Masculinity

5 Hobbies To Cultivate Your Masculinity

159 Comments

In The Way of Men, Jack Donovan writes about what it means to be a man.

He postulates that it comes down to embodying four key masculine virtues: strength, courage, mastery, and honor.

These are the virtues that made men the most “successful” in primal tribe-based cultures based in warfare and survival—and they translate to modern society as well. While there are a lot of important traits for men to embody, these are probably the top four that make us most respected by other men, and desired by women.

In this article I’ll focus on offering a set of hobbies that serve to assist you in cultivating the first three: strength, courage, and mastery. I only leave out honor because I believe it’s a much harder beast to conquer—it requires true character development and cannot be “hacked” as easily as the first three.

Physical strength is possibly the biggest difference between man and woman. Mental strength, and being able to persist in the face of adversity is arguably an even more accurate predictor of the coming success or failure of an individual.

Courage means being able to press on in spite of the presence of risks. Without courage, a strong man is effectively neutered, because his strength, be it physical or mental, cannot be applied in stressful or risky situations. And, at the end of the day, heroes are made on the battlefield, not inside the comfort of their own home.

Mastery can mean a myriad of different things, but here it most closely resembles becoming extremely proficient in a particular discipline. The act of applying yourself in a dutiful manner to improving your craft, whatever it may be, is a journey that builds character. It is also an essential part of being your own man,

While there are a number of ways to enhance your sense of masculinity, practicing the following hobbies can be a powerful way to speed up this process.

1. Learn a martial art

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Learning a martial art is a grueling process.

Whether you pick Muay Thai or Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu—and those are my two recommendations—you will be forced to learn a number of challenging techniques that feel completely unnatural at first. This builds your sense of mastery, as well as your mental strength, because, believe me, it takes persistence to stick with a martial art and get past the steep initial learning curve.

But more important is the tremendous amount of courage you’ll develop when you spar (and potentially compete) in either of these disciplines. Stepping in the ring against someone who’s trying to hurt you is a real risk, and proceeding in spite of this is courageous.

2. Play a competitive sport

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While the physical strength benefits of some sports are obvious, the mental strength developed through competing is often ignored. Moreover is the sense of masculine camaraderie that’s developed when playing a team sport. I recommend pickup basketball and paintball as two solid sports for guys to start practicing in order to develop these traits.

You’ll also enjoy them immensely.

3. Practice the “big three” lifts

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When it comes to building physical strength, nothing can compete with the “big three”: squats, deadlifts, and bench press. Increasing your strength in these lifts will make you strong. Simple as that.

However, be sure you’re doing them with proper form, otherwise injury is likely.

While improving your performance in the gym also builds a sense of mastery, I’d like to note that it does little for your courage. “Weights don’t fight back,” as a good friend of mine used to say.

4. Rock climbing

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While not as “manly” as its large-scale mountain  counterpart, rock-climbing gyms are becoming more and more prevalent today. Holding – and lifting – your bodyweight up a long vertical climb is a sure-fire way to develop strength, in your grip and back.

And although you’re usually harnessed in for safety, there’s an undeniable rush that you’ll experience as you make your way higher and higher. And progressing to free-climbing takes the courage necessary to succeed up a notch.

5. “Cold approach” pick-up

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The final hobby I recommend you adopt is “cold approach” pickup. This simply means approaching women you don’t know, whether it’s on the street, at the store, or in the bar, in hopes of setting up a date with her.

This primarily enhances your courage, because we’ve been socially conditioned to fear making such advances. Doing so repeatedly can break through this social conditioning and allow you to realize that there’s no real risk involved.

I suggest simply being straightforward and blunt in your approaches, because this takes bigger balls—and is arguably more effective—than using some roundabout maneuver.

Read More: 6 Habits That Hold Men Back

159 thoughts on “5 Hobbies To Cultivate Your Masculinity”

  1. I would say archery and perhaps hunting in general to be masculine activities. The bow requires strength, dexterity, and commitment to master. Hunting lets us return to a more simple time and draws from our base human instincts.

  2. I would also throw the Overhead Press and Power Clean into the list of lifts one should perform. The Power Clean is based on explosiveness—the fast-twitch muscle fibers—and really improves the athletic abilities of the individual.
    Personally, I train for power (so the Big 3). Squats are my favorite, deadlifts make me feel like a man, but power cleans are the most satisfying.
    Yes, lifting heavy things is masculine. I also think that the explosive moves better relate to the movements our ancestors performed while hunting. Perhaps that is why I feel most satisfied with those exercises.

      1. Phenomenal strength. No reverse oblique frontal delt elliptical burnout negatives for this guy.

    3. +1 on the OHP and power cleans. Cleans are what transfer the strength created from squats and deadlifts into explosive energy. That said, it can be hard to find a gym that allows them.

  3. +1 for rock climbing.
    Whether it’s 50′ or 500′ off the ground, climbing a rock face permits you to confront and control risk and gives you renewed confidence and a different perspective on your life and the world.
    Climb safe. While a climbing gym is a good place to try a taste, when the time comes that you step up onto a real rock face, be sure you have the necessary training and gear, you know your skills and, most importantly, you have a partner who you can trust with your life and he can trust his with you.

    1. Sadly it became just another “trendy” thing over the last 10 years or so. Rock climbing in the mountains is awesome. Climbing in gyms or bouldering is gay. If you don´t have access to real mountains, please don´t climb. Nothing more ridiculous than a bunch of “trendy people” trying to be hip.

  5. Other activities I recommend:
    1. writing
    2. coding
    3. doing math
    4. reading
    5. listening to music
    6. watching informational youtube videos
    7. watching standup comedy
    not manly, but enjoyable nonetheless

    1. You could learn something from watching informational youtube videos. They’re one of my hobbies. Lots of documentaries too.

      1. Agreed, but in my opinion too much information can create a mental swamp. It’s good to have general knowledge regarding history, art, culture, and so on, but it’s more satisfying and profitable to choose a small number of things to dedicate yourself to and master.

    2. Some of you may disagree, but I think mastering more or less anything is masculine. That burning desire to master something is an essential masculine trait.
      Mathematics is masculine. It grew out of the masculine drive for knowledge about the world. No women could have singlehandedly invented calculus like Newton. Without mathematics mans desire to explore and understand the universe, which led to a man being placed on the moon, wouldn’t have achieved as much as it has.

  6. In my case it was working the land. Digging, planting trees, taking out the bad weeds, cutting wood… And after much more sweat than I would have expected, seeing the literal fruits of my labor. “My land” gets a new meaning after that.

    1. My dad got a lease on some land a few years ago and over that time I’ve helped in working it, growing all kinds of stuff. It’s something I never thought I’d end up doing but it is thoroughly rewarding and enjoyable.

    1. Consider PUA a language. A necessary body and verbal ‘language’ skill like a politician uses different dialects for different demographies when campaigning. Or like using an accent when dealing over the phone with some foreign operator. You butter the deal with their home tounge. Speak some fine and practiced ‘tingle-ese’ and hook a rare quality female with the same confidence that you automatically bag your necessary groceries. Like kung fu, pua moves and pua speak become natural and second nature.

      1. Although I agree with your basic sentiment, the unspoken aspects picked up during the course of learning pick up, frame control, body language, intention ridden statements, go much further than the actual words said. Like reading a map, until you internalize directions.

        1. I still think as long as you are not your own man, pua is useless. Bitches sense you being fake.. you’ve got to have both.. be a man and have game..

        2. This is true. The core of it is still being able to enjoy your time with women. For some faking it until you make it works. And having a road map or guide book to making it is useful. For those who already had some aspects down, it is an additional source of entertainment. Being your own man is still the driving component though.

  8. The vast gulf between honor and brawn comes to mind when I picture the roided out boot boy cops at the police state checkpoints and the mangina court enforcers. The local prosecutor hack for the feminazi family court pumps iron but like the career boss ladies that look like models, their allegiance to the corrupt powers lowers their smv and human worth down to that of USELESS EATER.

    1. “Career boss ladies that look like models” ….uh….yeah….all of those models walking around in the US. They’re everywhere!

  9. Pseudo-intellectual sensei’s have ruined the spirit and practicality of martial arts. I would recommend boxing/kickboxing and wrestling over martial arts as its are far more practical and effective in a streetfight.

        10. Have my doubts on that. Though the techniques might work in practicality, I doubt it. A man with a gun is not trying to get close to you unless he is a cop. Or just stupid.
          Guns fire at a distance.
          If you have a gun, and I don’t, I run for cover and start looking for anything I can use a s a weapon while I try to get away.

      2. I don’t know if it’s useful for beginners (or useful at all). I think you should have some experience in full contact martial arts (muai thai, boxing, judo etc.) with competitions before moving to krav maga.

      3. Thanks for posting a functional fighting discipline, and not some flying hi-yaaaaa kick which is useless on the street like Hapkido. I thank you for that.

        2. Look man, take this or leave it. I don’t care.
          You don’t mess with a man who has a gun. Unless you have a gun. Some of these techniques could work. Technically. But if I have a gun, and am pointing at you, you are screwed you pull this.
          I’m not going to get that close to you if I pull a gun. I have no desire to intimidate you.
          I desire to kill you. With a bullet costing maybe a dollar?
          Also, if I am going to go after a guy like that. I’m not going alone. Even the black belts I faced could not take me if I had a gun.
          Not a black belt in Jiu-Jiutzu. Maybe a purple in Gi work. Possibly more?
          I also know boxing, muay thai, judo, and a smidge of aikido.
          Basically, a lot of that is encased in Krav Maga.
          But if a guy has a gun, with friends who also have guns, you frigging run.

        3. I’ve been practicing martial arts since before I’ve had hair on my balls. If attacked, shoot my attacker, or fight my way to my gun so that I may shoot my attacker.
          I will not risk fisticuffs against someone who may use a weapon, expose me to HIV blood when I break their face or have “Crack Strength”.

      4. I took krav for a while and liked the fighting aspect. I got sick of the 25 minutes or so of conditioning at the beginning, and didn’t really enjoy carrying fellow students on my back or crawling under people’s legs, etc. I’d rather get conditioned by actually doing what we were there to do (punching, kicking, etc).

    2. “Someone with only a year of training in boxing and wrestling could easily defeat a martial artist of twenty years experience.”
      –Bruce Lee

      2. Whilst I wholehartedly agree, I’m gonna need a source to actually believe he said that.

    3. Have a sensei right now who says the same thing. Even calls them out as Mc Dojos. I still choose a martial art as I prefer the technical aspect of a system, the dedication it takes to learn the system, and the payoff of utilizing it with my own style. This is something I believe the martial arts offers that no other style can.

      1. It’s funny to me how these “MCDojos” have these shrines set up to their “master.” Basically, the students all go around acting like each of their individual masters is like the bearded dude from Kill Bill.

    4. Not only that, but the environment itself is unapologetically masculine and you can always learn from whoever is there. I started boxing a month ago and it ‘clicks’ in a way lifting (powerlifting) doesn’t. Sparring with pros, talking with the crusty old guys who competed at the Olympics back in the day, etc. Your feelings don’t matter, it won’t stop you from eating a big shot; the only thing that has any effect is action. An important lesson for life.
      Many don’t understand but it’s also an incredibly mental sport; not just training but planning your attack to win. I’ve heard someone say that boxing is 90% mental and 10% physical, but that 10% physical requires 100% of your physical ability. Anyone who has been in the ring with someone half-decent will tell you that it’s like the fastest game of chess where you get punched if you make a mistake…and even if you don’t make a mistake, you’ll still eat some. Can’t wait for a fight in March. Would recommend to every man.

    5. Most definitely. The focus has turned into reducing costs, rather than providing the highest quality possible and adjusting costs afterwards.
      Recipe for physical dominance:
      1– Lift weights ( > 4 days / wk, varying volumes, rest-times, rep ranges, and exercises throughout the year)
      2– Cardio: swimming, running, hiking, biking, rowing (3 or 4 days /wk, alternate H.I.I.T. & L.I.S.S.)
      3– Attain PRACTICAL self defense skills, such as aforementioned wrestling or kickboxing (preferably both, as Mauy Tai will not help if you are in a hold)
      Our bodies were not meant for sitting at a desk 8 hours a day. He who makes a habit of staying physically fit will discover benefits far beyond mere aesthetics or improved physical strength.

    7. Agreed, most Eastern Martial Arts are geared towards asian physiology and temperament. Learn Sambo, Boxing, and other European Martial Arts are better choices.

  10. Play a team sport preferably a contact one like American football or rugby, you get a real sense of comeradery before an after a hard fought game an it will help you meet new people.

  11. In no particular order.
    1) Olympic weightlifting/power-lifting/strongman. I don’t include bodybuilding because it’s about roided and oiled up men obsessed with their appearance prancing around in g-strings with a bunch of other full grown men in front of judges and a crowd full of homosexuals. Women are overly obsessed with their appearance, not men. And I know this is going to piss off a few people, but frankly couldn’t care less.
    2) Some DIY ability for the house, car, motorbike, whatever else.
    3) Hunting, fishing, hiking, basically anything out in the wilderness. There’s nothing like a weekend fishing trip with your good buds.
    4) Financial acumen regarding markets, investment, and saving.
    5) Self-defense (MMA, BJJ, Boxing, Wrestling, shooting, anything that works.)
    6) Reading (especially history, without it you have no organic identity), painting, engineering, and many other things.

      1. hehe, why not no.4? that’s where your financial freedom is.. what will give you the gift of doing what you want, when you want. Contrary to what most think, it takes about 6-10 years of hard work and mental obliteration to make it there. Nothing that is worth something comes easy..
        It’s the most intensive mental thing you will ever come across in your life. Only 5% make it to the top. 95% will completely fail, just like anything else..

        1. I actually agree with number 4. no.4 – is number 4. I trade derivatives for a living, so I know what is involved.

    2. I agree. Most of the articles claim is on women, and peacocking for their benefit.
      You wanna meet Ms. Right, you gotta be Mr. Right who hangs out at the same places. In other words, you are not pretending to be what she is looking for, you ARE what she is looking for.

  12. I keep messing up my cold approaches. “Drink this”, is just not working as an opening line.

    2. I despise the atmosphere on team sports, but I can see why it is beneficial. I wonder if I had actually played on a team as a kid like most other kids my age would I be posting on sites like this now? Maybe not.

      1. I was on sports teams but they were almost all individual efforts; Tae Kwon Do, Wrestling, Gymnastics and Swimming. I was on the Soccer team in first grade but hated it so I quit after the first season. I also loved skiing, bike riding, skate boarding and shooting.
        I can’t tell you why but I’ve always hated ball sports. I agree that I should have sucked it up, played football and/or baseball in order to fuck some cheer leaders.

      2. Nah. Because unless you play college ball then it’s over at 18 anyway. It’s a lot more likely that you could have ended up like literally tens of millions of guys who had a modicum of success in sports at ages 10-18 or through to 22 and they walk through the rest of their life as a baller, even though no one cares. They are athletes for life and that is their self-image and who they are, for life even though it ends at 18-22. They never read, pursue hobbies very much or really grow at all in any way because they peaked so hard at 17 with some extraordinarily minor achievement in sports. It can be beneficial but there are some pitfalls too. Don’t worry about it. I say that as someone who always played team sports for twelve years solid and had some trivial success at it. It’s good but it also distracts from books, camping, hobbies that have more practical application. I used to launch jumpshots for five hours a day in the driveway, finally head back in for a sandwich from my 5’2″ mother. Never made the connection. I should have been reading.

        1. ^^^ This
          100%, so many of the guys on the cusp of being a college ball player never make it out of that phase. Forever stagnating in the glory that never was. You don’t want to be that guy.
          That being said if you grew up playing sports, were good at, and let it end when it need to at 22, then you are much better off for it imo. Instead of being the only thing that pads your ego, as melmoth described, the experience acts more as another pillar in your foundation of confidence.

    3. good article but misses out on several very important ones…..
      1.) running your own business
      2.) playing poker, not as a gambler but a speculator
      3.) that leads to leveraged speculation in financial markets or at least
      4.) investment with controlled risks

      1. Poker is one of my favourites. Also snooker is a great gentleman’s sport, and it is all about frame.
        Why is the pursuit of females a hobby? Since by definition, hobbies help a man relax, and women don’t?

    4. The trouble with team sports is that whether you lose or win depends on the input of other people. I’ve learned that relying on other people, excluding family, is a sure way to disappointment. Most people are lazy bastards.

      1. We should really teach men to say AWALT, like they say AMEN in Church:
        MGTOW from the pulpit: “And do you believe that we live in a gynocentric society?”
        Congregation: “A-WALT!”

        1. It means “All women are like that.” You should probably commit it to memory now.

      1. Does your woman know you post this type of stuff on the internet?

        Which of my women do you mean?

        2. Which is probably more poosey than your soon to be ex gets.
          I hope you and your girl friend enjoy living in your future cat-shelter.
          Don’t worry, sure it will be funded by tax payers.
          You’re so strong and independent. Why don’t you go find some “real men” to buy you dinner and flowers? Then STFU.

        3. What the fuck are you talking about assclown? I’m a guy. You and anti femifistis have it written all over your posts what you really want – to fuck each other up the ass. And I’ll bet you’ll play the part of the ‘female’ since you’re protecting him/her.
          I reckon you talk all tough from behind a keyboard, but in real life you would shit in your pants if you tried to talk to a woman. Weak cunt.

        5. Nah. I hate feminism, but I am not a woman hater. I would strongly suggest that a lot of the most angry posts come from guys who do not know how to deal with women, are therefore frustrated, and are most likely very socially inept. I have also wondered as to how many closet homos are on here in total denial.
          Seems to be a lot of natter about homos and trannies on here.

        6. I see those posts but some of them are also trolls. They don’t really hate, they’re just playing along.

        8. Well said Hieronymus- you don’t need to be a woman hater to be an antifeminist or to understand the true nature of women.

    5. honestly, did you follow me secretly and wrote down my actions towards females? its just too funny. yesterday i saw a 20 something woman in front of some stairs, she had e really heavy looking bag with herself. I smiled “would be awesome if someone carried that for you, wouldnt it”? she smiled shyly. I answered this by “good luck finding that” and went away laughing like a total maniac, while she looked really pissed and waved her mittlefinger. priceless ;D

        1. I never saw her again, many ppl live here. but anyway, other girls with similar treatment did indeed smile and were quite polite and interested. dudes who dont take females seriously are so rare nowadays, youre like a rare unicorn that somehow catches them, though they cant really see why. if you dont do already, i can only encourage you and others to do the same! your life will be much more fun )))

      3. This morning I helped a mum to carry her baby stroller down the stairs, she thanked me a lot, she said that she can’t do it because of her back. it feels good to help people, old, young, single, mums.. if they need help. I never do it in order to get a number or stuff like that and frankly, your attitud is just mean (for the sake of being mean).

    6. The only females you should help are family n relatives. No chance of me helping a stranger.

      2. Good luck convincing white goddess-worshiping white nationalists that this isn’t reductionism.

        1. Have I not bumped into you on a white nationalist site?
          To be specific I’m talking about radix and Takimag (the commenters are mainly white nationalists in Takimags case.)

        2. No sir but I was under the impression that Takimag was a Libertarian publication?

        3. Yes it is. Most if not all are racially conscious though. There must be someone lurking out there with a similar name.

    8. This works. Do the opposite and you’re some bitches slave. That’s what they want, but it’s not what you want. The only way you think this is what you want is because you’ve been taking the wrong kind of blue pill — the kind that gives your lady a hard-on. Since you must respect the boner, you must put aside silly female notions that feed her a boner and embrace what feeds yours.

    9. I just don’t understand this kind of crap or why it’s so popular on the manosphere, it’s got nothing to do with being (neo)masculine or redpill, it’s just called being an asshole.
      If you can’t distinguish between being a white knight (and yes I do acknowledge their existence) and just being a decent bloke (an important factor of masculinity) then you’re a moron. A mangina/white knight/male feminist is an effete male who pedestalizes women, and defends their every action -no matter how heinous- and generally worships the very ground they walk on, often wrongly thinking that this is the path to getting pussy.
      Now don’t get me wrong if a guy is doing the things on the above list out of such motivation then he’s an absolute mangina and I wholehartedly agree. But there’s nothing unmasculine about simply being a decent human being and helping your fellow man -whether male or female- out of an honest motivation to do good.

    10. aye these are the same as “list of ways to guarantee an eternally dry crusty flaccid cock”

  15. I recommend to practice weightlifting (snatch and c&j) under the supervision of a good coach instead of powerlifting. Powerlifting is just a raw strength while weightlifting improves your explosiveness / coordination / flexibility / raw power = what you need in martial arts.
    Another thing is that moving from weightlifting to powerlifting is very easy (because it’s part of your training) while the opposite isn’t.
    Lastly, take some boxing lessons before moving to Thai boxing. You’ll thank me later.

  16. Five more things you should either do or learn to do.
    6.) (Learn to) Fix your own car.
    7.) (Learn to) Do basic DIY, woodwork and other small electrical and construction jobs.
    8.) Have (Or teach yourself some kind of) musical skill be it an instrument, producing, DJ’ing.
    9.) Get basic business skills and start your own business. (Doesn’t have to be a big business or anywhere near a full time business, but something that turns profit.)
    10.) Shoot and/or have basic survival skills.

  17. I’d say just pick what you enjoy and work on actually being good at it. Better still, find something you always wanted to do, train for it and then go do it.
    <—Dog sledding across Alaska and/or climb a mountain. Both with an epic man beard.

  18. I offer an alternative set of virtues.
    Strength over weakness. Strength is composed of three parts.
    Strength of the hand (physical strength), strength of the head (intelligence) and strength of the heart (what is commonly known as character, the primary facet of which is courage).
    Weakness, of course, is likewise composed of three parts: frailty, stupidity and cowardice.
    In terms of importance, physical strength and intelligence are tied. In earlier times physical strength was more important to survival than it is today, but in the modern world intelligence is overall more important. It depends on the time we live in.
    None of those two matter if you are afraid. If you fear something, no amount of intelligence or raw muscle will help. Others can lend their arms or their minds to help solve practical problems, but nobody can help you if you are weak on the inside.

  19. stronglifts 5 x5 by mehdi hadim is the best workout to start with to get jackef. starting strength by markriptoeis another. you can down load his book.
    then do mma muay thai kickboxing sanda boxing or wrestling to keep that strenghth and build physical and mental toughbess cuz you will neef it.

  21. The big three should be squat, deadlift, and overhead press (standing, olympic style). Too many injuries stem from heavy benching, when I first learned, nobody did bench, and I’ve put up a lot over the top of my head, a much truer show of strength than laying down and pushing something with your pecs. In fact, I will guarantee you all will see more shoulder mobility and strength if you do not bench at all, just do pushups and planches. Squats and deads alone will keep your T levels up.

    1. My own experience must be exactly what yours has been. OH pressing is what your body was intended to do, benching-not as much. I hurt my shoulders too on the bench and basically lost all strength in my left shoulder. I could barely press an empty bar overhead after my shoulder blew up. I think I would never get the functioning back through benching. There is an impingement that comes on once you’ve been injured and I can’t see myself getting around it and I don’t care. My shoulder’s health came back with the OH press, certainly not the bench, so I have a melodramatic loyalty to the OH press and a disdain for the bench.
      For the bodybuilding/aesthetic crowd, I still think the OH press is superior. Your shoulder size stays ahead of your pecs, so you always have a naturally strong look, not a gym rat/protein-shake look. Focusing on bench/pecs gives you the overly busty, “Hey that guy lifts. BFD” look. Really full, strong shoulders and a tight, more natural chest looks like you grew up in the jungle like Tarzan or something. The primary lifts give you a a natural, functional strength and it starts to give a look you can feel good about too, as much as I try to ignore the aesthetics of weightlifting. It happens anyway.
      The very day that I swore off the bench after yet more nagging shoulder pain, I was walking away from the gym and a guy is coming along with some UnderArmour type, lycra, biker shirt on, showcasing his massive pec-deck boobies, no shoulders. He looked so stupid, so proud of his massive rack. It’s funny when girls go the gym, they feel proud of arm muscle. When men go, they often focus on their booby development. Both sides focus on developing what they like in the other. Some projection there.

      1. I had a similar experience with bench press, but my right shoulder instead of left (back in my bench and curl only college days) I ended up finding a really good exercise physiologist who said the main culprit was my lack of upper back strength to balance out the pushing strength. After rehab, I never took my bench more than 5% higher than my Pendlay row and I never had another issue.

  22. I consider the lifting to be a necessity, not a hobby, much like eating and sleeping. So I’ll give my five, in no particular order:
    1. Team sport – ice hockey is my own, and I’m in my fourth decade of playing. I can still keep up with guys half my age.
    2. Shooting – I have a collection. Long guns, hand guns, shotguns. And I’ve been training myself to shoot with my off hand, too.
    3. Buy & restore a car from before 1980 – back when things were mostly mechanical, rather then electronic. I currently have a 1955 Dodge. It’s not as expensive as you’d think, and as long as you’re not a grandpa about it (avoid cruise-ins and billet aluminum crap), women go for guys with cool old cars.
    4. Reading – and I’m not talking Harry Potter or 50 Shades of Bullshit here. Read the Iliad. Read Asimov. Read a history of the Korean war. Read the Popol Vuh. Read the original Conan stories. Don’t take advice from women on what to read, ever.
    5. Music – for me, it’s drums. I haven’t played in a band for almost 10 years, which is fine. But there’s still nothing like sitting down, putting on the headphones, and playing along with Neal Peart to 2112. And having a sense of rhythm definitely helps in bed.

    1. Re: # 4. Asimov married twice and wrote about having some affairs. But he set the standard for the ultimate nerdy Other, and the jokes about his adult male virgin fans practically write themselves.
      By contrast, Robert Heinlein, the corn fed German-American guy from Missouri, seems to attract a more sexually competent fandom. I know people who knew him, and I’ve gathered from them that Heinlein apparently based his polyamory fantasies on things he did in real life.
      As for Arthur C. Clarke – ugh. He moved to Sri Lanka because he liked the easy brown boys there.

      1. Asimov was the first to come to mind simply because I’ve just recently re-read the first three Foundation books. It could have just as easily been Heinlein, or my personal favorite, Philip Jose Farmer, although he’s maybe not quite as accessible for the beginner. And of course, I was basing this on the literature itself, not the personal lives of the respective authors. I’ve generally always been able to separate the art from the artist – I can enjoy Dead Kennedys music without accepting Jello’s politics, for instance.

        1. I like them all, but Heinlein has dated badly.
          ‘Door into Summer’ and ‘Farnham’s Freehold’ still read well.

  23. I’d say for me one the biggest hobbies is investing and finance and just diving into everything. That’s how I can tell where a man is at his life, there’s no surprise that some of these guys in their twenties and thirties(and even forties) and scared shitless of it and want to run to socialist overlords. But once you’re in the space you realize it’s a lot more fun and a lot less scary than 95% of people make it out to be. But think about it, most people will suck at investing(always start at a low level) and you get better over time.
    That sort of patience and waiting is completely unheard of for the average millennial nitwit who’s “always on the go” or whatever clever media euphemism for men and women who aren’t good at anything but gives them an ego boost. I find those sorts of “compliments” to be an outright insult to my intelligence and power but most people love the pat on the back. Overall pretty good list though, I’d say things like boxing were super helpful for me as well. Learning how to throw a punch and take a punch will toughen you up quickly. I’ll repeat the reason most young people suck is because they’re not good at anything, they’re almost completely unwilling to do anything to the point of mastery. Break the trend, be exceptional.

    1. Very nice post. For me it’s speculation in the markets (all of them). I don’t think there is anything I would like to do more than that. You are “fighting” the brightest and ruthless men on the planet, and that’s not an exaggeration. Whoever tried this in their life know what I am talking about.. With that being said, I am getting damn good at it and there is no better feeling.. Sex? Pfff…

      1. Got any recommendations for books or useful information?
        Without a decent basis of knowledge, trial and error doesn’t seem like the best strategy to learn finance.

        1. This is not investment/finance CK… That’s not what I’m talking about.. Speculating intraday is a different ball game.. There is a lot of material out there.. “gurus” too, but none of that will help you. Speculating is mostly about self discovery, and I am not getting philosophical here by any means. Speculating your own capital will teach you more about yourself than anything you came across in your life. Everybody’s talking here about this and that but if you really want to know who you are, get trading.. There is nothing out there that can teach you trading. It’s about patience, decisiveness, fear, greed and a thousand other things..
          I’ve been watching the charts 16 hours/day, each and every tick. That’s where you start..

        2. Learn “technical analysis”.
          The markets have been fascinating the last few weeks.
          Immerse yourself and beware of BS.

        3. but no matter how hard you try you have less than a 5% chance of beating the market index

  25. Anyone catch the Reebok Commercial during the Superbowl it showed a bunch of women doing Crossfit at the same intensity as their male counterparts, it even showed a woman buddy carrying a man. They are trying way to hard to brainwash the masses that Men and women are equal.

  27. Don’t forget reading (mostly non-fiction). It improves vocabulary, writing, speech and general knowledge out of sight.

    1. Reading MUST be on the list. I disagree with you a bit about ‘mostly non-fiction’ but it doesn’t matter. My issue with non-fiction is that it is often bad writing. You have to be careful. Just because a subject is interesting initially doesn’t mean the writer will do a good job at it. Also, fiction can teach you a lot about history if it’s top-shelf fiction. It’s all good. I am about 70% fiction, 30% non. When you get such an intimate look at how the minds work of the world’s best fiction writers, then it’s something you can’t get anywhere else. Follow a Cormac McCarthy character as he goes through the woods or something. You see how Cormac thinks through the character. This is better to me than someone heavily research some or other subject. But to get widespread practical information on what’s happening in the world then a focus on non-fiction is the thing to do for sure.

      2. Reading fiction has little value other than for socializing. Non fiction is about learning and improving your skills. Reading is a means not an end, the value is not in the act but what comes from the act – knowledge.

        1. You’re not reading the right fiction, friend. Thinking is the best skill of all. Reading the fiction of some of the world’s best minds will expose you to how they think, what they notice, what they value, how deeply they can read human behavior etc. Read all of Hemingway, McCarthy, Conrad, Melville, London etc and see if you don’t have a far better mind to navigate this world with.

        2. Thats why we have a country that is full of bullshitters and lack skills to produce anything of value in the world. While you learn about how to con others with BS, the rest of the world is passing us in terms of technology and science. And the only thing propping this pyramid scheme is the fact that America and prints any amount of money.

        5. Yeah? Explain. Because I don’t understand how advocating Jack London fiction makes me sound like Sarkeesian.

  28. In the human male’s past, ‘Courage’ would be facing down a potentially fatal situation, such as a large wild animal, a rival tribe wanting to invade, a natural disaster like flood, fire, or whatever.
    Today, we have approaching the modern female as an example of ‘Courage.’
    Most days, I’d rather deal with a large wild animal.
    Congratulations, modern females. You are now the most terrifying encounter men have to face.

    1. More disgusting and creepy than scary, the more you learn about them. They freak and fold when you stand up to them and will damsel so a netherape walking dildo will defend them. Watch for that.

  29. A life of constant competition should be mandatory for all males. It prevents people from turning into soft-headed mouthbreathers and believing in equality. If you don’t like sports, play a board game, or poker, mahjong etc

  30. I have a problem and it is that I never managed to become very good at anything. Sure, I can become better than average, but I was never able to develop a talent in something to the point of impressing others and being part of the elite. For example, I have been playing video games for nearly 30 years and I am still bad at them. I can never reach the upper echelons. And it’s like this with pretty much everything, like sports, etc… Even at my job I try to do my best but there is always someone who does better work than me. Sometimes I wonder if it’s a psychological issue. I notice that men who are “the best” in their field or at least elite have success with women.

  31. These are the type of articles that makes this site top of the line. ROK is at its best when it is providing insight and tips on how men can become better men.
    My personal addition, try and read more often. A lot of physical exercises mentioned but reading is the best mental exercise imo. Ted Roosevelt used to finish one book a day, if he could do it while running a whole country surely the rest of us can as well.

  33. laughing at this dumbass list. Not a single one about mastering a craft or producing anything that will outlive it’s craftsman. Sports and lifting, grow up little boy.

  35. The Herculean, “He man” archetype only works if you are still vertical. Never be fooled by appearances! MMA and meatheads disappear when they’re 40-45ish. You never see anyone older than that. Why? Most are dead or crippled, esp if using steroids and virtually all are addicted to painkillers. Strength and endurance training can be done way safer than what is suggested here as the risk of serious injury is high: only rock climbing makes sense long term. Most fights can be disarmed with standard police tactics that can be learned quickly. You’re far better off learning essential self defense and weapons and then becoming the most charming guy in the room who knows how to sweep a woman off her feet and who can actually fucking dance! And if you don’t date “half single” attention whores, you won’t get into fights in the first place! Cold pick up is also useful but better still is to know thyself and your specific target archetype. Don’t waste time on women who aren’t a good fit. The difference b/t a happy and miserable dating life is your success rate with the women YOU want as 98% are not worth 2 min of your time. I routinely walk into Miami/Vegas clubs and run circles around meathead faux “alphas” who are holding up the wall by themselves and turn down most of the ‘high class” bitches there. You’re looking for the newly single “good girl”with a little bit of a wild streak who’s in the club to mend her broken heart, not the regular bar trash coke snorting molly tramp stampers. Remember: James Bond doesn’t have big biceps… because if you know what you are doing, they are not needed! And Bond never lowers his standards. Be the crocodile who lies in wait, save your energy and resources and only pounce on the occasional fabulous prey floating down your stream… who just happens to be panting for you to take her right where’s she’s begging to go 😉

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