Back Online
February 29, 2008
OK. It looks like we’re back online. I apologize for the downtime. I wasn’t prepared for the rapid growth we’ve had, and the traffic was just too much for my old host. But a crashing site because of growth is definitely a good problem to have. I think the move to the new server will help us continue growing at the pace we have been.
Thank you all for your continued support. We have you amazing readers to thank for the success of The Art of Manliness!
down for maintenance
February 29, 2008
I apologize for the site being down.
We should have things back up by tonight. We are changing servers in order to accommodate our rapid growth.
Thank you for your patience.
The 10 Worst Products For Men Ever Created
February 27, 2008
While much as been said about the way advertisers have always hawked their products to women by playing on their insecurities, men have not been immune from similar pitches. While they may worry less about crow’s feet than ladies do, there are still some things that make men feel insecure. Hoping to capitalize on these insecurities, some downright wacky products have been sold.
Here are the top 10 worst products ever made for men:
Lessons In Manliness: Benjamin Franklin’s Pursuit of the Virtuous Life
February 24, 2008
When most people today hear the word “virtue,” they usually don’t think “manliness.” Having virtue or being virtuous is looked at as being sissy or effeminate. In fact, we sometimes use the word in today’s vernacular to describe a woman’s sexual conduct.
However, virtue is far from being sissy or effeminate. The word “virtue” is actually rooted in “manliness.” “Virtue” comes from the Latin virtus, which in turn is derived from vir, Latin for “manliness.” Cicero, a famous Roman statesman and writer, enumerated the cardinal virtues that every man should try to live up to. They included justice, prudence, courage, and temperance. In order to have honor, a Roman man had to live each of the four virtues. When Aristotle encouraged men in the ancient world to live “the virtuous life,” it was really a call to man up.
One man took up Aristotle’s challenge to live the virtuous or manly life with particular fervor: Benjamin Franklin.
The Art of Manliness Weekly Roundup: Law Review Edition
February 23, 2008
In addition to authoring this blog, I’m also attending law school. I’m on the law review at my school and part of my duties consist of checking and editing citations for articles that have been submitted for publication. It’s the most tedious, mind numbing activity I’ve ever done in my life. What makes it worse is legal professors can be lazy, and I mean really lazy, with their research. Take the article I’m working on now. The author cites a fact and what does she give me to support it? Just the name of the author. I also have one here where the author quotes a book. Yet instead of giving an exact pagepoint, the author just cites the entire book.
This is going to be a long weekend.
Let’s look at some links.
Gentlemen, 5 Easy Steps to Living Long and Well (@ ny times) The title says it all. Check it out.
The answer to the toughest interview question (@ brazen carrerist) This is a helpful resource on how to answer the question that pops up in most job interviews “How much money do you want?”
9 Tips to Clean Your Mental Palette (@ scott h. young) Feeling like your brain is fried? Check this article out on how to clear it so you can get more productive.
Investing in Yourself: Mental and Spiritual Health (@ the simple dollar) Want to get your life together? Spend some time investing in your mental and spiritual health. Trent at The Simple Dollar offers some suggestions on you can. Personally, I try to carve out time for prayer and scripture study. I haven’t been very good about it lately. When I’m really things together, I try to make time for meditation. Even if you’re not religious, finding time to mediate and ponder on your life can do wonders for clearing your head and helping you feel more together.
How to Play Well With Others: At Work (@ newly corporate) Success in the corporate world depends on how well you get along with others. This article from Newly Corporate offers some tips on how to do better at it.
Lessons in Manliness: Theodore Roosevelt On Living The Strenuous Life
February 21, 2008
I wish to preach, not the doctrine of ignoble ease, but the doctrine of the strenuous life, the life of toil and effort, of labor and strife; to preach that highest form of success which comes, not to the man who desires mere easy peace, but to the man who does not shrink from danger, from hardship, or from bitter toil, and who out of these wins the splendid ultimate triumph. - Theodore Roosevelt
In our last post, we discussed the way Theodore Roosevelt threw off his sickly nature and through willpower and hard work became a strapping young man. His dedication to living “the strenuous life” became the guiding principle of his life.
Read more
Knock Out Depression With Exercise
February 19, 2008
Photo by timmmeey
“A brisk 30-minute walk or jog around the track three times a week may be just as effective in relieving the symptoms of major depression as the standard treatment of anti-depressant medications, according to the results of a Duke University Medical Center study.”
Quite the exciting headline, no? This news will probably be all over the front pages of newspapers and magazines. Only it won’t. And it wasn’t.
Make Yourself Stick With These First Impression Tips
February 19, 2008
When you’re interviewing for a job, one of the keys to success is your first impression. If you’re about to go in for an interview, maybe its time to re-evaluate the first impression you give off. Do you come off as likable? Do you exude professionalism and charm?
The goal of every first impression is to stick to a person’s brain. You want them to instantly like you and to keep thinking about you hours or even days after your first met them. Here are few things we can all do to give a killer first impression.
Dress to impress. You don’t want to walk into an interview looking like a slob. If you look sloppy, people will assume you do sloppy work. Look neat and presentable. Also, dress so you’ll fit in with the people who are interviewing you. For attorneys that means conservative suits, white shirts, and ties. If your job is more creative, say like a graphic designer, dress so it looks like you’re creative.
Look fit. People are attracted to people in good physical shape. If you’re out of shape, start heading to the gym everyday for 30 minutes of cardio and strength training. Also, quit eating junk and start eating healthy.
Give an impressive handshake. The first handshake is a key part in giving a good first impression.
Focus on speaking. Speak clearly and at a moderate pace. Work on varying your voice intonation. You don’t want to come off as a monotone bore. Also, speak the language of the person interviewing you. Avoid slang and jargon not associated with the job you’re interviewing for. Use proper grammar and vocabulary that reflects a higher education. If people can’t understand you, it’s hard for them to like you.
Use the person’s name. Using the interviewer’s name makes the conversation more personable. It also shows that you were paying attention during introductions and that the other person was important enough for you to memorize their name. However, avoid overusing a person’s name. Too much name use is off putting because it sounds fake and a little bit creepy.
Let the person know you’re listening. If it looks like you’re not listening, people will be turned off. Give subtle hints that you’re listening such as looking the person in the eye, nodding, and saying an occasional “I see.” Also , ask questions about what someone had just said. It shows you’ve been paying attention and that you want to know more about what they’re saying. Finally, don’t interrupt.
Shine the spotlight on the other person. The secret to charm is directing attention away from you and on to the other person. Avoid blabbing about yourself and start asking questions about the other person. Great questions to ask in an interview include:
- “How did you end up at (name of company)?”
- “What drew you to (name of company)?
- What do you like most about working at (name of company)?”
You’ll not only get key insights about your potential employer, but the questions also require the interviewer to talk about themselves and people love talking about themselves.
What other things can we do to give a good first impression? Drop a comment and add to the conversation.
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Image by Tobyotter
How To Ask For (And Get) A Raise Like a Man
February 17, 2008
Editor’s note: This is a guest post from The Art of Manliness reader and my good friend, Josh Wilsie.
One of the fastest and easiest ways to increase your income is to ask for a raise. But some men’s palms get clammy just thinking about doing so. Here are five tips on how to ask (and get) the raise you deserve.
The Art of Manliness Weekly Roundup: Indiana Jones IV Trailer Edition
February 16, 2008
This week, the trailer for the new Indiana Jones movie was released. It looks pretty dang awesome. Harrison Ford is in surprisingly good shape for a 65 year old. I can’t wait to see it.
Now for some links.
Hand-wringing About American Culture - Are Americans Hostile to Knowledge? (@ nytimes.com) Americans are getting dumber and dumber each year. A democratic republic like the United States requires a well educated citizenry. Unfortunately, according to new studies Americans aren’t just apathetic to knowledge about the world around them, they’re getting down right hostile. You see this especially among young men. The general attitude is that it’s not manly to be smart. Oh yeah? Teddy Roosevelt read thousands of books in different languages during his life time and he killed a cougar with his bare hands. How much more manly can you get?
Love is a numbers game: Crack the code (@ msnbc.com) If you want to find that special someone, you’re going to have to date a lot of women. We’ve written about this before: stop hanging out with women and start dating them.
Freerunning For Fitness (@ just a guy thing) I’m sure many of you have seen the YouTube videos of guys doing freeruning. Basically, freerunning involves running through urban settings while jumping and doing other acrobatic moves over obstacles. Just a Guy Thing has a nice write up on how you can start using freerunning as a fitness regimen.
Nine Simple Ways to Stand Out in Your Career (@ the simple dollar) Do you feel like you’re stuck in a dead end job? Well, Trent at The Simple Dollar has come up with nine things you can do today to stand out and get moving in your career.
