The Art of Manliness - Manvotionals: Timeless Wisdom and Advice on Living the 7 Manly Virtues

by Brett McKay

  What Man Understands That He Is Dying Daily?

  FROM MORAL LETTERS TO LUCILIUS, 65 A.D.

  By Seneca

  The Roman Stoic philosopher Seneca wrote letters to his friend Lucilius in which he espoused the tenets of a life aligned with Stoic ideals. These letters were compiled in Epistulae morales ad Lucilium (Moral Letters to Lucilius). In this letter, Seneca beseeches Lucilius to use his time wisely.

  Continue to act thus, my dear Lucilius—set yourself free for your own sake; gather and save your time, which ’til lately has been forced from you, or filched away, or has merely slipped from your hands. Make yourself believe the truth of my words—that certain moments are torn from us, that some are gently removed, and that others glide beyond our reach. The most disgraceful kind of loss, however, is that due to carelessness. Furthermore, if you will pay close heed to the problem, you will find that the largest portion of our life passes while we are doing ill, a goodly share while we are doing nothing, and the whole while we are doing that which is not to the purpose. What man can you show me who places any value on his time, who reckons the worth of each day, who understands that he is dying daily? For we are mistaken when we look forward to death; the major portion of death has already passed. Whatever years be behind us are in death’s hands.

  Therefore, Lucilius, do as you write me that you are doing: hold every hour in your grasp. Lay hold of to-day’s task, and you will not need to depend so much upon to-morrow’s. While we are postponing, life speeds by. Nothing, Lucilius, is ours, except time. We were entrusted by nature with the ownership of this single thing, so fleeting and slippery that anyone who will can oust us from possession. What fools these mortals be! They allow the cheapest and most useless things, which can easily be replaced, to be charged in the reckoning, after they have acquired them; but they never regard themselves as in debt when they have received some of that precious commodity—time! And yet time is the one loan which even a grateful recipient cannot repay.

  “Nihil sine labor.” (“Nothing without labor.”) —Latin maxim

  Ben Franklin’s Maxims on Industry

  Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.

  Diligence is the mother of good luck.

  God helps them that help themselves.

  At the working man’s house hunger looks in, but dares not enter.

  For industry pays debts, while despair increaseth them.

  By diligence and patience the mouse ate in two the cable.

  Little strokes fell great oaks.

  Since thou art not sure of a minute, throw not away an hour.

  Trouble springs from idleness, and grievous toil from needless ease.

  Many, without labor, would live by their wits only, but they break for want of stock.

  Sloth makes all things difficult, but industry all things easy.

  Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made of.

  Sloth, like rust, consumes faster than labor wears, while the used key is always bright.

  There will be sleeping enough in the grave.

  Lost time is never found again.

  Laziness travels so slowly, that Poverty soon overtakes him.

  Industry need not wish, and he that lives upon hopes will die fasting.

  Plough deep, while sluggards sleep.

  Handle your tools without mittens; the cat in gloves catches no mice.

  Constant dropping wears away stones.

  A ploughman on his legs is higher than a gentleman on his knees.

  “The chiefest action for a man of great spirit is never to be out of action … the soul was never put into the body to stand still.” —John Webster

  The Choice of Hercules

  FROM THE MEMORABILIA

  By Xenophon, c. 371 B.C.

  Xenophon (430–354 B.C. ) was an ancient Greek historian and student of the philosopher Socrates. His Memorabilia is a collection of Socratic dialogues which purports to record the defense Socrates made for himself during his trial before the Athenians. While arguing against indolence and for the beneficial effects of labor, Socrates cites a story told by the Sophist Prodicus: The Choice of Hercules.

  This story was popular throughout the eighteenth century; John Adams used it to guide his life and wished to make an illustration of the tale the design for the Great Seal of the new nation. It is a fable used to convey a profound truth: that there can be no sweet without the bitter, no growth and no true happiness without work.

  When Hercules was in that part of his youth in which it was natural for him to consider what course of life he ought to pursue, he one day retired into a desert, where the silence and solitude of the place very much favored his meditations.

  As he was musing on his present condition, and very much perplexed in himself, on the state of life he should choose, he saw two women of a larger stature than ordinary, approaching towards him. One of them had a very noble air, and graceful deportment; her beauty was natural and easy, her person clean and unspotted … her motions and behavior full of modesty, and her raiment was white as snow. The other wanted all the native beauty and proportion of the former; her person was swelled, by luxury and ease, to a size quite disproportioned and uncomely. She had painted her complexion, that it might seem fairer and more ruddy than it really was, and endeavored to appear more graceful than ordinary in her bearing, by a mixture of affectation in all her gestures. She cast her eyes frequently upon herself, then turned them on those that were present, to see whether any one regarded her, and now and then looked on the figure she made in her own shadow.

  As they drew nearer, the former continued the same composed pace, while the latter, striving to get before her, ran up to Hercules, and addressed herself to him:

  “My dear Hercules,” says she, “I find you are very much divided in your thoughts, upon the way of life that you ought to choose; be my friend, and follow me; I will lead you into the possession of pleasure, and out of the reach of pain, and remove you from all the noise and disquietude of business. The affairs of either peace or war, shall have no power to disturb you. Your whole employment shall be to make your life easy, and to entertain every sense with its proper gratifications. Sumptuous tables, beds of roses, clouds of perfumes, concerts of music, crowds of beauties, are all in readiness to receive you. Come along with me into this region of delights, this world of pleasure, and bid farewell forever, to care, to pain, to business.”

  Hercules, hearing the lady talk after this manner, desired to know her name; to which she answered, “My friends, and those who are well acquainted with me, call me Happiness; but my enemies, and those who would injure my reputation, have given me the name of Pleasure.”

  By this time the other lady came up, who addressed herself to the young hero in a very different manner.

  “Hercules,” says she, “I offer myself to you, because I know you are descended from the gods, and give proofs of that descent by your love to virtue, and application to the studies proper for your age. This makes me hope you will gain, both for yourself and me, an immortal reputation. But, before I invite you into my society and friendship, I will be open and sincere with you, and must lay down this, as an established truth, that there is nothing truly valuable which can be purchased without pains and labor. The gods have set a price upon every real and noble pleasure. If you would gain the favor of the Deity, you must be at the pains of worshiping him: if the friendship of good men, you must study to oblige them: if you would be honored by your country, you must take care to serve it. In short, if you would be eminent in war or peace, you must become master of all the qualifications that can make you so. These are the only terms and conditions upon which I can propose happiness.”

  The goddess of Pleasure here broke in upon her discourse: “You see,” said she, “Hercules, by her own confession, the way to her pleasures is long and difficult; whereas, that which I propose is short and easy.” “Alas!” said the other lady, whose visage
glowed with passion, made up of scorn and pity, “What are the pleasures you propose? To eat before you are hungry, drink before you are athirst, sleep before you are tired; to gratify your appetites before they are raised. You never heard the most delicious music, which is the praise of one’s own self; nor saw the most beautiful object, which is the work of one’s own hands. Your votaries pass away their youth in a dream of mistaken pleasures, while they are hoarding up anguish, torment, and remorse, for old age.”

  “As for me, I am the friend of gods and of good men, an agreeable companion to the artisan, a household guardian to the fathers of families, a patron and protector of servants, an associate in all true and generous friendships. The banquets of my votaries are never costly, but always delicious; for none eat and drink at them, who are not invited by hunger and thirst. Their slumbers are sound, and their wakings cheerful. My young men have the pleasure of hearing themselves praised by those who are in years; and those who are in years, of being honored by those who are young. In a word, my followers are favored by the gods, beloved by their acquaintance, esteemed by their country, and after the close of their labors, honored by posterity.”

  CHAPTER FOUR

  RESOLUTION

  * * *

  If industry is the motor that propels men to greatness, then resolution is the gasoline that fuels the engine. History is full of men who displayed bursts of energetic genius, but weren’t able to feed and sustain their initial fire. Men who tried but who did not persevere. Their flames went out as quickly as they ignited.

  Resolution is a defining characteristic of the mature masculine. A boy will dabble in many things, but will seldom finish what he starts. When a challenge arises or when he grows bored with a project, he’ll move on to something else. So too the irresolute man. In place of dusty toys, he leaves behind the fixer-upper car on cinder blocks in the driveway, the half-finished deck out back, the angry first wife, the reams of paper waiting to become the Great American Novel.

  It is easy to make a choice, much harder to endure in that decision and see it through to the very end. Starting a new job or project is fun and exciting. The feeling of new romance or adventure, of changing one’s life and turning over a new leaf, leaves a man flush with a boyish enthusiasm that will carry him through the first few weeks or months of an endeavor. But many men throw in the towel when the “honeymoon period” ends, when challenges arise, and the toil becomes tough. Then it’s on to the next thing. The irresolute man goes from one thing to another, ever in search of the illusory pursuit that will remain as easy and enjoyable in the middle as it was at the beginning.

  A mature man, on the other hand, is able to power through the doldrums and the setbacks that beset him. When the initial passion fades, he is able to switch to another fuel source, that of willpower and commitment. He understands that enduring greatness comes to the man whose resolve remains unshaken through both thick and thin. The resolute man begins with the end in mind and finishes what he starts, no matter what. He is willing to endure suffering and hardship for glory and honor.

  Resolution involves a combination of hardihood, perseverance, and decisiveness, and this chapter explores each of these important dimensions of the virtue. The selections are designed to fill the tank of your resolve, giving fuel to your drive and determination.

  * * *

  “The longer I live, the more I am certain that the great difference between men—between the feeble and the powerful, the great and the insignificant—is energy, invincible determination—a purpose once fixed, and then—death or victory! That quality will do anything that can be done in this world, and no talents, no circumstances, no opportunities, will make a two-legged creature a man without it.” —Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton

  Perseverance: A Double Vitality

  FROM READINGS FOR YOUNG MEN, MERCHANTS, AND MEN OF Business, 1859

  [Perseverance] means the steady pursuit of a plan, whether good or bad; but it would be very unwise to persevere in a plan which conscience or practice had proved to be bad. In actual life, where there are so many different pursuits, and different ways of doing the same thing, it means steadiness in the execution of whatever plan is determined upon.

  An accomplished American says, “That the man who is perpetually hesitating which of two things he will do first, will do neither. The man who resolves, but suffers his resolution to be changed by the first counter-suggestion of a friend—who fluctuates from opinion to opinion, from plan to plan, and veers like a weathercock to every point of the compass with every breath of caprice that blows—can never accomplish any thing great or useful. Instead of being progressive in any thing he will be at best stationary, and, more probably, retrograde in all. It is only the man who carries into his pursuits that great quality which Lucan ascribes to Caesar, Nescia virtus stare loco [his energy could never rest]—who first consults wisely, then resolves firmly, and then executes his purpose with inflexible perseverance, undismayed by those petty difficulties which daunt a weaker spirit—that can advance to eminence in any line.”

  If any one is in doubt as to what perseverance is, he may soon find out by a little observation. Look round among your friends and acquaintances; there is perhaps among them an example of perseverance. Keep your eye on him for a time; does it not seem as though he had a double vitality within him, some other man’s life as well as his own? It is true that his heart beats and his blood circulates in the same way as that of other men, but you cannot help fancying that there is something else in the circulation invigorating every nerve and muscle, only to cease when the wonderful machine stands still. If at times it seems to be idle, you may be sure that it is not real idleness—but only a pause for a new start.

  The question is sometimes asked, whether a man may learn to be persevering—for if perseverance be of such value and benefit, why should not all possess it? The answer is, that a man may learn to persevere if he will. To do this, he must begin by believing that he can do it. He must not be disheartened at the outset by certain stock phrases which seem to tell against him, such a “prerogative of genius,” or “predominance of the natal star;” he must set these down as “cabalistic nonsense,” and confide in the assurance that “diligence overcomes all.” Truly has it been said, that “there are few difficulties that hold out against real attacks; they fly, like the visible horizon, before those who advance. A passionate desire and unwearied will can perform impossibilities, or what seem to be such to the cold and feeble. If we do but go on, some unseen path will open upon the hills. Nothing good or great is to be attained without courage and industry. Resist unto the end. … Let no one doubt that perseverance may be learned until he has tried bravely and honestly for a year.

  To those who can and do persevere, we would say: Go on; but see that what you strive for is worth the effort. Remember that there is a false as well as a true perseverance, and it is possible to waste the energies of a life on unworthy objects. “By their fruits shall ye know them.” We are commanded to be “diligent in business,” but this is not the whole. We must persevere with our inward life as well as our outward life; there should be harmony between the two, if we are to feel that each day, as it passes, has helped to refine our mind, soften our heart, or heighten our love of justice.

  To those who persevere only by fits and starts—now hot, now cold—we would say, “Never give up.” Do not lose courage or grow weary. Slow as the tortoise crept, he reached the goal before the sleeping hare. If you cannot run, walk; if you cannot fly, plod. Plodding, humble as it seems, has done wonders, and will do more yet. Consider, furthermore, that when the reward comes, it is scarcely ever such as we had anticipated. We may have aimed at getting rich; the riches do not come. But, instead thereof, we find ourselves rich in mind; conscious of having striven manfully to do the duty that lay before us, and in so doing have armed ourselves with a reliant spirit, which passes by small trials, and looks on great ones with calm courage. View it as we will, the conclusion is inevitable, that perseverance
is its own reward.

  Winston Churchill’s Speeches

  During the Fall of France

  On May 10, 1940, Germany invaded Belgium, the Netherlands, and France. On the same day, the Prime Minister of Britain, Neville Chamberlain, resigned and was replaced by Winston Churchill. On the 13th, Churchill made his first appearance before the House of Commons as the Head of Her Majesty’s Government. Despite receiving a tepid reception from that body, he issued a masterful call-to-arms, offering unshakeable resolve to a country frightened that it would be next to fall to German forces.

  May 13, 1940

  I would say to the House, as I said to those who have joined the government: “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat.”

  We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. We have before us many, many long months of struggle and of suffering. You ask, what is our policy? I will say: It is to wage war, by sea, land and air, with all our might and with all the strength that God can give us; to wage war against a monstrous tyranny, never surpassed in the dark and lamentable catalogue of human crime. That is our policy. You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word: victory; victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory, however long and hard the road may be; for without victory, there is no survival. Let that be realized; no survival for the British Empire, no survival for all that the British Empire has stood for, no survival for the urge and impulse of the ages, that mankind will move forward towards its goal. But I take up my task with buoyancy and hope. I feel sure that our cause will not be suffered to fail among men. At this time I feel entitled to claim the aid of all, and I say, “Come then, let us go forward together with our united strength.”