 Your masculinity is no longer required. Masculinity is optional. It was born out of necessity, but it is no longer a necessity for 90% of us. We didn't make this choice ourselves. We didn't choose this personally, but our role as men is outsourced to small groups of men. And a lot of it is automated and done by machines. You can work to become stronger and faster and more competent. You can get a black belt. You can acquire enough tactical and firearm skills to be comfortable and to thrive in a war zone, but most of you will probably never use them. When I talk about the tactical virtues and the perimeter, I tell men to imagine what would you guys need from each other right now if the zombies attack? And I think that's an easy way to realize what, you know, how men judge each other in the past. When you had to survive, but the reality is the zombies are not coming or they're probably not coming. You know, civilization could break down and the shit could hit the fan at any minute. And it seems like it should, but it never does. It keeps limping along like a drunk that should have passed out hours ago. And it may keep limping along and getting dumber and more annoying for the rest of your life. It is possible, even likely, that no one will ever need you to step up and be a man. Today, if you want to be better at being a man, it's because you believe that being good at being a man is better. Because you believe that becoming better at being a man is the best way to become the best possible version of yourself. Because you believe in your own potential, because you believe that you can rise, life in this empire is easy. The way of men is hard. Becoming better at being a man means making your life harder for men to become the best possible versions of themselves. They need resistance. Pressure is required. And eventually I realize that this pressure really has to come from other men. Masculinity is a muscle and to some extent muscle defines us. We get more of its stock without doing anything at all. And if we don't use it, it atrophies. But if we do apply resistance, it gets better. It becomes more powerful, more beautiful in accordance with the nature of what it is. And personally, I can't think of anything more beautiful, more right than seeing a man rise. And seeing him overcome resistance and become what he is. To see him become heroic. To see him do something that he didn't know that he could do. To see his force is hard and nerve and sinew. To serve his term long after they are gone. And to hold on when there is nothing in him, except the will that says, hold on. I mean, I can't think of anything better than that. I can't think of anything higher. That's religious, that's spiritual to me. To seek resistance, to work, to become better at being a man. I believe that that is a higher path. No one was telling me that I had to do that. No one was forcing me to do it. I went out and found a group of men to hold me accountable to that ideal because society does not care. It makes people uncomfortable, actually. And most people would prefer it if you just learned to love yourself just the way you are, whatever that is. But my point here is that the way of men is a choice. Masculinity is a philosophical value. It may not be a necessity, but it can continue to be a noble ideal. All right, when the way of men first came out, a philosophy professor came to me and he said,