Interview on The Ben Shapiro Show
Examining the failure of modern society to build friendships and good men
Yesterday, I went on Ben Shapiro’s show to discuss my popular series on friendship, manhood, and courage. I outlined the failure of our modern society to continue the enduring values that built great civilizations and societies. One of those overlooked bygone virtues is good male friendships and Biblical masculinity. Our modern-day culture perpetuates lies and slanders about men to keep them from achieving great things for their loved ones and the world. With Shapiro, I dig into how this happened and what we can do about it.
Since my series is concluded and my subscriber-based has quadruped while writing it, I wanted to quickly outline each series segment for easy reflection for all my new subscribers
Friendship is vital
Having high-quality friends is an essential and foundational element of being a good man. Today, friends are incredibly underrated and replaced with disingenuous replicants found in addictions, romantic relationships, and work. The power of friendship is its ability to generate loving attachment that pushes you to have courage and to be a better version of yourself. If you want to be a good man, it is required and necessary to have friends.
Don’t be a nice guy
Our modern society has perpetuated a lie that to be a good and strong man today is to be a “nice guy.” This is prevalent across Christian and secular circles. This toxic-shame psychosis is crushing the soul of men and removes any hope of them ever standing up for themselves. Our pro-nice guy culture teaches men to be manipulative, dishonest, covert, resentful, push-overs, people pleasers, and failures. This a prison of self-incarceration from appeasement that I want to set you free from.
End your distorted reality
Men today confuse themselves and the world around them. To be a strong and good man, you must have self-respect and be yourself. The worldly “self-esteem movement” taught you to “believe in yourself,” and good things will happen to you; not seeing these lies locked you into a pattern of being a loser by obscuring reality. To become a good man and stop being a nice guy, you must accurately know the world and yourself as it frankly is. Stopping internalized toxic shame that alters your perception of the world begins by being honest about how you feel and what you want out of life.
Courage is a must
The virtue of courage is neglected by modern generations. Most public displays of courage are fraudulent, masked with victimization and immoral scapegoating. True courage requires faith and challenging the status quo for honor and righteousness. You cannot defend good and defeat evil without courage and bravery. Once you start standing up for yourself and taking control of your life, it will feel like you were reborn. Courage gives you a new birth.
Stop toxic relationships
One of the most common pathologies in our society is how we tolerate toxic relationships out of obligation or vacant compassion. A critical step towards recovery from being a nice guy and becoming a good man is learning to stop the perpetual cycle of choosing unhealthy relationships. These relationships lack boundaries and genuine care for your life. Toxic relationships are an anchor to your soul and spirit. Choose healthy and loving relationships that will walk into the battle of life with you.
Jesus was kind
Modern-day “Big Evangelism” pushes falsehoods about the Christian worldview and Christ’s behavior while He was on earth. Jesus wasn’t nice but kind. Those are very different things. Becoming a good man means addressing your serious misconceptions about Christ and church history. Sound Christian theology teaches masculinity is strong, assertive, kind, moral, and courageous.
