Why does Aarnio claim that Western men are weak? How are weak men destroying society? What can men do to become stronger?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In his book Hard Times Create Strong Men<\/em>, Stefan Aarnio shares why Western men have grown weak and why this weakness is a problem. He also lays out his definition of a strong man and his ideas on how to be a strong man<\/a> at work and in relationships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Read below for a brief Hard Times Create Strong Men<\/em> book overview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n In the Hard Times Create Strong Men<\/em><\/a> book, Stefan Aarnio argues that modern Western men are weak\u2014and this weakness will lead to the decline of Western civilization, especially America. To avoid this, men must learn to be strong by taking ownership of every aspect of their lives so that they can defend the practices and ideologies that make America great.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aarnio was an award-winning Canadian real estate investor who authored several books on topics ranging from masculinity to business. He wrote Hard Times Create Strong Men<\/em> in just 11 days and published it in 2018. His book combines original insights with extensive quotations from others, notably The Way of Men<\/em><\/a> by Jack Donovan and The Way of the Superior Man<\/em><\/a> by David Deida. Aarnio passed away from cancer in 2020. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The lessons in Aarnio\u2019s book stem from his own life. Growing up, Aarnio lacked a strong masculine role model<\/a>. His father was unable to sustain a successful business<\/a> and struggled financially. He also couldn\u2019t sustain a successful relationship<\/a>; Aarnio\u2019s mother lost her attraction to his father because she was forced to support him financially, and she ultimately divorced him. Aarnio thus had to learn how to function well as a man from his own studies and experiences as an adult.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aarnio decided to share these lessons on manliness after an encounter with his employees. Aarnio, who ran a real estate business, returned from vacation to find that his employees were neglecting their duties. When asked why, the male employees gave him several excuses for not doing their jobs\u2014like that they didn\u2019t love their work or that they thought he was \u201cmean.\u201d Aarnio couldn\u2019t afford to fire them. So instead, he lectured them on \u201chow to be a man\u201d\u2014a speech that none of them had ever heard from their fathers. These men then turned their behavior around and later thanked Aarnio for having that talk with them. This experience made Aarnio realize that many<\/em> men didn\u2019t know how to function well in the modern world and led him to write his book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Why are most modern men\u2014such as Aarnio\u2019s employees\u2014weak? In this section, we\u2019ll explain what went wrong with Western men. Namely, Aarnio argues that men have grown weak due to the cyclical nature of history, a weakening of traditional gender roles<\/a>, and a turning away from Judeo-Christian religious values.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How has the cyclical nature of history contributed to weaker men?<\/strong> Aarnio contends that history operates in 80-year cycles, following the storyline of the poem by G. Michael Hopf that inspired the title of this book: \u201cHard times create strong men\/Strong men create good times\/Good times create weak men\/Weak men create hard times.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n From 1940-1960, American men faced hard times (such as World War II) and so grew strong. These strong men created good times from 1960-1980, as evidenced by the American manufacturing boom. But then, the widespread approval of feminism weakened men from 1980-2000. And since 2000, these weak men have been paving the way for hard times via their reactions to world events like the 2008 banking crisis\u2014and hard times will begin anew in 2020. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We\u2019ve now discussed why modern Western men are weak\u2014but why does this matter? Aarnio argues that this matters because unless men become strong, Western Judeo-Christian society will face destruction from two possible sources: Communism and Islam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Citing an interview with Yuri Bezmenov, an ex-KGB agent who revealed Soviet spy secrets, Aarnio argues that Marxist powers like Russia are currently deep into a campaign to \u201csubvert\u201d or destroy modern Western culture and install communism instead. This is inherently bad because people die in Communist societies; The Black Book of Communism<\/em> suggests that the death toll of the ideology is nearly 100 million. <\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Bezmenov, the first two stages of this campaign were: 1) a systematic effort to destroy the morals, values, and beliefs of American society by promoting ideas that contradicted these values, and 2) getting these ideas promoted in institutions. Aarnio argues that both stages were successful. As evidence, he points to the fact that Americans have largely stopped practicing Judeo-Christian values and now instead worship the \u201cnew gods,\u201d or false gods, of money, science, and atheism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Money used to be backed by gold and so inherently valuable; now, it\u2019s a false god because the US no longer runs on the gold standard<\/a>. In 1968, when the US still had the gold standard, you had to work about 32 hours on minimum wage to earn an ounce of gold; in 2018, you must work nearly 175 hours to earn an ounce of gold. In this way, taking the US off the gold standard helped destroy traditional family values because it ensured that women have<\/em> to work to survive in the modern world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Additionally, Aarnio argues that science\u2014or what we can learn based on what we observe\u2014is also a false god. The science that universities teach does not reflect a genuine quest for knowledge. Rather, universities only teach supposedly scientific ideas that they can use to support their Marxist ideals. Moreover, so-called science is not even economically useful to university students\u2014cutting-edge science takes so long to be published that it\u2019s outdated by the time it reaches the students, and so it doesn’t help them get lucrative jobs in emergent fields and leaves them economically disadvantaged. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Aarnio also argues that we are currently in what Bezmenov identifies as the third stage of subversion: crisis. As is typical of this stage, the United States is currently experiencing a period of intense turmoil, with violence, protests, and political unrest. Many people want a socialist-style government to solve society\u2019s current problems. This will inevitably lead to either civil war or invasion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s not just Communism; Aarnio suggests that the strong men of non-Western societies may also destroy Western societies. This is because modern Western Christians have grown tolerant (and therefore weak) and are as such vulnerable to attack by strong, intolerant groups\u2014in particular, Muslims.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aarnio explains that Christians are weaker than Muslims because Christianity is 500 years older<\/em> than Islam. 500 years ago, Christians were just as strong and intolerant as Muslims are today. But in the past 500 years, Christians have evolved past this intolerance and grown more tolerant and thus weaker. As a result, they\u2019re vulnerable to attack by strong, intolerant groups\u2014like those who practice Islam. Being attacked by Muslims would be problematic because Islamic values are incompatible with modern-day Christian values<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aarnio proposes that the Islamic ideology may take over Western society and replace our Judeo-Christian values in one of two ways. First, this may occur via the increase in the Muslim population. Muslim immigrants to Western countries are having more babies than Judeo-Christian citizens. These babies may grow up to vote in Islamic values that are incompatible with Western ideals and so transform the United States into a Muslim country. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Alternatively, the third-world Islamic powers of the Middle East or Africa may invade the United States\u2014just as groups that lack<\/em> wealth have invaded groups that have<\/em> wealth throughout history. To illustrate the likelihood of this happening, Aarnio compares the fall of Rome with the modern-day West. Rome\u2019s wealth led it to dismiss Germanic tribes as too weak to conquer them and focus their energies instead on indulging their vices\u2014such as binge-eating and having orgies\u2014thus becoming more tolerant and weaker. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Similarly, America is ignoring its real problems\u2014like a lack of strong men\u2014in favor of trivial issues, like whether trans women should be permitted to play in women\u2019s sports leagues. Eventually, the Islamic countries we dismiss as a threat will invade the United States, just as Germanic peoples invaded Rome. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Aarnio argues that the core difference between a weak man and a strong man is whether he embraces ownership of every aspect of his life. While a weak man ignores his problems or blames them on someone else (like his family or the government), a strong man accepts that he<\/em> is the only person who can solve his problems and actively works toward doing so.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Aarnio adds that strong men command respect<\/strong>\u2014both from women, who view them as sexually desirable, and other men, who view them as a leader. Crucially, this respect does not<\/em> stem from viewing him as \u201ckind\u201d or a \u201cgood person\u201d\u2014the definitions of which differ depending on what your culture values. Rather, this respect stems from universally appreciated virtues: A strong man always accomplishes what he says he will, no matter what. In contrast, weak men don\u2019t command respect; notably, women are not sexually monogamous with weak men. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally, Aarnio argues that a strong man has mastered four essential areas<\/strong>. First, he is in control of his mind, through which he wields financial, social, and intellectual power. Second, he is in control of his body: He is strong and healthy enough to command the respect of other men and support his family for years to come. Third, he is religious in some way, and so able to connect with and draw power from the spiritual realm. Fourth, he is comfortable with his emotions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We\u2019ve now discussed what makes a strong man<\/a>, but how do you become<\/em> one? Aarnio argues that you must be strong in two main spheres\u2014your work and your relationships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To be a strong man, Aarnio argues that you must work<\/strong>. This is your purpose<\/a> as a man: to do whatever allows you to provide for your woman and your family. Aarnio contends that if you stop working, you lose your purpose and so lose your masculinity; therefore, both retirement and relying on the government for survival are unmanly. You should always be chasing as much money and power as possible, as both allow you to control your life, which is inherently manly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aarnio specifies that you must choose the right work<\/strong>. At first, it does not matter whether you enjoy<\/em> what you do; focus only on whether your work provides you with enough money to survive (and let your dependents survive, too). It\u2019s only by becoming capable of providing for yourself and any dependents that you earn the privilege to focus on finding work that you want<\/em> to do. To achieve this goal, Aarnio recommends that you focus your energies on your passions in your free time. Such passions may include artistic pursuits, but they should also include goals like becoming an entrepreneur<\/a> and running your own business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now that we\u2019ve discussed how to be a strong man at work and in pursuit of your passions, we\u2019ll discuss how to behave like a strong man in relationships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n First, Aarnio explains that you must learn how to attract women<\/a><\/strong>. Do this by working on your purpose, which will increase your masculine energy and so attract women to you. Don\u2019t resort to pickup artistry, which involves a series of techniques that you can use to convince women to have sex with you. Pickup artistry doesn’t lead to fulfilling relationships because it relies on gimmicky tricks that convince a woman you\u2019re someone you\u2019re not. Eventually, this woman will discover your authentic self\u2014which isn\u2019t the person you portrayed yourself to be\u2014and leave you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Moreover, many pickup artists get hooked on sleeping with as many women as possible. This can hurt both the women you\u2019re sleeping with and yourself. Aarnio writes that he destroyed his chances with the one woman he actually<\/em> cared about because he was dating too many other women simultaneously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Second, Aarnio contends that you must select the right woman<\/strong>. Women fall into different ranges of the \u201cHot Crazy matrix,\u201d ranging from 1-10 on a scale of physical attractiveness and 1-10 on a scale of mental instability. Moreover, the more physically attractive a woman, the more mentally unstable she may be as people forgive this instability. If you\u2019re only seeking a dating relationship, select women who are 8-10 hot and 7-10 crazy. But if you want to get married, only pursue women who are 8-10 hot and 5-7 crazy, prioritizing stability over physical attractiveness. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When selecting a girlfriend or wife, Aarnio adds that you should evaluate the following factors. Determine whether you have compatible values; ideally, you\u2019ll have grown up in similar environments and so have a baseline agreement as to what\u2019s \u201cnormal,\u201d or standard. Ensure that you like her parents; her relationship with her father will inform her relationship with you, and she\u2019ll likely grow to physically resemble her mother as she ages. Choose someone whose income is lower than yours; otherwise, she\u2019ll feel like you\u2019re not fulfilling your purpose<\/a> as a man and grow to resent you. And if you want kids, make sure she\u2019s a good potential mother. <\/p>\n\n\n\nHard Times Create Strong Men<\/em> by Stefan Aarnio<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Aarnio\u2019s Life: A Primer<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Why Western Men Are Weak<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The Problem With Weak Men<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How Communism Might Destroy Western Society<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
How Islam Might Destroy Western Society<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
What Makes a Strong Man?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How to Be a Strong Man<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How to Be a Strong Man at Wor<\/strong>k<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
How to Be a Strong Man in Your Relationships<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Attract and Select the Right Woman<\/h5>\n\n\n\n