“Wild fury and righteous anger stirs up in the hearts of men. Driving them to action, to battle, to fight. Hopefully, it’s tempered with the code, with the order. Fury must be kept in check, and be used to propel justice, to free the oppressed, to protect.” JusticeStrengthAngerManhoodMasculinityFuryManlihoodRighteous Anger Author:Josh Hatcher
“Often, when a man encounters a moment of extreme trial, his inner fears come out in the form of a specific kind of excuse. I hate to dismiss those excuses as only that, because they also often reveal a deep truth about that man, and what he believes about himself. I am not strong enough. I am not smart enough. I am not rich enough. I am not young enough. I am not old enough. I am not MAN enough. Men. These are lies. These are weapons fashioned to bring you down.” LiesInsecurityMasculinityManlihood Author:Josh Hatcher
“From the time boys are young, they enter contests, either alone or with their brothers, and their fathers – to see how strong they are. Wrestling, weightlifting, arm-wrestling, “bloody knuckles,” Chinese hot-hands, even thumb wrestling. This wild behavior may seem reminiscent of goats butting their heads against each other, or bears mawing at each other’s necks…. But it’s a part of who we are. We don’t necessarily outgrow it. And that rough and tumble tug-of-war helps shape us, helps bond us together, and helps remind us who we want on our side if there is a time to fight. The call of the wild pushes men to success. It drives men to be refreshed in nature. As long as we wrap it up in silk and lace and soap, it will still be there.” MenBoysManhoodMasculinityManlihoodHorseplayRoughhouseToughness Tough Times Author:Josh Hatcher
“The heart follows wherever it is led. It swings back and forth like a pendulum. Just embrace that, learn to laugh and cry when you should, and don’t expect those emotions to be a roadmap to your destination.” HeartFeelingsPurposeEmotionsMasculinityManlihood Author:Josh Hatcher
“I’ve known men who fought in wars to liberate the Jews from Hitler. I’ve known men who sewed their own buttons on their clothes. I’ve known men who talked with a lisp and wore paisley shirts, and men who could chop down trees, and run heavy equipment. Other men were more comfortable in a suit and tie, with soft hands, and a penchant for math, or words. Some men are adventurers, others prefer comic books. Masculinity has never just been one thing.” MenManManhoodMasculinityManlihood Author:Josh Hatcher
“To be wild, to hear the heartbeat of nature, to feel the rush of adrenal strength, to drink from the fresh air and howl at the moon – these are things that are embedded into men.” MenManManhoodMasculinityWildManlihood Book:Manlihood: The 12 Pillars of Masculinity Source: Manlihood: The 12 Pillars of Masculinity
“As you’re trying to reignite your life, coming up with a new vision, new goals, and trying to get the fire back, you’re not going to get there without a plan.” MenVisionFireGoalsManhoodMasculinityIgniteManlihood Author:Josh Hatcher
“It’s easy to see how far you are from your desired outcome. It’s easy to see that you are not the man you want to be. The easy thing is not always the best thing. It’s also easy to get discouraged about the marathon that you are only a fifth of the way through. Instead of focusing solely on the hard work and pain ahead of you, take the time to celebrate the steps you have made, the milestones you have passed.” MenCelebrationManhoodMasculinityManlihoodMilestones Author:Josh Hatcher
“One of the biggest things that hold men back from being the fathers, husbands, and leaders they are meant to be is that we are often unfit, unhealthy, or otherwise limping along.” HealthFitnessMasculinityUnhealthyFathersManlihood Author:Josh Hatcher
“The answers to today's problems are not to eschew masculinity. We do not need to redefine masculinity. We need to reclaim it. We need to affirm the masculinity, the rough and tumble, the competition, and the discipline needed to teach boys right from wrong. We need to be able to give them safe avenues to express themselves, and to model for them what it means to accept and love people. We need to teach them things like honor, perseverance, integrity, adventure, justice, tenderness, determination, hope, love, peace, and freedom are all masculine virtues, and they are a part of what it means to be a man.” JusticeVirtueAdventureIntegrityManhoodMasculinityMasculineManlihood Author:Josh Hatcher
“Your feelings come from your thoughts, as you master your mind, you'll need to matter feelings too. If an emotion starts to take control… your best weapon is truth. It's ok to feel. Not okay to be controlled by feelings. Don't follow your heart. Follow truth.” MindTruthThoughtsEmotionsMasteryManhoodMasculinityManlihood Author:Josh Hatcher
“I don’t believe that the rough and tumble nature of children, especially boys is inherently wrong. We see in nature, bear cubs, deer, goats, puppies, especially males, play rough with each other. We’re not animals, so we do try to civilize things a bit, but that rough and tumble play creates an environment where children are strengthened, and they learn that their bodies endure pain a certain way. They also learn empathy, when they see that a twisted arm hurts, they are less likely to twist someone’s arm. This unstructured type of play isn’t suited for classrooms, where six years olds are expected to sit at a desk and work for more than eight hours a day, and so it is discouraged. Children do not have the opportunity to properly express those natural tendencies to compete, to wrestle, or to express the emotions behind those desires.” ChildrenPlayParentingMasculinityFathersManlihoodRoughhouse Author:Josh Hatcher
“Our American culture paints a picture of masculinity where a man is an island. A lone cowboy on the prairie smoking marlboros. A caped crusader who works better alone. A dad in his den, reading the paper, shooing the kids away so he can unwind. But this lone ranger mentality is dangerous. Even the actual Lone Ranger had Tonto. We are not made to be alone.” FriendshipSolitudeBrotherhoodManhoodMasculinityTogethernessManlihoodLone Ranger Author:Josh Hatcher
“I am the only person responsible for my success and failure. I am where I am because of the choices I have made.” ChoicesResponsibilityPersonal DevelopmentManhoodMasculinityManlihoodPersonal Development For Men Author:Josh Hatcher
“You didn’t get here by accident. The condition of your life, for better or for worse is here because of a very reason. Learning this lesson was one of the most difficult things I’ve ever done.” LifeChoicesLessonsPersonal DevelopmentManhoodMasculinityAccidentManlihoodPersonal Development For Men Author:Josh Hatcher
“So, you’re handed a baby and a new name (Daddy) and you now have to choose to accept the challenge. Here’s the thing. I don’t believe that rejecting it’s an option. I mean, people DO reject it. But you shouldn’t. You choose then and there to be a father. And you make that choice, day in and day out to make sure their needs are met, that the example is set for them, that they are loved, cherished, corrected, and challenged. You have to choose it.” DadParentingFatherhoodManhoodMasculinityBabiesFathersManlihood Author:Josh Hatcher
“Fathers! You have no idea the impact that your example has on the person your child will become. Everything you say to them will be like a stud or brick in their construction. Would you build a house with crappy supplies? Do you think that you can skimp on costs and still expect a quality house? Do you think you can just toss it all together and hope it stands up? No! You have to have a plan, the right materials, and careful construction procedures to build a proper house. You can't ignore your kids, or parent without any thought. You can't consistently lose your temper and insult them and expect them.to grow up healthy and whole. I'm not a perfect parent, and you won't be either. But we HAVE to think about what effect our actions has on them.” ParentingParentsFatherhoodMasculinityFathersDadsManlihood Author:Josh Hatcher
“You can’t expect to achieve a dream if you don’t push yourself harder. Whether it’s strength training, or a sales goal at work, or anything. You’ve got to push through past what you think you can do. And when you do it, it builds confidence in you, and your next task will have a momentum to it. The confidence gained makes your output exponential. You have already done something you thought was impossible. Now you are waiting for the next impossible task.” DreamConfidenceDisciplineManhoodMasculinityManlihood Author:Josh Hatcher
“Sometimes, we fail at a challenge. That can be a disappointment, but it can also be the thing that helps us learn how to rise above and meet that challenge on the next go round. Failure can build discipline and strength and wisdom. It’s up to us if we choose to let that failure rip our confidence away. We get to choose to keep pressing in and charging forward to meet the challenge.” FailureDisciplineManhoodMasculinityChallengeManlihood Author:Josh Hatcher
“In our culture today – there is a rampant “victim mentality” – and while we don’t want to take away the legitimate issues that a real victim of a crime or abuse faces – we think somehow people have used their status as victim as a cop out, or invented reasons to identify as a victim.” VictimManhoodMasculinityVictimhoodManlihood Author:Josh Hatcher
“To take responsibility is painful. It is hard to admit that the reason for your situation is you. Admitting this often fuels shame. And shame is a dirty lover. Shame says, “See - I told you you weren’t good enough. You should feel horrible about this.” And when I embrace shame - an interesting thing happens. I feel bad. And then we are driven to the same wrong behaviors - porn - overeating - drugs - booze - anger - because hey make you feel better - until the shame kicks in. Getting caught in that cycle is destructive.” ShamePersonal DevelopmentManhoodMasculinityManlihoodPersonal Development For Men Author:Josh Hatcher
“You might even ask, 'Who is this guy to be telling me how to live my life?' And my answer is simple. I’m the guy that is figuring it out just like you. I can’t guarantee that I’m ahead of you in the race - but I do feel it’s my responsibility to help people get into the race, and to stay on track in the race. I know I don’t have it all together. I know that I’m not an expert. I know that I’m not perfect. But I can’t sit by and let men live 'lives of quiet desperation.' (To quote Thoreau) Let’s do this together. Take the flint. Take the steel. Strike. And we will reignite our lives together.” Personal DevelopmentDesperationMasculinityManlihoodPersonal Development For MenThroeau Author:Josh Hatcher
“I don’t want to imply that all we need to do is pull ourselves up by our bootstraps. Some of us may be able to do that. Some of us may need some professional help. But all of us will benefit from a long hard evaluating look at our life, and from working to realign our thinking with a sense of purpose. Even those that need professional help, we’re going to need to realign our thoughts, and to take practical steps to reignite the fire in us.” Personal DevelopmentManhoodMasculinityManlihoodPersonal Development For Men Author:Josh Hatcher