The Great Man Within Awaken the Wild Man Within feat. Ian MacKenzie
#186:
One of my favorite books of 2020 – and now one of my favorites of all time – is Glennon Doyle’s book Untamed.
It’s a book written for women so most men will never pick it up, which in my mind is a tragedy, because so much of it speaks to the inner power that we all have that goes untapped…because we’re afraid of what comes with that power.
The opening story takes place with Glennon taking her daughter Tish to the zoo to see a cheetah named Tabitha.
After a few minutes of observing the cheetah, Glennon’s daughter Tish asks the zookeeper “Isn’t Tabitha sad…doesn’t she miss the wild?”
The zookeeper replies “No Tabitha was born here, she doesn’t know any different. She’s never even seen the wild. This is a good life for Tabitha. She’s much safer here than she would be in the wild.”
The zookeeper’s quote landed like a gut punch:
Suddenly, I felt like Tabitha – the caged Cheetah – behind a wall of invisible bars and assimilated to living a life of safety, as defined by someone other than me.
How can I, or how can you, ever feel the full force of your power and strength…when that strength is behind bars?
I suppose if the #1 game you want to play in life is one of safety, then your metaphorical zoo is a great place to live. The bars certainly keep other predators out.
But I’m here to live the Great Man Within Me. The Great Man doesn’t do bars.
One of the Great Man’s greatest allies is the Wild Man, the primitive, untamed part of ourselves that gets locked up at an early age and for many men, never resurfaces ever again.
You know you’ve felt your Wild Man calling if:
- You’ve ever loved your life…but deep down felt restless and unsatisfied
- You’ve felt a calling to break free from societal norms and civilization…even if you don’t exactly know what that looks liek
- You’ve ever wanted to burn down everything in your life and start over
I know all of these feelings…and I’m tired of stalking the periphery of my life, feeling discontent (which is a line from Glennon Doyle’s book).
If you’ve ever felt the same, then this episode of Awakening the Wild Man Within You is right up your alley.
Our guide for today’s discussion is the filmmaker, Ian MacKenzie.
Who is Ian MacKenzie?
- Ian is a filmmaker, writer, speaker, and documentarian who looks at the edges of culture and explores what those edges can bring back to the rest of humanity
- He’s best known for his films Sacred Economics, Lost Nation Road, Amplify Her, Dear Guardians, and Occupy Love
- He’s also the host of The Mythic Masculine podcast, a show exploring the mytho-poetic men’s movement
In today’s Episode:
- How we as men lose the “original joy” of being boys, and most of us never reclaim it
- The difference between a savage man (dangerous) and a Wild Man (powerful)
- What happens to our life force over time when we cage up our Wild Man and lock away the key
- How to reconnect with the Wild Man and let him out responsibly
- What that “white hot rage” is that you feel inside of you, and what to do with it
- Why “soft men” emerge when they lock away their Wild Men, and why women become frustrated with these men
- One book recommendation to help you unleash your inner Wild Man
Ian’s Resources
Ian’s Website: https://www.ianmack.com Ian’s Podcast: The Mythic Masculine Ian’s Film: Love School
Books Referenced
Untamed by Glennon Doyle Iron John by Robert Bly Women Who Run With the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estes Dancing in the Flames by Marian Woodman