Lion and the Circus.
In this passage, I try my hand at the Goggins, Tate, Rogan, etc combo.
There’s a massive misconception in our culture around egoism. Say the word; people picture greed, selfishness, and some Wall Street caricature. But real egoism—ethical egoism—isn’t about stepping on others for gain. It’s about preserving your own self-interest. It’s about becoming the kind of person you can respect in the mirror. It says: if the outcome serves your growth, your health, your mission—it’s the right thing to do. Period.
Think of Molly. It’s week two of her college quarter. Friends want her to go to a concert, but she knows her homework matters more. She’s not being selfish; she’s making a bet on her future. Long-term thinking. That’s self-respect in action.
Self-interest is not selfishness.
But in our ADHD-addled, dopamine-chasing, self-victimizing society, we’ve lost the thread. We equate discomfort with injustice. We glorify victimhood. And when a man stands up and says, “I will build myself. I will walk alone. I will not settle for mediocrity”—he’s labeled toxic.
Let me say it clearly: you are not made for comfort. You were built to endure. Biologically. Spiritually. Emotionally.
We live in a time where men are expected to bring everything to the table—money, status, emotional intelligence, six-pack abs—while being told to accept less and less from others in return. Women are told that sexual liberation is freedom, but in practice, it’s often self-sabotage masquerading as empowerment.
Men want youth, purity, and peace. Women want success, protection, and status. Neither side is wrong—but pretending that biology doesn’t matter just leaves everyone resentful and confused. The mating market is broken. The family unit is fractured. Grandpa and Grandma stayed together not just out of obligation but because they weren’t scrolling through endless options at midnight.
Our culture is high on pleasure and low on purpose.
And yet—this is the perfect time to be alive. Why? Because the bar is so low. Because you can stand out simply by taking responsibility for your damn life.
You are controlled by your perception of yourself.
You are not your thoughts. You are the observer.
When it feels scary to jump, that’s exactly when you jump.
It starts with radical self-honesty. Write things down. Set direction. Hit first, hit hard. Own your masculinity or your femininity. Learn to suffer well. Build momentum. Master your habits. Make peace with your past, or be haunted by it forever.
Most people are harmless. You? You need to be peaceful but capable of great violence. You should pray for peace, but be prepared to aim between the eyes if peace fails. Become the man—or woman—who is harder to kill. Physically. Mentally. Spiritually.
The fire is coming. Are you ready for it?
We are firemen. We live in the heat. We train in the heat.
Flames don’t intimidate us. We are where we’re supposed to be.
Do you think you need motivation? You don’t. You need discipline. A professional shows up. Every day. No matter the mood. The “resistance voice” in your head is your enemy. Train to ignore it.
Don’t coast. When you coast, sadness shows up again like an old friend. Complacency is a disease. Are you waiting for a sign? This is it.
Destiny taps you on the shoulder. Will you answer or keep scrolling?
You can’t beat fear—but you can walk through it and find out what you’re made of.
In the end, this life is temporary. The world will test you. It should. The fires will come. So get strong. Get hard to kill. Let others get soft. Let them whine and post quotes. You? You live them.
You survived because the fire inside you burned brighter than the fire around you.
You want to be great? Then accept that you will be misunderstood.
Walk like a king—or like you don’t give a damn who the king is.
You don’t have time to be lukewarm. You don’t need permission. You don’t need likes. You need purpose. Direction. And the guts to walk alone until the right ones find you.
So I ask you—when life slaps you in the face, will you say, “Why me?” or will you say…
“Try me.”
