Becoming Better Men?

Hi y'all,

Slumber here. I've dug a bit. Not past page five of this forum, I'll admit. Does anyone have any resources on how to be a better man? I was really inspired by Nicomachean Ethics, and how something perfect is something that strives to be the best at what it is, and does so well. So in sum, it's not good that you're just a violinist, but the best violinist you can be. The same is true of soldiers and men.

I'm also having a lot of issues in life that I think bettering myself can alleviate. For example, a recent breakup, no money, repossession of my car, still living at home with a family I don't get along with, friends that weren't there for me when I needed them, still feeling like a child even though chronologically I'm not. Just itching for some good, old-fashioned self-improvement.

I know there's plenty of resources on the internet, but word of mouth from people that have been there is always the best resource. And especially since this is a site dedicated to self-improvement, I have high hopes for some good resources, haha.

Howdy!

Rome wasn't built in a day ya know? Same with self-improvement, it's a life long process. Taking responsibility for your own mental/physical/spiritual (if you believe in it) well being isn't anyone else's job but your own. You gotta be able to do the little things consistently everyday without someone holding your hand, before you start playing violins. Take stock of your situation, seems that you have - and deal with one problem at a time. Ain't nobody capable of loving you more than yourself, so you gotta make time to do whatever daily checklist it is to ensure that your vital needs are being met before you start trying to climb Mount Everest or whathaveyou. Soldiers are men who have been rebuilt from the bottom up on how to meet military standards - and really, for someone like myself, that's also true - weirdly enough, you're no more fit to fight commies if you don't learn how to exercise everyday anymore than if you don't know learn to make your own damn bed each morning. Striving to be the best at what we do takes a lot of discipline, and discipline starts small.

"better" can have many meanings. also, you should pursue a goal that has meaning for you and not just for the sake of being the "best," right?

My (Personal) List of What it Means to be a Good Man - The Good Men Project

ColdSlumber, in my opinion, being a man is just a gender or label. It doesn't necessarily make sense to be a better label; because a label doesn't really have much of a value, right? Instead of being a better man, I feel you mean that you want to be a better you.

Slumber, right on for taking on Aristotle's Nichomachean, and using philosophy as a way of life. On my profile I have ablog post where I dig into Aristotle, plato, William james, and a host of others if you want to keep living the examined life.

Join our philosophy group called Crazy Philosophy. Something is always going on there.

A few more books to contemplate with:
A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy
The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can't Stand Positive Thinking
He: Understanding Masculine Psychology
After virtue: A study in moral theory by Alasdair C MacIntyre

If you want more specific books on certain topics let me know. I'm in Crazy Philosophy forum on PC more than men focused forum