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.

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.

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 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."

Drawing parallels from the historical strategies of Neville Chamberlain and Winston Churchill in the face of Nazi Germany, this piece challenges men in their 40s and 50s to confront midlife stagnation not with passive appeasement, but with active rearmament and defiance. It argues that avoiding discomfort and difficulty in life, much like Chamberlain's policy of appeasement, ultimately emboldens the "threats" of dissatisfaction and unrealised potential, leading to decline. Instead, it advocates for a Churchillian approach: facing reality, investing in personal "rearmament" (skills, health, purpose), setting boundaries, and finding one's voice to fight for a more fulfilling future.

Midlife Stagnation as Hybrid Warfare: The feeling of being stuck or dissatisfied in middle age isn't usually a sudden, dramatic event, but a slower, more insidious process akin to modern hybrid or cyber warfare. It lacks a clear declaration of crisis and operates in the blurred lines between apparent "peace" and internal conflict. Internal Infrastructure Under Attack: Just as cyber-attacks target crucial civilian infrastructure (power grids, communications), midlife stagnation erodes vital personal "systems" like energy levels, motivation, and sense of purpose. These are subtle but critical targets. Asymmetry of Inner Conflict: The internal voice of doubt or apathy might seem small and low-cost, but it can have a disproportionately high impact, hindering initiative and leading to significant long-term dissatisfaction, much like a low-cost cyber-attack causing widespread disruption. Need for Evolved Tactics: Traditional, "brute force" approaches or simply ignoring the problem (like relying on outdated WWI tactics) are ineffective against this modern form of internal "conflict." Navigating midlife requires adapting strategies, much like modern militaries have had to evolve from trench warfare to cyber and information warfare. Actionable Takeaways: The solution lies in recognising the subtle nature of the challenge, actively protecting personal "infrastructure" (well-being, energy), and employing "asymmetric defence" – small, consistent actions that cumulatively shift the balance.

This piece argues that men facing middle age stagnation should abandon conventional approaches to self-improvement and instead adopt a "guerrilla warfare" strategy, drawing parallels with the tactics of Mao Tse-Tung and Che Guevara. It defines key terms related to conflict, clarifies the differences between conventional and guerrilla warfare (highlighting the strengths of agility, terrain knowledge, and resourcefulness in the latter), and suggests applying these principles to the internal battle against inertia and apathy. The core message is to embrace unconventional, targeted actions, driven by an internal "foco" or purpose, to achieve a "revolution" in personal vitality and agency through a "protracted war" against stagnation.

This blog offers a strategic framework for men in their 40s to navigate middle age and overcome stagnation, drawing parallels with military grand strategy. The core argument is that life at this stage often involves feeling stuck and reactive to minor issues – "battles" – but true progress comes from identifying and pursuing a larger objective – the "war." This requires a "grand strategy" focused on long-term goals and a clear vision of one's "life's task," rather than getting bogged down in immediate emotional responses. The text emphasises the importance of "knowing your enemy," which includes both external pressures and, crucially, internal self-doubt and inertia. This "intelligence strategy" involves self-reflection to understand personal weaknesses, fears, and hidden motivations, much like analysing an opponent's vulnerabilities. It also suggests observing oneself in challenging situations ("moments of crisis") to reveal true behaviour and identify "masked opposites" in one's personality. The summary concludes by stressing that self-knowledge and strategy must be dynamic, adapting to the changing landscape of life.

A blog argues that men over 40 often sabotage themselves with their ego, drawing lessons from historical and modern strategists like Sun Tzu, Alexander the Great, Napoleon, Clausewitz, Bismarck, and Steve Jobs. It advises adopting a strategic mindset focused on clarity, patience, and creating value rather than being driven by ego. The chapter encourages self-awareness, measured reactions, and distinguishing true worth from status, framing midlife as a new campaign that requires strategic thinking.

Deterrence Through Presence: Middle-aged men can fend off irrelevance by cultivating a threatening, unpredictable presence that discourages attacks before they start. Reputation, uncertainty, and a willingness to go further build this deterrence.

Strategic Retreat: Sometimes the best move is no move at all. Trading space for time—disengaging and retreating—allows you to think strategically, exploit vulnerabilities, and infuriate aggressors.

Self-Knowledge is Power: Use periods of retreat to understand your strengths, weaknesses, and values. Embrace your experience and use it to anticipate enemy moves.

This piece argues that men in middle age often make poor decisions due to the "emotion default," reacting impulsively instead of strategically. Using examples from The Godfather, the Olympics, and a personal anecdote, it highlights the dangers of unchecked emotions. The piece emphasizes the importance of recognizing and controlling emotions, especially when compounded by biological factors like sleep deprivation and stress, in order to avoid disastrous consequences.

This newsletter/blog post uses the historical example of the Military Revolution, triggered by the invention and development of gunpowder, as a metaphor for the challenges faced by men over 40 experiencing mid-life stagnation. It argues that just as gunpowder rendered traditional military strategies and social structures obsolete, modern technological and economic shifts can make established skills and career paths outdated. The post encourages men to acknowledge these changes, acquire new skills, embrace innovation, and take risks to avoid being "left behind" and to become a "force to be reckoned with" in this new landscape. It advocates for continuous learning, diversification, and experimentation in both career and personal life.

This newsletter, "The Ageing Warrior," offers strategic advice for men over 40 to navigate mid-life challenges. It emphasises prioritising battles by identifying strengths and delegating weaknesses to conserve limited resources. The newsletter further advocates for the counterattack strategy, drawing inspiration from Napoleon and Jujitsu. It promotes patience, strategic thinking, and leveraging opponents' weaknesses to turn difficult situations around in work, relationships, and personal life. The overall message is to approach mid-life not as a crisis but as a campaign requiring strategy, ruthlessness, and triumph.

This newsletter addresses middle-aged men experiencing stagnation and a lack of fulfillment. It advocates for taking control of one's life through clear thinking, inspired by Shane Parrish's "Clear Thinking." The core message emphasizes recognizing and overcoming ingrained, detrimental reactions (defaults) like emotion, ego, social pressures, and inertia. The key technique is "the pause" – a conscious moment to breathe, consider, and choose a response rather than reacting impulsively. The newsletter encourages self-awareness, strategic action, and rejecting mediocrity.