I remembered reading Jack Donovan and him talking about how monopolizing violence gives legitimacy to a state or power. Those weren’t his exact words but rather the general idea that I got from reading. It was something that I had always thought deep down but never really had it put into words for me before. The more I thought about it the more I realized that this went far beyond a state having legitimacy to just about everything else in life.
I’ve been called a great many things in my writings, neanderthal, meatheat, cromagnon, “watches too much UFC” (something started doing about year ago, long time after started writing), and a whole lot of other things. Oh prison inmate was another one (which is apparently an insult). Namely most of these things have to do with when I talk violence and its “essentialness” to masculinity and the male life or really life in general.
Something that everyone who doesn’t live in a gated neighborhood understands. However violence is really the most important underpinning of human life as a whole. Having an understanding of it, a familiarity with it to some extent, and a capability to use it or prevent its use on you is just part of existence. Humanity is violence and violence is humanity. This isn’t a good or a bad thing, it just is.
Violence As The Basis Of Everything
We’ve talked before about how one has to master the “barbarian virtues” before they should worry about the “civilized virtues”. Another way of putting it is that you need to be a man before you can be a gentleman. This applies to me and you as individuals but it also applies to societies as a whole. Civilizations that forget the barbarian virtues don’t last very long no matter how strongly or well they champion the civilized virtues. Barbarian virtues is the foundation of civilized virtues. And as we all know without the foundation things cannot stand.
It works the same as being a man. You could be smart as a whip but if you’re soft it’s not going to do much for you in life, at least in the real world. This doesn’t mean be a posturing “tough guy” the way most interpret it. It just means don’t be soft, something every normal person tells their son at some point or shows them through their actions. Violence is the basis of all legitimacy, of all respect. Or at last the capacity to use it. Not rational arguements, not appealing to reason or this or that, but violence.
Someone can choose to respect your beliefs, your “value” as a human being, your magical “rights”, and all of that nonsense but what capacity for violence is always respected. It’s not a choice it’s a biological reality. It’s deeply ingrained in us and not something we can chose. Someone can hurt you then you respect that, simple as that. Obviously this can abused and violence can very often be an awful thing. But the solution isn’t to eschew it and hope it never happens to you. The “solution” is to understand and harness it for good purposes and things.
The Importance Of Violence
And this legitimacy is based on violence doesn’t just apply to world leaders and wars between nations. It applies to everything from a group of friends, to high school, to the work place, and more. Sure you can’t beat up your boss but there is still dynamics at work there. For example in high school guys that are known to fight or willing to always have general higher status among their peers, access to more girls, and more respect in general. Even if they have no other redeemable qualities. Sure the teachers may dislike them but who has ever cared what a teacher thought?
Now you may say “Well that’s highschool” but that’s the thing, people never rise above that level. People are always in highschool. People never stop operating at that level they just learn to be slicker about it. I’m not saying you can’t grow past highschool but everyone still has that same primal base level in them. It never changes because humans don’t change. Again I’m not saying that the only thing that matters is being tough or beating people up or whatever.
Not at all. What I’m saying is that this is important and it remains important throughout ones life. It’s not the only level to master, as a matter of fact it’s the lowest level. If that was all that you mastered I’d say you still have a long way to go in life. But at the same time that it’s the most primal and basic level it’s also the foundation upon which all else is built. A house isn’t complete just because it has a solid foundation but without one it’s going to collapse in on itself.
Violence & You
I know my work triggers a lot of the white yuppie types, which I’m fine with, if anyone needs to be triggered it’s them. But at the same time I don’t want to be misunderstood. I’m saying violence is the source of legitimacy but not the only thing. I’m saying you need to have an understanding of, basic familiarity with, and capability for violence to live a relatively safe and healthy existence here on earth. But I don’t want to be misunderstood.
Am I saying use violence to get what you want? No, of course not. Follow the laws and be respectful of those around you. No one likes a posturing jerk or a bully, they’re weak and lack masculinity. What I’m saying is also understand that violence is important. You may not be a bully but you’ll meet them in your life and no being out of grade school doesn’t change this. What do you think criminals, actually what do you think the majority of humanity is?
Bullies that prey on the weak. Abdicating violence doesn’t make you immune to it, it makes you and those in your care easy targets. Violence is part of our world and life and it’s NEVER going away, ever. Understand that and don’t preen and whine about it. Accept it and prepare for it. Just don’t be blindsided but the reality of how this world and the humans that inhabit it actually work. Violence is the basis of legitimacy for better or for worse, don’t forget that.
If anything I said here interests you I’d highly recommend you check out The Ultimate Alpha Collection which is a compilation of 16 of my books for the price of 5. It covers everything from being a man to making money to getting the right mindset to getting girls to fighting and more and is a resource no man should be without. Pick up your copy today!
-Charles Sledge
