If you’re like many modern men, you might have a pretty good life — a decent job, a family, a home, maybe a few hobbies. Despite having the appearance of a good life, though, you feel kind of empty inside. Like you’re missing something.
My guests today would argue that what you’ve got is a case of Sad Clown Syndrome and to get over it, you need to get together with some men and do some burpees.
Their names are Dave Redding and Tim Whitmire and they’re the leaders of a grassroots movement bringing men together for free workouts called F3, which stands for Fitness, Fellowship, and Faith. According to them, they’ve seen tens of thousands of men not only get physically in shape by attending F3 workouts, but reenergize themselves mentally and spiritually.
Today on the show, Dave and Tim share the origins of F3 and how they realized it was solving the problem of Sad Clown Syndrome in the lives of American men. They then detail what the symptoms of Sad Clown Syndrome are, and how exactly F3 acts as a remedy. We then discuss why male friends are so important in a man’s life and why the typical guys that men call friends aren’t really friends. We end our conversation by discussing what the 3 Fs in F3 mean, including why the “Faith” component is more about having a purpose beyond yourself and less about religion.
Show Highlights
- What F3 stands for and what they do
- What a typical F3 workout looks like
- The origins of F3
- When Tim and Dave knew they had more than just a men’s workout going on
- What Sad Clown Syndrome is and why so many American men are suffering from it
- How F3 solves the three problems of Sad Clown Syndrome
- The type of “friends” most men have and why they won’t help you become a better man
- Why men need “aggressive nurturing”
- Why the “ant-hero” is so attractive to men with Sad Clown Syndrome, but it’s just an unfulfilling fantasy
- What F3 means when they talk about faith
- Why men need a purpose beyond themselves
- And much more!
Resources/People/Articles Mentioned in Podcast
- F3 Nation
- GORUCK
- Bowling Alone by Robert Putnam
- Jack Reacher
- Phllip Marlowe
- The Starfish and the Spider by Ori Brafman
- Don’t Be That Guy
- 5 Types of Friends Every Man Needs
- The Iron Project
- You May Be Strong, But Are You Tough?
- Podcast: An Intro to Stoicism
- Podcast: My interview with Stephen Mansfield about the importance of male friendships
If you’re looking for a good workout and some camaraderie, check out F3. And for a good guidebook on how to organically create a men’s group, pick up a copy of Freed to Lead. Best book I’ve read on the topic, and it’s also funny.
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Coming soon!
The post Podcast #324: How Fitness, Fellowship, and Faith Are the Cure for Sad Clown Syndrome appeared first on The Art of Manliness.
(via The Art of Manliness)