Episode: #39 Jack Donovan on redefining the way we see masculinity today

Who: Today's guest is Jack Donovan (@starttheworld), a leading figure on the topic of masculinity. From Jack's about page: "Jack Donovan is the author of The Way of Men, a candid and unorthodox theory on masculinity that has gained underground popularity worldwide... Donovan has been blogging, authoring, and speaking about masculinity and tribalism for over a decade. He resides in the Pacific Northwest and leads a chapter of the notorious Wolves of Vinland, an esoteric group of Germanic pagans." I think this introduction is self-explanatory! In this conversation, we delve into the concept of masculinity, why it shouldn't be stigmatized, and the importance of embarking on our own paths to become stronger and more masculine men. 

 

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Listen here

You can listen and find the show-notes and other goodies at: https://www.nextlevelguy.com/jackdonovan39/

 

What we cover

• Who he is and why he is well known
• What happended during his childhood that made him look in masculinity
• How is masculinity being portrayed in today's society
• What is masculinity and who are the great role models of masculine energy?
• Where he thinks modern day men are going wrong in society and the factors that affect thier masculinity
• How can we recreate the old rituals that boys undertook to become men like the old civilisations do but do it in our easy lives
• Why do you need a tribe to truly become masculine and a man and how it needs to be set up/contain to succeed.
• Can we use sports etc to replace these missing rituals and tribes in our lives?
• Are the characteristics of what makes a good man the same across the world?
• What he thinks about the style of masculinity that is shipped by today's media?
• Can you grade masculinity? Are we masculine or not or shades of masculine more or less than the next man?
• What challenges could you set yourself to become a more masculine man and develop yourself?
• Why is there not a push for men to become more masculine in today's society?Why do some men hate on those who try to improve in their lives?
• How should today's men adapt to the differing roles of women and equality in the modern world
• Can you ever become too mascline? At what point does becoming more masculine cause problems?
• How does the role of the father play in how masculine a man is and how good a man he will be? How should we raise the next generation of men to help raise good men?
• How does he deal with those who dislike the masculinity message he is bringing out?
• How should those listening overcome jealousy, hate etc when they try to become a more masculine man and a better man?
• How can you tell if you are becoming a better man? What is the yard stick or criteria we can use to show improvements?
• The message those listening should take from this interview?
• Are there any unusual things about Jack that will blow your mind?
• How you can keep in touch with him?
• And so much more

 

 

 Some things to reflect on

•  There are a lot of positives about striving to be a better man
• Masculinity is being softened in today's media and "made into a joke"
• "When you are marketing things, you want to be overly inclusive" - the way masculinity is portrayed in today's society is more about marketing than ideology
• Masculinity is what men percieve to each other as masculine, are the things we need from each other to survive through our evolutionary history - The parameters of masculinity never change, they are part of who we are in throughout time
• Find out about Jack Lemmon here - the author who's books helped him on his journey
• What you believe, comes true - it is a self-fufilling prophecy 
• The failing answer in life is waiting for approval for what you are wanting to do
• Your tribe needs to share the same values as yourself and be more than just about one thing like sports - there has to be a higher purpose involved in the tribe.
• "The people who control the media are not average people"
• "Men who don't know what masculinity is are more subject to be manipulated in terms of what tnhey need to be masculine"
• See the interview I did with Tanner Guzy here
• It is a good thing to have competition with other men, to take controlled risks and realise you won't break, that you won't die - physical things are very important
• People will talk down to you when you try to improve yourself as it brings other people's failures into sharper perspective and they don't want you to succeed - getting better should be about you and your own change
• "You don't need to be a dick to be a masculine man", you can be just as smart, as creative, as talented, as loving etc as you always are and get better and yet become more masculine
• You can't expect affirmation from those who aren't on the same mission as you - you need to focus out the hate and focus instead on those who get the message you are providing and on the same journey as you
• If you believe in something, you should measure your actions against and ensure you are meeting your beliefs, that you are being consistent in your beliefs

 

Connect with the Guest

• Visit his website here
• Like Jack on Instagram here
• Like Jack on Facebook here
• Subscribe to Jack on Youtube here
• Buy Jacks' great book 'The Way of Men' here (affiliate link)
• View the 'If' poem he mentions here by Rudyard Kipling
• His speech at the 21 Convention website - you will need to sign up for their free trial to view it

  

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