The Rise of Spectatoritis

“He can have all of the apperances of earnestness and obedience; but his interests, his thinking can be miles away. It is only by developing want in the workman that we can develop a workmanship that is art.”

-          Jay B. Nash, Spectatoritis

In the year 1932, a Gym teacher by the name of Jay B. Nash published a book which has been lost in the sands of time. This is unfortunate, because he had predicted the sedentary and autonomous lifestyle for which we all find ourselves in. Nash labeled this disease “Spectatoritis”, which is defined as “a blanket description to cover all kinds of passive amusement, an entering into the handiest activity merely to escape boredom”. He further warns us that machines, our slaves, will liberate us from many activities which used to be done by the hands of humans. With this free time, man has reached an existence foreign to our species. Since the dawn of time, man has had to work earnestly to feed himself, clothe himself and protect himself from possible dangers which surround him. Today, we have preferences which have never before been allotted to us. Instead of eating what has been trapped in snares, we turn up our nose to dishes made by chefs which are not to our liking. Instead of clothing ourselves with the skins of game for which we have caught and skinned, we go to the local clothing outlet and spend our time gazing for the “perfect” pair of jeans. Instead of enduring the pains of cold, we open windows to our homes so that we may air it out after the thermostat has been on high for too long. Nash claimed, in 1932, that mankind has risen to an era of convenience never before known to our ancestors. How true does this statement hold in the modern era, where everything you could ever want to know or ever want to purchase is accessible on your phone at the touch of a button?

                  “Play can neither be contrasted with nor used synonymously with work (vocation), recreation (recuperation) or leisure (time for creative arts). It becomes the mainspring of all!”

      Today, what do we do with our time? Do we strive for excellence in our jobs? Do we spend time bettering our lives through our study through our artistic passion? Or, do we spend our time in recreation? Instead of utilizing our time for the betterment of ourselves, too often we spend our time binge watching shows, space out on social media platforms or mindlessly walk through life with no chief aim in life. The truth of the matter is simple: Work, recreation and leisure must be a balanced part of our existence. What many of these individuals do not realize is that, by supporting the short term and immediate gratification which the idleness of life we now live, we are raising a generation of human beings which believe that everything must be instantaneous, believe that their lives have meaning when they have done nothing to be remembered and will eventually hold the reigns of the world which does not function in this manner. According to the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project Post-Election Survey, eighty three percent of those aged eighteen to twenty-nine utilize social media. Of those, sixty-six percent are a part of what is now known as the IGEN, meaning those who have never known a life without the internet. This would not be an issue if the average level of literacy in America is at an eight-grade reading level, ProLiteracy has claimed that more than thirty million adults in the United States cannot read, write, or do basic math above a third-grade level. The obesity rate is thirty-five percent and in children it is twenty-percent in children aged twelve to nineteen. What is the cause of such a pandemic? The answer goes back to Nash and his philosophy of Spectatoritis, the blanket of passive amusement done merely to escape boredom.

      “A whetstone is dull, but it serves to sharpen Damascus blades”

-          Elbert Hubbard

What can be done to change this descent into the abyss? Some have claimed that the fault is to be lain at the feet of the Educational system for not providing instruction within such a matter. Others blame the parents of other children which petitioned for the leniency of instruction of their children on life. Hell, some have even pointed the finger at those who took prayer out of school and do not punish children for not standing up for the Pledge of Allegiance. No, there is only one which is responsible for the descent into complacency, only one who can be convicted over such a matter. The fiend which has crafted this society is ourselves. In every sect of nature, the aggressive and curious, experimental organism lives; the other dies. In our complacency, we have developed generation after generation of men and women who desire something for nothing, are expectant of awards and praise for meaningless matters, do not allow children to fail and do not educate them on how to live a proper life. Ever since the Baby Boomers, generation after generation has been enveloped within a digital age. Slowly but surely, life became easier and easier. We do not chop wood to warm our homes. We do not have to transcribe upon a typewriter, correcting the errors by starting over on that page. Newspapers are only a touch away on our phone. We have electric cars and homes whose electricity is crafted by solar panels on the roof. The author is not saying that these advancements are bad for the world, quite the contrary. What the author is claiming is that there have been five generations, from the Baby Boomers to the IGEN, who have been brought into a world where gratification has become more accessible, where people are connected to others all over the world and have developed an idleness never before known in this world. Never before 1921 when White Castle, the first fast food restaurant in America, has this country had access to food so open to them. McDonalds feeds roughly sixty-eight million people, nearly one percent of the world’s population, every single day. There is no incentive for people to be active because we have crafted a world for which everything is autonomous, where effort is seen as a useless endeavor and where everyone is appreciated for nearly everything.

            “The value of an education lies in the struggle to get it. Do too much for people, and thehy will do nothing for themselves.”

-          Elbert Hubbard

What can be done about the issue which plagues this world? Do we strip away the conveniences for which this world has now, and revert back to the days of cavemen? Certainly not! This is a glorious place for humanity to be, a time when we have more time than ever before to focus on the improvement of the self. The very nature of such inventions cries out for universal truth, grants us a place where science, reason and progress will lead to all mankind’s happiness. However, we have lost this way. In the technological age, greed has poisoned our souls. We have created speed but have shut ourselves in. Machines which create abundance still leaves us in want. This lifestyle has granted us the privilege of being cynical and brutish of all the great and marvelous achievement for which humanity has undergone. The chilling warning of the quote above is that, unless there is some drive for a better future, and everything is done for us, all will be lost. We will become just like the very computers we have crafted: cold, soulless and isolated. Therefore, the author implores the reader to change their mindset and begin crafting a life on Health, Wealth, Love and Happiness.

It has been shown by the MedicinePlus clinic of the United States government that a focus upon your health that you will live longer, your mental clarity will increase and, most importantly, your weight will decrease. This does not mean that you must join a Zumba class or a P90X regime, go on a crash diet and feel miserable to accomplish this. It is recommended that one hundred and fifty minutes of exercise is sufficient. If you say “I haven’t the time for such a thing”, consider this: statistics show that, on average, people spend 135 minutes a day on social media, consumers in the US are averaged nearly four hours a day watching television, gamers spend roughly six hours a week on video games and in North America, the consumption commutatively of YouTube is almost three billion hours a month. A thirty-minute walk five times a week doesn’t seem to strenuous now, does it? The Mayo Clinic recommends a two-thousand calorie a day diet, while the average American consumes thirty-six hundred a day. To put this simply, for a person who does little to no exercise, they will be gaining roughly 3.2 pounds of fat a week; if continuing on this trend, one could possibly gain 166.2 pounds of fat in a year! Luckily, the prescription for this illness is clear: stay to the Mayo clinic recommendation and go for a thirty-minute walk, swim or bike ride five days a week. The results may surprise you.

People suck when it comes to money. The average for America when it comes to credit card debt is a staggering 16,425 dollars, while almost thirty-percent of households have only 1,000 in savings and the median in retirement accounts is 63,000 dollars. To put this into perspective, if you drew Social Security and drew five percent annually off your retirement account at this amount, you would be living off of 20,150 dollars a year. To place this into even more realistic numbers, the average cost of living for a single person per year is 13,200. Keep in mind, this only includes bare necessities: rent, food and clothing. This does not factor in the television, the nice watches or the amazing shoes. What can be done about this? The answer is simple: pay off all debts before you spend that money on anything else, place ten percent of your check every month into an interest-bearing account and STOP WASTING YOUR MONEY! This is not to say that you cannot enjoy the present but it does mean that you have an obligation to yourself to prepare for the future. This may come as a shock to some, but you will grow old. There will come a time where you simply cannot perform the work which you once did and you will have to rely upon someone to keep you alive in old age. Who do you trust with providing for you more, the government or yourself? Who knows you better? What kind of lifestyle do you want to have when you reach this portion of your life? These are the questions which need answers if you want fulfillment in old age.

 Love is a peculiar thing. People fall in and out of it all the time. In addition, they get divorced just as easily. Many people have avoided such a commitment to others and live together as a couple, but never have the nuptials. In truth, one must be wary of such a matter. If they do not wish to be bound to you in such a manner, then what stops them from seeing you as simply another face in the masquerade? Commitment is key for any relationship and it is the tie that binds people towards one another. For love to work, both parties must put forth the effort. This is done by simply acknowledging your partners loves, fears, thoughts and ideas. It is not simply a physical action, but it is an emotional action. What too many people do is attempt to bond simply at the physical level before connecting through the emotional. The role has to be reversed. If there is a strong emotional connection, then the physical will be even more passionate. You will begin to care about the person, not simply what you can glean from them. You will begin to express longing to see that person, feel that intense passion for that person alone and will feel more fulfilled in the relationship. When they feel lonely, do not hesitate to comfort them. When you see that something you can do will make their lives easier or will please them for you to do for them, do it; they will, in turn, begin to do the same for you, causing a snowball effect which will bind you closer to that person. When we neglect our partner, they will neglect us. A flower cannot grow without sunlight, water and shelter from harmful elements. In the same way, one must nurture their relationship with their other if they ever want it to last. If not, you would have wasted a portion of your life for which you can never get back and long for what could have been.

The final pillar is happiness. Much like love, this is a strange category, mostly because it is rather subjective. However, that is the beauty of it. In our ever-increasing leisure, we are given the chance to express our love for something more frequently. The suggestion for this pillar is also quite simple: do something which not only brings joy to yourself, but also to others. In this manner, you will learn how to spot and to give gratitude to others. You will learn the value of a helping hand, a friendly smile or a dinner at home with your family. The insight will cause you to be more open with the world around you, causing you to want to pass on the happiness for which you received to others. This simple action of granting happiness to others will also craft bonds which are difficult to break, causing you to feel more fulfilled and will cause everlasting friendships. The greatest killer of happiness is loneliness. By performing this action, you are ensuring yourself that, no matter what happens to you in life, you will never be alone.

The author concludes with this: he already knows that most people will not follow this advice. Most say that they want a fulfilled life, but are too lazy to do anything about it. Most say that they want health, wealth, love and happiness; sadly, they want it delivered to them on a silver platter, with no effort from themselves. Most mimic the modes of happiness in their unfulfilled lives, hoping that by copying a great life, the forgery will hold up for just a little while. Instead of embracing others, most will embrace the autonomous world for which we live in, oblivious to what they are missing just outside their front door. Without companionship in reality, they turn to social media, speak to people which they have never met about their problems, will tout to the world that they have ten thousand followers and call it living. By building a life based on such a philosophy, hoping for the best, they do not realize that, brick by brick, they have sealed their own tomb in the digital age. A single companion in the real world is worth a million online. The author hopes that someone will take this advice and change for the better. If so, they will be amazed at just how much they will grow in the process.

On Prophets

Within every generation, there is always a prophet. He is always wise, studying the ways of the world. He ensures that he understands the right thoughts, the right words and the right deeds necessary to ensure a fruitful and successful life. However, one must ensure that they are not deceived. For whenever there is a good man of faith, there is also an evil one which utilizes his religion to prey on the desperate. Instead of hope, he grants them servitude; he will tell them whatever it takes to make his word law over their lives. By freeing himself within his perspective of self-righteousness, he proclaims to his congregants that his own rule is law. Truly, the habit does not necessarily dress the monk. The best way to determine his worth is to look into his actions, not through his words. For no man can conceal with his hands what his heart chooses to reveal.

Learn Yourself

Self-knowledge is the most crucial factor which one may understand about themselves. He which knows how to wield his own power is one which is able to achieve all that he is faced with. He overcomes his frailties by first understanding what they are, by learning how to bolster them and how to use this process to better himself as a whole. He which wipes away the vain ideas of self-victimization is guaranteed to bequeath a better path of life in this world. Therefore, instead of kneeling towards tension, he must rise to the prospect of becoming more than he once was. By establishing which area in life is needed for improvement, what area is needed for one’s betterment and what area is needed in life for ascension does not come from external forces; it comes from the internal struggle which drives all forces. The truth of self-knowledge is that it derives a fruitful sense of power over oneself. You don’t rise to the occasion, you sink to your level of training. We must ensure that our self-knowledge is stronger than another’s knowledge of us and that the only way to be free in the heart is to be free in mind.

The Cure to Heartache

            It is essential to differentiate who can and cannot cause you misery. Once you love someone, they are immediately granted such power. Once they have that ability, it is up to you, the decider over your own emotion, on whether you will accept their pain, endure their misery or forego their telos altogether. Once this idea is in our mind, you make the decision on whether or not this person may remain in your life. Though true love never vanishes completely, the significance of it in relation to that jilted lover may fade, decreasing their power over your heart. It is by choice, not chance, that misery, heartache, and despair enter our lives. The titillating tale of a victim is that their misery is the fault of others and not themselves. They accuse others of throwing rocks at their glass house when it is by their own permission these people hold the stones in the first place. Truly, we are the cause of our own discontent. Until one realizes this, they are destined to remain a victim for the rest of their life. Therefore, in order to find happiness, we must be selective about who we love.

The Power of Council

                We must ensure that our council is only among the wise. With each step towards the chambers of astute individuals, we take another step towards becoming the men we desire to be. Each connection we make towards excellence drastically shortens the path for which we take in our search for a life’s purpose. With every shortening of this length of time, we can see our dreams made manifest at an alarming rate, causing a mans life purpose to emerge into fruition. A man cannot emerge into what he wants to become alone; he must rely on the allies he accumulates over his career to aid in the rise. Just as they were there for him, so too must he be available for the friends he acquires. In this manner, his allies will stand by his side instead of abandoning at the first sign of struggle. A Mannerbund is essential for the dream of men to survive. It is crucial for groups of men to unite under a common purpose, fighting against the dying light.

Silence is Golden

                There is great power in the art of silence. In a world filled with noise, it’s different to find someone who is comfortable to endure the pains of a soundless plane. In a world where every single follicle of time is easily filled with something which fills the ears, one may find themselves uncomfortable in a realm without a medium of noise surrounding them. In a world which seems overflown by men who love to hear themselves speak, it’s unusual to find the man who is perfectly fine with bridling his own tongue. Instead of saying less, his words retain their power. By not wasting his voice with meaningless matters, his diction finds worth in the minds of those who listen. Though limiting his own speech, he is able to listen to the speeches of others, gaining wisdom in the process. Much like the life of a magus, he sees the actions of others and chooses to implicate of refuting those ideas through logic and not passion; he has this ability from the simple discipline which erected itself through his power over his own instinctive voice pertaining to a subject. In truth, by placing this simple control over one’s own self, they will reap the benefits, even if seeming, like a wise and powerful adversary to their enemies.

The Stoic Mindset

      There is a simple truth which too many ignore in this life: we are not in control of the future or the past. All we are capable of is learning from the previous and acting in such a way that the future can be manipulated to serve our purpose. Through our actions, the road in front of us is paved with an intent on will. Through our actions, we are capable of suggesting fate to alter her design and allow good fortune to enter our lives. Through our actions, one dovetail always leaves a change where another will fit, creating a link between us and our self – fulfilled prophecies. Despite knowing the limits of our all-too-mortal power, we still grasp the shadows of the former and allow it to fuel the hatred among our hearts. We must control our impulses, not the impulses of the world if we have any hope of living a fulfilled existence. We are captains of a vessel leading into unknown territory; our only chance for survival is designated simply in being present in this dominion. If anything, we must strive to build a mindset dedicated to forge a mentality for living in the present, shaping our affluence and creating our destiny. We need not dwell upon the past but rather focus upon the future, which is all our own.

The Fall of the Educated Man

It would seem to the author that the world which currently exists is the decayed corpse of one which came before it. Where there was once a beauty, there is now calamity. Where there was once intellect, there is now ignorance. Where there was once a drive for men to make more of themselves than they were before, there are now shells of people who are content to remain the nothing they always have been. What sickness has overtaken this world? Has it always been this way, or has something drastically shifted in the universe? Is it that the decadence of the Renaissance has turned to the paltry of the modern social normality? If so, then the truth of the matter is that humanity is on the road to its utter destruction. If not, then the Intellectual Movement may be able after all to decimate the chains which have strangled the mind and rise again to the heights of perfection. The questions which the author wishes to deduce the answer and course of action to are simple in their design, but require much attentive thought before they may be publicized to the world of men.

Question 1: Was there ever a time when men were at their intellectual peak? If so, when did the shift towards mediocrity occur?

            Since the dawning of the ancient philosophers in Greece, man has never been in want of intelligent minds and groups to organize them. It is with the utmost compassion that the author contributes most of his earlier years of education to the words of Plato, Horace, and Cicero. From these men, the author learned of morality, Stoicism, understanding, creativity, the capacity to generate a will of iron, and the presence of manhood. Moving forward into history, the author also credits Saint Augustine for a genuine understanding of his faith. Through the works of William Wordsworth, the author adopted his clever wit and presence with the English language. Francis Bacon is noted for the lessons of essay writing as well as civil affairs. The works of John Locke only magnified the author’s love for the multitude of experiences into the schism of government and just policy. With just a few individuals the author has mentioned, a man will have a total understanding of what it means to be an intelligent man, for he has studied nearly all of the core curriculums through the eyes of these wise and influential males. The author says “men” as a universal terminology, and is not suggesting there were not women as well who have not aided in the understanding of human thought; however, as this essay is not directed to the female counterpart, the remaining piece shall study the male role only.

            In continuation through the years, the author has discovered heartache through Poe, the tyranny of obsession from Melville, the tragedy of unbridled love from Stoker, and the search for paradise in a world of confusion from Fitzgerald. This selection not only expands the subjects which the author has begun to understand and know, but delves deeper into the great divide which standardized education has shunned from conventional modern education. Through the delving of the Quran, the author began to understand the significance of all religions and was intrigued to continue his advance to the Lotus Sutra, which held answers to questions he raised through the Holy Bible. The Baghavid Gita provided simple and yet powerful prose to the advancement of his mind, and the Necronomicon to understand the power of darkness from within the human soul. The Torah and the Talmud gave the author understanding of structure not only in the laws of God but also in the laws of men, which led the author to the acceptance of his stated religion Catholicism. Through the authors many years of study within his church, he has also gained a thorough understanding of the inner workings of each and every church within mankind. It was here, hidden deep within the verses of scripture, that the author discovered the reasoning as to why the intelligent man is a decaying lot: he has forgotten the first truth to obtaining wisdom, and that is acknowledging there is a God of the universe.

            Taken loosely from King Solomon, any man who does not accept a God of the universe is a fool, and this makes sense to the author. Whatever God a man prays to, he seeks wisdom from that particular place. If his God is a man, then he will take the lessons of that man. If his God is a bottle, then he is destined to learn all that particular flavor of drink can give him. However, as any believer will tell you, the God of the universe is not versed in one man or idea or law but is the essence of creation which has allowed such false gods to exist, and the sole controller of all elements of life. If one serves such a God and utilizes the gift of wisdom from him, then that man is destined to be the master of the man, the bottle, and each false prophet and god which exists. By the power of his God, he will see through the confusion and despair which would lead others to tremble in the presence of such obstacles. This is the defining authority which the belief in God bestows upon man: the ability to transcend their humanity by refuting the notion of giving into the world with all of their heart.

            This leads to the next point. To become an intelligent man, he must be a motivated man ready and willing to adapt and grow for the benefit of himself and for those who rely on his judgments. If he is not a self-starter, then he must allow God to bestow within him a mind which will enable him to become a man of persistence. Once a man is persistent, he will have the ability to follow through with his plans for his life, he will be able to bend the world to his will and will be able to utilize the lessons which his God has bestowed upon him. This is the actual basis for advancement in a man’s life, and too often these unelidable truths are far too overlooked in a world for equality and tolerance. For a man to harness these first two truths, he must be the master of his world and not the world around him.

            Refuting to the objectivity of will, which is a combination of faith and persistence, it must be carefully constructed and disciplined within the virtues of a Stoic that have stood the test of time. The powerful truth which must be understood is that the virtues of a man’s life are the foundation for the life in which he lives and the construction of the world he must establish. Without some understanding of the self, a man is doomed to the outside influences of the society which he dwells, and is shackled by the false sense of security which the culture around him generates. To be a man, it takes a deep security of one’s self and a deep infallibility of the virtues which he holds within his heart. The primary reason why these ideals are long gone in men’s culture of the modern age is that intellect is deemed feminine, that productivity is considered a reclusive act, and that the betterment of the self is rooted in the man alone and not in the connected relationship with God. When a man has severed the cord which connects him with the all-knowing king of the universe and abandons the power of obedience, then he will never again feel wise or authoritative in his life and will slip down the slope of mediocrity, corralled by the vestibules of every other man who followed the same path.

Question 2: When did the intelligent man become such a rare jewel in the world?

            In the previous section, the author discussed the process in which he has encompassed his beliefs and how a man must create his own. He has also orchestrated his belief as to how the intelligent man has been stripped from society. The following is his belief as to why the wise man has become nothing more than a shadow fading as the sun rises, and lay dormant in the lives of humans in the twenty-first century. The man who once was everywhere now resides only in the characters of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, his virtues only with the clergy, and his work ethic seemingly a faint glisten in the night sky. Of course, there are many reasons why this male is nonexistent. However, the author believes there is one singular act which allowed this change authority to come to pass: man’s lack of concern for his health and the rise of obesity in males.

            This notion may seem impossible to some, but in truth, a man who is diligent in the training of his body typically is persistent in multiple ways of life, as he must tactfully plan his routine and set in place strict guidelines for it. Are these not the basis for the intelligent male’s life in other areas as well? Is it not the amount of control a man has over himself which determines his authority over his intellect, his duty to his family, and his work ethic in his employment? Through the power of his body, a man’s mind is forced to elevate to the excellence which it requires to be an equal. This is why Leonardo da Vinci placed his physique in the priority with his art, why Marcus Aurelius spent his free time away from his philosophy to the advancement of his body, and why Thomas Jefferson made sure that his mind and body were performing at their peak simultaneously through his life. These pioneers of men understood fully that, without their bodies functioning just as hard as their minds, then they were never going to reach the potential of their forefathers.

            The dawning of the fast food industry and instantaneous gratification has led the world into a double-digit obesity rate, causing the overall health of the modern culture to decline in paramount levels. Once the lack of personal health and wellness befuddled this world, almost in parallel, the intellect of man fell right along with it. Not to say there are not out of shape intelligent people residing in the world today, but there are few who live long enough to lead a fulfilling life and a well-rounded life due to their inability to obtain the physical needs to sustain an intelligent life. Intellect, in this case, is defined as the ability to understand how to improve one’s life in each and every avenue of that life. Without a physical well-being, a man will not achieve this task and will miss the opportunity to glean the lessons from taking care of themselves, in addition to earning an existence of constant restraints. So thus, a man who is not well adept in the skill of self-maintenance, a man will not find it worth his time to expanding his mind, for he has no care for his very physical image, which is the one portion of his life that will project the entire outlook of his life.

            In his now apparent laziness, man has placed more and more responsibility upon his female counterpart. Where once women only needed to be concerned with the rearing of children, she now works just as hard, if not more strenuously, than her husband. Such an abrupt shift in the family dynamic has left a disestablishment of order within the household, inadvertently leading to unconscious problems within the leadership of the residence. Where once the man had total control over his ward because it was he who constructed the house, now the female leads the finances. Where once the male had absolute authority over the bearing of the children, there is now a challenge between the matriarch and patriarch due to the equality of the amount of work placed within the income streams. In some cases, a man abandons his responsibility in its entirety, subjecting himself to switching roles with his wife, and taking the role of the mother. This in itself leads to deep seeded issues within the family dynamic, for it is not the place of the father to undertake the role of the mother, just as it is not the place of the mother to take responsibility for the patriarch’s duties. By doing so, the father will one-day attempt to usurp his traditional power within his home, only to realize it is not his home, but rather the home of his wife.

            It is the man who has generated such an issue within his home; it is not the work of anyone else, and man has no one to blame but himself. It was the male who chose gluttony over productivity, it was the man who chose atheism over faithful service to God, it was the man who chose the bottle over the well-being of his family, and it is the man who has to answer for his crimes against the established order of nature. If a male makes the attempt to blame another for his crimes, then he is no man; he is simply a child who never was placed through the process of becoming what he was born to be. The only glimmer of hope which males have now is that, since they are the ones who have established such rash change, it is the masculine society that has the power to reverse the damage which they have caused. To perform such a surgery on the anatomy which they have distorted, however, they must understand the eugenics behind such an operation, and know that it will take time for the rest of the world to accept something so against the status quo. Just as a mighty bond welded upon metal, this clasp likewise is not so easily broken with just one swing of the hammer of rejuvenation. 

Question 3: Is there any possibility for a man to push past the adversity of the world around him, and once again become an intelligent man?

            In short, the author would say yes, for anything can be taught and controlled with diligence and discipline. Then again, the lack of these two skills is the primer for why males are the degenerates which they are today. For a man to arise from the pits of intellectual decay, he must first make the effort of doing so by utilizing the ladders of discipline and diligence. To push past the adversity of the world, he must be grounded within himself, and must, therefore, establish a method of structure within himself before he attempts to discern order upon anyone or anything else. It is not wise for a man who has no control over his life and does not have a keen understanding of his purpose to make an attempt to guide another through such a journey. He must first make the confession that his life as it is now is not worth living, and understand what changes must be implemented to become the man he wills himself to be. Without such a will, he will never rise to the level of such great men before him. Without such an increase in productivity, in faith, in discipline, in understanding, then it is true that chivalry is dead, that tradition has sung her final verse, and that the established order is nothing more than an old legend created by men who are no longer remembered. If a man chooses this path, if a man wants to live in a tyranny of the world, then he need not continue this essay and must accept the consequences of it.

The Decay of the Intelligent Man

In the modern age, man is seen as a vulgar and undistinguished creature capable of nothing more than drooling and belching his way through life, intentionally ignorant of the ways of the intellectual males which have stood before them. Through the ages, man has been praised for his brilliance, his courage, and his honor to his clan. However, in the coming age of millennials, man has become the beta in the society which he once led, and has allowed his female counterpart to become the commander and dictator of the world around him. This dissertation explores the motivation of the fall of intelligent men and the rise of the ignoramus which has replaced wise and resilient males who are the predecessors which circumnavigated the globe, wrote fantastic works of literature and set in motion the laziness of the modern man.

            It was not by sheer accident that the generation known as the millennials are facing such an atrocious lack of male presence in their future society. During the past twenty years, young boys were raised to significant volumes within a single parent home, and most of those boys had only maternal figures to aspire to be like. Thus the road of anti-masculinity was paved by the mistakes of our fathers and those parents before us. Where once a family sought their father as the religious leader and role model, there is now a power vacuum which the mother now has to replace for the family dynamic to remain. These young boys grow up without the guidance and wisdom of someone who has been in their shoes and must rely on their mother for advice to becoming a man. The previous comment is not to say that a woman cannot raise a boy to become a man, but it is necessary for a male to be a part of the family dynamic so that the youth has a focal point to aspire to be like. In the absence of such a role model, young boys can never be the man they could be and have to settle for the man which society forces them to become.

What is War?

note: I've always wanted to try and write an essay this way. it is in the form of what they call "belle lettres", meaning "beautiful language". It was a form taught in schools in the seventeen hundreds and was not necessary meant to be backed by information, but rather by cogitative thought and emotion. Let me know what you think!

            The essayist has always believed that war is an act of violence intended to compel an opponent to fulfill their will, submit their power and to force another to subject their own fealty towards they who has gained the upper hand. Conflict is necessary for the state to exist, essential for nations to rise from the ashes of another and vital for empires to maintain their fiefdom. It is an artform, ever changing with each skirmish, twisting and turning with each battle and exchanging the pendulum of zugzwang between opposing powers. This clash will continue until the bitter end until that moment when all is lost for one side, when that moment arises when there is no other choice for one general but to beg for mercy, to surrender and bend the knee to his adversary.

            This being said, no victor truly elates in their triumph. Through the struggle of maintaining a successful campaign, a nation must make many sacrifices to see through their attack plans to the end: political compromise, financial strain, casualty, munition, clothing, transportation, loss of moral from the people as well as their soldiers. Even if the war is won, the legacy of those lives lost must be remembered in such a way that, should such an engagement be embarked upon once more, the people will be more than willing to warrant it. The most delicate allotment of the art of war is not that a campaign can be duplicated but rather it is whether or not the people will allow such an operation to take place once more.