It is hard to raise a child. Even in the best of times. A girl grows to be a mother; transmitter of culture, first educator of the next generation. A nation, it is said,finds it hard to rise above the moral acuity of its women. A great responsibility, which sadly is lost upon many, as time progresses. A boy grows to lead, provide, protect, and sacrifice his life if need be. His success and resources are to benefit everyone else in a society. Sadly in today’s world, this is lost even more often. Only a father, can adequately raise a boy to become a man. 2 things usually happen when poorly raised as a boy.

-The first is ”Hyper destruction”. The male quest for perfection, and the competitive drive and aggression, if poorly channeled, as we see upon the breakdown of civilisation(such as in war), leads to tragedy. Crime runs rampant, and the better angels of our nature have their very existence questioned. The human condition is not protected, and the uneducated man becomes a predatory fiend, instead of a protective friend.

-The second is ”Hyper passivity”. This we see more often daily. When this great male energy which gave us space travel, skyscrapers, machinery, sewage system, the internet, the harnessing of electric power, the discovery of continents, the founding of cities, etc… is poorly educated, many, fearing the previous outcome, seek to almost behaviourally and culturally ”castrate” men and boys from a young age. This leads to feelings of humiliation and emasculation. Achievements stagnate, frustrations occur in everyone concerned, and as every criminal in peace-time would attest, a humiliated masculinity, is a dangerous masculinity. Ask any school-shooter. A ”compensatory” mindset in the ”castrated” male ensues. Sadly many passive fathers, clueless mothers, and a well-meaning but inadequate educational system, produces such males. They are harmless, then after feelings of inadequacy reach a tipping point, they explode and implode, leading to grief and destruction affecting themselves and others.

Achilles, from Homer’s ”The Iliad” is a character than spans this spectrum. The name itself, is telling. ἄχος (áchos) “pain, sorrow,” and λαός (laós) “people, nation”, resulting in Akhí-lāu̯os “he who has the people distressed” or “he whose people have distress”. The pain or sorrow of the people is a theme raised numerous times in the Iliad and frequently by Achilles himself.

The name thus obtains a double meaning in the poem: when the hero is functioning rightly, he brings distress and pain to the enemy, but when wrongly, his own people/nation/men get the grief of his deeds. The poem is indeed partly about the misdirection of anger/masculine drive, as pertaining to action and leadership. Pain and grief shall occur. But they should not be misplaced, like anything else in life.

This brings us to the third option. The result of a well educated man; A Hero! Characterised by; Propriety. Morality. Responsibility. Accountability. Temperance. Action. When a male holds these, among others, in his character and channels his drive, he brings joy and light to what/whom is deserving, and distress/grief when required.

If the first destructive option is a hyena, and the second weak but dangerous option is a jackal, this third heroic option is, without putting too fine a point on it, a lion. Silent as a mouse if necessary, and a thundering roar should the need arise. Propriety!

No aimless roaming without education or direction, and not curtailed/castrated nor humiliated. Channeled, driven and educated. Such is a leonine hero. Such is expected of every son of Man…

 ”He is My true follower who, if he come to a valley of pure gold, will pass straight through it aloof as a cloud, and will neither turn back, nor pause. Such a man is, assuredly, of Me. From his garment the Concourse on high can inhale the fragrance of sanctity…. And if he met the fairest and most comely of women, he would not feel his heart seduced by the least shadow of desire for her beauty. Such an one, indeed, is the creation of spotless chastity. Thus instructeth you the Pen of the Ancient of Days, as bidden by your Lord, the Almighty, the All-Bountiful.”

-Bahá’u’lláh