In this letter I'll talk about how fiction books play an important role in the life of the modern knight errant, of course using myself as an example and experiment. At the end, in the exclusive pais section I'll share a short list of books I've read and I think can help you with your own heroic imagination and give you some reading tips which have worked for me.
The well read knight
The modern knight errant is a well read man, not because he wants to appear very intelligent or because he wants to fit into groups of smart guys, but because he recognizes literature as a universal language that is part of the great culture, which reflects great heroic values such as honour, courage, bravery, boldness, duty and clearly shows the bad as it is, contrary to good things. A good classic book is not just an empty story, it's a legend living on until today. When you or I read a great fictional book, we live another life, another adventure, we learn lessons we probably wouldn't have the chance to learn without fiction.
"It's a waste of time," says the man with no imagination, no exploration, no knowledge of the legends formed his ancestors.
The knight, modern or not, appreciates other heroes. Other adventures. Other challenges. Other inspirations.
Sometimes I'm amazed at how modern man is uninspired and sees only a dry, dull world, where there are no challenges but only suffering, where there are no muses but " chicks for casual sex", where there are no missions but only tasks, where there are no divine signs but only poor logic, where there are no vices or virtues but only whatever pleases him at the moment, where there is no honor but only convenience, where there is no boldness but only conformity.
Reading Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities, I saw a flawed and broken man inside sacrificing himself and becoming a hero.
In Around the World in 80 Days, I saw a cold and calculated man who apparently has nothing of interest, be brave and determined. In Sherlock Holmes I see a man who dedicates himself to his profession not for money or glory but out of purpose and empathy for others.
In Virgil's Aeneid, I saw a man who had lost his people, wife and father, become fundamental to the birth of a great empire.
Divine epic heroes, everyday civilian heroes, unlikely heroes, it's all about choice, the books show that. Do you choose to be a man who seeks worthy things or do you choose to be an empty man?
Beyond the how to do
Nowadays self-help books are famous, although I don't think they're very effective. I've read a lot of them and frankly none of them have had a positive impact in the long term. In fact, I even think they for a man who wants to live in a more classic way, they're of no use at all.
I'm not going to criticize them too much, after centuries history will show how authors like Charles Dickens and Shakespeare will still be quoted, but they probably won't be. Messages embedded in stories that engage us have more power than clear messages like "do this habit". A book of this type may have its usefulness, of course, however minimal, but it does not consider your individuality and puts you in a box for something. With emotions and values, that are universal, it is not about me or you, but something as old as the earth.
I can't explain one hundred percent how reading fiction has impacted me, but for me and the content I write, it's clear to me how I think and see reality differently from those who don't read fiction books.
It's not just about the miserable human, it's about the poet, the hero, the warrior, the magician, the chosen one. Having an imagination is actually cool, seeing yourself as something other than miserable is necessary.
My own ideal of the modern knight errant was only born after I read Sir Walter Scott's Ivanhoe, which is a book set in medieval times and has heroes and iconic figures and wars and prime examples of bravery, posture and honor! It's an epic, I'm surprised this book and Sir Walter Scott don't have as much prestige as other big names.
The knight is a well educated man, he has knowledge and he likes it. I don't think you have to read a lot of classics just to look smart, but to get to know them and then see if you like them or not, it's important to have your own opinion about culture. For example, I don't see Romeo and Juliet as all that, I even prefer Charles Dickens to Shakespeare, but we must recognize Shakespeare as a big dog, his literary impact is immense. The modern knight errant is a being who values intellect and the arts, because this in no way prevents the physical and brutal side, it only strengthens it. You have to be heroic or seek it out, I miss that in our daily lives, to be a hero not because you're perfect or a great example, but to be a hero because of your courage and empathy for others. That needs imagination.
I'm opening a mentorship for men who value the ideal of the modern knight errant and want to incorporate this ideal into their lives,
Just send me a message and we will plan your action plan based on your individuality and goals
Think for a moment that you're not just a normal guy, think for a moment that you were born to have a heroic journey: to have bravery, courage, independence and to do something important in life. I'm not God and you don't know how much you can do in your lifetime, which means imagining is actually a reasonable move.
Men of the past always knew something about literature and legends, not because they were all great intellectuals, but as if it was something that was part of their background, like a story being told by word of mouth. Today, you can ask many people about literature, especially young people, and you'll notice their lack of interest. For others, it may be a waste of time, but for those of us who want to be more powerful men in the sense of living more in the old fashioned way, fiction books are our ally, ammunition for our intellect and manners.
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