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David Coggins’ No-Nonsense Guide to Embracing the Holiday Season. The holiday season is approaching, and repeat AoM podcast guest David Coggins has an article on Artful Living on how to embrace the festivities with some grace and style.…
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Long before the advent of barbells, dumbbells, and hi-tech fitness gadgets, there was the medicine ball.This simple piece of exercise equipment has been around for over 2,000 years. Ancient Greek physicians used weighted animal bladders…
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Note: This week’s episode of the podcast referenced an ancient story: “The Choice of Hercules.” If you’ve never read it, it’s really worth doing so.The story was set down by Xenophon (430–354 B.C. ), who was an ancient Greek historian…
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 In a story from ancient Greek philosophy, Hercules faces a choice between two paths: one promising pleasure and ease; the other, hardship and struggle — but also growth and greatness. According to today’s guest, this ancient parable is…
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Where Have All the Trick-or-Treaters Gone? Destination Neighborhoods. Maybe you’ve noticed fewer and fewer trick-or-treaters showing up at your door in recent years. There could be several factors contributing to this. Perhaps…
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 If you went to high school in America, you probably read Moby-Dick — or, more likely, you skimmed the CliffsNotes and wondered why this dense, whale-obsessed novel was considered a classic.That was me in 10th grade.But earlier this…
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Spend a day toiling as a knowledge worker, and you can leave the office feeling mentally fried. You may not have been that busy, nor done work that was even that cognitively challenging, and yet your brain still feels positively…
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The Age of Innocence. I recently asked ChatGPT for a random movie recommendation from the Criterion Collection (I wrote a Dying Breed article this week about what that is and how I’ve been using it in my approach to watching films). It…
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in: Advice, Character, Podcast Brett & Kate McKay • October 14, 2025 There’s been a lot of talk about morning routines in the last few years. But the idea is hardly new; famous men from Thomas Aquinas to Benjamin…
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“Woodrow,” Gus McCrae says, lying in a bed dying, “quite a party.”It’s one of my favorite lines from my favorite novel, Lonesome Dove.Why?Because it perfectly captures one of the richest portrayals of male friendship in literature: the…
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in: Character, Knowledge of Men, Podcast Brett & Kate McKay • October 7, 2025 What does it mean to be a man? It’s a timeless question that’s been answered in different ways across the ages. For the ancient Romans, the…
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A garage is supposed to be for cars. A workbench. A bike or two. Maybe a garage gym. But most of us end up using it like the junk drawer for the entire house. Big stuff you don’t know what to do with, or you think you might use…
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An important part of manhood has always been about having the competence to be effective in the world — having the breadth of skills, the savoir-faire, to handle any situation you find yourself in. With that in mind, each Sunday we’ll be…
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Bellroy Hanging Toiletry Kit. My old dopp kit finally gave up the ghost after years of faithful service, so I’ve been in the market for a replacement. I’ve carried a Bellroy wallet for years (here’s why it’s the best wallet I’ve ever…
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Over its long history, the whip has been tool for a variety of men.Cowboys in the American West, South American gauchos, and herders around the world carried whips to move cattle and sheep. The crack wasn’t meant to strike the animals…
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 You may have heard of hormesis — the idea that intentionally embracing small stressors activates the body’s repair and defense systems, building resilience, improving how the body and even the microbiome function, and ultimately…
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If you’ve been following AoM for a while, you know that strength training is a central part of my daily life — the thing, other than my faith and family, that brings me the most joy and satisfaction.Back in my 30s, I trained to hoist as…
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in: Featured, How To, Skills, Visual Guides Brett & Kate McKay • September 28, 2025An important part of manhood has always been about having the competence to be effective in the world — having the breadth of skills, the…
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You’ll find them lurking in the lobbies of grocery stores, bowling alleys, movie theaters, and arcades: the claw machine, that glass box of childhood excitement and elusive dreams. Whether your kids beg you to win them a stuffed narwhal,…
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Land’s End Striped Rugby Shirt. While researching the rugby shirt guide we published earlier this week, I purchased one from Land’s End. At around $50, it’s reasonably priced and well-made. It’s 100% cotton that’s been garment-washed so…
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