manhood and mature masculinity. In the next video, we will dig deeper into the ancient concepts of manly virtue called Andrea by the Greeks and vertu by the Romans. Thank you for joining me at Wisdom Warriors. [Music] Right now, we are very confused about

manhood and masculinity. The woke ideology says manhood is simply a social construct with no objective reality. They believe that men have been conditioned to be a certain way, and that anyone can identify as one. Others will argue for biology. They say men are simply born as men, and they are one due to their sexual organs. But in my eyes, both are wrong. You cannot just identify as a man, nor are you a man by virtue of being male. No, my belief, similar to that of most tribes and societies across the ages, is that manhood must be earned. Traditionally, manhood has not been defined by physical sex alone. Manhood is a state that must be achieved through the cultivation of manly virtue. To be a true man is not given, it is a prize. To be one, manhood is the exception, not the rule. The native Fox tribe of Iowa referred to manhood as the big impossible, which only the masterful few contain. Manhood, to them, is a peculiar state of virtue that boys must win against powerful odds. They

must win it in their hearts, minds, and character. This notion that manhood is rare and difficult to achieve is found in all continents, in all cultures, both ancient and modern. Manhood, since the dawn of time, has been venerated and aspired to, and yet it has been recently forgotten and cast aside by the West. Today, we face a crisis in masculinity, not the toxic masculinity so many misunderstand, but a crisis of weak masculinity. Men are psychologically infantile and taught to be effeminate. They are immature, uninitiated, and prone to psychological stagnation and regression. Robert Moore and Douglas Gillette wrote in The King, Warrior, Magician, Lover in the present crisis of masculinity, we do not need, as some feminists are saying, less masculine power, we need more, but we need more of the mature masculine. We need more man psychology. We need to develop a sense of calmness about masculine power so we don't have to act out dominating, disempowering behavior towards others, initiating boys into men. So what has happened to men in

masculinity. I could offer a long diatribe, but the evolution of moral systems, how urbanization and prosperity weaken masculinity, and I could go on and on about the toxic nature of our food and environment, but that is for another video. At the root of things, boys are no longer being initiated through Rites of Passage Ceremonies, and they have grown up without fathers, elders, and comrades. They lack the traditional support that guided boys into strong and open manhood. Boys come into this world like all children, in a state of prolonged dependence on the mother. They are suckled in safety and are emotionally and physically connected to the mother for the first years of life. In traditional villages, boys are mostly raised by women as they develop life skills, social skills, and learn the ways of the tribe. Yes, they play hard as all boys do, but they're perpetually safe and without true responsibility. The woman's domain is the one that is already conquered, and as such, it is a place of ease and order. It's like the Shire in Lord of the Rings.

a place that nurtures and supports the flourishing of young girls and boys alike. At some point, usually around puberty and late adolescence, there must be a split from the world of the mother, and the boy is thrust into the world of man. He must sever from his upbringing and the ways of women and start his journey into manhood. He can get married. I'm a 30-year-old boy or a generation of men raised by women. I'm wondering if another woman is really the answer we need. Unlike the safe nest, man's domain is the chaotic, untamed world. It is the open, wild, and dangerous spaces that catalyze true masculinity. Out there in the unknown, boys must develop autonomy and self-identity amongst other men. They must find courage and strength and discover what it means to be a man through the difficulties they face. Masculinity grows through challenge, and challenge along with insight are what these essential initiations sought to produce in the rituals of manhood. Gilbert Hurt said femininity unfolds naturally, whereas masculinity must be achieved.

here is where the male ritual cult steps in. Throughout all of time, boys have undergone tests and ordeals overseen by Elder men where the boy dies and is reborn as a man. These Rites of Passage have assisted boys in Severance, individuation, and the discovery of their authentic self. [Applause] Today, the boy is dead and in his place is a man. One problem with our culture compared to traditional ones is that we are perpetually in the Woman's World. We are nurtured by our mother and by school systems and indoctrinated into an ideology that is largely effeminate. This is not a bad thing as a whole, but boys must break away from the whole feminine world to be initiated into masculinity, or they will lack a foundation. Only in this way can they return as true men, ready to serve the community. Boys must strengthen their body and mind and will in the company of other men and allow the Wilderness to open their hearts. I have observed and experienced two

major forms of initiation into manhood. One is the spine initiation. The second is the heart initiation. The spine initiation is about challenge, responsibility, and self-reliance. It's about taking unrefined boys and thrusting them into something like a multi-week hunt where the Navy Seals are teaching them how to bear hardship, support others, and endure these challenges in the wilderness, athletics, or in the military. Instill manliness, the virtues of strength, courage, forbearance, and leadership. It strengthens the spine of man. The wolf begins to circle the boy, claws of black steel, fur as dark knight, eyes glowing red jewels from the pit of Hell itself, giant wolf sniffing, savoring the scent of the meal to come. Do not fear the grips him, only a heightened sense of things, the cold air in his lungs, windswept pines moving against the coming night. His hands are steady, his soul perfect. Many men are lacking the severance from weakness in the world of women, so they never get a start into manly virtue.

without a strong spine, they will never cultivate a deep heart. In my eyes, the spine initiations should persist throughout the teenage years. They build camaraderie, self-confidence, and capability amongst boys. Has developed a program that assures every student of physical excellence, foreign the heart initiation. In my case, came later in life, in my 20s. I believe this level of initiation to be different. It is about taking already strong and cultivated men and opening their eyes and heart in a new way, bringing them deeper than ever before, preparing them for marriage in heart-centered leadership of family and tribe. The heart initiation is a more individual initiation in the wilderness, perhaps with an elder. It's about confronting mortality and the fact that you and everyone you love is going to die. The heart initiation is about surrender, release, and crying to God, as the natives called their four-day Vision fast. Through this process of deep surrender, either to pain, poison, psychedelics, isolation, or fasting, the initiate touches the great mysteries of death, sheds their old self, and returns to life.

with a renewed sense of love and appreciation for all things, he becomes deeper and more profound than ever before. He has been initiated into open masculinity. When men are stuck in psychological infancy, they adopt lifestyles and attitudes that are in opposition to manhood. This is what we see today as a result of not leaving the world of mother and going through the spine initiations. Boys have not developed the manly virtues of self-reliance, courage, and fortitude. Many of these men lack vigor and industriousness in the active enterprises of life that is expected of men. They remain weak, unsure of themselves, and dependent. Many of these stuck men are consumed by lethargy, addictions, and tend to escape from struggle and responsibility. They are incapable of protecting and serving others. They are lost, reactive, and far from the mature masculine presence and virtue that is required of them. As a result, they bring harm to themselves and to society, hence vanquishing this boyish psychology.

was so important to past cultures. Infantile men threaten the entire tribe. Weak men are spiteful, insecure, and self-centered. They are cunning instead of wise, reactive instead of rooted, and they tend to manipulate their way to power instead of earn it. Strong men, however, are protective, nurturing, and community-centered. These capable men ensure the growth and flourishing of the tribe. And in the past, men found their meaning and value through this service to others, to women, and to the whole. Those who have endured the many initiations of the spine and heart emerge as mature men who are ready to lead with love, courage, strength, and wisdom. These are the exceptional few, the standard and ideal of manliness. They have weathered battles, hunts, hardships, heartbreaks, and long nights in the mountain to be forged into men with great character and integrity. These are the symbolic kings that ensure the flourishing of all of mankind. And that concludes part one of a small series on manhood. Make sure to subscribe for part two and more content on masculinity, philosophy, ancient.

philosophy and the Warrior's Way. Also, if you want to go deeper into your personal journey of initiation and claiming your strongest life, make sure to check out my book, The Psychology of Slaying Dragons. It's coming out in one month. You can find it on Amazon, but if you want to get notified of the launch and get free essays from the book, make sure to sign up Linked In the description below for all of that. This is Wisdom Warriors. I'm Christian. I'll see you at the next video. Peace.

MANHOOD - What We've Lost

Wisdom Warriors

Rethinking Manhood: A Return to Ancient Wisdom

Ancient cultures viewed manhood as a state to be earned through virtuous qualities, in contrast to modern views on masculinity.

Manhood was considered a rare and venerated achievement, requiring initiation and psychological development.

The current crisis in masculinity is seen as a lack of mature masculine power, emphasizing the need for psychological development and the cultivation of virtuous qualities in men.

The evolution of moral systems and urbanization are weakening masculinity in modern society.

Boys are growing up without traditional initiation rites, father figures, and the support needed to guide them into manhood.

The transition from the safe environment of the mother's domain to the challenging world of manhood is crucial for the development of true masculinity.

The Importance of Rites of Passage for Boys

Rites of passage overseen by elder men help boys transition into manhood through severance and self-discovery.

Traditional initiation rituals focus on challenging the boys both physically and mentally to instill manly virtues and leadership.

Many men today lack this severance from the feminine world, which is essential for the development of manly virtue.

The Importance of Spine and Heart Initiations in Male Development

Spine initiations are crucial for building camaraderie, self-confidence, and capability in boys during their teenage years.

On the other hand, the heart initiation, usually occurring later in life, focuses on deepening men's emotional awareness and preparing them for leadership and family life.

Without these initiations, men may struggle to develop mature masculine virtues, leading to a lack of self-reliance and the inability to take on responsibilities, ultimately harming themselves and society.

In past cultures, strong men were seen as protective, nurturing, and community-centered, while weak men were considered spiteful and self-centered.

Men found meaning and value through service to others and were expected to lead with love, courage, and wisdom.

The ideal of manliness was achieved by enduring various initiations and challenges to emerge with great character and integrity.