Welcome to the Monument Guest Section.
Monument’s operation revolves around four essential components: our written content, which is accessible to everyone; and our programs, curriculum, and community, which are available to members.
Monument’s regular content is free for everyone to enjoy and has a three-part focus. In order of prevalence, these parts are: 1. theory and ideas designed to concretely change your experience of life; 2. focused treatment of topics having to do with the challenges of masculinity and being a man in the modern world; and 3. lifestyle and professional development content.
1. Theory and Monument Philosophy
Our focus on theory is grounded in our belief in the power of ideas to change people's lives for the better.
Why the focus on philosophy? Half the online content catered to men is based on ideas inspired from a narrow and distorted worldview, and on a corrupt notion of philosophical concepts like human nature. A lot of these spaces are pseudo-philosophical in that they advance notions that seem both intellectual and critical on the surface but really only serve to justify prejudice - they offer a limiting and one dimensional view of reality, and also tend to promote insular and group-based thinking.
Monument delivers the promise of male community, along with long-term benefits to your mental health, your relationships, your self-perception, and your overall experience of life, without trying to sell you a simplified version of the world.
We delve deeply into themes contained within the Western philosophical tradition, and we wrestle with topics with the potential to have a strong impact on people's experience of life, like existentialism, while also exploring concepts borrowed from traditions such as nihilism, stoicism, and Eastern philosophy - all of this with the intention of formulating over time our very own Monument Philosophy.
Those of you interested in bold, broad-ranging ideas should read our four-part series on human nature. A lot of our theory content will be derived from - or based on - this foundational series.
Whereas many other spaces for men offer a reductionist view of human nature, we delve deeply and critically into the topic for the purpose of knowing ourselves fully. Having a clear and substantial understanding of the basic condition of all people is the first step in having a complete understanding of ourselves as individuals.
Monument is a group founded at least in part on giving its members the power to create themselves, but our belief is that before you can create yourself, you must first fully understand yourself, and before doing that, you must first have a thorough understanding of what it means to be human. The basic progression we propose is...
Understanding People -> Understanding Yourself -> Creating Yourself
We can only ever hope to improve ourselves in proportion to how well we know ourselves. This four-part series on human nature constitutes an exercise in self-assessment: it is meant to act as a guide on taking stock of yourself and your life. By the end of the fourth essay you should have a better understanding of yourself than you’ve ever had before in your life.
The Naturalistic Model of Human Nature
The Becker Framework of Human Nature
Human Nature and Group Belonging (coming soon)
A Framework of Human Freedom (coming soon)
In part 1, we start by covering the views of contemporary theorists - neuroscientists, sociobiologists, and social psychologists - on what it means to be human, and refer to these collectively as the Naturalistic Model of Human Nature.
In The Becker Framework of Human Nature, we delve into the thought of one of history’s most underrated thinkers and build on the naturalistic model to answer questions about: why we act the way we do; what are the basic motivations that drive our behavior; and what are the broad determinants of our character and personality.
Part 3 covers in detail the human need for belonging and the repercussions it has on our identity and sense of self. Human Freedom, the fourth essay, wraps up the series by proposing a framework that explains how can we develop the capacity to grow, change, and create ourselves as individuals and, ultimately, how can we derive the most possible value out of the single life we're given.
A significant portion of our content is built on top of these foundational posts. We ask that new members try to finish reading this foundational series within one month of the start of their membership.
2. Content that Deals with the Challenges of Masculinity
Outside of theory, our content focuses on dealing with challenges that are either typically male-related or manifest themselves in particular ways for men. The topics we deal with include, but are not limited to...
Anxiety about whether you’ll ever make something out of yourself
Unfulfilling friendships and/or love relationships
Sexual frustration / lack of physical intimacy
Having a lack of confidence / self-esteem
Having a negative outlook on the future
Being afraid you’ll never find anyone
Feeling fundamentally alone in life
Emotional dependency on women
Dependence on online dating
Dependence on pornography
Our community is for any man who wants to get as much as they possibly can out of life, and we’re especially well-suited to help men who are…
Cutting a destructive habit or overcoming addiction/dependency
Not attracting the type of romantic partners they really want
Trying to exit a group they’ve come to realize is toxic
Tired of always having a negative outlook on life
Having difficulty connecting with others
Tired of being angry all the time
Trying to be a better man
Feeling stuck in life
From a mental health perspective, our community has the power to help you deal with...
Depression Resentment/Anger Isolation
Low self-esteem Desperation Jealousy
Anxiety Loneliness Self-hatred
Lethargy/Inertia Getting over someone
It can be hard to address topics of mental health and personal well-being for men without slipping into some form of victimhood, or without blaming others for what we experience. Monument’s content and community help you develop the skills and tools you need to make your place in the world, and help you confidently and effectively navigate your life as man today, without asking you to join a group based on anger, frustration, or resentment.
3. Lifestyle and Professional Development
Occasionally you’ll find content related to lifestyle improvements, life skills, and professional development, such as...
->learning how to cook well
->learning new professional skills
->CV peer-review and editing
->organizational tips and tricks
->building powerful and positive habits
->grooming and fashion advice
->and more…
By the end of 2021, our content will have touched upon all these areas and more.
Starting in Summer 2021, readers can expect one new post per week on our Blog.
Each time a new post is published, a new discussion thread is started in the Post Discussion section of the Forum for members to engage with each other.