Fate of Empires | The Age of Heroes
Pt. III - An experiment to revitalize America and the greater West
This is Part III of a series. Read Part I and Part II here.
Announcement
Before we begin, I’d like to announce that Cities in Ashes has over 200 subscribers as of October 14, 2020. That’s 200 more people than I thought would ever take interest in my writings. From the bottom of my heart, thank you all so much.
— J.S.
Introduction
Empires rise when a brave nation of young and rowdy men burst onto the scene, guided by destiny and devotion to a higher power. They and their descendants build a nation of enterprising artists, scientists, and businessmen, with monuments and temples that inspire awe in the rest of the world. But as decadence and greed set in, the empire begins its slow fall from grace. The people grow increasingly corrupt, pessimistic, and hedonistic. Eventually, a new empire takes the limelight, and the old empire falls into obscurity.
While each nation, culture, and era is unique—with different circumstances guiding an empire’s history—the life cycle appears regardless. Each of Glubb’s Ages appear in the same order, regardless of an empire’s region, political structure, class structure, or the race of its people. They never occur simultaneously. These Ages are like clockwork, giving credence to the idea of history “rhyming” or even “repeating.”
But why does this keep happening? Perhaps it is innate to human nature. Perhaps—more likely—however, it is because every nation fails to learn from the past.
No nation adequately teaches its students world history. Of course, there are excusable reasons—missing information on certain eras, lack of global resources, etc. But even where information is bountiful, students are still hardly given an appropriate education.
Many students are taught sparingly about short, unconnected eras—sometimes unchronologically. (I’ve witnessed this firsthand.) Rather than gain a comprehensive knowledge on an empire, instructors only focus on teaching the “great periods,” and ignore all others. This leads to a disjointed curriculum, with students learning about Alexander the Great one day and the Silk Road the next. The fall of Rome is irrelevant unless students are learning about the plague outbreak. We rush students through the ancient, classical, and medieval periods so that we can indoctrinate them on a skewed history of our respective nation.
When students study their nation’s history there is, once again, heavy focus on the “great periods.” Students are rarely, if ever, taught about the shortcomings of our ancestors. If they are, it is in a highly politicized fashion, teaching students to hate rather than to objectively observe and learn. Glubb wrote:
“Our piecemeal historical work is still mainly dominated by emotion and prejudice.”
Because of politics, emotion, and faulty pedagogy, students are unable to form a clear picture of human history. They grow disinterested and bored. For the few that remain interested, the only way to continue learning by searching beyond the school library.
This is shameful. Rather than teach our children to embrace human history with an open-mind—to accept the good and evil of our ancestors—we instead teach them to ignore the past. The lessons of humanity fall on deaf ears. These students grow into adults that are painfully ignorant of the past—unaware of the pain and triumphs of our species. Their attitudes shift with the culture, and they grow decadent and selfish as their nation declines.
As the world has become connected through globalism and the Internet, foreign peoples have strived to emulate the world’s “leaders”—that is, more prosperous nations such as the United States and those in Western Europe. And as the West declines, the poorer nations parrot these behaviors, creating a race to the bottom. In 1978, Glubb wondered:
“When the whole human race has reached the stage of decadence, where will new energetic conquering races be found?”
Rather than encourage a new crusade, I believe the solution lies in revitalizing the West: the home of modern intellectualism. Though we may be surrounded by debauchery and violence, we as humans have the gift of agency and choice. We have the ability to build a new era—one of virtue, duty, innovation, and beauty. As Sir Glubb observed:
“Some of the greatest saints in history lived in times of national decadence, raising the banner of duty and service against the flood of depravity and despair.”
Let us become living saints and champions for our nation, for our children, and for ourselves. In order to revitalize the United States and the greater Western world, I propose we strive to create a new Age: The Age of Heroes. By adopting the attitudes and traits laid out below, not only will be be able to create a healthier life for ourselves, but we will be able to raise a generation of brave and prosperous men and women who turn to higher callings rather than depravity and disorder. The following sections will briefly explore the ideal traits of the Age of Heroes.
These traits are as follows:
Intellectualism
Accountability
Respect
Duty and Honor
Strength and Discipline
Spirituality
Beauty and Creativity
Expansion and Growth
Patience and Determination
Intellectualism
In the Age of Heroes, we must embrace honesty and truth in all aspects of life. We should pride fact (i.e., historical, scientific, mathematical, etc.) over falsehoods and emotional irrationality. In today’s Age, we argue consistently and aimlessly. We do not wish to seek the truth, but instead to feed our egos. We adopt hateful mentalities and ideologies, aiming to destroy both ourselves and others in the name of “progress” or even “tradition.”
Instead, we must embrace true intellectualism. Avoid getting overly emotional when consuming information, as this will hinder our ability to discern. Do not be so arrogant as to think all the information you’ve previously learned is correct. Likewise, don’t readily accept all information as truth. By viewing facts for what they are, we will have a stronger defense against harmful ideologies pedaled to us by those in power. When greeted with new theories and ideas from others, we will be able to use our knowledge to explore these ideas on a deeper level than just nodding our heads in agreement or simply shouting down the speaker because we don’t agree with them. The more we dedicate ourselves to knowledge, the easier it will be to dismantle the lies we were raised on.
Not only will we be able to learn from historical precedent, but we will also find ways to repurpose solutions and innovations that came decades, centuries, or even millennia before us.
For our Children:
Likewise, we must raise our children to value education. Children are naturally curious, but many are not taught to love and seek knowledge. Instead, their curiosity is allowed to waver and turn into a love of frivolity.
Introduce your child to a variety of interests and subjects from an early age. If you cannot travel, show them the world via books and films. Give them music and art. Teach them the history of our nation and other eras. Show them the beauty of the world, from the stars above our heads to the fossils beneath our feet. While they may not be interested in everything, eventually, something will catch their attention.
In the meantime, discover what your child is currently interested in. At every phase in our lives, we develop specific interests and passions that can be channeled productively. The younger a child is the easier it is to find an outlet for their passions. The older a child gets, however, the more creative we as parents, guardians, and educators have to be. Let your child’s development be natural, however. Children never want to be forced into something.
Even a child’s negative obsessions can be turned into a positive. In my teen years, I identified as transgender. Luckily, this was during the COVID quarantine, so I could only explore my obsession through reading. I became fascinated by topics such as neurology, anatomy, biology, abnormal psychology, history, and spirituality (more on that later). The more I educated myself and sought knowledge, the easier it was to shed my “trans” persona in favor of that of a young scholar.
Teach your children to pride in their intelligence. Teach them to respect education. Encourage them to dive deeply into subjects, and let passion lead them to truth.
For our Nation:
While we can only control our actions and influence the actions of those nearest to us, it doesn’t hurt to set an ideal for our nation’s leaders. We, as citizens of a republic, ultimately have the final say for who enters and remains in power. We have the most control at a local level—which, in turn, directly impacts who we see at a national level.
We must stop supporting policies and ideologies that are not bound by reality. We must turn our backs on the socialist and totalitarian dogmas that have plagued our society. Minimum wage and racial favoritism must be eradicated in favor of meritocracy. Welfare and health care must be reformed. The education system must be completely restructured to build a nation of enterprising and skillful young adults.
We must rally for reform via protests, lawsuits, letters to our representatives, voting habits, or even entering politics ourselves. Politicians, civil servants, and other government agents who spout lies and manipulate our loved ones must be ignored, impeached, and challenged via political competition.
We have the right and duty to build a nation of leaders and competent citizens. We must educate ourselves on politics and the preexisting system, so that we may work to reform this system for the betterment of our people. The bureaucracy and corruption that exist must be rooted out via laws and policies. But this cannot happen unless we push for change.
Accountability
Both for our own sake and the sake of this experiment, we must embrace accountability. While this may seem like common sense, it’s worth addressing. Today’s society is rife with unruly, debaucherous, and otherwise unproductive behaviors. People have embraced their individuality to a fault, becoming self-centered, vain, and unable to take criticism. To renew our nation, we must accept accountability.
We must accept responsibility for our actions and take nothing personal. Making excuses is futile, especially when you could be learning from your actions instead. Take responsibility but do not dwell on your mistakes. Shed your Ego. Forgive yourself and then work to fix the situation. For those of us who are naturally self-critical, this can be a challenge. However, you will save valuable time and energy by viewing your actions objectively.
If you are in a position of leadership, accountability is crucial. Ultimately, we are responsible for the actions of those under our leadership. If your team makes a mistake, accept responsibility. While you may handle the problem behind the scenes and hold the perpetrator accountable, in the eyes of the public, you are accountable. Never throw your men under the bus.
For our Children:
Raise your children to have integrity and to understand accountability. They must learn to embrace humility and honesty. Before acting, encourage them to stop and think. When they fail, encourage them to reflect. This must be done without self-loathing and with objectivity.
For our Nation:
When it comes to accountability, our “leaders” often fail with flying colors. Rather than accept responsibility, they argue, shout, and point blame at their political rivals— or worse, their supposed allies.
Refusing responsibility stems from an overfed ego, and politicians live to feed theirs. Government leaders and workers must reconcile with their past and current misdeeds, and work to fix their mistakes or—more likely—be forced to leave office. We must expose their corruption, malice, perversion, and manipulation. We must question them on their policies and beliefs, and bring their stances to the light of day.
The politicians—being trained in deceit—will try to lie their way out. Many will maintain their core group of supporters. But as their deceit is revealed, the other followers will turn away, in search of a new leader. In that void, we must provide our own leaders—academics, thinkers, and innovators—who shun hypocrisy and uphold the virtue of accountability.
Respect
Respect is integral to the success of any society. Today, many people have the misconception that “respect is earned” or that respect is the total embrasure of another person’s attributes. Both perspectives are incorrect. The former is an excuse for disrespect, while the latter is an excuse for sin. Respect is a virtue we must practice freely, treating both ourselves and those around us with dignity and well-meaning.
However, before we can properly respect those around us, we must first respect ourselves. Self-respect is understanding that you control your actions and no one else. In any given situation, you are, ultimately, in charge of your behavior. Do not let others convince you to behave irrationally. Today, we often come into contact with irrational, belligerent, or even violent people. Do not allow yourself to be pulled into their madness. To do that is self-degradation.
If someone insults you or tries to intimidate you, do not react emotionally—that’s what your opponent wants. Your opponent is waiting for you to humiliate yourself because it validates their self-degradation. Likewise, you should not insult, intimidate, or degrade another person. There’s no reason for you to do so. In the words of the Buddha:
"Whoever returns insult to one who is insulting, returns taunts to one who is taunting, returns a berating to one who is berating, is said to be eating together, sharing company, with that person. But I am neither eating together nor sharing your company, brahman. It's all yours. It's all yours."
Or as one interpretation put it:
“If you become angry with me and I don’t feel insulted nor accept your hostility, the anger falls back on you, as it was initially yours to give.”
Maintain a strong moral compass. Let virtue be your guide. Be proactive in protecting yourself from physical, mental, and spiritual predators. Do not allow yourself to fall victim to their debauchery.
In addition, understand that you cannot force others to believe what you believe. This is a sign of Ego, even if your intentions are pure. Our Ego longs for control over others and we must starve this desire. To force morals on unwilling participants is pointless. If your audience is that of sinners who do not wish to be saved, why waste your breath? You must respect your time and energy. Be gracious and compassionate, but understand when your words fall on deaf ears. Only save those who are willing to be saved.
For our Children:
To become successful members of this new Age, children must also respect themselves. Teach them to value their talents and achievements, and to not fall prey to vanity, arrogance, and self-objectification. Teach them to honor and protect their bodies, minds, and souls. Children should not degrade themselves by flaunting their bodies, succumbing to peer pressure, or allowing others to treat them as lesser beings.
Raise your children with morals and virtues. Challenge their perspectives through simple exercises and conversations, which will allow them to reassess and defend their stances. Encourage them to express themselves without stooping to insults. Teach them to respect their peers, both friends and opponents alike.
Teach your child to respect those in authority, while still maintaining their self-dignity. Let them know that they don’t have all the answers, and must adhere to those who are more knowledgeable and wise for their betterment.
When they make mistakes, as they surely will, discipline with love. Teach them why they reacted incorrectly to a situation. Teach your children emotional intelligence, especially as they become teenagers. Be stern yet loving in your approach. Teach them to respect others. Likewise, reciprocate the respect they give you. Respect that children are also human—humans that are learning how to simply exist in a world that even adults struggle to navigate.
For our Nation:
Our nation and society lack widespread respect, most prominently from politicians and their extremist supporters. We must strive to create a nation of leaders who respect the boundaries and rights of American citizens. A government must respect its social contract with its citizens, and must not infringe upon the rights of its people either through force or deceit.
Privacy has been stolen from the common man. Every day, companies are legally allowed to sell the information of their users, while the government listens in on private conversations through wiretapping and camera hacking. To expose such acts is a punishable offense or, at best, a scandal.
Meanwhile, our children are sent to schools where they are indoctrinated by government workers (“teachers”) who are no more than political zealots. Schools hide medical information from parents and guardians, and then work to silence them when convenient.
Taxpayers have no say as to where their money goes. They pay their taxes—or risk imprisonment—and the money goes into an ethereal void not even a political scientist understands. This not only allows the government to spend on projects citizens have little to no understanding of, but to ignore when support sours. For example, it has allowed Congress to spend billions to prolong the Russo-Ukrainian war ($46.6 billion in military aid), pay ransom to terrorists (e.g., $6 billion to Iran), and ignore eroding infrastructure at home. Meanwhile, taxpayers foot the bill.
These are just three examples of the American government disrespecting its citizens (a full list of grievances would be longer than War and Peace). As citizens, we must remind the government of its duty, and work to create a nation that actively respects the boundaries of its people and the documents upon which it was founded.
Duty and Honor
In this life, we must not be selfish. While we should respect ourselves and care for our well-being, we must remember our responsibilities. Ultimately, the universe isn’t a one-of-one. It is a collection of individuals, and we have the duty to serve, support, and uplift many of these individuals—be it our family, community, nation, or even those throughout the world. We must embrace both our heavenly and earthly responsibilities.
At the same time, do not erode your morals, beliefs, and authenticity to conform to a cause. While we may sacrifice our wants for the greater good, we must not allow ourselves to be turned into another faceless member of the mob. Use your talents and knowledge to uplift and enlighten.
If you are in a position of leadership, do not view your position as a burden. Rather, view it as an honor. While day-to-day tasks may be frustrating or tiring, you must maintain a spirit of service. Do not control those you lead. Do not look down on them. Do not micromanage them. Maintain your dignity and respect their boundaries. Your duty is to lead your people to success, both for themselves and the unit that you serve (i.e., a company, a department, a family, etc.). A king’s duty is to serve.
For our Children:
Children learn by example. Show your children how to sacrifice. Show them how to serve and provide for those in need. Encourage them to show compassion and uplift their fellow man. Teach your children to defend those who cannot defend themselves.
Through patience and repetition, teach your child to value themselves as both individuals and members of a wider whole. Let them know that duty is not a burden, but a blessing and a sign that they are capable and trusted. Foster their selflessness, loyalty, and morality.
For our Nation:
As citizens and as a nation, we must take pride in our patriots. Heroes (i.e., military, local, and national) should be honored and lauded for their service. Let us use publicized displays, such as films, speeches, and parades, to inspire bravery and selflessness in the common citizen.
For those of us who are educators, we must use the education system to spread the virtues of duty and honor. In America, public schools are largely decentralized, effectively allowing each school to instruct students as they please. Our teachers must instill lessons of patriotism and bravery within their students. Students should be openly celebrated for pride in their nation, local community, and family, rather than in trivial categories such as race, gender, and sexuality. Love for humanity should also be instilled, with students being encouraged to see themselves as both Americans and citizens of the world.
Humanity, nation, community, and family are the pillars of virtuous, earthly loyalty. Students should be encouraged to think deeply about how they can utilize their talents to strengthen these pillars. In the long run, this will help children choose a career path that is both fulfilling to society and their selves. Military service would once more be seen as an honor. Politics would be viewed with the weight it genuinely carries. Children would grow into more noble adults, understanding the duty that comes with their roles and professions.
Strength and Discipline
In America’s dying days, we find ourselves surrounded by chaos. Violence fills our streets while decadence fills our minds. Our children are unhealthy, both physically and mentally. The pathocracy—which has infected virtually every institution in America—feeds off this madness. To defeat this plague, we must restore order and discipline in our society.
To start, we must first abandon decadence. But before you move out to a crumbling shack in the woods, understand: decadence isn’t just physical. You don’t need to give up running water to abandon decadence. Rather, you must abandon the mentality of cynicism, complacency, complaining, lust, entitlement, greed, laziness, vanity, overspending, etc. Once you abandon mental decadence, you will shed your physical decadence as you see fit.
Discipline can easily be cultivated in our day-to-day. We can start by having a specific sleep schedule, prayer routine, or eating regimen. Find order at your own pace. To go from a frenzied life to a highly structured one is a shock to the system, and will lead to discouragement and misery. As you find structure in one area of your life, build discipline in another area, while maintaining all previous routines.
Build up your strength, both mentally and physically. Exercise any way you can, building slowly at your own pace. Work to find mental resilience. In this life, we face challenges until the day we die. We must build mental strength to face these challenges head-on and develop a mindset of reflection and anti-fragility so that we may grow through suffering and hardships.
For our Children:
Do not coddle your children. People often confuse care and love for over-protection. This is a form of decadence. It has bred generations of anxious, confused, and depressed youth. Raise your children to be resilient and orderly. In measures, teach them to shed their decadent mindset.
Show them the negative effects of disorder and chaos. Show them the madness of the world within reason (e.g., through documentaries, news articles, conversations, etc.). Impulsivity is an anchor on the well-being of our youth. It is a lack of awareness. However, discipline is awareness of both yourself and your environment. Teach your children how to stop and think. Encourage them to think about the effects of caving into their impulses.
When your children fail, encourage adaptability. Guide them to grow past their misdeeds and shortcomings. By having a foundation of accountability, they will be better equipped to adapt, eventually becoming disciplined in their lives.
For our Nation:
There’s no way to sugarcoat it—our nation is weak. We are complacent, arrogant, and decadent. Our rulers are psychopaths and narcissists who encourage us to live in a permanent state of mental infancy. As our nation tears itself apart with infighting and impulsivity, our military and geopolitical strength erode. In a recent piece from The Wall Street Journal titled Wake up America, the editorial board wrote:
“The world is awash in threats that will inevitably wash up on our shore if America doesn’t get its act together.”
Our nation must shed its decadent mindset. Throughout the citizenry and the government, we must promote resilience and strength. We must spurn harmful ideologies that weaken our nation, such as the plague called communism. Communism and other hyper-liberal mindsets have turned our nation into that of soft-minded and self-serving individuals.
Rather, we must embrace strength for the sake of our nation, even if the solution isn’t “politically correct”. The safety of our people is paramount. We must secure our borders, and strengthen our infrastructure and military. We must reform our education system to reflect the ideals of resilience. Our politicians must return to being leaders rather than petty caricatures trying to go viral. These leaders must maintain dignity and discipline in their actions, and act as symbols of our nation’s silent strength. After, we must then work to ensure the safety and strength of our allies abroad.
Spirituality
We are all souls in human form. While we must respect the bodies we were given to roam this earth, we must embrace our divine nature to unlock our full potential in this life. You needn’t be of any specific religion or faith to do this. All you need is the desire to rise to a higher state of being.
When we pray, manifest, and meditate, we are strengthening our bond with the cosmos—the essence of God. It is the source from which we were born and is within us as we are within it. The cosmos contains the knowledge, wisdom, and intuition we need to find success. A stronger bond with the divine means greater earthly success. Divinity does not speak to our egos but to our souls. For success, we must ignore our egos and let our souls be open to receiving wisdom and clarity.
For our Children:
Encourage your children to seek divinity. However, understand that their spiritual journey is their own, not yours. Spirituality is a deeply personal journey for all of us. Let your children understand the divine for themselves. While this may be difficult for some of us who are religious, understand that this independence is healthy for a child.
In the early stages of my spiritual journey, I explored shamanism, Wiccanism, Christianity and angelology, before finally arriving at an odd thing that can only be described as Deism. (Alan Watts would be proud.) This freedom, while discomforting to my parents at first, allowed me to explore both my authentic personality and my relation to the divine. It helped me grow through my previously mentioned transgenderism and allowed me to understand aspects of the world sans ego. I was able to learn about God for myself, without being pressured to adopt any one code.
So long as your child isn’t trying to summon a demon or have a bacchanal, let them explore freely. Encourage them to explore the depths of their soul, beyond the rituals and memes. Teach them that their soul is a precious treasure. It is their key to a better earthly and eternal life.
For our Nation:
Today, many people spurn faith altogether, living in a state of miserable, empty limbo. Others do claim to be spiritual. However they make a mockery of spirituality by living contrary to their chosen code; warping ancient practices for aEsThetIcs; interpreting faith through a biased lens, etc.
Spirituality is something we must embrace at a societal level. Exploring our souls is a journey that should be celebrated. We should applaud those who live in accordance with the way of the universe. At the same time, we must support those who have not yet awakened with love and guidance. Spirituality is an infectious cure, and if those we look up to embrace spirituality, then we will want to do so as well.
By opening ourselves to pure spirituality, we will be able to find a deeper level of balance within ourselves and our society. Our place and purpose in this world will become less muddled. We will be able to see the liars and deceivers more easily. As we strip power away from the malevolent, we will be able to form a nation of spiritually inclined men and women, led by Heaven’s earthly warriors and princes.
Beauty and Creativity
Let the Age of Heroes be filled with beauty.
We must embrace beauty and creativity in our day-to-day lives. Our modern society is filled with pain and ugliness. Today, there seems to be an erosion of aesthetics. Garish, ugly, or even downright grotesque “art” exists everywhere. It exists in the museums and in the entertainment we consume. It is a sign of decadence and must be spurned.
As we shed decadence, we must embrace beauty. This can be through appreciating nature, viewing artistic/scientific masterpieces, or even creating works ourselves. By filling the void of vanity with purity, we can become more whole and appreciative of the world.
Likewise, we must embrace true creativity. We must be open to new ideas while embracing what works. Overlapping with intellectualism, we must embrace scientific advancement and artistic achievement.
Perhaps the most personal form of beauty and creativity is within ourselves. We must embrace true individualism and healthy self-expression. With our souls as our guide, we can adopt a life separate from the faceless masses and embrace our true selves.
For our Children:
Children have a natural appreciation for beauty and creativity. Do not let this inclination fade with age. Raise your children to embrace creativity in all forms. Encourage their spontaneity and natural awe. Encourage authenticity and the abandonment of nonsensical labels. Show them the beauty of life and the metaphysical. Let them know how wonderful it is to simply be human.
For our Nation:
I have spoken briefly before of the “True Creatives” in our society. These are the men and women who embrace genuine expression and innovation. For them, beauty does not stem from the status quo but from their very souls. They push the boundaries of what is possible, artistically and scientifically. They dare us to dream through stunning works, discoveries, and accomplishments.
Rather than let the status quo be dictated by soulless executives and their attention-starved puppets, society must embrace True Creatives. These are true visionaries and often come in the form of businessmen, scholars, inventors, and artists. They fashion a world of their own design—one that benefits everyone rather than simply line their own pockets. Through their work, life becomes more convenient; we are more knowledgeable; and the world is more beautiful. They have the ability to spread the message of courage, dignity, and divinity through music, essays, and organizations. This class is essential to the Age of Heroes.
Valuing the Right People
Throughout the world, we fail to value the right people. We select people for honors, accolades, and positions of power due to favoritism and arbitrary factors, rather than merit. This has worn away the fabric of our society. Rather than select those worthy of power, we elevate those whose competence is questionable at best to positions they would have never reached in the days of our forefathers.
But we must remember that society is made up of individuals. Who society values is a reflection of the men and women within. Assess who you call a hero or whose opinion and words you value. Are they a historical figure? A scholar? A celebrity? A family member? Why this person? Why do you value them so highly? Does this person deserve the status you give them?
Who we choose as our heroes and role models impacts us greatly. If we choose to look up to a celebrity who lives their life in sin, then we will be more tolerant towards maladaptive behaviors, or even embrace such behaviors ourselves. Likewise, who we interact with and choose as friends is important. Those who we surround ourselves with and look up to should benefit our personal growth. If the people you value are no better than leeches, it’s best to distance yourself from these people (at least emotionally).
For our Children:
As a parent, you are the first role model your children see. While no human is perfect, we must strive to live a life that is worthy of admiration. This may be through expressing compassion for those in need, or by developing a strong work ethic for our children to see. Your child must see you as their model for success and will influence their selection of peers and future heroes.
As they grow, learn about who your child values. Encourage them to assess who they value and why. Our children must not idolize celebrities. Instead, encourage them to respect and pay reverence to the leaders, thinkers, and creatives of today and yesteryear. Teach them to value merit and talent rather than popularity alone.
For our Nation:
Our nation’s leadership is rife with favoritism and popularity. Many of those in power are not there due to merit but to some trivial factor such as race or sex. Subconsciously understanding they aren’t worthy of such accolades, they have created a web of lies to validate their power. They have convinced us that meritocracy is “oppressive” and unfit for a “just” and “equal” society.
However, this couldn’t be farther from the truth. To suppress meritocracy in favor of quotas and favoritism is nothing short of regressive. It erodes our institutions, filling once revered industries and vehicles—such as academia—with underqualified and entitled men and women.
Our government must only be concerned with finding the best of the best to serve. We don’t need cabinet members who are only there because of an arbitrary label. Likewise, we as voters must only choose representatives who are qualified and refuse all others.
To revitalize our nation, we must prioritize meritocracy. We are blessed to have equality of opportunity and must embrace this to its fullest potential. Rather than be guided by irrational quotas and destructive ideologies, we must only be concerned with “Who is the best?” With a meritocracy and equality of opportunity, we are pushed to advance ourselves. This is how empires and visionary businesses are built. This is how the world advances.
Expansion and Growth
The universe is a never-ending stream of change. To fight change is futile. Instead, we must embrace evolution for ourselves, our nation, and the world. As a species, we must always seek advancement.
Never allow yourself to fall into a state of rigidity and complacency. Stillness is death. While it is important to pace ourselves and even rest, we must never become stagnant. To do this opens the door to arrogance, laziness, and unoriginality. We must always be looking to advance in life.
Use your energy wisely. Dedicate yourself to your duties and to projects that will contribute to your growth. Don’t be busy just to be busy. This is the equivalent of a dog chasing its tail because it no longer has a rabbit to hunt. In moments of rest, reflect on your goals. Let your thoughts flow so that you may be open to inspiration and wisdom when it comes.
For our Children:
There’s nothing more tragic in this world than wasted talent. Many of today’s youth are embracing the idea of quitting altogether, believing productivity to be “toxic” and a form of societal oppression. They long for a sheltered life where they can be children in a digital Neverland. Even I myself was anxious about turning 18, partially wishing I could go back to spending hours watching Care Bears and Looney Tunes instead of growing up.
But, I had to endure, because time marches on. Instead of coddling our children, we must teach them to embrace change. They must adapt through anxiety and fear. They, too, must seek advancement that aligns with their own short- and long-term goals. The fear of productivity is due to wasting energy on useless tasks. Help your child cut out unnecessary and time-wasting activities so that they are free to do what matters. Encourage them to embrace adaption and evolution.
For our Nation:
Our society and government must embrace growth. This is how the United States grew to become the global leader the world admired and feared.
First, we must embrace economic growth. Our government has become—paradoxically—both increasingly anti-capitalist and pro-oligopoly. While minimum wage laws, unions, and heavy taxes hinder the well-being of all businesses, they specifically serve to damage small businesses. This makes potential founders hesitant to even start a business. If they do, they will find monetary policy is not in their favor. The cost of production has grown unreasonably high in the United States, making the label Made in the USA a luxury. Struggling to cover operating costs alone, business owners push costs onto the consumers, who—today—are finding it increasingly expensive to just feed their families. Our nation needs economic policies that encourage growth, transparency, and the free markets, rather than stifle the common man, farmers, and business owners.
Second, our government must encourage societal growth. Government programs and systems must be restructured to promote the growth of citizens rather than serve to tear them down. Welfare, foster care, public healthcare, and public education are just some examples of systems that serve to destroy our nation’s citizens. These systems must be restructured at a foundational level to convert them into vehicles of true social well-being.
Third, our nation must work to rebuild its sphere of influence. We are no longer respected on a public stage due to our politicians’ complacency, weakness, and pettiness. Our leaders must shed their egos and work to rebuild the military and geopolitical strength of America. Basically, we need to rebrand. We must follow the wisdom of President Theodore Roosevelt: “Speak softly and carry a big stick.” Rather than shout their opinions on every conflict and faddish social issue, our politicians must relearn the power of silence. We must silently strengthen our military and rebuild ties with our allies. We must hold our neighboring countries accountable for endangering our citizens. America was once the sleeping giant of the West. We must return her to her former glory on the global stage.
Patience and Determination
The final key traits of the Age of Heroes are patience and determination. When faced with obstacles, remember your purpose. Be gracious with yourself and others. Be resilient. Never quit. As Miyamoto Musashi once said:
“Step-by-step, walk the thousand-mile road.”
To achieve our goals, embrace our duties, and honor our purpose, we cast away our egos. Our egos are naturally impatient, believing success should come immediately. We must be patient, work diligently, and grow through adversity.
For our Children:
Raise your children to have this stoic grace. When challenged, they too must hold their heads high. Let them know that, while motivation is temporary, determination must be permanent. In the meantime, teach them to embrace their journeys. Teach them to enjoy their growth and see adversity as a challenge to succeed and thrive.
For our Nation:
We are one nation. One unit of individuals. E Pluribus Unum. While we may have individual goals and struggles, we must remember that we are united by one common purpose. We are united under the beautiful banner of Life, Liberty, and The Pursuit of Happiness.
Why tear ourselves apart? Because of labels? Because of half-baked ideologies?
To reinvent our nation will take patience. It will not be reborn overnight. It may take years or even decades to happen. But we must not let our determination waver. We must strive to live in accordance with the American Dream envisioned by our Founding Fathers and bled for by countless souls. We must keep the American spirit—a beautiful amalgamation of all great empires—alive, no matter the cost.
Aftermath
The Age of Heroes is inspired by various aspects of humanity. The traits above pull from the so-called “warrior mindset”—codes such as bushido and chivalry—and the best aspects of each Age in the imperial life cycle. These traits can be integrated into virtually all personality types, ages, and careers. In short, the Age of Heroes is not meant for one small class of men, but for all members of our society.
We will know the Age has succeeded when the mainstream narrative preaches strength, beauty, and intelligence. When duty is the norm and spirituality is commonplace; when resilience is expected and weakness spurned; and when arrogance is discouraged, we will know we have entered the Age of Heroes.
What will follow this Age, I do not know. Perhaps, the United States will enter a modified Age of Conquest. Perhaps it will enter a new Age with a unique set of traits and deserving of a new name entirely.
Through leading by example, I believe we can usher in the Age of Heroes. Inevitably, this plan will adapt to become more sophisticated. But we must let the ideals of truth, honor, and innovation guide us to freedom.
Do not scoff and say, “It won’t work.” Our ancestors didn’t shy away from conquest or invention because of the fear of failure. We must embrace our higher selves, plant the seeds of freedom into the minds of the hopeless masses, and create a more enlightened society for our descendants to live in. We must resist tyranny through peace and cunning. We have the power to resist the madness of the Cluster B society and spread the message of truth. When we go to work or school, we must stand on our beliefs without fear of retaliation. Never give in, even when threatened with violence.
History is watching us. Will we go down as the men and women who rolled over and cried as America burned, or will we be remembered as the brave souls who worked to save our nation?
Elegant and inspirational! I think these things are true for a great portion of human history. However, in recent history conflict has been largely driven by profits and banking interests who play both sides of said conflict. All wars are banker's wars for the last several hundred years.
Such a grand rhetorical style for a heroically epic topic. Fun article, thanks for sharing.