In this episode, Ryan talks about the benefits of capitalism and masculinity, and why they go hand-in-hand in creating value in the world. He also explains why masculinity and capitalism don't have to go hand in hand.
00:00:24.960Men, what is going on today? My name is Ryan Michler, and I am the host and founder of Order of Men.
00:00:29.560Now, if you're new to the show today, you need to understand that this is our short show.
00:00:33.240It's released each Friday. It's my ramblings, it's my thoughts, and my lessons learned throughout the week.
00:00:38.060I keep it short, to the point, and it's full of actionable steps that you can execute starting today to help you become a better man.
00:00:45.140Now, we also have an interview show where we're interviewing the world's baddest, the most successful, toughest, smartest men.
00:00:51.220We delve into their stories of tragedy and triumph, and then we extract those lessons, and we bring them right to your earbuds.
00:00:57.820So, with that said, make sure that you subscribe to the Order of Men podcast so you never miss a single Friday Field Notes or our interview show released each Tuesday.
00:01:07.260Now, let's get to the episode today, Capitalism and Masculinity.
00:01:11.000Now, I called it that because if I called it Economics 101, you would have deleted it from your feed.
00:01:16.160But stick with me here on this, guys. You have to hear this message.
00:01:19.580It is critical that you wrap your head around capitalism, because if you don't, you just aren't going to be able to provide as much value in this world as you otherwise would be able to.
00:01:29.080I'm talking about value for yourself and value for your family, value for your community, and frankly, value to the entire world.
00:01:36.860But I don't want this to be a political conversation, although we're in the midst of the United States presidential election as of this recording.
00:01:42.420But that's a topic for another day. This is simply a discussion about value. That's it, value.
00:01:48.260And yes, I am using what some of you might believe to be a swear word, capitalism.
00:01:52.780But it's actually pretty sad that this word has gotten such a bad rap, because the system of capitalism, it's done more good, it's cured more illness, it's lifted more people out of poverty,
00:02:02.880and it's increased the standard of living for more people across the planet than any other system known to man, period.
00:02:11.180Does it have its problems? Of course. Can it be manipulated? Of course. Can it be taken advantage of? Of course.
00:02:16.760But you tell me what system doesn't have those downsides. Communism? Socialism? Tyranny?
00:02:22.860All right, so let's talk about what this even means.
00:02:26.060Before you worry about me pulling out the dictionary to explain all the technicalities of what capitalism is,
00:02:31.680let me just say that I'm going to break this down into language that all of us can understand.
00:02:36.840Capitalism is, at its most basic level, a system designed to allow for the practice of voluntarily trading your resources.
00:02:44.880Someone has what I want, I have what they want, also known as capital, and we agree to trade. That's it.
00:02:51.620There's nothing more to it, although the media and big business would try to have you believe something else.
00:02:56.540If the definition of capitalism I just gave you and masculinity don't go hand in hand, I don't know what does.
00:03:04.000Each and every one of you listening to this podcast right now is great at something.
00:03:08.520I'm great at certain things. I'm not great at others.
00:03:10.940If I can tap into what you're good at without having to exert a lot of time and energy and resources,
00:03:17.100and you can tap into what I'm good at without exerting a lot of your time and energy and resources,
00:03:22.260don't we both win? That's what this is all about. It's all about win-win situations.
00:03:27.520Situations in which all of us are better off.
00:03:31.080Now, in the days of dinosaurs and cavemen, if you knew how to build a fire,
00:03:36.360wouldn't it be cool if you could show me that and in return an appreciation,
00:03:40.920I could show you how to do something you don't know how to do, like slay a saber-toothed tiger?
00:03:46.280Boom! That's capitalism. This is exactly what I'm talking about here.
00:03:49.620Today, you might know how to draft plans for a house, and I might know how to build that house.
00:03:54.980Capitalism, we both win. This is not a bad system. This is a great system.
00:03:59.440And it promotes enterprise and creativity and innovation and a ton more.
00:04:04.040But here's where it gets tricky. Money. This little green piece of paper that has no value
00:04:09.140besides what we collectively place in it.
00:04:12.060It's amazing to me how much this little piece of paper has the ability to permeate every emotion
00:04:17.460we, as human beings, are capable of expressing.
00:04:21.100But here's the deal. Money is not bad. Money is not good. It's paper. That's it.
00:04:26.520Would you pull out a piece of paper from your printer and blame it for all the unfortunate events
00:04:31.420that have happened to you in your life? No, of course not.
00:04:34.320Money is simply a medium that you and I agree to trade with.
00:06:27.300You don't like what you're being paid?
00:06:28.840Take your services, in this case, your time and energy, somewhere else.
00:06:32.600Or even better, build your skills, offer more value, gain new knowledge.
00:06:37.280Then you can go out and you can charge more and you can make more money.
00:06:41.140So yes, masculinity is about providing.
00:06:44.140But it's also about personal responsibility.
00:06:46.440There's no better system that rewards men for personal responsibility.
00:06:49.400There's no better system that allows for new ideas and concepts and new innovation.
00:06:54.480There's no better system in which you and I get rewarded or not for the work that we actually do or lack thereof.
00:07:02.760There's no better system in which a man gets compensated for putting in a man's effort every single day.
00:07:09.860So the next time somebody says, you're in it for the money, I want you to say thank you.
00:07:15.720Because money is simply a representation of value.
00:07:18.860And there's nothing manlier than being valuable.
00:07:21.880So if you want to learn more about these concepts and other things that we're talking about,
00:07:25.960I want you to join us inside of the Elite Mastermind, The Iron Council.
00:07:29.520This week we're talking about all things wealth building, which ties in perfectly with my conversation with you here today.
00:07:34.260The Iron Council, it's designed to help you identify objectives and tactics in four key areas of your life.
00:07:39.780We're going to help you articulate a vision for the future.
00:07:42.280We're going to help you identify the actions you need to take to get there.
00:07:45.360And then we're going to hold you accountable to doing it.
00:07:47.360So you can learn more at orderofman.com slash Iron Council.
00:07:50.760Remember guys, being valuable and therefore making more money, providing for yourself, your family, and your loved ones is the manliest thing that you could do.
00:08:00.940So I look forward to talking with you next week, but until then, take action and live manfully.