Post: #1

In a world where there seems to be relatively few famous contemporary masculine examples worthy of emulation, it's perhaps even more important to learn from the men of the past, and what men of the present that can be found.

So, what are some men whose examples you've been inspired by? I suppose this thread can also extend to fictional characters who have traits you desire as well.

I'll start with one- the 1st Duke of Marlborough. The guy overcame a lot of setbacks but reached his fame and fortune through his persistence and his ability to play the game of power. Also, his wife was a total harpy who mistreated everybody (including various Kings and Queens and even her own children). Everyone hated her and yet she never dared treat her husband poorly, and remained totally devoted to him. That fact probably says the most about him. Kind of a shame he isn't more well-known.

Who are some of the people you guys aspire to?

Post: #2

Great choice for a topic, Libertas.

For me it's Ben Franklin. He was a teenage runaway who never finished school, but went on to become an inventor, author, scientist, musician, and a pioneer of the new country called the USA. He also apparently had a way with women and made no apologies about that.

Franklin has been called "The First American," and maybe deep in our collective subconscious minds, it's him we all aspire to be on some level.

Post: #3

Chesty Puller and Norman Schwarzkopf comes to mind. Truly great leaders of men.

Post: #4

Leonardo da Vinci

Post: #5

(12-25-2013 12:11 PM)Aliblahba Wrote:  Chesty Puller and Norman Schwarzkopf comes to mind. Truly great leaders of men.

Chesty Puller was an amazing man. I had heard stories about him over the years, but then I saw a documentary about him -- possibly on the history channel. One tough SOB. Five Navy Crosses!

George Washington for his amazing moral character. Four-time British Prime Minister William Gladstone proposed the creation of pedestals for the statues of history's greatest men. One pedestal stood higher than all the rest and Gladstone was asked to identify the figure to be given the place of honor. He named George Washington.

Thomas Jefferson for his incredible intellect and his ability to master just about everything he ever attempted, science and inventions, architecture, law, politics, etc.

Nikola Tesla who was a genius beyond even our current understanding.

Post: #6

Saint Thomas More -- told the world it was wrong even though he lost his head for it.

Post: #7

In a weird sort of way - the person I would most enjoy chatting to would be Milton Friedman. He had a ferocious intelligence which I really admire. I love the way he could cut to the heart of any issue

And in light of the 2008 financial crash - I would be curious to hear his thoughts.

Post: #8

Toussaint Louverture (miltary genius who succeeded against all odds)

Fidel Castro ( Big F U to big brother/big balls)

Napoleon Bonaparte (his ambition)

Nelson Mandela (his humanity)

Post: #9

HC, you should read this book:

Armando Valladares, "Against All Hope"

Armando Valladares is someone I admire. Fidel Castro is an evil monster.

Post: #10

Chingiz Khan

Khan Krum

Stalin

Adolf Hitler

Napolean

General Skobelev

Marcus Aurelius

Diocletian

Post: #11

(12-25-2013 07:37 PM)The Lizard of Oz Wrote:  HC, you should read this book:

Armando Valladares, "Against All Hope"

Armando Valladares is someone I admire. Fidel Castro is an evil monster.

Yeah I know Castro is a controversial guy, but what he accomplished is still mind boggling considering what the US government has done to other countries with similar politicians. Cuba is just 90 miles away from Florida. Castro has outlived several US Presidents and has survived an untold number of assassination attempts.

Post: #12

Another thing about the Duke, he had to deal with meddling Dutch politicians throughout his entire career as Captain-General and yet still pulled off stunning victories. The Blenheim Campaign of 1704 is still to this day one of the most amazing instances of marching and fighting ever. The guy marched hundreds of miles, deceiving friend and foe alike and utterly destroyed Louis XIV's army and his hopes of domination. Still makes me marvel even after reading the story many times.

The key was that he didn't let anyone else steal the initiative from him.

(12-25-2013 11:59 AM)Days of Broken Arrows Wrote:  Great choice for a topic, Libertas.

For me it's Ben Franklin. He was a teenage runaway who never finished school, but went on to become an inventor, author, scientist, musician, and a pioneer of the new country called the USA. He also apparently had a way with women and made no apologies about that.

Franklin has been called "The First American," and maybe deep in our collective subconscious minds, it's him we all aspire to be on some level.

Franklin was a character, yeah. His own secretary when he was in France was a spy but yet he still kept his information secret.

(12-25-2013 07:02 PM)Tail Gunner Wrote:  George Washington for his amazing moral character. Four-time British Prime Minister William Gladstone proposed the creation of pedestals for the statues of history's greatest men. One pedestal stood higher than all the rest and Gladstone was asked to identify the figure to be given the place of honor. He named George Washington.

Washington was a man's man in every way. It's amazing how he even survived considering all the times he rode straight into enemy fire and didn't even get hit. Almost makes you believe destiny beat the bullets back.

And the fact that he willingly surrendered power when he could have easily become a dictator or king probably says the most about him.

Post: #13

Wow, there are so many to choose from. For me the best way to answer this question is by historical periods.

Ancient world

Julius Caesar: The most complete man antiquity produced.
Solon of Athens: Influential lawgiver and ruler
Plato: After Aristotle, the most influential philosopher in the Western tradition, arguably.
Augustus: the first emperor. A wily tactician and able administrator
St. Augustine: honesty and sincerity personified

Medieval world:

Charlemagne: the greatest of medieval kings
Averroes: A philosopher so far ahead of his peers, that they just lost sight of him
Muhyi ad-Din Ibn Arabi: Arch mystic and pantheist, proved the power of the imagination can move mountains.

Renaissance:

Erasmus of Rotterdam
Cosimo de Medici: a real patron of the arts

Early Modern:

Spinoza: the gentle philosopher
Michel de Montaigne: a great essayist

Modern:

Andrew Jackson: now this is a president
James Knox Polk: an underrated but great president
Abraham Lincoln: goes without saying
H.G. Wells: one of my favorite writers

Post: #14

I don't agree that Lincoln was a great president/person. He genuinely disobeyed laws that the constitution put in place. He violated many people's rights to free speech. He arrested over 20,000 individual people who disagreed with his political philosophy during the Civil War, and shut down over 300 newspapers that did the same thing.

Additionally, he is most known for his moral character, as his actions freed slaves, however, he did not care for civil rights at all. Freeing the slaves was simply a political ploy in order to get the Southern states to rejoin the union after succession. He basically said: "rejoin the union or I will take your slaves away". He did not immediately free the slaves of the slave border states such as Kentucky, Tennessee, etc. So I disagree that Lincoln was a great man. He accomplished some things that he is now glorified for, but he wasn't a great man in his character or his actions, only in his results.

Can you imagine if today, Obama shut down a regional newspaper that disagreed with Obamacare? Or if he ignored direct orders from congress? Or his he started a war and failed to decree that there was actually a war going on? He would be impeached within weeks!

Post: #15

There are so many:

Martin Luther King

Mahatma Gandhi

Leo Tolstoy

FDR

Immanuel Kant (political theorist)

Thomas Hill Green (political theorist)

John Maynard Keynes (economist)

Aristotle

Socrates

Jose Ortega y Gasset (philosopher)

Michael Oakeshott (political theorist)

Adam Smith (economist)

Howard Zinn (historian)

Albert Einstein

Sri Ramakrishna (Hindu saint)

Stephen Covey (7 Habits guy)

Vinicius de Moraes (composer, diplomat)

Jackie Robinson

Robert Muller (philosopher, diplomat)

I'm sure there are about 50 or so more...

Post: #16

Jack Churchill

Quote:...becoming the only British soldier known to have felled an enemy with a longbow in WWII.

Quote:As the ramps fell on the first landing craft, Churchill leapt forward from his position playing "March of the Cameron Men"[9] on his bagpipes, before throwing a grenade and running into battle in the bay.

Quote:n July 1943, as commanding officer, he led 2 Commando from their landing site at Catania in Sicily with his trademark Scottish broadsword slung around his waist, a longbow and arrows around his neck and his bagpipes under his arm... ...He led the attack by 2 and 41 Commandos, infiltrated the town and captured the post, taking 42 prisoners including a mortar squad.

Quote:Churchill was said to be unhappy with the sudden end of the war, saying: "If it wasn't for those damn Yanks, we could have kept the war going another 10 years."

Read the whole page, this guy was fucking crazy.

Post: #17

Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.

First, a superior combat commander and general in WW I.

Second, a charismatic political and military leader who thwarted the European powers' plan to carve up Anatolia into colonies and created the Turkish state.

Third, a reformer who not only established the Turkish Republic as a democratic state and powerful free market economy, but also mandated the creation of the modern Turkish language, including switching from Arabic script to Roman script in just a couple of years.

Post: #18

First up is Baron Roman von Ungern-Sternberg while it is hard to find reliable info on his life and harder still to put together an accurate picture of who he was - it is also hard to avoid that he was, to put it one way, something else. Whatever it was he had about him he certainly managed to fuck shit up in a massive way.

All-time favourite though goes to Edward III hands-down and just his intro on wikipedia should win you over - one of the greatest men in European history to ever be crowned king. This guy's life (and, obviously, the history of England in his time) is just success after success after success.

Post: #19

Rubirosa.

Post: #20

1. Flavius Aetius--Gibbon's called him one of the "last Romans." He was the last great Roman commander who decisively defeated Attila and the Huns at the Catalaunian Plains and kept the empire alive for a few more decades. The army was so weak by this time, that Aetius had to ally with the Visigoths to succeed, but he did what it took to win (strong diplomatic and realpolitik skills). Aetius actually grew up as a hostage of the Huns, which made it interesting that he had to fight them later on in life. For his magnificent victory over Attila--Aetius was assassinated by Emperor Valentinan. He was a noble and courageous general who was betrayed by higher ups.

2. Prince Vlad of Wallachia AKA Dracula---don't believe all the Germanic stories about him (e.g impaling people by the 10,000's of thousands per day). He was a ferocious military commander who helped to hold back the ottoman threat--no small feat for a little principality. Yes he was very strict and cruel (everyone was during the time), but he kept his country together as best he could during chaotic times.

3. Giacomo Casanova--no not the just for the sexual exploits. This guy was a great intellectual, an author, a real renaissance style guy (spoke multiple languages who happened to have a huge libido). He was a great traveler and went on numerous adventures around Europe (was invited to many European courts and traveled in the highest society). He even escaped a Venetian prison (you can still see the prison cell if you go on the "secrets tour" of the doge's palace) which was thought to be inescapable. He wrote a memoirs if you have the free time to read it. and yes--He banged quite a few upper class "proper" ladies.

4. Brutus and Cassius for assassinating Julius Caesar. The man destroyed the Roman Republic and deserved it. Sic semper tyrannis

5. Arminius of the Cherusci tribe (Germanic tribe conquered by the Romans). Arminius had been sent by his father (the chieftain) as a hostage to the Romans. Arminus used his intellect and diplomatic skill to befriend the Roman commander Varus and lead the Romans into their most devastating military defeat since Cannae. He advised the Roman commander Varus to send his army through the Teutenborg Forest where a large ambush had been prepared. Depending on the source at least 20k Romans died that day with very minimal losses for the Germans. Checkmate. When Augustus heard about the devastation he famously yelled "Quintilius Varus, give me back my legions!'" Anyone who could play the Romans for fools deserves respect.

6. Scipio Africanus--for defeating Hannibal who had devastated the Romans at Lake Trasimene (at least 20K Romans killed), Trebia (15k Romans killed), and of course Cannae ( min 50K killed--other estimates as high as 80k). However, Hannibal met his match at the Battle of Zama a few miles outside Carthage itself at the hands of Rome's eminent general Scipio. Scipio knew Hannibal would likely use the elephants to scare the Romans and cause them to flee. Scipio worked out a strategy to neutralize the elephants--by ordering his men to open gaps in their lines (the bet being elephants if given the opportunity would rather run through the lanes than over men). After that it was a quick battle and an easy Roman win.

Scipio was also a brave kid--when he was 18 he personally saved his father's life in battle against all odds.

7. Joseph Stalin (hate to say it). This guy from a pure alpha power projection perspective was one of the most successful politicians in world history. Rose from nothing (poor family and later a bank robber) to head one of the world's 2 superpowers after defeating the Nazi's (and subjugating eastern europe--checkmated Churchill and FDR). He stayed at the top with ruthless efficiency and modernized Russia. Again I have to say--horrible man who hopefully will rot in hell, but I respect the power and his stone cold diplomatic skills

8. Jesse Livermore--successful financial speculator who started from nothing. He lost and made several million dollar fortunes. He famously shorted the 1929 stock crash. By 1930 be had over $100 million in cash and was one of the richest men in the US during a worldwide Depression. Amazing individual--great book about him Reminiscences of a Stock Operator.

9. George Washington--we all know he defeated the British against insurmountable odds(he lost more battles than he won), but his greatest act in my opinion was resigning after two terms as president (no constitutional requirement at that time).This was a LEGENDARY ACT--No man in history had given up absolute power like Washington did (e.g. Julius Caesar, Napoleon, etc). He exemplified all of the virtues America used to stand for. To have all the power (and some his friends wanted him to become dictator) and then to relinquish it all and retire to Mt. Vernon showed incredible dignity and respect for the principles of the Revolution. The tradition stood until that criminal FDR tried to become a tyrant and ushered in the need for a constitutional amendment

10. Ben Franklin--for all the reasons Day of Broken Arrows said and more. The guy did everything from inventor, businessman, expert diplomat who some how got the king of france to help fund the defeat the king of England and establish a Constitutional Republic(pretty hard sell). Franklin had no formal education, but harnessed the power of lightning--unbelievable--one of those moments in history I wish I could have been a fly on the wall. Read Poor Richard's Almanac for great tips of wisdom.

Post: #21

+1 for Ataturk
Like his ideas on separation of religion and state.

Post: #22

Isembard Kingdom Brunel.

Although with a name like that how can you fail?

Post: #23

Here's another one- Louis XIV, the great king of France.

The guy expanded France's territory and secured it as the greatest Continental power of its age not only militarily, but in the arts and culture.

In addition to that, he had everything going for him in his personal life. He was tall and good looking, and he had great game on top of everything else- he was witty, charming, and funny. He really just seemed to have it all.

Of course there are things to remember about him as lessons not to repeat as well. Firstly, his revocation of toleration to the French Huguenots led to a considerable brain and capital drain that damaged France economically. Secondly, his example could also serve as a warning against unchecked ambition- it made him too many enemies (including the said Duke of Marlborough)- and it cost him.

Despite his losses in the War of the Spanish Succession however, France was more secure and enriched after him than before, and he lived a successful and full life. There's a reason he's mentioned so much in The 48 Laws of Power.

I intend to read some biographies of him this year.

Post: #24

Hans Christen Anderson is a semi hero of mine. He rebelled his entire life against institutional and academic norms. Overcoming great odds to be a successful writer. It's inspiring to see someone overcome obstacles to obtain their desires. He was however a beta when it came to girls, and indeed other men.

William Wallace, for obvious reasons. His death was horrific beyond imagining and yet he held true to his convictions.

Nicholas Tesla, genius beyond measure. Some of his experiments and creations have not been reproduced to this day. Such as his free wireless electricity for the planet. Another tragic story, but another example of how true greatness leaves a mark regardless of circumstance.

Machiavelli, this guy basically changed my entire philosophy, putting me on a realist and stoic belief system ever since. Uses cold reason to explain the reality of power and the correct methods of obtaining, an wielding, power. The Prince is a must read for red pill men, politicians, and gangsters alike.

Post: #25

(12-25-2013 07:40 PM)Hencredible Casanova Wrote:  Yeah I know Castro is a controversial guy, but what he accomplished is still mind boggling considering what the US government has done to other countries with similar politicians. Cuba is just 90 miles away from Florida. Castro has outlived several US Presidents and has survived an untold number of assassination attempts.

638 assassination attempts, to be exact. He's had people actively trying to kill him since he was a twenty year old university student. Everything from poisoned food, guys spraying bullets at him, to (what quite possibly is the most ingenious scheme ever) an exploding conch placed on the ocean floor in a place where he frequently went diving.