Maybe, just maybe, I don't care one bit what advice Bill Gates has for young men. Maybe I consider Jeff Bezos to be sleazy and not very honest. Maybe I don't care that Warren Buffet made a trillion dollars in a day. Maybe you don't either. Maybe what we are looking for are role models that show character, courage, strength and honor, not weak men whose only claim to fame consists in being "successful" and having lots of money.
We have elevated "success" to a point where it is apparently the only variable that is important in life. The Instagram lifestyle has us blindly following figures that, were they not millionaires, we wouldn't even take their advice seriously. We all want to be rich so badly that we are willing to listen to every single word that some millionaire says. And we assume that they know everything, simply because they have money. We are too used to putting billionaires on pedestals and idolizing them because of their so called "success". Well fuck no. Let's choose new role models, people that actually inspire us to be better men. Let's idolize our parents, our military heroes, the people that actually deserve praise and respect. And hey, not that millionaires don't deserve respect. The thing is, the only characteristic that we see and know of them is that they are rich. That is not enough for me. We should be idolizing courageous, strong, everyday men that actually show us how to be better.
Let's idolize our parents, our military heroes, the people that actually deserve praise and respect.
Let's demand more of those that are supposed to motivate us. It is no longer enough to simply show us a stack of bills to earn our loyalty and respect. Remember, it is good to be wealthy, no one is denying that. But I would much rather be a strong, respectable and honest man with enough money to live well than a sleazy, weak billionaire. There are many things that we should focus instead of money. How about being a good father? How about being a good son? How about being strong? How about learning how to fight and defend yourself and those closest to you? How about learning how to be disciplined, courageous and strong-willed? Show me a man with those characteristics and I will gladly take him as a mentor over any rich man with none of them.
What kind of man do you want to be?
At the end of the day, it all depends on the type of man that you want to be. If your only priority is to have lots of money, so be it. Go get it. We'll see what kind of legacy you leave behind. But if you want to be a real man, a complete man, a fulfilled and strong man, stop glorifying and listening to people simply because they have more money than you. Choose better role models, choose better mentors and always remember that no amount of money will make you a respectable man. Your character and your values will.