The word “cuck” is an abbreviation of the word “cuckold”.
It refers to a man who has been spurned by his woman because of his weakness as she pursues a sexual relationship from a stronger man.
It’s become an internet insult, and it definitely sounds like a very dirty word – whether it’s officially a “cuss word” or not – it’s certainly a word that no man wants to be called, and it describes a position in which no man wants to be.
Men often go out of their way to get the girl. Then they get the girl and they give up.
Improving yourself, working on becoming a better, stronger man will make you measurably more attractive.
Meet her needs
Your spouse is looking for someone to meet her needs – physically, emotionally, spiritually.
Commit together to guard your family
Affairs don’t happen overnight.
Work together to draw your boundaries, and then enforce those boundaries without jealousy and with trust.
Fight Like Hell
I’ve been using the phrase a lot lately. You need to fight like hell to create the kind of marriage that overcomes temptation, that is full of love and respect, that is fiercely guarded and protected, and that is not full of dangerous fault lines and volcanic eruptions.
Today, September 30, is International Podcast Day! Today at Manlihood, we thought it would be a great opportunity to celebrate our podcast for men.
International Podcast Day™ is September 30th and is an international celebration of the power of podcasts.
In 2004, Adam Curry and Dave Winer were credited for the invention of podcasting. It wasn’t until Ben Hammersly wrote about the online audio shows in the Guardian newspaper that the term “podcasting” was coined.
It’s been almost 20 years since then, and we now have 2.4 million podcasts with 66 million episodes globally. There are more podcasts than anyone could ever listen to!
The Manosphere
Blogs centered around personal development for men have been around for quite awhile, but one of the more earth-shaking moments in the manosphere was the birth of The Art of Manliness Podcast in 2009.
In 2013, I sent an email to a handful of men that I respected, and pitched an idea. I wanted to make a website to equip, educate, entertain, and engage men to be better husbands, fathers, and leaders. The men had some great feedback. My hope was that I had just created a superhero team to build this crazy thing, only to find out, that most of them never really got involved.
At first, I was dissapointed, but one of them told me, “Josh, this is YOUR thing. We’re behind you, and we support you. But this is YOUR dream. YOU are the guy that needs to do it.”
And so I did.
Testing 1.2.3.
My first real job was at WFRM Radio in Coudersport, PA at 14 years old. I was running the board for Pittsburgh Pirates games, DJ’ing and announcing on Saturday mornings, recording commercials, and having the time of my life. I went to college for communications, with a broadcasting specialty, spinning plenty of Christian records on the campus radio station. I went on to work at a few more radio stations, as a news director, a DJ, a talk show-host.
Way before all of that, I used to play with a tape recorder, making my own DJ’d mix tapes. Most people hate the sound of their own voice when they hear it played back. I’ve been listening to mine for so long, I’m usually not bothered by how I sound, and I’ve developed the voice and production skills to be able to use it to make a living at various points in my life.
The Birth of the Manlihood ManCast
I always knew I wanted to build the blog into a podcast. But I hesitated for a long time. Part of me was afraid that I was going to be sending it out into the void. Why would anyone listen? Why invest the time, energy, and emotion into something for 20 people?
After listening to other podcasts, I kept telling myself- You can do that. You have all of the skills, the knowledge, the wisdom to create that.
But it was hard to pull the trigger. Self-doubt kept plaguing me.
I was stuck in this place where I knew I could start it, but I didn’t want to fail. I wasn’t quite ready, I didn’t know what would work, or what listeners wanted to hear. I had a plan, but it was just ideas and lots of scrawled notes in a journal, and nothing concrete.
I had a conversation online with Ryan Michler, and he said, “Start before you are ready.”
And that wisdom made a lot of sense. Just do it, and you can work out the details later. You can fix what isn’t working when you actually do something other than thinking and dreaming.
So we decided to get started by recycling some of our blog content into episodes. If you scroll back on your podcast app to the earliest episodes, you’ll see that the Manlihood ManCast then definitely isn’t what it is now! But I started.
Podcasting is important to me. This is the entrance into people’s hearts and minds as I do the mission I’ve been called to do.
What is it that drives Manlihood? Our Purpose, Mission, Vision, and Values.
Purpose:
Because the world needs men to lead in their families and communities, and because so many men have struggled to understand their value, Manlihood exists to help men become better men.
Mission:
The Manlihood Mission is to Educate, Equip, and Entertain Men in an Engaging Way.
Vision:
The Manlihood vision is to create resources to educate and equip men, to foster a thriving community of men, where bonds of brotherhood and accountability form. We seek to help men be better fathers, husbands, leaders, friends. We want to build through Manlihood a financially sustainable architecture that can support itself, but also to incubate ideas and opportunities from within the Manlihood community that support our purpose and mission.
Values:
Men matter.
Family matters.
Integrity and Honor matter.
Personal Responsibility matters. (If it is to be, it’s up to me.)
Men thrive and grow in community and brotherhood with each other.
Truth is everywhere. Wisdom knows how to pick it out.
Men should value and respect women. (People should respect people.)
Perseverance, Self-control and Self-discipline are sacred and essential.
Words are powerful, and how we use them matters.
Leadership is steeped in influence and responsibility. (Everyone is a leader, and everyone should embrace and nurture that role.)
Alonzo talks with Manlihood about the traditional values he believes in, and how it matters that men work to live by and preserve those values.
Leadership matters
“When we promote leaders, we typically promote based on skills other than leadership and this creates dysfunctional organizations. Leadership is a skill that can be learned and my simple and effective method can improve your team quickly.” – Alonzo Pettigrew
Welcome to the Manlihood Podcast Roundup of the episodes that I’ve enjoyed this past month.
Not only do I host my own podcast here at Manlihood, but I listen to a lot of podcasts. This month has been a killer month in terms of great content that has been released into the podcast realm. Please give these episodes a listen!
In this episode, mental health expert John Delony talks to callers about a few topic, the first one is in particular relevance to many men. He talks to a man struggling to come to terms with his trauma, and the way he’s been treating his family and himself. This is a must listen! Check it out!
Order of Man: Ed Mylett – the Power of One More
Ryan Michler’s Order of Man Podcast is one of my favorites for many reasons, including interviews like this one.
Ed Mylett is an entrepreneur, global speaker, and hosts the #1 rated business podcast on iTunes.
Order of Man: Rebuild and Remake Yourself
In this replay of an older episode, Ryan gets emotional as he talks about his family grieving the loss of their family dog.
It’s a little unusual, as Ryan’s typical stoic delivery is not emotionless, but usually not as emotional and real as he gets in this episode.
The advice he gives is amazing, though, and it’s worth a listen.
Ryan Michler is a husband, father, Iraq Combat Veteran, and the founder of Order of Man. Ryan was raised without a permanent father figure and has seen first-hand how a lack of strong, ambitious, self-sufficient men has negatively impacted society. He believes many of the world’s most complicated and challenging problems could be resolved if men dedicated themselves to becoming more capable husbands, fathers, businessmen, and community leaders.
Smart Passive Income Podcast with Pat Flynn: Rewire your Mind for Growth with Natasha Graziano
Natasha Graziano
Natasha Graziano was homeless, staying in a hostel with her son, and working as an online “camgirl” to survive. But something happened that changed her life forever, as a stranger asked her to sponsor a child.
She tells her story to Pat Flynn on the Smart Passive Income Podcast, and the power of her experience could change your life.
She may not be a man, but her story speaks very boldly to all of us, men included.
REAL ONES with Jon Bernthal : Shia LaBeouf
Jon Bernthal is an actor. He plays the Punisher on the Marvel television series. In this episode, he interviews fellow actor (they both started in the war flick FURY) Shia LaBeouf.
Shia, who started out as a child star on the Disney Channel, has been known for his wild man persona and a number of high profile scandals in the past several years.
This conversation may be riddled with some rough language, so if that kind of thing is offensive to you, you may not be able to hear what is a raw and heartfelt conversation about recovery, about making amends, about a man finding his faith, and about a man seeking redemption.
This episode is a very intellectual interview with an atheist and an orthodox christian exploring the nature of morality.
It’s not often that people have conversations like this without it descending into insults, or monkey-like poo-slinging. This conversation is enlightening and interesting – although it’s a bit “heady” – I enjoy listening to the philosophical reasonings of these men.
I’ve never understood why Jordan B. Peterson is such a controversial figure. To me, he’s a reasonable man who wants to explore the nature of truth. He’s intelligent and interesting, and while he’s unyielding on many principles, he seems like a kind man who just wants make people think and live better lives.
Regardless, this episode is very intriguing and worth a listen.
I hope you enjoy these episodes! While you’re at it – make sure to give the Manlihood ManCast a spin at your favorite podcast platform!
At Manlihood, we’re curating manly chunks of wisdom for you. If you’re like a lot of men, you may find yourself short on time for reading long books to look for wisdom that you can apply to your life…. We’re offering you the Campbell’s Soup version… the best quotes and insights to help inspire you to be an even better man.
Listen to the Manlihood ManCast – a podcast for men on Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Youtube or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Perseverance is a virtue that all men should strive for. To continue on through trial and hardship is at the very nature of manhood.
Everyone has been faced with the temptation to quit. Let’s dig our heels in, and press in for the victory that we all crave, together.
I’ve compiled a selection of some of the best nuggets of wisdom out there concerning perseverance from a variety of sources.
Perseverance Quotes
Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying ‘I will try again tomorrow.’
–Mary Anne Radmacher, American author and artist
Fall seven times and stand up eight.
–Japanese Proverb
It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.
–Albert Einstein (1879-1955), physicist and developer of the theory of relativity
Failure is not the end
Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.
–Thomas Edison (1874-1931), inventor of the light bulb
Failure is only the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.
–Henry Ford (1863-1947), founder of Ford Motor Company
A failure is not always a mistake. It may simply be the best one can do under the circumstances. The real mistake is to stop trying.
–B.F. Skinner (1904-1990), American psychologist
As I look back on my life, I realize that every time I thought I was being rejected from something good, I was actually being redirected to something better.
–Dr. Steve Maraboli, speaker and author
Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.
–Robert Collier (1885-1950), American self-help author
Don’t ever quit
It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop.
–Confucius (551-479 BC), philosopher
Never confuse a single defeat with a final defeat.
–F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896-1940), American author
Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did.
–Newt Gingrich (1943- ), American politician, historian, and author
Perseverance is failing 19 times and succeeding the 20th.
–Julie Andrews (1935- ), English film and stage actress
Through perseverance many people win success out of what seemed destined to be certain failure.
–Benjamin Disraeli (1804-1881), British politician and writer
Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go.
–William Feather (1889-1981), American author
Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success.
–Dale Carnegie (1888-1955), world-renowned author and speaker
Failure is often that early morning hour of darkness which precedes the dawning of the day of success.
–Leigh Mitchell Hodges (1876-1954), journalist and poet
Make a way
We will either find a way or make one.
–Hannibal (247-182 BC), Carthaginian General
It always seems impossible until it’s done.
–Nelson Mandela (1918-2013), South African anti-apartheid leader
The best way out is always through.
–Robert Frost (1874-1963), American poet
A winner is just a loser who tried one more time.
–George M. Moore Jr. (1862-1940), Member U.S. House of Representatives
Defeat is not the worst of failures. Not to have tried is the true failure.
–George Edward Woodberry (1855-1930), American poet
Things are about to get better
When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you … never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.
–Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811-1896), American abolitionist and author
The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.
–Confucius (551-479 BC), philosopher
I am a slow walker, but I never walk back.
–Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865), 16th President of the United States
Every strike brings me closer to the next home run.
–Babe Ruth (1895-1948), baseball legend
Courage is not having the strength to go on; it is going on when you don’t have the strength.
–Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919), 26th President of the United States
Character consists of what you do on the third and fourth tries.
–James A. Michener (1907-1997), American author
Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after the other.
–Walter Elliot (1888-1958), Scottish politician
The only courage that matters is the kind that gets you from one moment to the next.
–Mignon McLaughlin (1913-1983), American journalist and author
Let me tell you the secret that has led to my goal. My strength lies solely in my tenacity.
–Louis Pasteur (1822-1895), scientist and inventor of the pasteurization process
Winston Churchill Quotes about Perseverance
Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.
–Winston Churchill (1874-1965), former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
“If you are going through hell, keep going.”
― Winston S. Churchill
“Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day.”
― A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh
“The brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something. Because the brick walls are there to stop the people who don’t want it badly enough. They’re there to stop the other people.”
― Randy Pausch, The Last Lecture
“Real courage is when you know you’re licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what.”
― Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird
“Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree.”
― Martin Luther
“Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never—in nothing, great or small, large or petty—never give in, except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.”
― Winston Churchill
Thanks for listening, and if you like these Manly Chunks of Wisdom, you’ll love the book that we put together for you. You can get it FREE at Manlihood.com/chunk
As we talk to outdoor tv personality and wilderness guide Jim Shockey on this episode of the Manlihood ManCast, we learn about the way people crave adventure, the way the outdoors is healing, and the importance of hunting for managing the balance of nature.
Listen to Josh Hatcher’s interview with Jim Shockey on the Manlihood ManCast – Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Youtube | or wherever you listen to podcasts!
Jim Shockey is an award-winning outdoor writer, hunter, wildlife photographer and videographer, outfitter and wilderness guide, and naturalist.
Shockey owns several outfitting territories in the Canadian wildlands, and helps many adventurers trek through the backwoods on epic hunts.
He’s also known for his proficiency with muzzleloaders, rifles, and archery.
Jim Shockey on Television
Shockey is the former producer and host of Jim Shockey’s Hunting Adventures and Jim Shockey’s Uncharted on Outdoor Channel and Jim Shockey’s The Professionals on Outdoor Channel and Sportsman Channel.
He has won 15 Golden Moose Awards from 2009-2017.
More About Jim Shockey
He is a retired Honorary Lieutenant Colonel of 4 Canadian Ranger Patrol Group (4CRPG) Canadian Armed Forces and is a Member International of the Explorer’s Club in New York City.
Jim attended Simon Fraser University and Carleton University and was an all-American swimmer and member of the Canadian National Water polo team, attending two World Championships.
Jim Shockey and the Hand of Man Museum
In this episode of the Manlihood ManCast, Jim Shockey talks about his lifelong project, The Hand of Man Museum. When he was a young boy, he had a vision to create this museum, and he has spent his whole life collecting natural history and ethnographic arts from Western Canada.
In 2019, he opened the Hand of Man Museum of Cultural Arts and Conservation on Vancouver Island, Canada. Tens of thousands have been through this amazing museum, which is funded entirely by voluntary donations.
Testicular Fortitude means having deep seated masculine courage and strength. Balls. Guts. Manlihood.
Testicular Fortitude on the Manlihood ManCast is where we take a look at men who have beat the odds, men whose courage has left a lasting legacy.
Listen to the Testicular Fortitude on the Manlihood ManCast on Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Youtube | or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Imagine taking a lead musketbal to your arm, having it sawn off in a field hospital, and then going on to explore uncharted and impassable rivers on a raft with only one good arm…
As his name would suggest, John Wesley Powell was the son of a Methodist preacher. He grew up with a fascination for exploration and nature, and as a young man, went on several river expeditions to study fossils and geology along the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers.
But then the Civil War broke out, and he earned a commission as 2nd Lieutenant in the Union Army. At the battle of Shiloh, his right forearm was shattered by a minie-ball, and his arm was amputated. He continued to serve in the army throughout the war, helping with Sherman’s artillery.
After the war, he assumed the role of professor of natural sciences at Illinois Wesleyan University and curator of the Illinois Natural History Society Museum.
But you can’t keep a man like Powell contained to the classroom.
With one arm, he went on to explore Pike’s Peak and the front range of the Rockies.
In 1868 he put together an expedition to explore the Colorado River from Wyoming down through the Grand Canyon. Powell, along with a crew of hunters, trappers, civil war vets.
He was begged not to go. One arm through dangerous uncharted rapids is dangerous business. But he went anyway. And that trip was worthy of those warnings.
One of the party’s rafts sank in Utah, tanking about a fourth of their supplies and most of their scientific equipment.
Four days later, the party entered the Grand Canyon, and marveled at the beautiful rock formations… but they almost lost another boat, and in that mishap, they lost even more of their food.
Three men left the expedition, tired of the hard journey. Those three men were killed by a band of natives who thought they were invading their territory.
As Powell and the remaining crew made it to area that is known now as Lake Mead in Nevada, he halted the expedition, returning two years later with another crew to make accurate maps of the Colorado River.
These expeditions yielded much geographic information, as well as linguistic and cultural information about the Native Americans living in the area.
Anytime we look at history, we can see positives and negatives. Critics of Powell’s work say that some of his ideas and opinions about the native population dehumanized them and had a large impact on the public policies that would have a brutal effect on their relationship with the US Government and the Westward Expansion.
And while I may not agree with everything Powell said, did or thought, we can certainly agree that he was a man whose courage and relentless adventuring spirit show that he had testicular fortitude!
Do you have testicular fortitude? Do you want to embrace your life of courage?
In our interview with historian Chris Mackowski, we talk about the American Civil War, and the stories of heroism and even villainy that happened during that time.
Chris also talks about his opinions on masculinity, fatherhood, and his passion for history.
Chris Mackowski, Ph.D., is the editor-in-chief and co-founder of Emerging Civil War and the series editor of the award-winning Emerging Civil War Series.
Chris has authored or co-authored nearly two dozen books and edited a half-dozen essay collections on the Civil War, and his articles have appeared in all the major Civil War magazines.
Chris is also historian-in-residence at Stevenson Ridge, a historic property on the Spotsylvania battlefield in central Virginia. He has worked as a historian for the National Park Service at Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park, where he gives tours at four major Civil War battlefields (Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Wilderness, and Spotsylvania), as well as at the building where Stonewall Jackson died.
Chris serves as vice president on the board of directors for the Central Virginia Battlefields Trust, he serves on the advisory board of the Civil War Roundtable Congress and the Brunswick (NC) Civil War Roundtable—the largest in the country—and is a member of the Antietam Institute.
In this panel discussion, Josh, Abe, Brian, and Dan will talk about a number of topics of interest to men, including Karate, The Rise of Andrew Tate, Joel Bauman’s public takedown of elite pedophiles, and a personal look at how we can identify which things are distractions and which are priorities.
Dan Karrasch also discusses a series of posts he has added to the Manlihood ManCave, our private facebook group for men entitled “EDC”.
If you want background information on some of the discussions from this episode:
Tucker Carlson interviews Andrew Tate
UFC Fighter Joel Bauman recently called out Jimmy Kimmel and the Hollywood Elite over the Epstein Flight Logs
In this interview with Manlihood, Mark Kroos talks about his career as a guitarist, the lessons he’s learned in life, and the truth of manhood and masculinity in a modern world.
Mark Kroos plays an Ovation guitar with two necks at the same time. His shows are energetic, magnetic, and Mark’s personality is as welcoming as his playing is spectacular.
Acoustic Guitarist Mark Kroos is a phenomenal musician, and a great example for men to follow
“Mark Kroos is one of the most intelligent musical forces of the new guitar generation.”
– Randall Williams
In this conversation with Mark Kroos on the Manlihood ManCast, we talk about his music, the challenges of life on the road, overcoming adversity, and more.
Double-Neck Guitarist
In 2011, Mark competed in Guitar Player Magazine’s International Guitar Superstar Competition in Nashville for host Larry Carlton and renowned judges Muriel Anderson, Reeves Gabrels and Carl Verheyen, taking 1st place out of 5 invited competitors and thousands of others who had submitted online.
“Mark Kroos plays with a sensitivity to the music and positive energy that is truly refreshing.”
Muriel Anderson
1989 International Fingerstyle Guitar Champion
Mark has since shared the stage with guitarists Mike Stern, Lee Ritenour, Phil Keaggy and Stanley Jordan among others during his past 8 years of touring through the US and Canada. He has also picked up full sponsorships with D’Addario Strings, Planet Waves Cables, Genz Benz Amplifiers, Ovation Guitars, Kopf Percussion and Kyser Capos.
Facing hardship “like a man”
In this episode of the Manlihood ManCast, one of the things that Mark talks about is the things he learned when covid shut down his ability to tour with his music. That experience deeply affected the way he processes things as a man.
I see a guy on the street, and I think, ‘that dude has his act together!’ But I’ve had a lot of really great moments over the past few years and realizing that, nobody has their act together. It feels really freeing and incredible to see that.
We try to appear hard, walking with our shoulder back, and chests out, and so much of this work over the past year has been about softening, and not taking myself so seriously. Because I really felt for a long time my guitar career was the most important thing in the world to me. Then I saw the world without my guitar career. The world was doing just fine.