The Spirit Of Man

This is a free chapter from my book To Be A Man: A Guide To Manhood. Enjoy.

What is a man? This is a question that many have attempted to answer. However few have answered this honestly and accureately. Most have their own agendas when it comes to defining what man is. Some wish to include the definition of man into their morality system whether it be religious or secular. For example I’ve heard a man is one who respects his fellow man or respects women and while in the right circumstances those may both be good things they have nothing to do with what a man is. Then there are those that address what a man is from an amoral stance and simply describe him biologically. There is good to this and these definitions have aided greatly in understanding what a man is.

However they still fall short of what a man is entirely. And truth be told what a man is entirely is something that is beyond the scope of a book. It is something deep and timeless. However something that has been left undescribed is what the spirit of man is and it’s importance in the grand scheme. Most males are disconnected from this spirit and therefore disconnected from their power. They have been led to believe in a multitude of lies and psyops designed to strip them of their virility and power. Those lies and psyops are a topic for another time and one that entire series could be written about. What’s important here is understanding this spirit so one can get in better touch with it and overcome the obstacles of this world and age.

The Fire Within

Most males do not live with a fire within. They have been led to believe that masculinity is something that they can either joke about or is an evil. Those are the two options society gives (except for certain occasions when it’s okay to be a certain definition of manly but only for a short time, for example during certain actions in war). However the vast majority of the time masculinity is either said to be responsible for the world’s evils or a source of ridicule. These are designed to hide the truth of masculinity and to hide it’s power from those who have the potential to posess it. For the truth is masculinity is something sacred and powerful.

And like all things sacred and powerful they must be kept hidden and under wraps by those in power. This internal fire must be extinguished for with fire comes power. Fire casts out fear and allows one to use their own eyes in the darkness that has been lain upon the world. Anyone who wishes to keep those under their control in fear have to make sure that the fire never gets a chance to spread. But enough about others for this book and chapter are about you and your masculinity. The spirit of man is this fire within, this fire that animates one to life and to great deeds. It is available to all though some certainly make more use of it than others. Like the mind it is something that must be cultivated and grown.

Kings, Heroes, & Savages

This spirit is best seen in action. Is is hard to describe with words and any word you use will fail to grasp it entirely. Even pictures such as fire does not do it complete justice. It is the spirit that animates great kings, legendary heroes, and savage warriors alike. It is what animates Alexandar the Great to conquer the known world, inspires the Spartans to stand against the Persian hordes, and inspires many others like them. History is replete with examples of this fiery spirit of man and men who have cultivated it to great stength. It makes up the tales the one used to tell their sons whether of their ancestors or of great heroes of their tribe.

It can also be seen in the great myths and tales spun from a wise man’s mind instead of from flesh and blood. It can be seen in both Achilles and Ulysses. As well as the tales of Conan the Barbarian and Tarzan of the Apes. Beowulf embodied this spirit to a great degree. As well as did great explorers whether they crossed the sea or went into uncharted lands with not much but water and sword or gun. As you see it’s hard to describe this great, sacred, and powerful thing called manhood and masculinity. Yet when one sees it, it’s impossible not to take notice of it. One mocks masculinity for the same reason one mocks God because they either fear it, don’t understand it, or both. Or they know that their empire of deceit and destruction would collapse upon exposure to it.

Cultivate This Fire

The spirit of man is something that flows through you. It makes both the weak and the evil uncomfortable. It is something that must be cultivated and raised. It’s vulnerable at first but eventually grows into the greatest and mightiest tree in the forest. Use others as your guide to start, that is how man as a species learns best. Then once you have a grasp of it you can grow it and use it in your own way. Expose yourself to it and you’ll forever be changed by it. Don’t fight against it or think of it as an evil. You might as well think of the water you drink or the air that you breathe as an evil. It is your life force and life blood without water and air your body will die and without masculinity the same can be said of your spirit.

There are many ways to cultivate this fire. From books, to physical training, to bonding with other men. To suffering and coming out better on the other side. Going through the fire is an essential part of refining this part of your soul. The strongest of steel goes through the hottest of fire. The same can be said of manhood. The spirit of man needs to be cultivated and refined before it can be all that it can be. Begin this process sooner rather than later.

If you enjoyed this chapter then I’d encourage you to pick up the whole book To Be A Man by clicking this link.

If you have any questions you would like to see answered in a future post send them to me at charlessledge001 (at) gmail (dot) com. If you found value in this post then I would encourage you to share this site with someone who may need it as well as check out my books here. I appreciate it.

-Charles Sledge