A harmless man is not a good man.
A good man is a very dangerous man,
who has that under voluntary control.
Jordan Peterson
Many consider harmless, nice guys as good men. They do their job, don’t hurt anyone, and pretty much just go about their business. But is that really a good man? Could they step up and stop an elderly person from being mugged or step in and stop a vicious rapist who is attacking an innocent woman? Or is this the man we see on those television shows, who just turn the other way when they see these things happening, and keeps on walking, or worse, records it with their phone as they watch a tragedy unfold?
As martial artists and warriors, we know that a good man is a very dangerous man. He still goes about his business, does his job, and doesn’t hurt anyone, at least anyone who doesn’t deserve it. He loves his wife and his family, does a good job at his work, and may seem just like the harmless man, that is, until he is required to unleash the dragon. THAT is when we see the difference between the two.
A harmless man has no choice about being a pacifist; he is harmless and not capable of defending himself or others. The dangerous man, on the other hand, chooses to live in peace as much as he can, but has the ability to be even more vicious than the most hardened criminal. He is a very dangerous man, but keeps that side of himself under control.
A good example of what I am talking about is Mel Gibson’s character in the movie, The Patriot. To his family, he was just a father. They never saw him hurt anyone or be violent. But, when the shit hit the fan, and his family was attacked, he turned into a very dangerous, killing machine, ripping his enemies to threads. He was a peaceful man, but he had the ability and the skills to be a very dangerous man when he had to be.
But why is the harmless man not a good man? This seems to go against everything that our society believes. He goes through life not hurting anyone, just minding his own business. He is courteous, nice, and dependable. What part of his life makes him less of a good man than the dangerous man?
Warriors understand the meaning behind Mr. Peterson’s statement. A good man has to be willing to step up and put a stop to injustice when he can. He should not only be willing, but able, to stop some thug from harassing an elderly person, a lady, or some kid. He should be more than able to put a stop to the bully who enjoys preying on those weaker than he is. He should be able to turn into a very dangerous man in order to protect his family.
There is more to a good man than just not breaking the law, not hurting anyone, going to work, and bringing home money for his family. A man’s primary responsibility is to protect and provide for his family. If he is single, a good man still has the responsibility to protect those who are weaker and unable to protect themselves. At the risk of melting some snowflakes, I will just say it – a wimp who does not have the courage to step up when life requires him to, is not a good man!
Look at it this way, if all we had were the nice, harmless men in our society, how long do you think our society would last before our enemies overran us? How long would it be before the criminal element was terrorizing decent people in every city and town? While there is nothing inherently wrong with being a harmless man, in my book, that is not a good man.
Good men are ready, willing and able to serve and protect those who cannot help or protect themselves. They are men of peace, but with the ability to be very dangerous if the situation requires that of them. They are warriors who are pleasant and smile, but who are willing to raise the black flag and start cutting throats if that is what it takes to protect their family and those around them. Good men are dangerous men!
Here, you may be wondering what sets them apart from the thugs or criminals, if they are so dangerous. I can answer that in one word – HONOR. Good men have character, honor and integrity, so they only use their dangerous skills when they have to in order to protect themselves, their loved-ones, or those around them. Harmless men have no choice; they could not protect anyone no matter what.
Be a good man, or woman! Be kind, loving, giving, helpful, and smile and be pleasant, but make sure you have the ability to hit that switch if you need to. There is more to being a good man than being harmless to those around you. Be good, but be dangerous; you never know when that quality may come in very handy.
