If— by Rudyard Kipling

Stuart523 · 2016-02-16T22:06:05+00:00

A very good poem. It speaks to most of the character traits I aspire towards. In this context, a few lines stood out:

"If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster And treat those two impostors just the same"

"And never breathe a word about your loss"

It's easier said than done, the question is not if a man can stifle his desire to speak of his losses or treat them as disasters, but if a man can agree that eventually being able to reach a stage where one can effectively control such desires is an admirable goal, that he would like to slowly work towards.

If one finds some of the other suggestions more to their liking, such as the general indifference Kipling suggests towards those who'd inconvenience one, and the general idea of working towards a goal and not being deterred, then one might ask why it is that Kipling included these desirable suggestions with the undesirable suggestions. It was his way of thinking, but it wasn't arbitrary. All his suggestions seem to have a common link, which I have difficulty defining, but have found through study, thought and experience to believe in.

A man who is unconcerned with men outside of his pragmatic needs, does not need men to speak about his troubles to. And a man who's able to restart after great failure isn't just a man of much energy and determination. His ability to restart largely relates to how he sees both triumph and disaster as ideals that need not be placed in a box of negativity or positively.

Basically, while few men would find themselves to be the man described in the poem, most would desire to be the man in the poem - as they understand it to be. But, let's keep in mind the difference between this poem and books and essays on gaining power. The latter largely take one's goals and values as a given, and simply try to help one reach them; where once there one will be the same person but with more money, followers, and other ephemeral types of power. The former actually doesn't help one obtain goals that he has and to actualize values that he has, but it helps one shape new, more quality, goals and values, by helping one to have the type of character that would shape them.

Title	If— by Rudyard Kipling
Author	[deleted]
Upvotes	8
Comments	1
Date	February 16, 2016 2:52 AM UTC (10 years ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/MGTOW
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/MGTOW/comments/460dyk/if_by_rudyard_kipling/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/MGTOW/if-by-rudyard-kipling.638280 https://theredarchive.com/post/638280

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