 Now, this conversation has become more and more poignant and meaningful to me since I started the Universal Brotherhood or Tub about eight years ago, which I didn't begin, honestly, with clear vision as to why this was particularly relevant at this period in time, nor did I see it as being something that might morph into a kind of men's movement, a positive men's movement. But over time, as I've been doing my PhD in men's studies, I've realized that we're at a really dynamic and interesting time in human history, which I think is unparalleled and unique where there is this significant pendulum swing towards women's growth and opportunity and empowerment and development, which is well due, I mean, in the history of humanity. It's never been an opportunity in a time like this where women are finally having a chance to show and shine and develop their potential to the degree that they should, which I think is fantastic. But at the same time, we're kind of seeing the counterpoint to that too, with men feeling more disenfranchised, disillusioned, disconnected and uncertain about who and how to be at this time and whether they can even describe themselves as men. I mean, is that a word that's even acceptable now that we're sort of like, well, it's maybe not a binary equation anymore. So can we even use that word? How do we take masculinity as a construct, celebrate the best aspects of it without it being defined as misogynistic, right? And this is the journey and conversation that I'm eager to help to drive because I see tremendous amount of suffering in my gender. And because I understand my gender as well as I do, I feel that there's a place for people to drive and lead and carry this conversation such that people can be helped by it. Better men makes a better world. It's not even a question as far as that's concerned because the majority of the practical dysfunction that we see that has happened historically throughout the world in terms of active dysfunctional behaviors or active negative behaviors is perpetrated by our gender. Whether it be through warfare or whether it be through abusive resources or whether it be through ruthless business practices, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. So if we can shift the way men think that they're supposed to be and who they're supposed to be and how they're supposed to be in a direction that celebrates the best qualities that we represent and I'm not entirely unapologetic for the best qualities that we represent and I feel quite aggrieved that we're throwing baby out with the bathwater all the time because historical precedence has suggested that we need to do so. In other words, men are bad, masculinity is bad. What we're seeing today is just all political wedges and tools using it as a weapon to divide people, using it as a weapon to brainwash people, to manipulate people. At the end of the day, they just want to buy votes. Yeah, I mean, there are a lot of agendas and I mean recognizing and understanding the type of agendas that are out there and having the intellectual and emotional and insightful wherewithal to realize if you're being manipulated in a particular direction or how you're being manipulated is a huge part of the challenge. I mean, the vast majority of people, as you and I would agree, are not, they either don't have the time or they have not been exposed to the capacity development to be discerning and discriminating. Ergo, they end up being manipulated and shifted, you know, the sheeple get pushed into a particular direction. And I mean, it becomes an interesting question as to how much responsibility we can expect people to take because the manipulative strategies are very, very well developed and are very, very focused and clear. They should take responsibility. They have to take responsibility to the degree they can. But at the same time, I'm sympathetic to the fact that many don't have the resources, the tools and the means or haven't been exposed to them. I don't think so it goes back. I'll push back. I don't think so it goes back to resources or tools. I think it goes back to psychology. But when I say that, what I'm referring to is I'm talking, you know, your socialization process from a child, me, I count as being part of those resources and tools and strategies. I'm talking about your whole socialization. So if you have not been socialized to be empowered and conscious and critical thinking or, you know, open-minded to alternate paradigms, but very, very structured and dogmatic, then it's easy to move you. Right? I mean, and we see that, right? Which is why I say I tend to operate with sort of a six and one half dozen in the other sympathy and expectation of responsibility to be taken. Right? I mean, you know, when you open the door for someone, red pill, blue pill and say, you know, make a choice. If you go this direction, you get this. I don't like the red pill, blue pill analogies. I've always liked the movie. What can I say? No, the movie is great. I'm originally, red pill did mean something. Obviously any meme or narrative gets hijacked. Yeah. And the problem with creating these types of labels or dimensional boxes is if you don't fit in this box. Let me explain what I mean by that. When I say the red pill, blue pill, I'm using it as a metaphor to describe being given a choice. Yes. Being placed in a position where you have a decision to make that will lend itself to one perspective or one or another or one outcome or another, right? So if you tell someone, all right, if you do this, this will be the outcome. And if you do this, this will be the outcome. And now you know, so you're empowered. You see, I like the idea of people being empowered to make the choice. If they were never clear about the outcome or the opportunity that's presented to them, then they're not really fully empowered to make the right choice. So now if they make the choice, listen, I might tell you that if you smoke the cigarette, you know, you're going down the path of likely having some sort of respiratory dysfunction and or a carcinogenic outcome at some point in time. And you know that and you still choose that. Okay. So be it. Deal with the consequences as they come, right? But as per the people in the 40s and 50s who didn't know any better, you can hardly blame them for thinking, you know, cigarettes on planes, cigarettes everywhere in the office, in the elevator. It's not a problem. In fact, here, a pastor can a cigarette. It's all good, right? You know, that kind of thing. So once we give them that opportunity for making a choice, when I talk about that sort of red-pilled, blue-pilled distinction, that's really what I'm talking about. It's like, let me give you a chance here to reevaluate a situation that you may not have been able to take a look at. You know, I love the work of like Malcolm Gladwell, for example, in providing perspective of things that people didn't necessarily hold before. Now you sort of go, oh, let me look at this differently. Now I can sort of make a choice that may lend itself to results that are more in keeping with what it is that I'd like to accomplish and how I'd like to be. You know, I'm always talking about, I'm very interested in how people are being. You know, how is that working for you? And that's not my line. I think it's Dr. Phil or somebody who says that. But I think it's very, very apropos. It's succinct and it describes what's going down, right? How's it working for you? Like, how is your life unfolding for you? The decisions you're making, the choices that you're making, the way that you're comporting yourself, it's going to have results. How are those results? How do they feel to you? You know, when I talk about prosperity, I'm always talking about the subjective experience of that state. I don't care what anybody else describes it as from outside of you. You know, if somebody looks in at you and sees that you've got the Ferrari and you're living in the big house and all that, listen, I know enough people who are rich and miserable to know that that stuff along are trappings and they're not representative of your experience, per se. I'm interested in always the subjective personal experience that a person is having and how that feels to them. And that's the thing that I'm most interested in trying to guide. And when it comes back to the men's conversation, that's the thing I try to look at, you know, you as a man, how is your experience going for you? How's it working for you? You know, how do you feel? How are you performing in a way that is... Do you think we're having like a men crisis? We're definitely having a men crisis. That's all indicative of that. Suicide rates are terrible for men. Men are really confused, particularly millennials, you know, like sort of millennials and under Gen Z or Z, if you're an American, you know, the young kids coming up, it's really confusing in an age and time when there's this whole dialogue as to non-binary binary, okay, so what do I, you know, who am I, how am I supposed to be? And, you know, men are both being, you know, men are vilified constantly and rightly. I mean, the ones who are being vilified, I think, you know, when they are called to task for their misdeeds, it's a good thing, but that's not everybody. And there are many men who are trying to step up that bin and hold positions that are positive and hold philosophies, philosophical orientations that are positive and to be better men. I mean, there are probably better men at this time on the planet than have ever been, by which I would say men who are comporting themselves in ways that are positive and empowering and helpful to the planet, you know, conscious, mindful engagement with their partners, with their children, you know, men deciding to be great fathers. When 20, 30, 50 years ago, 100 years ago, that construct was very rudimentary, you know, fatherhood possibly meant at that time simply providing basic needs at the lowest tier of Maslow's hierarchy, right? I mean, that was it, you're a good dad. You gave them food, shelter and security, done, right? And now there are men who are interested in being fathers who are engaged and loving and supportive and nurturing and helping their kids to understand what it means to be those qualities themselves and to see those reflected. We have that type of thing, and we have men who are at the forefront, of course, of environmental issues and recognizing the importance of us being attentive to these and nurturing and creating a future that will be beneficial to our children and grandchildren, et cetera, et cetera. We have all kind of men who are really, you know, pushing positively, but unfortunately, there is so much of the other stuff out there, too, that I think is really hard for young men to sort of figure out, you know, where do I look? Because a lot of the other stuff gets depressed. Right? So every second day, there's some psycho man who is a shooter somewhere, mass shooting somebody, right? And you never hear about women doing mass shootings ever, right? It's always guys who are doing mass shootings and they're killing random people and doing horrible things or there's a bombing that happens or this or that. You know, these things happen constantly. So with all of that bad press, I think between that and at the same time, you know, young men are seeing the ascendancy of women into positions of power and authority and respect and accomplishment like never before. And I think it's quite intimidating. I think that men, in my opinion, have been resting on their laurels for the entire history of humanity. We have been running the show. Like, let's be clear, men have run the show forever, always, because we had brute strength and we had the capacity to make things so. And we have been the dominant players in the human drama until now. And that is starting to shift in really interesting and meaningful and important ways. Yeah, but we also sacrificed the most, too. We have died. Going to war. Going to fighting. We chose to do so. We did so. Yes, we have all... We have damaged ourselves as much as anybody else. This is the fine dance of masculine and feminine energy. Absolutely. And I mean, you know, there's no question that we have suffered, but we have suffered, you know, in large measure. Our suffering has been self-inflicted in so many ways. That's the other thing that's important, I think, to realize is that why do we necessarily want to participate in things that would be so destructive to us and for us, right? Should we not be aspiring to other ways of being that are more constructive, collaborative, cooperative, healthy, and lend themselves the better and more positive outcomes, right? So I think it's a really interesting time that we're a part of now. And there may be either growth of positive role models who are exhibiting qualities and standards and demonstrating behaviors in practice, not merely in philosophy, that are inspiring to men to look towards and to look to about how to be. And I think that women are especially keen on seeing that type of conversation held and that type of dialogue, you know, men being authentic, men recognizing their own natures and dispositions but not feeling necessarily ashamed by that either. You know, that's the other part. I mean, you know, we are built the way we're built, as men and as women, and I don't think it's appropriate for us to feel ashamed of our natural essence, so to speak, right, as men or women and everybody in between and within all the spectrum either. I mean, I consider it completely apropos that we now have a society where we're allowing people to express their sexual orientation as they see fit. I don't really care. What does it matter to me? What you want to do in your bedroom? It doesn't mean a thing to me. And again, I don't get hung up on any sort of religious opinions about the subject. I'm just looking to see people live as freely and in as great health and manifesting their truth as much as possible. So I don't really care. Do what you want to do in your bedroom as long as it's consensual and it's adult. You know, mature and consensual. Make your choices, right? Make it yours. I don't really care. But likewise, I want to be able to celebrate being a man who is strong.