Boy Psychology

If you are new to the Better Men Project, know that you are welcomed. You should join us. We are slowly making our way through “King, Warrior, Magician, Lover.” But we structure our calls so that men can come in at any stage of our process.

On Monday, we will bring our attention to the beginning of Chapter 3, “Boy Psychology.” Please read through page 26. 

Devote some time to honest self-reflection this week. 

What are the ways in which you have successfully integrated the “boy” inside of you? How are you able to tap the playfulness, the open-mindedness, the readiness for adventure of that part of you?

And just as honestly, how do you still act like a boy where manhood is required?

The authors say that:

We need to ask ourselves two questions. The first one is not whether we are manifesting the High Chair Tyrant or the Weakling Prince but how—because we all are manifesting both to some extent and in some form. At the very least, we all do this when we regress into our Child when we are fatigued or extremely frightened. The second question is not whether the creative Child exists in us but how we are honoring him or not honoring him. If we’re not feeling him in our personal lives and in our work, then we have to ask ourselves how we are blocking him.

We have an opportunity to go to some deep places together. To do the work we set out to do. The work of becoming better men. Let’s continue to open up to that energy of willingness that we keep bringing to our time together.

The text is definitely dated. Let’s not waste too much energy arguing with what these guys didn’t know 30 years ago. Let’s focus on the archetypal realms as a useful entryway into the work we are here to do. For ourselves and for the world.

Saludos,

Gibrán