Do you like to fight?

Here I’m thinking more of the sport and thrill of it. Not just violence for its own sake. It seems some of us do and some of us don’t. My 11-year-old son has been all about it for the longest time, and he is the kindest, wisest kid I know.

“The true warrior is not the one who is willing to kill. That doesn’t make a warrior. The true warrior is the one who is willing, if need be, to die. Courage and not violence defines him. The fight, then, is a special case, appropriate in special circumstances, of the willingness to put everything on the line, to offer even one’s own body and all the ego holds precious, in service to life.” ~Charles Eisenstein

I’ve long been intrigued by Eisenstein’s thought. I am also one of those people who started to feel quite uncomfortable and concerned about his thoughts on vaccinations and health policy during the pandemic.

But one of my principles is not to write people off when they take a position I disagree with. Or, a position that I simply cannot understand. So I’ve kept reading his stuff.

In his latest newsletter, “I like to fight,” he reminds us of a story we have talked about before at the Better Men Project:

“…about one of America’s all-too-common mass shootings, the Aurora Theater shooting of 2012. Four of the men who died there died because they interposed their bodies between their girlfriends and the shooter. […] That is a core aspect of masculinity. Each man here has it in him to do that. Each man here would offer his life to protect what he loves, to protect life itself. [continued] The fact that many men, including ourselves, have often failed miserably to live up to that potential does not make it untrue. It is who we really are, and our purpose here is to bring this, our true nature, into full manifestation.”

The essay is really worth the read. Charles’ description makes me want to learn more about the work of the “Sacred Sons.” And it makes me think more about what we are doing together at the Better Men Project.

I don’t see myself facilitating a men’s retreat where we actually engage in physical fighting. But I can imagine holding a space where we dive deeply into our own hearts and find healthy ways to deal with areas of real conflict.

I’ve been talking about a men’s retreat for a while. Many of you have expressed interest. I am now planning my 2023 calendar, and I would love for you to let me know if this is something you would want to be a part of.

Sign up below to express interest. You are not making a commitment. This is a way for me to gauge if members of this community want to come together in person for an intensive four or five days.

I imagine that if you have read this far, then you might actually be interested.

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