Quintus Curtius

Captain Adolf Von Schell was an infantry officer in the German Army during the First World War. In 1930 he gave a series of lectures on battle leadership to American officers at the Infantry School in Fort Benning, Georgia. These presentations were later collected into a book called "Battle Leadership." In this podcast, I read a short selection from Capt. Von Schell's book, and discuss its relevance for today.

A reader has some questions about some possible choices in his life. We comment on this, and talk about: (1) how having too many choices can inhibit progress; (2) why you should focus on internals, and not externals; (3)why character and determination are all-important; and (4) how you need to shock yourself out of the self-imposed ruts you can very easily slip into.

A reader asks why he feels pangs of regret for not yet being married and having a family. I respond by explaining that (1) everyone's path is different; (2) if you really wanted to do it, you would do it; (3) the real reason for your regret is deeper, and lies elsewhere, and (4) focus on being the best version of yourself you can be.

Are you holding yourself accountable every day by living a good life, a productive life? Are you actions congruent with your words? We talk about that slime bag mentality, how it holds you back, and how those little voices in your head can lead you down the path of vices. There are no shortcuts, no days off, no letups. You need to be putting in work, and not retreating one inch. Ever.

In this podcast we talk about the origins of anger, and how best to manage your anger issues. Most anger can be traceable to:

Failure to hold yourself accountable

Your lack of self-respect

Your lack of self-discipline

Desire for revenge

Sense of loss

Sense of guilt

In this podcast, I talk about the documentary film "Sad Hill Unearthed," and what conclusions we should draw from it. The movie describes how four friends found and restored the cemetery in Spain used for the iconic climax to the 1965 Sergio Leone film "The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly."

We discuss how art can work to nurture dreams, and why you should follow your visions, no matter what other people may think.

My book "Digest," a collection of my most important essays from 2016 to January 2020, has just been released. This podcast describes the book and its contents. Links to find the book can be found at: www.qcurtius.com

I often get questions from readers asking if they should do seminars, courses, retreats, take classes, or things like this. It's a great question. My thoughts are these: (1) Everyone has different motivational needs and requirements; (2) Your resources and time are limited; (3) You should experiment with different things to find out what works, and what does not; (4) Even if it doesn't work out, you will still have learned something.

We're ringing in the new year with another G Manifesto tweet reading (even though he's already in 2022). The topics are: custom suits, nootropics, game meats, mountain villages, ocean swims, beautiful girls, and avoiding weesh dudes. What more can be said? Kick back, have a drink or two, and laugh along with us! Life is too short!

(Most will never get something like this).

This is my reading of T.S. Eliot's immortal poem "The Hollow Men." It's one of my favorites. It becomes more relevant and compelling with every passing year.