A Man Should Choose His Principles Over His Desires

The only true measure of success for a man..

Many men today are seduced by instant gratification.

They are softened by the conveniences of life.

Pulled off course by whatever “feels good” in the moment.

We’ve swung far from the stoic strength of our fathers and grandfathers.

Yes, they were emotionally absent at times.

Yes, war hardened them.

But they had one thing many modern men dont..

Principles.

A man today can live to 100 years old..

But a man without principles may never have truly lived at all.

On the surface, it can seem like a man is thriving when he indulges..

Women, cars, vacations, and all the beautiful distractions of the physical world..

The deeper questions for me is how is he on the inside?

Is he truly fulfilled?

Or left empty?

Does he know himself?

Does he trust himself?

Do others trust him?

And why should they?

There are many ways the world measures a man’s success.
Money. Status. Accomplishments. The things he owns. The pleasures he collects.

But none of these are true measures of a man.

Only God and the man himself can judge his success.

And in the end, I believe there is only one standard worth measuring:

Does he live by the values he claims to believe in?

That’s the only real scorecard.

Not wealth. Not achievements. But integrity

Lived, proven, embodied and earned.

In the modern world, a man must fight hard not to be swayed by temptation.

Not to break his own code.

A man’s code used to mean something..

In times of war, men knew that abandoning their principles could get them killed.

Today, the risks look different, but I’d argue the outcome is the same.

It won’t kill you physically.

You will just never truly live for yourself.

The modern genocide of man is not bloodshed, but brainwashing.

And most men’s minds are weak.

Many men are convinced to take the path of least resistance.

Mostly because they are afraid to hurt someone’s feelings.. or take on something difficult themselves.

I believe that a man steeped in values will go further in life than a man led by impulse.

Yet most men today inherit their beliefs from parents, religion, teachers, or even their wives.

They never stop to ask themself:

What do I value?

What are my principles?

And am I living by them?

These are the three questions I ask myself intentionally every year.

It’s been the greatest measure of success that I’ve found.