Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/235821
The Art of Manliness Continued Part of this man bemoans the fact that he never really seems to go anywhere or see anything, but the dark horse quiets that concern, saying he really is living it up, while encouraging him to get another drink. Thumos Properly Employed JOBS for TEAMS | Thumos, properly trained and harnessed, can be one of man's greatest allies — inspiring and guiding him, stirring him up, and driving and urging him on towards the peaks of greatness. It can perceive his possibilities and make them real.The Greeks believed that a man experienced true happiness "in thumos." The way to best make use of thumos is "simple:" directing it towards its natural aims – that which is noble and fine, honorable and excellent. Plato believed that thumos was made to "fight on behalf of what seems to be just," and the Greeks saw this force of the soul as essential in making moral choices. In the poetry of Bacchylides, Apollo declares that the way to "delight thumos" is by "doing holy acts…for this is the highest of gains." In order to get thumos to pursue noble aims, Plato argued, you had to teach it to respond to Beauty,Truth, and Goodness.This can be done, I believe, by learning to use, and finely tuning your innate radar for such things. When you encounter what is Good, you can feel it resonate in your soul and swell your heart. Interestingly, one of the functions the Greeks assigned to thumos was the producer of "reverent awe."The proof that something is Good is that it helps make you a better man – it bears good fruit.The more your thumos picks up on these signals, and responds to them, the better it gets at doing so, and as this virtuous cycle continues, your thumos grows ever stronger and you progress as a man. Thumos does not simply draw you 26 JobsForTeams0114_manliness.indd 6 to that which is good, it inspires you to fight for it.Thumos' natural home is the battlefield. Its most essential nature is that of an aid to courage, strength, and indomitability for the warrior in combat. But its spur to fight operates off the battlefield as well. It drives a man to stand up for his ideals, cherished causes, and moral choices. It also fuels his desire for recognition, honor, and status – the drive to become the best of the best in any arena of competition – whether sports, profession, or even simply life itself. In any situation where you choose not to back down from your beliefs and goals despite opposition, and refuse to give in when others try to crush you, thumos is by your side. Thumos is also what drives a man to fight for a life less ordinary – one filled with more risk and adventure.Thumos is that source of vitality that pushes a man to live life as fully as possible, to drink deep from it, to choose "the strenuous life" over self-indulgence and mediocrity. Thumos and Technical Skills In whatever kind of fight a man is engaged, Plato argued that the acquirement of technical skills – mastery – can act as a stimulus to courage and an aid to thumos.Training gives a man confidence that can bolster him in the midst of stress and opposition. For example, the more a soldier has been trained in and has rigorously practiced the arts of war and defense, the more he is able to fall back on that training in the heat of the battle, and the less likely he is to become paralyzed or give up. As Hobbs puts it: "Technical skills on their own will not make for courage; nor can they provide thumos, if thumos is altogether lacking. They can, however, help bolster thumos and make it more effective…Plato does not confuse technique with virtue, but www.jobsforteams.com 12/4/13 11:42 AM