Men Have Lost Initiation | FRIDAY FIELD NOTES

2026-02-13

Download

Men have lost initiation. There was a time when boys were tested before becoming men. They faced hardship. They endured pain. They returned changed - recognized as men. Today, that process is gone. In this episode of Friday Field Notes, Ryan Michler breaks down: Why modern men feel lost The three elements of ancient initiation Why pain is necessary How comfort culture is weakening men Why nobody is coming to initiate you How to initiate yourself If you feel stuck, drifting, or chasing validation...

Men have lost initiation.

There was a time when boys were tested before becoming men. They faced hardship. They endured pain. They returned changed - recognized as men.

Today, that process is gone.

In this episode of Friday Field Notes, Ryan Michler breaks down:

Why modern men feel lost
The three elements of ancient initiation
Why pain is necessary
How comfort culture is weakening men
Why nobody is coming to initiate you
How to initiate yourself

If you feel stuck, drifting, or chasing validation - this episode is for you.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS
00:00 Men Have Lost Initiation
00:26 When Boys Knew They Became Men
02:50 The Cost of Extended Adolescence
05:10 Comfort Culture Is Weakening Men
07:25 "Where Have All the Real Men Gone?"
08:05 The Three Elements of Initiation
08:30 Removed From Comfort
09:24 The Benefit of Pain
11:15 The Trial: Facing Fear
12:56 Recognition and Acknowledgment
14:49 Drifting, Chasing, and the Integrity Gap
16:35 Nobody Is Coming to Initiate You
17:14 Voluntary Hardship
18:45 What Initiation Looks Like Today
19:45 Brotherhood Is Modern Initiation
20:51 The World Needs Grounded Men
21:15 Questions Every Man Must Ask Himself
22:21 Do Something Difficult This Week
23:47 Steadiness Over Loudness
24:35 Choose the Fire
25:00 Join the Iron Council
25:20 The Men's Forge Event
26:00 Final Challenge