Self-Improvement Week

Regular readers may notice that the right of the page contains a number of links to "manosphere" blogs. Some focus on PUA, a topic in which Southern Man is largely uninterested but often offer insights onto the dynamics of relationships that are of value. Others call themselves "red-pill" blogs and focus on what they percieve to be the (often painful) truth of reality (particularly where relationships are involved) over the blissful ignorance of illusion. Others focus on men's rights (which they pointedly refer to as "human rights") and offer advice as to how to cope with an increasingly feminized world, with particular emphasis on dealing with entities such as social services and family court which are (in their opinion) strongly biased towards mothers and against fathers. And a number of blogs that focus on other issues (such as the mighty Instapundit, which is primarily technology, current events, and politics) also have strong undercurrents of manosphere themes; his wife focuses on men's issues in her own blog and has a new book out on the topic. While some advocate leaving what they percieve as an unfair and biased world and striking out on your own ("going Galt") most accept that the world is what it is and offer advice on how to change what you can and otherwise deal with things the way they are.

Southern Man is interested in all of this (that blogroll is there for his convenience, not yours) and has learned quite a bit in the six years since divorce, to his benefit and often to his advantage. It's been a difficult road and has required actions that run quite against his nature and intuition, but, face it - Christian Grey didn't reel Ana Steele in with dinner and flowers.

One common theme that runs through all of these blogs is self-improvement. Physical fitness, improved health through diet and exercise, self-improvement through continuing education and the aqcuisition of new skills (via both traditional and non-traditional routes), fiscal responsibility, and (in general) how to be a real man in today's world - all are frequently discussed on many of the sites on the Southern Man blogroll. Some make this a part of relationship life, emphasizing that to have a good relationship you have to pull your weight; a good example is What Do You Bring To The Table? from Return of Kings. Some emphasize the skills and abilities that a man ought to have, such as Twenty Five Things Men Should Know How To Do at AskMen (there are countless similar articles) or blogs like The Chef In Jeans. Others focus on a man's inner life and those activities and skills that bring personal satisfaction; the second half of Aaron Clarey's book Enjoy The Decline is a good example. Still others are simply about the outright enjoyment of the good things in life, such as La Vita Nuova (NSFW), which embraces and celebrates the beauty of women. But all want you to become a better, more complete, and happier man than you are today.

So Southern Man will bring you four more posts in this week-long series on what he sees as his personal journey of self-improvement and accomplisment in the areas of fitness and exercise, diet and health, personal goals, and a long-range plan of action to bring him closer to the life he desires. Stay tuned!