The Lost Virtue of Thumos (And Why Men Need It)

The ancient Greeks believed the human soul had three parts: reason, appetite, and something called thumos. Thumos is difficult to translate into English. It encompasses anger, noble spiritedness, pride, ambition, a sense of honor, and the drive to act. The Greeks thought it was essential to living a life of manly virtue, and my guest thinks we could use a lot more of it.

His name is Mike LeBlanc, and he’s a decorated Marine, a Harvard Business School grad, a tech founder, and the author of What If Anger Is the Answer? Today on the show, Mike and I discuss how the angry energy of thumos can help you close the gap between who you are and who you should be. We discuss why physical training helps cultivate thumos, how it can be an aid in overcoming appetites, overthinking, passivity, and cynicism, and the role it can play in being an effective leader.

Resources Related to the Podcast

• AoM Article: Got Thumos?
• AoM Article: 10 Movies That Inspire Thumos
• AoM Article: Soundtrack for Your Thumos
• AoM Article: How to Make Anger Your Ally
• AoM Podcast #1,083: Good Anger — Harnessing a Misunderstood Emotion
• AoM Series: The Life of Jack London as a Case Study in the Power and Perils of Thumos

Connect With Mike LeBlanc

• Mike's website
• Mike on LinkedIn

0:00 Introduction

1:42 Meet Mike LeBlanc: Marines, Great Books & Robotics

5:45 A Letter to His Son: What It Means to Be a Man

8:07 Socrates' Metaphor: The Little Man, the Hydra & the Lion

15:26 The Attributes of Thumos: Dignity, Pride & Shame

17:36 Thumos and Action: The Soul's Three Parts at Work

20:19 Thumos in Defending Boundaries

25:31 Thumos and the Physical Body

31:36 Thumos vs. Overthinking: The 70% Solution

36:03 Thumos, Power & Authority in Leadership

44:42 Overcoming Cynicism with Thumos

49:46 Raising Boys with Thumos & Where to Find the Book

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