Journey into the “matrix” of ancient epics! This video explores how Beowulf and Gilgamesh, two heroes from vastly different times and cultures, grapple with timeless questions of heroism, mortality, and monstrousness. Discover how their worlds shaped their legends and find surprising parallels that reveal the enduring human struggle.

An Oxford expert explores the uncomfortable reality of Machiavellian principles in warfare and strategy, examining historical figures and contemporary examples where pragmatic, often ruthless, tactics have been employed to acquire and maintain power, while also acknowledging the ethical complexities and potential pitfalls of such an approach.

His piece delves into authentic self-confidence, not the brittle facade of ego, but the strength to confront reality and admit imperfections. It highlights how past resilience, inner dialogue, and a focus on outcome over personal validation build genuine confidence that weathers challenges and allows us to adapt, learn, and ultimately, succeed.

Propositional logic isn’t just for academics; it’s the foundational toolkit for clear thinking, crucial for strategic planning, intelligence analysis, and indeed, survival in a complex world. By deconstructing arguments into basic propositions and understanding the relationships between them, we can ensure our reasoning is sound and our decisions are robust.

This explores the counterintuitive yet highly effective strategy of “Negotiate While Advancing,” treating negotiation not as a separate peaceful realm but as a continuation of conflict. By maintaining pressure and projecting strength, even when weak, you can dictate terms and secure your interests, much like a warrior manoeuvres on the battlefield.

A journey into the core principles of logical thinking and keen observation, revealing the hidden structures that govern arguments, decisions, and our perception of the world. This title and summary aim to be intriguing and broad enough to cover the different aspects of the regimen.

Dive into Maria Dahvana Headley’s Beowulf: A New Translation. This video explores how Headley’s bold use of contemporary language (“Bro!”), irreverent tone, and unapologetically feminist perspective breathes new life into the ancient epic. We’ll examine how she amplifies marginalised female voices, critiques hyper-masculine warrior culture, and connects timeless themes to modern societal issues. Prepare for a lively discussion on the translation’s controversial reception, its accessibility for new audiences, and how Headley uses her work as a form of cultural activism. It’s a Beowulf for the 21st century that’s sparking debate and demanding attention.

Feeling adrift at 40? This article applies the strategic wisdom of Sun Tzu and Clausewitz to navigate the challenges of mid-life stagnation. While Sun Tzu offers subtle manoeuvring tactics, Clausewitz’s realism on “friction” and uncertainty provides a more potent framework for confronting life’s inherent difficulties and defining your purpose. Embrace the mess, expect setbacks, and persist in fighting for the life you genuinely desire.

This blog post, aimed at men aged 40+, draws on insights from philosophy and military strategy to address feelings of stagnation and lack of direction in midlife. It argues that self-control, the ability to manage emotions rather than being controlled by them, is key to navigating this period. Using metaphors of a ship at sea and battlefield tactics, it emphasises that true success comes not from constant excitement but from disciplined persistence and the conscious choice to steer one’s own course despite emotional turbulence.

A blunt takedown of Renaud Camus’s venomous “Great Replacement” theory, exposing its core claims, its spread across Europe and beyond, and its dangerous ties to conspiracy, xenophobia, and real-world violence. It argues the theory is baseless, a twisted interpretation of complex demographic shifts, and a dangerous tool for extremists.

Feeling stuck and directionless in your 40s? Stop fighting head-on battles against mid-life stagnation – that’s attrition warfare and it’s a waste of energy. Instead, embrace the ancient art of manoeuvre. This newsletter explores how strategic positioning, flexible planning, creating dilemmas, and calculated disorder can help you navigate challenges with ease, leading to renewed purpose and “easy victories” by outsmarting the predictable forces holding you back. It’s time to be smarter, not just tougher.

This excerpt presents a hypothetical defence or “nuclear answer” to the question of the good aspects of being white or the positive contributions of the West. It argues that Western civilisation has disproportionately gifted the world with advancements in medicine, science, education, commerce (capitalism), and political principles like representative government, liberty, and civil rights. The text contrasts Western curiosity about other cultures with the lack of similar interest elsewhere throughout history. It highlights the global desire to migrate to Western countries as evidence of their success and appeal. Finally, it asserts that Western culture is uniquely self-critical, tolerant of dissent, and open to allowing individuals of immigrant background to rise to the highest levels of political power, a phenomenon it claims is not reciprocated in non-Western nations.

This piece uses the psychological concept of the “Mask of Sanity” from Hervey Cleckley’s work on psychopathy as a metaphor for the feeling of stagnation experienced by men in midlife. It argues that just as psychopaths wear a facade of normality, many men over 40 may be hiding an underlying lack of purpose and engagement. The article encourages acknowledging this feeling, learning from it, and taking deliberate steps to break routine, seek novelty, and redefine personal goals to combat apathy and rediscover fulfilment.

This article uses the lens of modern military strategy to help men over 40 navigate feelings of stagnation and find renewed purpose. Drawing parallels between evolving warfare tactics (hybrid, information, cyber) and the challenges of middle age, it provides a frank and actionable framework for conducting a personal strategic review and launching a multi-pronged "offensive" against inertia, focusing on mental, physical, and emotional "logistics."

Translating Beowulf from its original Old English into modern English is far more than a simple word-for-word conversion; it's a complex act of interpretation that profoundly influences how readers understand the epic poem. Due to the vast linguistic and cultural distance between Old English and modern English, translators must make significant choices regarding word selection, which can alter the connotations and nuances of key terms like "wergild" or "snotor." The translator's approach to the poem's distinct tone and style, particularly its heavy reliance on alliteration and kennings, as well as its inherent understatement and irony, further shapes the reader's experience, creating different feels from formal and scholarly to colloquial and poetic. Furthermore, decisions about how to handle the interwoven pagan and Christian elements, as well as the presentation of core Anglo-Saxon social values like kinship and honour, impact the thematic emphasis of the translation. Concrete examples like Wiglaf's speech or the depiction of Grendel highlight how different translations can offer varied perspectives on character motivations and the nature of good and evil. For readers, understanding the translator's background, comparing multiple versions, and utilising scholarly notes in critical editions are crucial steps for engaging more deeply and critically with Beowulf, recognising that each translation is an interpretation, not the definitive text.