Conversations: On The Gorean Man's Focus

Here's another conversation about Gorean Men.  Again, the background activity was removed to emphasize the point of the discussion.


<+Jennen> So what is the focus of a Gorean man offline?
<+Jennen> I think about the men in the books.  In the fact that they are true to themselves, they experience a greater sense of pleasure and fulfillment than those who don't live true to themselves.
<+Jennen> But their lives aren't filled with pleasure.
* +Jennen thinks
<+Jennen> The peasant's life is a hard one.  He works hard, he works his slaves hard.
<+Jennen> But his focus is still Gorean.
<+Jennen> To me, the focus of a Gorean man is to find the role that is true to himself, and move forward in that role, within the sphere of his influence.
<+Jennen> The men enjoyed the slaves, but they were not their focus.  Their focus was to do well in their role.
<+Jennen> A Warrior did not define himself by owning slaves.  He fought, he defended, he attacked.  This is what defined who he was.  This was his focus.
<+Jennen>  A builder did not define himself by owning slaves. He defined himself by feats of design and engineering.  This was his focus.
<+Jennen> Men are happier when they master their lives, as well as their women.
* +Jennen thinks
<+Jennen> Now, I turn the magnifying glass on myself.
<+Jennen> How much time do I focus on my role as a man, and how much time do I focus on my slave?  How much time do I spend becoming better at what I do, mastering my life?  How much time do I spend with other men who have the same goals and understanding, working together with them as a group so that we can support each other?
* +Jennen thinks
<+Jennen> There's a book I read, called, "Superior Man".  It talks about having friends that believe as you do, that you can talk with, who will challenge you to take life on and be true to yourself.
<+Jennen> I think that is possible here, online.  But it would mean that we would have to share our personal lives, our challenges, our struggles, and our victories.
<+Jennen> It would mean talking about our offline roles, learning from each other, weighing and accepting or rejecting advice.
<+Jennen> A "fraternity" is another word for a "brotherhood".  Those who belong to some fraternities work to support members of their fraternity all their lives.
<+Jennen> It's a source of loyalty for them.
* +Jennen thinks
<+Jennen> Yes, a get together would be fun, and I think that those who participated would definitely enjoy it.  What I'm referring to, though, is more of an ongoing thing.  Talking, sharing, examining, asking, challenging other men.
<+Jennen> Regularly.
<+Jennen> A fellowship.
<+Jennen> That's a good name.
<+Jennen> A fellowship is something I would be very interested in being a part of.