- He takes care of his physical appearance & style. No
matter what industry he is in, or what his station in life, the Fierce
Gentleman is dressed for success every day. He takes no days off from
excellence, and this is reflected in his dress as well as in his
attitude. He has cultivated a personal style as a manner of creative
self-expression in the world and navigates by his own compass, without
waffling in response to “fashion trends.” By itself, this is a necessary
but not sufficient condition for a Fierce Gentleman (which we shall
abbreviate henceforth as F.G.): plenty of men dress well and take good care of themselves, but not all of them are gentlemen, nor are all of them particularly fierce.
- He’s considerate. None of this fake-Alpha machismo
crap: He doesn’t cut in line or steal cabs from other people at the end
of the night. To the contrary, he holds doors for people (not just
women, although he does hold doors particularly for
women), lets others cut in line at the grocery store if they have fewer
items than him, and generally goes out of his way to accommodate others
and pay them consideration in matters big and small.
- He’s chivalrous. His approach to women is an
mixture of respect, adoration, and cherishing amusement. He will hold
doors for her, doff his hat on her approach, rise if she approaches when
he is sitting, take her coat, offer to seat her, push in her chair as
she sits. An entire group of F.G.s, seated together when a woman
approaches, make for a stirring sight as they all rise simultaneously
and offer to take her things or provision her with a seat. Although this
may seem old-fashioned and unnecessary at first (and many do say so)
women as well as men enjoy it.
- He understands that his life is about service to others, not serving himself. This
goes beyond being polite and considerate: those are just rules of
etiquette and polite society and as such, are meaningless without a
deeper conviction. For a F.G., service to others is that underlying conviction.
He understands that all ego-gratification plans are scheduled for
failure; and, similarly, that his efforts to enrich the lives of all
those around him are destined for eventual success. He understands that
Nature provides resources to the individual in direct proportion to the
scale of the role they have undertaken in the ecosystem; thus, to be
about as big an idea as he can possibly manage, he will naturally
command resources commensurate with the bigness of his role. You can
detect this element in conversation, or by reputation, if the man is
very well known and publicly seen to be achieving great things, with
great resources (Elon Musk is an example. Sal Khan is another.)
- He has done, and is doing, his work. A F.G. works
diligently and consistently to improve himself in all ways, and to
continually remove the limits on his degrees of freedom in all aspects
of life: physical, mental, emotional, financial, sexual, social,
spiritual. In this endeavor he is not ashamed to consult experts, enlist
aid, invest time and energy and money, and ask for help. Because of
this, a F.G. can almost always be seen to be: athletic or
working at some physical pursuit, self-aware and introspective,
emotionally mature, mentally sharp, knowledgeable and worldly, calm and
imperturbable, in control of his financial situation, present and aware,
a competent-to-exceptional lover, with both breadth and depth of
friendships and relationships, and with a deeper metaphysical
perspective on life, the Universe, and everything. Such Qualities are
greatly to be desired in a friend, lover, partner, father, husband, and
son, and consequently. . .
- He is in demand. “If you need something done, ask a busy person to do it.”
A F.G. is notable by the pace and volume of his output and throughput
and does not seem perturbed or winded by what others would consider a
blistering pace. This ability to conscientiously and thoroughly execute
makes F.G.s highly desirable in any business, even in government
bureaucracies, and more precious than gold in new businesses startup
where the workload is inhuman and the labor must be born with a maximum
of charisma. The F.G. does not become conceited about this ability,
however, and will smilingly offer to help others if they are becoming
swamped, even if his plate already seems full. Despite all this. . .
- He has backbone. Despite being accommodating, considerate, helpful and fundamentally of service, the Fierce Gentleman is the farthest thing possible from a doormat.
Because of his intimately awareness of his own limits and his constant
striving to live and playing at his edge, he knows what he can and
cannot do, and has no qualms about saying “No” or laughing off
unreasonable requests or onerous expectations. Because he has done and
is doing his “work,” he knows his own weak areas and trigger points, and
is very careful to avoid them altogether or navigate around them.
Because he knows what he is about in life, he follows his own strong
compass with integrity, and categorically refuses to be pulled
off-mission by this or that influence or request. A Fierce Gentleman is
so consistent and trustable in this regard that a person may set their
own compass by his.
- He has access to, and follows, his inner wisdom. He
may call it God or the Divine Mind Within or insight or intuition or
any other name, but the Fierce Gentleman has cultivated it, has regular
access to it, and minds what it tells him. He also realizes that within
him is an inexhaustible fountain of creativity, and therefore he has
laid aside all fear of ever “running out of ideas.” (This may be
particularly evident of he is involved in the arts or other creative
pursuits.)
- He follows his own passions, wherever they may lead.
Living in an age of near-perfect access to information and know-how,
the Fierce Gentleman takes time to pursue his passions ardently and in a
way that expresses his innate creativity. Because of this, he is often a
fount of knowledge on an obscure topic you may have never heard of, or
have a special skill or talent refined over years of practice that may
or may not be valuable or desirable as the world defines such things
(and little does he care for the world’s approval!) Or he may have
dabbled in a variety of diverse areas, jack of all trades and master of
none. A true F.G. may well oscillate through periods of intense focus on
a single idea or business or purpose, forsaking all hobbies and
passions in the meantime, and it is natural and proper that he should do
this: he will return to his passion(s) when a cycle of rest and
relaxation follows his next great triumph or achievement.
- He is a fierce warrior. Why call him a Fierce
Gentleman? So far, his qualities seem to involve a great deal of
service, gentleness, and consideration for others. How can such a one be
called fierce? Isn’t this word to be reserved for menacing
& dangerous wild animals, the violently intense, the threatening and
the savage? Well, while all those descriptors could apply to a
Fierce Gentleman whose loved ones have come under threat or attack and
who realizes that he is the sole line of defense in the preservation of
their persons, the word fierce also and equally means: “resolute or strenuously active” “of exceptional quality, exhibiting boldness or chutzpah” and “very, excellent.” These are the meanings we apply when we say a man is a Fierce Gentleman. Although he has principally banished violence from his life, this man is nevertheless a warrior,
confronting the biggest and baddest dragons that plague the modern
world, brooking no cowardice, shrinking from no challenge, stepping
through his own fear and staying brave “5 minutes longer” than the
ordinary man, as Emerson said. You will be able to tell this from your
dealings with this man. You will be able to feel his strength, unafraid,
in each moment. It is impossible to fake.
http://fiercegentleman.com/10-qualities-fierce-gentleman/
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