After reading Quintus Curtius’ Digest, I was inspired. After seeing the complete failure of our “leadership” in response to the coronavirus and the ongoing cultural Marxist insurrection (I’ve taken to lumping them together under the name “General Crisis of 2020”), I was enraged.
It’s crystal clear now that Quintus was right and that character matters more than ever. We have lacked focus on building a virtuous and hearty character. We instead spend all our time on stripped-down “data,” consumerism, and woke indoctrination. Virtue signaling matters more than actual virtue. The symbols of power are seen as an acceptable replacement for actual power. The result is an angry, panicky, risk-averse population which is totally incapable of dealing with a real crisis or anything resembling reality itself, because it isn’t clear-eyed and disciplined.
But that doesn’t have to be you. You want to buck the trend? The opportunity is massive.
The ethic of society has become so risk-averse in every single thing, that those with any ounce of balls, those willing to take risks, look superhuman in strength.
— QuintusCurtius (@QuintusCurtius) June 26, 2020
But this is easier said than done. On top of the natural fear that comes with getting out of our comfort zones, we have been conditioned to be afraid and angry by what amounts to our “education” system (which is much worse now than in my own time) and a hysterical, irresponsible media.
One of the ways to get started on the right path is to look at historical figures, and not just what they did, but how they thought, how they made decisions, and what manner of people they were. What traits or ideas did they hold that may have drove them to behave the way they did? If you know some of these things, you’ll have examples to follow and avoid.
It was at this juncture that I realized I’ve accumulated a lot of material dealing with exactly this subject since I started this project in September, 2015. I’ll now be compiling, expanding, and releasing this in a new book, tentatively titled Lives of the Luminaries: Collected Wisdom in Character from Ancient Egypt to the Present.
As the name implies, we’ll be looking at examples of historical luminaries from the time of Narmer right down to our own. Some of the biographical sketches you’ll see are entirely new and appear exclusively in Lives of the Luminaries. Quintus Curtius’ translation of Lives of the Great Commanders was an influence here, but unlike that book, which focused mostly on military life, you will see biographical sketches and dives into the deeds and characters of people from around the world and in many different fields. They include…
- Kings, emperors, and politicians
- Warriors
- Inventors and titans of industry
- Athletes
- Scientists
- Ordinary people who were called to do something extraordinary
- More
This material is needed now more than ever, especially among the up and coming generation under 30. I’m 100% convinced that my exposure to Homer, classical philosophy, and the lives of great figures when I was a teenager helped to prevent me from becoming a walking hysteric.
It’s up to all of us to reverse our present situation. This material will help me play my part in that crusade.
The book will be released later this summer, probably before the end of July. You’ll be able to buy it in the usual spots and get it for additional value on Patreon (under the Hero Tier). Subscribing today will be the most reliable way of getting it (and a whole bunch of other bonuses). Be sure to check back here frequently for updates!
This will be my first book since Stumped, and if you liked that one, you’ll love this one. Safe to say, you’re going to learn a lot more here than you did in school.
See you then!
