You can’t have healthy marriages without healthy individuals, and healthy individuals are people who understand themselves and their purpose in life.

Perhaps one reason more young men aren’t getting married, despite many desiring to do so, is because they lack understanding about who they are and what they were made for.

The left tells men that being masculine is “toxic.” On the far right, misogynistic influencers like Andrew Tate respond by telling young men to embrace those “toxic” traits without apology. Often missing from the masculinity conversation is a character trait that provides the much needed balance: meekness.

In this episode, guest Andrew Warthen explains why “Meek is not Weak,” why good should not always equal safe, and how men can find purpose in fully understanding the meaning of their masculinity.

Listen to this next installment of our “Know About Family Formation” series, and check out the links below if you’d like to dive deeper into this topic.

Be sure to rate the podcast, subscribe, and comment or email Know Why with your thoughts or requests for future topics!

Articles Referenced:

Meek is Not Weak, It’s Masculine by Andrew Warthen

https://newguardpress.com/meek-is-masculine/

‘Life Without a Father’: Less College, Less Work, And More Prison For Young Men Growing Up Without Their Biological Father

https://ifstudies.org/blog/life-without-father-less-college-less-work-and-more-prison-for-young-men-growing-up-without-their-biological-father

Study: Gen Z Now Leads in Church Attendance

https://www.christianitytoday.com/2025/09/study-gen-z-leads-church-attendance-average/

Gen Z Men and Women Divided Over Getting Married, Having Kids

https://www.newsweek.com/gen-z-men-women-divide-kids-marriage-poll-donald-trump-kamala-harris-republican-democrat-2126843

Andrew’s Recommended Resources:

Father Mike Schmitz on Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/fathermikeschmitz/?hl=en

Bishop Robert Barron on YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/@BishopBarron

Ryan T. Anderson at the Ethics and Public Policy Center

https://eppc.org/author/ryan_anderson/

The Heritage Foundation

https://www.heritage.org/

The Daily Wire

https://www.dailywire.com/

Theology of the Body by John Paul II

https://stmarys-waco.org/documents/2016/9/theology_of_the_body.pdf

Love and Responsibility by John Paul II (Karol Wojtyla)

https://www.amazon.com/Love-Responsibility-Karol-Wojtyla/dp/0898704456

Young men on the far right and young women on the far left have little in common—except for their views on marriage. Leading voices in the “manosphere” argue that marriage is of no benefit to men, especially when it comes to finances. Many women believe the same lie.

According to a robust body of research compiled by Dr. Brad Wilcox in his book “Get Married,” men who get married experience a significant financial boost called the “marriage premium,” and women who get married are less likely to experience poverty.

While financial gain isn’t and shouldn’t be ultimate reason for marriage, it’s important to combat pervasive lies with facts.

Listen to for the specifics in this latest installment of Know Why’s “Know About Family Formation” series.

More Resources:

Get Married by Brad Wilcox

https://www.amazon.com/Get-Married-Americans-Families-Civilization/dp/0063210851

Why is Marriage Good? Interview with John Mancini

https://youtu.be/F7TCmdtHN-U?si=B_SXvjRdwe_O2dE8

Why Men (And All Humans) Need Sacrificial Relationships

https://youtu.be/Is6MldDYnFg?si=RYietztZO-Lre3bb

Why is marriage good? Is it only good for the material benefits it may provide individuals, like relational security and legal protection? Or is there an intrinsic good to marriage that can't be analyzed with science?

Social and political philosopher John Mancini joins the podcast to kick off the next series, Know About Family Formation. John argues that there is a transcendent good to marriage that can't be fully explained by its extrinsic benefits, and invites us to understand why in this conversation.

More Resources:

How to Make Marriage Great Again by John Mancini (Institute for Family Studies) 

Institute for Family Studies 

Get Married: Why Americans Must Defy the Elites, Forge Strong Families, and Save Civilization by Brad Wilcox 

A 22-year-old founder of two multi-million dollar businesses recently made headlines for claiming that "Work-Life Balance Will Keep You Mediocre." In this last episode of Know Why's 2025 summer series, Liberty looks at whether Emil Barr's extreme sacrifices, including giving up relationships and even sleep, are worth it.

Noting that Mr. Barr makes a few good points, Liberty argues that such an extreme focus on future material success can distract from our true purpose as human beings. In fact, the life some call "mediocre" could be a life of immeasurable eternal impact. Listen to know why.

More Resources: 'Work-Life Balance' Will Keep You Mediocre — The Wall Street Journal 

Know About Creating: Why We Write Stories (And Why You Don't Have to Rush) || Interview With Chelsea and Jonathan Boes — Know Why Podcast

This episode looks at the issues of medically-assisted suicide, also called doctor- or physician-assisted death, and euthanasia. Referring to a recent feature in The Atlantic, Liberty uses examples from Canada to show three problems that arise when medically-assisted death is legalized in a society, and three reasons why it is wrong.

TW: The episode includes several mentions of medically-assisted death, including real-life anecdotes, and mentions of suicidal ideation.

More Resources:

Canada is Killing Itself (The Atlantic) 

How Can I Help a Friend Struggling With Suicidal Thoughts? (Know Why Podcast) 

988 Lifeline

Are you trying to find your calling in life? Are you just trying to find a job? Either way, it can be a frustrating time.

The job market is changing. AI is threatening many collar jobs. A bachelor’s degree isn’t the ticket to success it once was. Meanwhile, culturally accepted wisdom about passion, vocation, and job satisfaction isn’t always rooted in the truth—about happiness, about God, or even about ourselves.

Thankfully, Karen Swallow Prior offers wisdom and clarity in her new book, “You Have a Calling: Finding Your Vocation in the True, Good, and Beautiful.” In this episode, Liberty shares some key takeaways from the book, tying them into previous series on the Know Why Podcast.

More Resources:

You Have a Calling by Karen Swallow Prior

Know About Thriving At Work, a Know Why Podcast Series

What Gen Z’s Work Priorities Reveal About Human Needs, Longing, and Purpose (Know Why Podcast, Summer Series 2025)

Are we at risk of live streaming our lives away?

In a world where large amounts of young people spend more time "connecting" online than in physical life, where we are constantly plagued by FOMO and the urge to share every moment on social media, we risk losing the very life we are trying to preserve in digital memory.

While convenient and sometimes helpful tools, social media and smart technology can present a counterfeit to our needs for identity, connection, and purpose if we're not careful.

Do you agree or disagree? Share your thoughts below!

More Resources:

If I Don't Post About My Vacation, Did It Even Happen? 

Teens Are Spending Nearly 5 Hours Daily on Social Media 

What makes people happy in life? In this episode, Liberty highlights research from the Global Flourishing Study, a 5-year research project that measures human flourishing using a broad range of questions.

Led by social scientists from Harvard and Baylor University, and in partnership with Gallup and the Center for Open Science, the Global Flourishing Study has produced findings indicating that our idea of what makes someone “happy” could be all wrong.

Listen to find out what it really takes to flourish, and how this new evidence underscores what the Know Why Podcast has previously highlighted: namely, the importance of relationships, meaningful connection, and religious belonging.

More Resources:

Global Flourishing Study

The Happiest Country in the World Isn’t What You Think (NYT)

Why are the Wealthy So Unhappy? (World)

Young men are in crisis. A recent article argues that married fatherhood is the key to solving the masculinity crisis, because married fatherhood gives men the meaning in life they inherently desire. It's true that humans need human relationships to be fulfilled, and that marriage incentivizes fathers to invest in their children. But is there more to it that that?

What if our need for other people is more than an evolutionary accident, and actually a sacred design? What if marriage is more than a cultural construct that incentivizes paternal involvement, and actually a demonstration of the highest form of love? What if all of us—not just men—need to know that we are needed, and find our greatest fulfillment in sacrificial love over selfish pursuits?

Listen to know why, and don't forget to check out past series at KnowWhyPodcast.com.

More Resources:

Married Fatherhood Is the Key To Solving The Masculinity Crisis 

Is looking for a "best friend" getting in the way of building a village? 

How politically diverse is your friend group? If your answer is "not very," you're not alone. Nearly half of U.S. voters view their political opponents as "downright evil," according to a 2024 poll. Fewer and fewer people live in politically diverse areas, and digital media exacerbates our ideological bubbles.

But Americans miss out on a lot of good things when we avoid people who think differently than we do. In this episode, Liberty discusses why political polarization has worsened, why it's a problem, and how we can fix it.

More Resources:

You Don't Need the Same Politics to Surf Together

How Can I Keep Faith Above Partisanship? Interview With Chris Butler 

Them: Why We Hate Each Other—And How to Heal by Ben Sasse