In his refreshingly candid book, “The Masculinity Manifesto: How a Man Establishes Influence, Credibility, & Authority,” Ryan Michler, the host of the Order of Man podcast (downloaded over 45 million times) argues that masculinity should be celebrated and nurtured rather than denigrated and eliminated.
Men require purpose, and need to feel useful, productive, and valuable, the author writes. For men, happiness is not the end goal; fulfillment is. Attainment, achievement, and accomplishment are what give men purpose.
Michler notes that the suicide rate of men today is roughly four times higher than women because many men are self-absorbed and have abandoned their masculinity and natural instincts in exchange for societal acceptance.
The father of four does not mince words in his books or his podcast. He is unafraid of going against the grain of today’s culture because he believes it is incumbent upon men to do the right thing, even when it’s not easy or popular.
For instance, in the opening chapter Michler spells out the difference between maleness and manliness:
Serving Others
The unifying thread throughout the book is the importance of men achieving influence, authority, and credibility through service to others. Those three traits have to be earned, which the author outlines in Part I, “Bear the Burden.”In Part 2 (“The Mindsets of Masculine Leadership”), the author expounds on how notions of “modern masculinity” are counterproductive, and how successfully managing controllable internal factors can better affect a man’s external factors like influencing others and establishing credibility.
He argues against the thinking today that masculinity is a societal construct rather than a biological one and notes that societies worldwide have successfully operated on that premise for generations.
Roughly half the book (Part 3, “Harness Masculinity for Productive Outcomes”) is devoted to eight specific masculine virtues that the author believes has “created more freedom, independence, and sovereignty than any other factor in the history of the world.” He wryly notes that the American Psychological Association (APA) has deemed four of those virtues (stoicism, competitiveness, dominance, and aggression) harmful in today’s society.
The author rejects the APA findings because he believes that it is not masculinity that defines men, but how masculinity is used.
To Protect, Provide, and Preside
The other four masculine virtues of vigilance, violence, honesty, and self-respect are outlined in individual chapters with valuable nuggets discussed in each. For example, the chapter on vigilance contains this gem: “Action without analysis is reckless; analysis without action is worthless. You aren’t going to serve the people you care about with your intentions alone—what you ‘meant to do’ won’t help in a crisis.”The author lists three archetypes of masculinity: protect, provide, and preside. He says men are biologically hardwired to protect, and males that embrace that role in a balanced approach will inevitably find fulfillment.
Michler states that men are either consumers or producers, and men should strive to produce more than they consume, otherwise they fall short of fulfilling their natural role as providers.
The author also believes that men are designed to lead and every man wants to lead in some capacity. “A man who presides values honor, integrity, and selfless service. A man who presides can not only see further than others can, but he can stay in the fight longer than most are willing to.”
Michler sprinkles each chapter with personal anecdotes and thoughtful axioms that resonate with readers and motivates one to take action, such as encouraging men to create their own manifesto, study it, and live it.
“The Masculinity Manifesto” is an essential guide for any man that wants to be all that he can be and by doing so, to leave the world a better place.
