The Four-Dimensional Man

How to prepare for the future

Thought

We live in an age of hyper-specialization.

This has been rewarded by the economy for centuries as it’s generated massive advancements in technology, and, thanks to a somewhat functioning capitalist society, through trade we’ve all benefited.

But men aren’t meant to be one-dimensional robots doing the same thing day in, day out, year in, year out.

A man should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently and die gallantly.

Specialization is for insects.

Robert A. Heinlein

With the very real possibility of artificial general intelligence looming on the horizon, I think being overly specialized will become a massive liability for a man in the near future.

By outsourcing all these skills, a man will atrophy. With the likes of ChatGPT readily available, many are are abandoning the ability to even think for themselves. A man who can’t think for himself isn’t much of a man at all.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m pro technology, but not at the expense of what makes us human.

I believe the men of the future will need to broaden their capacities.

We must make a return to polymaths and generalists.

A man should be competent, tough and able to think for himself.

And why wouldn’t you want to be capable of handling any situation?

I call this being an All-Arounder and it all begins with your mindset:

When you encounter some novel challenge, a gap in your knowledge or ability, your first thought must be, “I can figure this out.”

Look at every challenge as an opportunity to improve yourself and expand your skillset.

Grit and problem-solving will never become obsolete.

Tactic

In the interest of not outsourcing our mental capacity to the machines, let’s talk about memory work.

When was the last time you memorized something? A poem or a famous historical speech?

I’ve been working on some memorization and it has activated a dormant part of my brain.

The things you memorize are yours forever, imprinted on your heart, mind and soul.

That’s why we say we know something “by heart.”

So, I challenge you to find a heroic passage from the western cannon that speaks to you and work on being able to recite it from memory.

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Tool

Tome

If you found this week’s edition valuable, forward it to a man who will benefit from this message.

Hint: every man will benefit.

May your T be ever increasing.

In Victory,

Alexander | Valor Disciple

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