The 6 Fire Lays Every Man Should Know

Every man should know how to build a fire. But every outdoor situation requires different types of campfire lays (set-ups in the firewood), so it’s imperative to know how to make more than one kind. Here we highlight six of the most common and useful fire lays. Teepee Fire Lay There’s a reason this is the go-to campfire lay for most outdoorsmen:...

14h

Podcast #749: Let the Children Play!

In Finland, children don’t start formal schooling until age seven, aren’t subject to standardized testing, and always get at least one hour of physical activity a day, broken into 15-minute free-play breaks every hour, which take place outside no matter the weather. Finnish parents and teachers espouse mantras like, “Let children be children,” “The...

1d

Peter Drucker’s Question for Eliminating Practices That No Longer Serve You

We’ve talked before about the power of using the principle of via negativa to improve your life. Instead of focusing on what you should start doing to make your life better, it often pays to think about what you can stop doing. It’s addition by subtraction. Some of the things you should eliminate from your life are easy to figure out: debt, toxic people,...

2d

Podcast #748: Time Management for Mortals

A lot of ink has been spilled on time management and productivity hacking; you can find endless tips on how to master your workflow, tame your inbox, slay your to-do list. Far less examined, however, is the philosophy that underlies these strategies. My guest says that when you do examine that philosophy, you find it doesn’t actually align with lived...

3d

Sunday Firesides: Good Times Are Not Around the Corner (And That’s Great News!)

“As soon as this work project gets done.” “As soon as we get more settled in.” “As soon as I’m done planning this event.” “As soon as the kids are older.” How commonly do we offer these postponements to personal urges and others-issued invitations to take a trip, make a move, or simply hang out? “Things are busy right now,” we tell ourselves. “But...

5d

Why and How to Front Squat

We’re big proponents of squatting here at AoM — particularly the low-bar squat. The mechanics of the low-bar squat allow you to work more muscles in your posterior chain, i.e., the “chain” of muscles that run up the back of the body. More muscle utilization = more weight moved. But there are other ways to squat that can provide similar benefits to...

1w

How to Look Behind You (Without Looking Behind You)

Editor’s note: The text and illustrations of this piece were adapted from Krav Maga: Fundamental Strategies by David Kahn. When facing street violence, you can usually identify verbal, behavioral, and physical manifestations indicating that violence is imminent. Recognize it or not — and it is decidedly important that you do — it is highly likely...

2w

Podcast #747: Why We Get Sick

Cancer. Alzheimer’s. Heart disease. Diabetes. Infertility. While these prevalent and dreaded diseases are caused by multiple factors, my guest says they also all share a common thread: a ubiquitous and too-little-understood condition called insulin resistance. His name is Dr. Benjamin Bikman and he’s a professor of biology and physiology, an expert...

2w

How to End a Conversation

With our archives now 3,500+ articles deep, we’ve decided to republish a classic piece each Sunday to help our newer readers discover some of the best, evergreen gems from the past. This article was originally published in March 2013. We’ve done several articles on the Art of Manliness covering the wonderful art of conversation, from its dos and donts,...

2w

Sunday Firesides: The Secure Base Philosophy of Parenting

While embedded on an Army outpost in one of the most dangerous areas of Afghanistan, journalist Sebastian Junger recorded many incisive insights into the nature of martial living, including this one on the soldiers’ nightly routine: “At eight o’clock the generator cuts out and everyone goes to their bunks; after that, the only men awake are the ones...

2w