There is a lot to be uneasy about these days. Most of us don’t understand the new social justice ethical system being imposed on us so it’s very likely that you are going say something perceived as racist, sexist, homophobic or xenophobic. In such a case, your means of making a living will be targeted by some self-righteous mob.
What if a past consensual dalliance decides to jump on the #MeToo bandwagon? Charged or not, your reputation will be ruined. In fact, our presence here on ROK is in itself “socially irresponsible” and has already shamed most of us into anonymity.
Indeed, the modern masculine man has good reason to be depressed, but depression is not a modern phenomenon. We are not facing some new problem, unique to our lives, that comes from outside the collective human experience on earth. Depression has been reflected on, and pragmatically addressed for as long as we’ve been able to share stories and offer advice.
Wisdom Literature
This body of texts is often described by scholars as standing midway between theology and philosophy. You are probably most familiar with its Old Testament forms—the Books of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Job. But there are older Egyptian and Mesopotamian parallels.
As evidenced by the biblical examples, wisdom literature basically offers answers to questions a man may have about life and conduct. Psychological suffering is prominent as “Why me?” is consistently every man’s immediate response to misfortune. Regardless of who authored his social downfall, or how far-reaching the adversity may be.
Overall, the basic virtues advised by our ancestors for avoiding or coping with stressors can be limited to self-control, discretion and steadfastness. They were pragmatists, not idealists. Adversity can lead to depression, depression brings about self-loathing and self-loathing will motivate an attempt to undo your own existence. So this is about basic survival.
Self-control
You’ve been warned Lancelot!
This seems to be the most eminent virtue and should certainly be part of the disposition of every modern man. Most familiar to readers would be the fact that Marcus Aurelius starts with this in the first sentence of the first book of his meditations — “refrain from all anger and passion”. That’s much easier said than done as there certainly are current issues deserving of your anger. So let’s be more specific.
The Instruction of Ptahhotep, composed in Egypt around 2400BC has a more modern feel.
The wise man rises early in the morning to establish himself, but the fool rises early in the morning only to agitate himself.
It would be preferable to avoid agitation and anxiety altogether and Ptahhotep, throughout his instructions, suggests keeping your world simple and small. That is to say, do your duty by your work and your wife, and you will be happy. The implication here is that a calm and controlled mind is way more capable of performance while kindness rather than harshness towards your wife will make her more obedient.
And here’s something direct to avoid any “he said / she said” issues:
If you want a friendship to endure in the house you enter as master, brother or friend. In whatever place you enter beware of approaching the women! Unhappy is the place where it is done. A short moment like a dream. Then death comes for having known them. He who fails through lust of them. No affair of his can prosper.
Do not take risks with women. There was never a time for gallant and courageous dalliances! Women dream of that stuff, and men have always suffered for trying to make it real.
Discretion
Now its just a Hoodie.
Maybe our internal system simply rejects this control? Maybe we just take very long to learn our lesson? But the instruction is very clear and has been for some time now: There aren’t things you can’t say, but there are people you can’t say certain things to. You wouldn’t want to catch a cold.
Give your ears, hear what is said. Give your heart to understand it. It is useful to put it (what is heard) in your heart, but woe to the one who neglects it. Let it abide in your breast, that it may be a key in your heart. Then when there is a whirlwind of words, it will be a peg for your tongue. If you spend your life-span with this at heart, you will find that it brings success.
This extract is from the Instruction of Amenemope, composed in Egypt around 1200 BC. There are rules of etiquette for our current cosmopolitan society just as there were in the past. Knowing the instruction by heart gives a man a firm point of orientation in situations where feelings can be the cause of confusion and there are multiple cross cultural opinions to be considered. Let the rule pin your tongue, protect you from rashness, filter your language and prevent what is essentially avoidable grief.
It’s worth noting that Egypt was an imperial power when this became a precept for a successful life. Similar circumstances mandate a similar collective resignation to humility and discretion.
Steadfastness
“Man and God”—the “Sumerian Job” is a poem about theodicy. It is thought to have been composed in the 3rd millennium BC. Meaning that, the “why me” part of the question on unjust suffering probably can’t be answered.
There is no effective medication, amount of sunlight, exercise, socializing, or caffeine deprivation that will help alleviate anything other than short term symptoms. What Mesopotamian Wisdom literature generally advocates, like the Egyptian and Biblical parallels, is steadfastness.
Humiliation, shame, the loss of wealth, health, social status or security is the common lament of every sufferer when there is change in a hierarchical system. There is even the predisposition to feeling a sense of conspiracy.
I am a (young) man of understanding – (yet) though I have understanding, it is of no use to me. My true word becomes lies. The deceiver has brought the (destructive) south wind upon me, (and now) I must serve him.
The rehabilitation of the sufferer is consistently achieved through steadfast faith in their god—be it Sumerian, Babylonian, Egyptian or Hebrew. This may not fit well with our modern supercilious mindset since religion doesn’t have the best reputation when it comes to the treatment of diseases. But it does seem, at least in a literary sense, that it can be applied to the treatment of depression.
Conclusion
Lament your lot as much as you want. In fact, bemoaning the unfairness of our adversities has become a form of excitement appropriate to neomasculinity. This means that, on some level, we’ve already tuned into the new system. We’ve just gotten lost in it.
But if you allow a few basic principles to guide you through this social and ethical chaos, you will find your way back to an acceptably dignified social position.
Read More: 10 Lessons That Ancient Egyptian Wisdom Taught Its Young Men
To make sense of the apparent insanity around us, I use the principle that ALL THE WORLD IS A STAGE. In fact, we are the actors, the directors, the audience, and the critics who write the reviews.
The world we see is but the projection of people’s thoughts, somewhat like a motion picture, which is just a projection. It appears odd or even insane, at times, because many minds are very mixed up. Some, for example, think violent thoughts. As a result, they create violence in their lives and those around them. Others think thoughts of lack, and indeed they co-create situations of famines or great lack. Others think thoughts of illness, and diseases result.
For their role in the dramas of life, some people choose to be an oppressor, or the oppressed, the cowboy, the villain, the comedian, the murderer, etc. Some choose life as a tragedy, while a few choose life to be a comedy, or perhaps an action thriller. At the end of the story, they all pack up and go home together, and all is well.
This idea of seeing the world as a stage upon which people play out various dramas can help you not to take things too seriously. It can also help you to see that if you do not like the role in the play that you have consciously or unconsciously chosen, you can change it. It is just an act, so with a little effort you can decide, for example, that you want to play a happier role, perhaps.
A completely nihilistic attitude. Worthy an attitude that takes its civilisation down with it.
When Plato launched the Allegory of the Cave, he asked us to find out who was creating the shadows, and not only to play around with different shadows in an almost senseless carousel.
Dig up the nine noble virtues of the Vikings. They are note about game(s). They are about, well, virtues. The type that demands.
Plato’s Socratic dialogues allow us to walk step by step with a real man as Athens crumbles… Certain questions don’t need to be asked when things are as they should be.
I love this!! Ancient wisdom literature, especially the Bible, is a great place to troubleshoot problems. It’s beautiful, logical, pragmatic thinking.
I also love Psalms, and they’re really good to pray.
Psalm 27:13 – “I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.”
People have to see good and justice done around us. If we don’t see the innocent and good protected and rewarded, and also, if we don’t see even the faces of evil people as they receive their punishment, we become depressed, no matter how strong our spirits. I try to pray for and believe for seeing goodness *on earth*, not just in Heaven. The Bible says it cures depression!
That’s one of the things I like about this website. There are a lot of men on here with that mindset, in a world of cowards. If you’re a Christian, it’s one of the things God promises you, and you need to ask him for: raw, old-fashioned justice on your enemies. And when they get it, make sure you relish it!
I’m sorry but where the fuck does the bible have any verses that pertain to deriving pleasure from watching your enemies suffer? I think you need to read Luke 6:29: “…bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone takes your cloak, do not withhold your tunic as well”.
The bible is essentially raw evidence of the stoicism of Jesus. I have no idea what bible you are reading..
You wish!
What verse(s)?
” I have no idea what bible you are reading..”
You are a fucking idiot if you think the Bible is all nicey nicey stuff. The old testament is full of prayers of men wishing God would kill their enemies.
Kill yourself.
“Men wishing God would kill their enemies”. Does that have anything to do with anything? What a moronic comment.
Yes, and they did slay their enemies! Especially the discordant limp-wristed ones!
Do good to those who harm you, for by doing so, you are piling hot coals on their heads.
Sounds like schadenfrude to me
To be fair, men focused more on battles and wars instead of idle distractions…just an observation.
uh huh – “men of the ancient world survived” by beating shovels into swords and plows into battle axes. Then they built ships that sailed like snakes traveling south and invading lands with a murderous vengeance that killed everyone who was of no value.., foreign men and children.
Taking women, land, metals and other ‘booty’ back to their home land, the Vikings didn’t fuck around surviving problems… Nope. The men of ancient times WERE the problem, bitch! And they profited ‘bigly’ from their psychopathic reaction to a psychopathic time…
Maybe we take a lesson from the Viking, the “men of the ancient world” and survive the same problems in the same way they’ve always been survived… by force.
The Vikings were overrated, more a product of 19th century German Romanticism. Now the Roman military and gladitorial ethos is more apt for a late phase civilization. The Chivalric code of the Middle Ages, or Renaissance sword culture is more a mindset to follow.
Well described. A pirate, warrior life is a form of obedience to natural forces, like hunting is in winter.
Fantastic article, thank you. The wisdom of the ancients amaze me.. the woes suffered by man do indeed go back to the beginning of writing, and no doubt millennia further. The words of Ptahhotep and the Sumerian Job might have been uttered 4,500 years ago, or just yesterday. It’s a bell that chimes with all men through history, and always will, as long as humans endure.
The wisdom coming from ancient egypt – they were different than the Egyptians of today, yes?
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Thanks, I appreciate it!
It was exactly the same for men of the ancient world. Homer relates how when Meneleus was duking it out with Paris and Achilles was charging Hector with his Myrmidons Helen of Troy barely troubled to look up from her large screen Antikythera Mechanism
It’s helpful to understand that depression is productive in developing yourself. It’s a tool which helps you understand that your life isn’t what it should be, and to encourage you to make changes to better yourself and your condition. Lately I think we are seeing depression on a civilization level in the west. It’s not just a couple isolated cases of depression. It’s more that there are some fundamental society level problems to be dealt with. We will have to be clever to overcome the challenges that face us as individuals and as a group.
The picture of the man sitting alone in the stadium with his head in his hands is me today. Or the last three days…or three years…or three decades.
I have been so painfully without female companionship for so long, couple of days ago I gave up on the idea. Female companionship is not for me.
Lately I’m having a real hard time facing the cold world knowing I’m always going to be alone. I’m 38 and giving up forever on it is simply crushing my soul. I’m not writing this for sympathy- but rather to give my sympathy for others who are in this struggle with me.
As a white guy – I have prayed to God many nights for an explanation as to “why me?” Why did I have to be born in an era where society hates me merely for being White and being a man? Why is it that it seems women not only just “don’t like” men but actually HATE men, and actively work to destroy men and all their interests?
Why the world is this way I will never know. Many days I curse the day I was born. Why did god give me this urge to be with women, to want so badly their company – and then make them so wicked in nature?
If God is indeed there (make no mistake I’ve lost faith) if I ever see him most of my questions will be around this issue. I simply no longer understand what the point is with having these natural feelings of attraction only to have negative outcomes in life resultant from them.
I can’t explain how something so natural has become such a horrid endeavor to withstand?