101 Things I Will Teach My Son (Because I Want Him To Be A Man And Not A Pansy)
I wrote this in response to this very vapid and “Pillowy” piece by Ted Pillow “101 Things I Will Teach My Sons“.
1. Be calm.
2. Be stoic.
3. Be a rock, but only to those that deserve it.
4. Contemplate your life often.
5. Don’t babble.
6. Speak when you have something important to say.
7. Be the leader when a leader is needed.
8. Love your brothers.
9. Never betray your fellow man.
9. Be good to your friends.
10. Draw strength from friendships.
11. Don’t wait for the world to change around you.
12. Change the world.
13. Develop self-discipline.
14. Take occasional walks in the forest alone.
15. Let nature give you strength to carry on when the going gets tough.
16. Avoid violence when you can.
17. But don’t hesitate to use it when the situation calls for it.
18. Realise that you don’t deserve anything by virtue of existing.
19. You make yourself deserving of things by accomplishing great feats.
20. Break down and cry only if the situation really warrants it.
21. Crumble only when you are so overcome with grief that you can’t keep standing.
21. A man’s tears actually mean something.
22. There is great value in camaraderie.
23. Pour a glass of Whiskey on Friday evenings and think about the joys of the past and what challenges the future will bring.
24. Don’t fall in love with the bottle. She has killed many a good man.
25. Having to rely on substances to feel good is a weakness.
26. Most women are not to be trusted.
27. Lift heavy.
28. Swim fast.
29. Run far.
30. Listen to and heed what others have to tell you.
31. Go hiking.
32. Go fishing.
33. Go hunting.
34. Learn from history and the men who made it.
35. Make history yourself.
36. Respect your elders.
37. Build things.
38. Create your own business.
39. Don’t concern yourself with your fellow man’s business unless it concerns you too.
40. Don’t treat women like they’re special.
41. They’re not.
42. Speak up against injustice.
43. Keep your interaction with trashy women limited to a good time only.
44. A good woman can heal your deepest battle wounds.
45. Marry a good woman (they’re rare but they do exist).
46. If you’re not good at something, accept the fact and don’t blame others.
47. If a bigger man knocks you down, get back up and work on improving yourself.
48. Next time you meet, you may have become a bigger man.
49. Strive to always win.
50. But if you lose, shake the hand of winner and thank him for a good game.
51. Make everything into a healthy competition.
52. Don’t antagonize those more successful than you.
53. Endeavour to become one of them instead.
54. If you see a man suffering in the street, lift him up, dust him off and do whatever you can do to help him.
55. Help those weaker than yourself help themselves to become stronger.
56. Don’t let beauty cloud your judgement.
57. The experience of unrequited love can be more dangerous than anything else in the world.
58. Know that many men have died because of it.
59. Never settle settle for second place.
60. Be wary and wrap it: A few minutes of ecstasy can lead to unwanted consequences.
61. Take trips alone to clear your head.
62. Work hard at whatever you do.
63. Don’t ask for handouts.
64. Don’t accept bribes.
65. Your enemies are men just like you, don’t forget that.
66. When the dust of battle has settled, meet your enemy, shake his hand, look him in the eye and try to understand his pain.
67. If a gang of bullies come to town, do what you can to drive them away.
68. If you have demons in your soul, do what you can to kill them.
69. You’re not going to get anywhere just “being yourself”.
70. If a certain aspect of yourself is not good, you must change that. No one is stopping you.
71. Rest your head on the bosom of a woman you love after a tough day.
72. Women are emotional creatures, if you don’t feel like riding out storm upon storm, leave her.
73. Treat others according to their treatment of you.
74. Try not to hold grudges, they fester.
75. If someone crosses you, think before you cross them back.
76. Don’t choose an occupation simply because it’s fun. That’s what your free time is for.
77. Pick your fights carefully.
78. Don’t let women distract you from your goals.
79. Don’t waste time arguing with women.
80. Control your impulses.
81. Eat meat.
82. Don’t be petty.
83. Become the king of every room you enter.
84. Unwind with a beer when night has fallen.
85. Don’t ask for help when you first stumble.Try again yourself.
86. Always repay your debts.
87. Be on your guard, the smiling man may have a knife behind his back.
88. Sometimes you have to do things you don’t want to do for the sake of your family or your country.
89. Make sure you never raise another man’s child.
90. If a tyrant rules over you, take him down.
91. Defend those that you love.
92. If you are so down that you cannot keep going, there is no shame in grabbing the helping hand another man is offering.
93. There will always be thugs who want to destroy you and all that you love .
94. Know that if you show weakness, world will destroy you. That’s just the way it is.
95. As a man you’re disposable according to society – make yourself indisposable.
96. Step up to the plate when someone needs a hero.
97. Know that you, just like me, my father his father before him have the potential to become great men.
98. Listen to old and scarred warriors, they’re almost always wise.
99. Read books.
100. Don’t make lists online.
101. Unless you feel that you really have to.