Author: Collin E. Olson

One of the more recent catchphrases of young people, “OK, Boomer,” meant to dismiss and generally shame an older person and what they have to say, although somewhat focused on a specific group, got me thinking about the broader state of our society in terms of how we interact.

The general context and meaning behind this phrase, from what I gather, is that old people are out of touch, or ignorant of current events and sentiments.

That is certainly not a new phenomenon. The elderly people that young people are bashing today could very well have been the hippies of the 1960s that bashed and rebelled against their parents and grandparents. And then those parents and grandparents could have been the young people of the 1920s who rebelled against their own elders. Point being, it is nothing new for the young to be upset with the old and vice versa.

Unoriginality aside, I find the insult, “OK, Boomer,” to be indicative of what’s happening to us as a whole. We’re becoming less civil.

Of course, respect is earned and it goes both ways, but why has disrespect now become the default? If someone has to earn your respect, wouldn’t the same have to be said for earning your disrespect?

We have started rejecting rational debate and conversations in favor of, well, poop flinging. That’s the best way I can describe it.

If we have a disagreement with someone we almost instantly resort to dismissal tactics such as, “OK, Boomer.” We also resort to other forms of name calling where we erroneously label someone in an effort to destroy their credibility.

It doesn’t even stop with the words. “Cancel culture,” is a plague on our civility as well. That is, the new, largely internet-fueled, phenomenon that boils down to: if someone does something wrong, they immediately deserve to have their social media accounts taken down and their voice silenced. If they own a business, their profits deserve to be taken away, or at the very least stopped.

That’s not very civil. That’s mob rule. And it often happens before all the information is revealed. Sometimes, when the truth comes out, it just so happens they didn’t do anything wrong at all Or if they did, it was minor and they can apologize and make amends. What if their wrongdoing is up to interpretation? Where some think they’re wrong, others think they aren’t? Unfortunately for the person in question, the damage is usually already done.

I’m not defending those who have actually done wrong, of course. But I do want to pose the question, is it right for us to act on impulse in such a way?

Is it right for us to dismiss our elders simply because we have a disagreement? I don’t think so.

Is it right to, “Cancel,” someone because they might have done one thing wrong? Did they even do anything wrong? If they did, was it bad enough for them to deserve such strong backlash?

Be civil. Don’t disrespect someone you don’t know. Review the facts impartially. Think before you act.

Thank you for reading.

I’ve always been interested in history. Mainly war history, but philosophy has piqued my interest in the last few years. We’ve been trying to find our purpose in life for thousands of years and I doubt we’ve found the answer.

Nonetheless, I hear certain bits of wisdom today that strike me as not entirely new. Certainly, our lives are much different than they were in the time of Socrates or Marcus Aurelius. Certain things that were part of life back then are now taboo. But what about the way we think about life and how to be good people? I don’t think it’s so different.

Wisdom I hear today is often just a different way of saying things that our ancestors said. That doesn’t necessarily mean plagiarism. Maybe, it means that they had similar thoughts to ours and it has simply remained wise advice after all these years.

I’m particularly interested in Stoicism. The Stoic philosophy is a philosophy that emphasizes, well, being stoic. Accepting your current circumstances for what they are. Not meaning complacency of course, instead meaning not allowing them to make you miserable. They also believe in the use of the mind, logic and reason, over emotional reactions.

Stoic philosophers include the previous mentioned Marcus Aurelius, an emperor of Rome, Epictetus, a Greek philosopher who was born a slave, and Seneca, who had the impossible task of being a tutor to the infamous emperor Nero.

I’ll list a few quotations from our ancient philosophers and then do my best to correlate them to how we think today:

“The opinion of 10,000 men is of no value if none of them know anything about the subject.” – Marcus Aurelius. Sounds pretty applicable today, doesn’t it? Think of all the politicians, activists, and keyboard warriors who weigh in on every subject imaginable despite knowing little to nothing about them.

Here’s one you might recognize and it fits in nicely with the previous quote: “The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.” – Socrates. This is among his more famous quotes and it’s still true today. No matter how much you might know about something, there’s still much more for you to learn.

“Let him that would move the world, first move himself.” – Socrates. You’ve heard the idea that if you want to change the world, start by making your bed, right? Looks like Socrates figured that out 2500 years ago.

“It takes more than just a good looking body. You’ve got to have the heart and soul to go with it.” -Epictetus. Today we sometimes say that there’s more to attraction than the external and I think most of us would agree. In my personal findings, although there are of course exceptions, the more someone is focused on their outward image, the less substance there is on the inside.

“Do not be wise in words – be wise in deeds.” -Marcus Aurelius. Pretty straightforward correlation here. How many times have you heard that actions speak louder than words?

“We should not, like sheep, follow the herd of creatures in front of us, making our way where others go, not where we ought to go.” – Seneca. I was always told growing up, “be a leader, not a follower.”

I could go on and on, but I encourage you to read quotes from these philosophers on your own as well as perhaps finding others to learn from.

I carry a coin in my pocket (when I remember to put it in my pocket) that reads, “Memento Mori,” on one side, and then a fragment of a Marcus Aurelius quote on the other, “You could leave right now.” As in leave this world. The other half of the quote being, “Let that determine what you do and say and think.”

Memento Mori is an old Roman phrase that essentially means, remember that you are mortal. Or, remember that you will die. It’s not some doom and gloom prophecy meant to make you despair. We know from the moment we’re old enough to understand death that we are all fated to die. So, make the most of the present. Worded how we might hear this today, live life to the fullest.

What do you contemplate in order to live properly and guide yourself? What philosophies have had an impact on you? How do you act upon the virtues and ethics of goodness?

Thank you for reading.

Although this article certainly targets young men like me, I do want to express that women may gain something from these books as well. After all, there’s nowhere that it’s written that men can only benefit from listening to men’s advice, and women can only benefit from women’s advice.

Maybe you’re the parent/guardian of a young man. You could consider these books for him. Assuming he likes to read. And if he doesn’t he should do it anyway because it’s good for you.

Now then, onto the meat and potatoes. These five books have all had a sizable impact on me and some of their style even comes through in my own writing. At least in non-fiction pieces like this blog post.

I believe they can all teach something valuable to young men who are looking for purpose, values, responsibility, their path in life, and more.

In no particular order…

How To Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

This book has been in print for over 80 years and you may recognize the title. It was originally published in 1936 and has remained largely unchanged over the years, Carnegie’s family only making the most minor of edits. I think the length of it’s continuous publication speaks for it self.

This book has quite a few good lessons in it on dealing with people. It even offers practical ways to try and integrate them into your life. If nothing else, many of the stories within are heartwarming and worthwhile.

Models: Attract Women Through Honesty by Mark Manson

I know, I know. Books on picking up women can be sleazy so why would I include one here?

I like this book because it doesn’t speak as if the author wants to get you laid (Where I think dating books get a bad rap). That’s not what dating should be about.

The main value is in its underlying message. That message essentially being, be yourself.

Honesty, to me, is one of the highest virtues. This book is obviously focused on attracting women, but it does well to express how valuable and important honesty and vulnerability are in general.

And trust me, women will sense the false confidence and bravado and it will not attract them to you. Be honest. Always.

Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki

This book focuses on finances, a topic that will inevitably impact everyone who is doomed to grow up into an adult (that’s everyone).

Kiyosaki illustrates how, growing up, he had two father figures: his biological father, and his close friend’s father.

He tells us how the mindsets of rich people differ from poor people when it comes to money. Essentially, poor or middle class people work for money. Rich people make their money work for them.

It’s an enlightening book and it remains entertaining throughout with stories from Kiyosaki’s childhood.

No More Mr. Nice Guy by Robert A. Glover

Dr. Glover spent years working with men as a therapist and he coins the term, “Nice Guy,” to describe a man who, despite thinking of himself as a nice person, may have some behaviors that do not fit that description.

While you may or may not have the, “Nice Guy Syndrome,” Dr. Glover describes in this book, it is still a worthwhile read. There is always room for improvement and it may help you to understand just why you do what you do. Or what your man, partner, husband, etc. does and why.

It could help you break free of bad patterns you find yourself in that always end in frustration and resentment.

12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos by Jordan B. Peterson

This is the newest book on the list, having been released in 2018 but it quickly rose the charts and became a bestseller.

Dr. Peterson covers each rule with a somewhat lengthy essay on it and I find the writing very effective at getting his point across.

Rule number one is: Stand up straight with your shoulders back.

No, he’s not advocating for good posture. Although, I highly doubt he would advocate against good posture either. This rule, as he explains, is more about taking charge of your life, not cowering in your room. Standing up to the world and carving out your part of it.

Like I said, I wanted to avoid having an order for this list. They’re all great. That said, if you can only afford one, or only want one for now, I’m inclined to recommend 12 Rules for Life. It’s quite long so you can get a good bit of time out of it before finishing your first read-through and the various rules touch on things that some of the other books cover as well.

Thank you for reading.

By saying, “Man up,” I don’t mean to exclude the women who may be reading this. You might benefit from manning up too. I hope I can illustrate why.

Somewhat recently the phrase, “Man up,” has come under fire and labeled with the vague blanket term, “toxic masculinity.”

The term, “toxic masculinity,” could’ve had some validity but I’ve since seen it used for denouncing essentially anything that is traditionally manly or traits that are, at least symbolically, masculine. For example, being competitive or aggressive. I find this radical destruction of what masculine means detrimental to society.

There are, of course, times when things like aggression can go too far. Murder and domestic abuse for example. We have a place for people that get too aggressive and uncivilized and we call it prison.

So, what does, “Man up,” mean? To me, it’s synonymous with toughen up. It means to take heart, be bold, or power through. It also means to stop crying over spilt milk.

What’s wrong with that? Who doesn’t need to toughen up?

It’s not about being strong all the time or not having feelings. That’s absurd. Nobody is strong all the time, not even Hercules. And the only things that don’t feel are inanimate objects.

Winston Churchill cried all the time. I don’t think anyone will deny that he was manly. In fact, I think being strong enough to admit that he can be weak and cry only reinforces his masculinity.

“Man up,” is about having the strength to push through regardless of how you feel. That’s not something only men can do. Is it? Surely, women would benefit from harnessing their masculine side as well. They already are.

Unfortunately, we see the results of those who refused to, “man up,” more and more. Grown adults who throw temper tantrums when they don’t get their way. We see it when we shift blame, lie, and panic when the going gets tough.

In this sense, could, “man up,” not also mean, “grow up?” After all, the phrase isn’t, “boy up.”

Since I’ve illustrated where masculine traits can go wrong, what are examples of positive masculinity?

Positive masculinity is the construction workers, sweating, bleeding, and getting covered in dirt so that we have places to live and roads to drive on. It’s the brave knight, vowing to destroy the dragon, even if it costs him his life. It’s the father, making sacrifices day after day so that his wife and children can have a good life.

Man up. The world is cruel. Children get cancer, adorable little beagles are used for product testing, and the government takes roughly thirty percent of your paycheck.

Man up. Or the houses will fall down, the dragon will terrorize the people, and the family will suffer.

Man up. The world depends on it.

Every day, try to do one percent better with something. Then, in a few months, you’ll be 100% better at it than you were.

This was advice my father expressed to me the other day. Quite wise. Did he come up with it all on his own? Doubt it.

“Inch by inch is a cinch.” Chunking. Micro-tasking. The philosophy has gone by many names and phrases over the years and it is no less true today. No offense, dad.

The problem is, simple as it may be in theory, it’s much harder in practice.

Maybe you say you’ll start exercising every day even if it’s just twenty minutes at first (not that you can’t get an incredible workout in in twenty minutes). But you don’t. Or maybe you do for a week or two. But you fade out of it.

Or you want to teach yourself to play the guitar. So you buy the books, the guitar, and you look up some videos. But you stop almost as fast as you started.

“I’m just so unmotivated.” Of course you are. Motivation is as fickle as my dog when someone has food.

Instead, practice discipline. Discipline is what sets people above the rest.

Discipline is the honest commitment you make to yourself when you want to achieve something. It’s the Olympic athlete waking up at 3 am to practice. It’s the soldier staying awake and focused for 36 hours straight.

It’s you, setting a goal and working towards it every day. Even when you don’t want to. Even if you only progress one percent each day.

One percent isn’t hard. The hardest part about it is that you have to actually do it. And that’s not hard either.

I know we all have our lives and things to attend to and things that wear us out. It’s no wonder we’re unmotivated. That’s where discipline reigns supreme.

In fact, you may already have some discipline within you. One could assume you actually do those things that need tending to and those things that wear you out. Does that not take at least a hint of discipline? Consider what would happen if you applied that to your personal goals and aspirations.

I wanted to write this today because I myself am currently in the process of setting new goals. I admit, the last time I sat down and set goals for myself, I did not practice what I’m preaching. I intend to do it honestly this time. I do not intend to repeat the mistake. I hope you don’t either.

Remember, all either of us has to do is one percent better.

Thank you for reading.

It’s no secret that many of us take majors in college that might not have a straight forward career path. We have a unique problem on our hands.

Studying engineering? You’re going to work as an engineer when you graduate. Studying nursing? Well, I would hope we can all assume you’re going to become a nurse.

Or perhaps you’re avoiding college (An increasingly smart move) and you’re going to become a tradesmen. Carpentry, masonry, plumbing, or maybe you’re going to become an electrician. One could safely assume that you will be a carpenter, stonemason, plumber, or the previously mentioned electrician.

But then there are those of us who might not know what to do once we leave institutional education behind and enter the workforce. Maybe you studied communication or business or, in my case, creative writing. Despite knowing that I wanted to be an author and perhaps a great many things in addition to that (Space cowboy), I felt lost for many months after graduation, and still feel lost at times to this day.

Shortly after promising myself I’d launch this website this month, a waitress at the restaurant I work at said to me, after learning what my degree was in, “It’s okay, I have a degree in graphic design and I’m not using it either.”

It was the, “Either,” part that got me thinking.

“Either,” marked it out as an unfortunate truth. Many of us do not use the degree we spent so much money on for one reason or another. Maybe they did use it and things didn’t work out. Maybe something unexpected came up and they now have obligations higher than pursuing that dream. Maybe, they’re just scared.

Barring certain exceptions, the only time your degree has no use is when you, ahem, don’t use it.

It’s understandable to assume things when someone isn’t working in their field of choice; but when that was said to me, it felt like a sign. Reinforcing my promise to start the website. To at least try. Like I said, in some ways, I’m still lost. But who isn’t?

Those of us with no straightforward path, we must keep going. I have met and am friends with people who earned one of these unclear degrees. They found their way. They found jobs and earn a decent wage despite having no singular, obvious choice of career waiting for them after graduation. And we’ve all heard the stories of now highly successful people, lost and confused, eventually figuring it out and becoming who we know them as today.

Just because you’re unsure what you want to do when you graduate, does not mean your degree wasn’t worthwhile.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, start. Even if it’s bumbling, fumbling, and bad (as my execution of this website and this post may or may not have been), start.

Thank you for reading.