There’s a thread that runs through the fabric of classic heroism, a thread we dare not let unravel. It’s the power of sincerity, the bedrock of traditional masculinity—elements that, for all our progress, we cannot afford to lose. The cost of such loss would be far greater than we might initially think. It would signal not just the weakening of the warrior spirit but the very dissolution of man himself. For when the fighting heart is made to wither, so too does the essence of what it means to be a man, and with it, the core of our strength and resilience.
A boy, when reaching for entertainment, will end up pulling near to himself a role model. Intentioned or not, he is examining a philosophy— a worldview. The hero he chooses to admire will cast a long shadow, one filled with ideals and beliefs about life, values that will seep into the boy’s soul. A few questions to the reader of this piece are: What lessons will he take away? What will he learn about himself and the world he’s stepping into? What role is he meant to play? And most crucially, why does he matter? The answers to these questions will shape not just the boy, but the man he will become, and in turn, the world he will help to build.
I won’t pretend to know how you’d answer those questions, but I’d bet good money you’d say it all comes down to the stories the boy consumes. On that, I’m in full agreement. It’s why I believe, with every fiber of my being, that a boy must be steeped in tales of classic heroism. It’s not merely important—it’s essential. He needs to see men of moral clarity, dangerous men who are willing to have bloody confrontations with evil simply because it is the right thing to do.
Classic heroism provides the answers to those vital questions, brimming with lessons that are as timeless as they are essential. When a boy immerses himself in such stories, he stands to gain much: an appreciation for the value of a moral code, the exhilaration and worth of adventure, the principles of honor and courage, and perhaps above all, the necessity of taking decisive action. These narratives will reveal to him that evil is no mere abstraction but a palpable force in the world. He will come to grasp his own significant role, the burden of personal responsibility, and the imperative to lead. More than that, he will unearth the profound truth that his life is imbued with meaning. He’ll realize that within him lies the dormant potential of a hero, a deep-seated duty to rise and protect the innocent. He will learn that he has beating in his chest, the same fighting heart of man.
-L.S. Goozdich
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