The Inherent Value of Man: The King Energy vs. the Slavish Miser
Grind. The grind. It’s time to grind. As men, we are told that we need to constantly work toward the achievement of our goals and to reach the highest level of self. The act of “becoming” becomes all-engrossing, as a sort of modern alternative for the lack of a quest. An obsession with excellence is no small thing, and it shouldn't be considered a weakness. However, I think our act of chasing hides a festering problem.
If we look deep down, none of us really think we are good enough. We don’t think that we have enough money, power, or prestige. If this self-analysis was done out of humility, it would perhaps be beneficial. Unfortunately, this introspection is only a form of subtle egoism. We believe that we’re not “man enough” because we’re not checking the neat little boxes that have been formed in our own minds. Not making a million dollars? You’re not working hard enough. Don’t have a girlfriend? You’re a loser. The socially conditioned parameters of what makes us men leave us feeling like we’ll never be one.
It seems that we struggle in the way that we identify our own self-worth. Rather than praise our inherent value, we are always looking for ways to find the value that we think we don’t have. In this way, our own self-worth becomes predicated on externals. This may be fine when things are going according to plan, but the minute things turn south the way we view ourselves changes. Rather than failure being an opportunity for growth, it becomes a means of our own destruction. In this case, failure was never the problem, but the way that we viewed ourselves in the first place.
This is what creates the “Slavish Miser”, man. This man embraces the toxicity of an unbalanced hustle culture. This man believes his self-worth depends on how much he is validated by women. This man believes that he must achieve certain financial and physical goals to become enough. Don’t get me wrong, all of these things will make a man better and improve his quality of life. But the baseline level that he achieves this from should NEVER be misery. Externals should never be the source from which an abundant life flows. This is what makes the chase unhealthy. This is what keeps a man a slave to the outside world.
Standing in contrast to the slavish miser is the man who embraces the King Energy. The King Energy is a metaphor for the man who lives in connection with his own masculine energy. It is the fact that he is a man that makes him know he is enough. He may abuse this power. He may fail to tap into it. Yet it will always be a part of him. It was always a gift given to him by birthright, which in turn means that he has inherent value. To live in accordance with this gift and give it back to the world is the psychological imperative. The way that this differs from the man who perceives his own lack is that the Kingly man pursues his goals from a place of completeness. He has tapped into the gift and appreciated its power. He has realized that although he may be weak, childish, and yet to achieve his fullest potential, he still has the gift within him. It is the ultimate recognition of our humility while giving credence to our own power. It is the balance between arrogance and spinelessness. To live in tune with the King Energy means that our pursuits can be borne in patience and trust. The terrible attachment to the external world is eradicated because failure doesn't lead to the destruction of self-perceived worth. The Kingly man uses the power that he already has to create beautiful experiences and things.
I will admit that it is very difficult to align with the King Energy. Crippling self-doubt and insecurity will battle against anyone who tries to assure himself of his own worth. The internal demons will try to tell us that we are lying to ourselves. It may be seen as a form of laziness, whereby we think that believing we’re enough means we will stop trying to be better. All of this noise will make it challenging to begin to feel the fruits of psychological stillness. Like anything else, it will take time to overcome these socially-ingrained lies. But it is monumental that this is done. If not, men will continue to feel worthless, rejected, and unloved. Men will continue to pursue toxic forms of power that in the end leave everyone hurt. Men will continue to be arrogant or will fall prey to crippling cowardice and fear. As men, we must embrace the gift that was given to us, and give it back to the world.
