[July 20, 2022] The best man is a very dangerous man, a man who has his internal monster under voluntary control.1 Everyone says, “You should be harmless, virtuous, you shouldn’t do anyone harm, you shouldn’t try to win, you don’t want to be too aggressive or too assertive.” Wrong. You should be an absolute monster, and then you should learn to control it. The most dangerous men I’ve ever known, and there were plenty of them, are also the best men I’ve ever known.
The way to be dangerous is to be articulate, verbally competent, to gather your arguments, to write, and to have the courage to tell the blunt truth. Nothing makes you more formidable. Get your information straight and learn to keep your tongue under control. We look up to those who can communicate, and the world is open to them; they are given the most opportunities, and the world will beat a path to their door. This is in response to them being strong, enticing, and attractive to us all.
In our culture today, we are uncomfortable that this is the proper route for us. We teach our children that only cooperative games are acceptable. Even the kids know in their hearts that that’s completely wrong. And that is a massive problem because we learn that weakness is good and that strength is somehow toxic, evil, and uncouth. This goes counter to the entire course of human history and is wrong.
Get yourself together, push your limits, discipline yourself, and see what you can become. Don’t let the ordinary stop you from being who you could be. This is an unbelievably positive message, especially to the young, but everyone can benefit. You can be more than you are, much more, and that is great for everyone, including you.
If you only know how to behave, you are just a domesticated house cat. Or lap dog. You have to push beyond your present being. You have to extract that monster that has been socialized out of you to reveal your inner strengths; that is no easy task – it runs counter to our present-day formal education systems and the obsession with being an obedient citizen. If society tells you to march the Jews off to the death camps, for example, and if you are obedient, that is exactly what you will do.
Can weak men be virtuous? No. No, because unless you can think the way an evil person thinks, you are defenseless against them. Evil people will go places you can’t imagine, then they win. You must be dangerous and have that under control; then, you can be good. There are no other options.
A man is a better man when he’s a dangerous man who is being good than he would be if he were just a good man who wasn’t capable of being dangerous. The best men I ever met were very dangerous men. You don’t mess with them. And, you know that as soon as you meet them.
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- This article is a consolidation of several lectures given by Dr. Jordan Peterson.
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Please read my new book, “Our Longest Year in Iraq,” on Amazon (link here).
President Biden is a dangerous man. Here I’ve been worrying that Biden would get us into a war with Russia, and he goes and declares war on the Sun. He is a man with a message: “As President, I have a responsibility to act with urgency and resolve when our nation faces clear and present danger. And that’s what climate change is about. It is literally, not figuratively, a clear and present danger. The health of our citizens and our communities is literally at stake.” He will be using his Executive Powers to “do something.” I think Biden is crazy. Who is pulling his strings anyway? He is not dangerous in the way this article speaks to.
Doc, got to hand it to you, makes a lot of sense. Biden is indeed, nuts.
Got that right!!!!!
Gen. Satterfield certainly has made this website a top-notch, go-to place for those who want to improve their leadership and personal skills, as well as their core values. Keep up the great work here and I’ll keep coming back to read and THINK.
Gen. Satterfield has made it clear, “Can weak men be virtuous? No. No, because unless you can think the way an evil person thinks, you are defenseless against them. Evil people will go places you can’t imagine, then they win. You must be dangerous and have that under control; then, you can be good. There are no other options.” Yes, there are no other options, unless you maintain your strengths, you will be nothing. And you will wonder why you feel bad all the time, ’cause you are a wussy. And, wussies don’t have any power or control over anything.
Too bad no one can recognize this, ….. at least see it from the Millenial (pussy, commie, pinko, I’m powerful -not) generation.
Just gotta read this blog every day. I’m enjoying it more as I gain a better feel for the mind of Gen. Doug Satterfield and the way he thinks about life and leadership. Maybe he could write an article on the link between the hero ethos and leadership as we understand it today.
👍 I agree.
Thanks to Gen. Satterfield for summarizing Dr. Peterson’s idea that “dangerous” men are the good men in the world. I wouldn’t use dangerous as the descriptive word but it does get your attention.
Thanks Gen. Satterfield for changing direction on your blog to focus more on “Leadership and the Pursuit of Responsibility.” Today’s adult children are only interested in getting handouts and you’re bad man if you don’t give it to them. Pathetic.
The basement dwelling, whining generation wins again.
He He He….. you got that right. Even true no matter where you go. There is a bright spot, however, I see plenty of exceptions along the way as I travel about America. And, those very few give me hope.
The real question is “When will the finally grow up?” I don’t expect it to happen soon. And,you know what, they don’t see themselves as adult children (acting just like a spoiled 3 year old). What were their parents doing to encourage this?
Great article.
My dog likes it too. Plenty of wisdom here. Just you need to understand what he means by “dangerous.” ✔
For those who regularly read this blog, I want to appeal to you to get a copy of Gen. Satterfield’s book, “Our Longest Year in Iraq.” He won’t say it, I don’t think, that this is how he funds his leadership blog. So go to this link at Amazon and get a copy and leave a review. Thank you!
https://www.amazon.com/Our-Longest-Year-Iraq-Construction/dp/1737915510/
Fueled by a pervasive feminist ideology that points to the obvious reality of man’s natural propensity for violence and labels it toxic, the most popular theory is that you make men safe by weakening them. And so from prohibition to public education, there’s been a concerted societal effort to domesticate, emasculate and soften men. The obvious problem, which all the research points out, is that it doesn’t work. You don’t make men good by softening them, just like you don’t make a knife better by dulling it.
What our society has done is neuter the characteristics of authentic masculinity and then wonder why the new beta male isn’t worth a damn.
Understanding evil exists, and bad things happen, our ability to be dangerous men will be the difference in how we respond when faced with tragedy, evil, or pure bad luck.
Voluntary control is the difference between the good guy and the bad guy. To hope, assume, wish that nothing bad will ever happen, to be unable or unwilling to defend yourself or your family, to rely on someone else to be the hero, is to be harmless, and to not be a good man.
Good comments. 😊
That’s what Dr. Jordan Peterson keeps telling us and he is spot on, along with Gen. Satterfield.
Nothing like a good article in https://www.theleadermaker.com to get my brain going and push me out the door. This is a very special time of year, the heat and all, so enjoy our time with your family.
I had to read this twice to really understand what Gen. Satterfield was saying.
Me too, good thing. 😊✔✔✔✔✔
That is sometimes necessary but at least you had the motivation to re-read the article. Gen. Satterfield is really on top of what it takes to be a great leader and, I will add, a great person too. That is why he calls out those senior leaders who have failed. Like pres. Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Lloyd Austin III, and Mark Milley. These four are some of the worst leaders America has ever seen.
Wow, tell us what you think. Oh, I am 100% with you on that one. Anyone not agreeing with you is a sucker for propaganda and cannot think for themselves.
Great comment Dead Pool Guy.