Thumos: How to Re-Ignite The Fire Within You
Photo by Ryan Cryar on Unsplash
The ancient Greek philosopher Plato used an allegory of the chariot to describe the psyche or soul of a man. This psyche has three distinct elements that together make a man. These three elements are rationality, appetites, and thumos.
In the allegory, the three elements were represented by a chariot, charioteer, dark horse, and white horse.
The chariot is the soul, comprising all three elements. Reason or rationality is represented by the charioteer. The dark horse is rebellious, representing a man’s appetites or desires. And the white horse represents a man’s thumos.
In this article, we’ll take a deep dive into the white horse… the element of thumos.
What is thumos?
The word “thumos”, also commonly known as “thymos”, loosely translates to spiritedness. Thumos represents the spirit within a man. This spiritedness is not spiritual in the religious sense.
Thumos is the power within a man. The Energy. The drive to win. Ambition. Courage. Honor.
The element of thumos can act as a separate entity from you. But it could also act with you as a tool, an accompaniment, or motivation that compels you to take action (1).
Thumos is “the fire in the belly,” which was an idea developed by philosopher Sam Keen.
It’s what gives men willpower and self-discipline.
Thumos is what gives you “oomph” in your life.
There is no exact translation of the word today. This is an interesting observation that we’ll discuss shortly.
Why is thumos important?
Thumos is the force inside of a man that pushes him to do great things. A man uses his thumos to face challenges head-on. To face his fears. To overcome obstacles. To win.
Not only is thumos the root cause of an emotion, but it is also the actual emotion itself (1). The source and the emotion are tied together, acting as one.
When a man has thumos, he seeks glory and honor. His actions become his path to these goals. He is a man on a mission.
According to the Greek philosopher Empedocles, thumos is “the seat of life.” It is the backbone of a man’s character. Thumos gives man structure to his life. It gives him the key to achieving any goal of his: taking action.
Without thumos, the man becomes weak. He is passive, letting other people take advantage of him. He becomes driven by the rebellious dark horse, his appetites or pleasures.
Most men today have become driven by their dark horse.
It’s missing in today’s society…
Modern society is filled with endless pleasures. Entertainment is available 24/7, customized to your individual tastes. TV. smartphones. Computers. Tablets. The amount of entertainment available on these devices is limitless.
Food available in surplus… most of which is nutrient void and loaded with tons of calories. 73.6% of all American adults are overweight or obese (7). Never in recorded history has obesity been so common.
Instant gratification distracts men from their mission. It lowers their thumos every time they choose it over their mission.
Men who are “nice guys” have low thumos. These are the people who get run over by society. They don’t stand up for themselves. And they don’t want to rock the boat, scared of the potential consequences.
These men settle for a life enslaved to their desire to be liked by others.
Nice guys don’t have any beliefs that they are willing to fight for. They side with the masses, thinking that there’s security in numbers. Nice guys fight for whatever is convenient. They don’t care if the message is honorable and just, they just care that it’s the popular opinion. Men with low thumos don’t dare to have an original thought. They crave conformity.
These men lack ambition in life. They float by, never striving to be better. They don’t try to make the world a better place. Men with low thumos value security and niceness above all else.
Low thumos destroys
There’s a saying that sums up the low thumos syndrome: “Hard times create strong men. Strong men create good times. Good times create weak men. Weak men create hard times.”
Modern times have been so good, but men have become soft. Society is neutering men. The elements of thumos that make a great man are under attack.
Society claims these elements are forms of “toxic masculinity.” This claim couldn’t be further from the truth.
The real “toxic masculinity” comes from the men with low thumos.
Thumos is a powerful element that can be used for both good and evil. When uncontrolled or ignored, it leads men to destroy. but when it’s harnessed, it inspires men to create.
It’s no surprise there is no accurate translation of the word “thumos” today. The concept of thumos doesn’t exist in modern society.
With the rise in authoritarianism this decade, hard times are coming. Society needs strong men to lead the way back to good times.
Will you be one of these strong men, filled with thumos?
How do you tap into your thumos?
Every man has thumos. However, most men in society have low thumos. But, if you can tap into your thumos, you’ll be on your way to becoming a great man.
Thumos can be used for both good and evil. To harness it for good, you’ll be led to a great life, also known as eudemonia (1).
Channel your thumos towards things that are part of its natural element. Let it guide you to things that bring honor, greatness, courage, and nobility to your life. The things that make you a better man.
Plato stated that you needed to teach your thumos to appreciate the virtues of beauty, truth, and goodness (1). When you are around these things, you feel it. It resonates with you to your core. It inspires you.
This inspiration brings out the thumos within you. Your thumos is fueled by these natural virtues. Because they bring immense value to your life, you begin to fight for these virtues. Your thumos compels you to stand up for what you believe is right. You no longer back down from opposition… You hold the line (1). This helps you refuse to give in when your enemies try to destroy you. You build integrity and strength within.
The power is within you
Once you realize this power within you, you’ll no longer be another sheep. You begin to live your life on your own terms, free of the shackles placed upon you by society.
Your life goes from one with the other sheep to a unique life on your own path. You no longer try to fit in, you desire recognition. Let people see the real you. Let your real ideas speak. Don’t hide your true self. You stand out from the crowd.
This new life is filled with adventure, risk, and excitement. Your thumos will push you to strive to be a better man. You develop “gameness”, seeing life as a game. The role of status in society is important, and so you play the game of life. But you play it on your terms.
The life of mediocrity, gluttony, and conformity is no longer the life for you. You choose the life of self-discipline. A life in pursuit of greatness, glory, and honor.
Control your thumos
Be careful to not let your thumos guide you astray. Some men “yield to thumos.” They have a lot of thumos, but they don’t control it. They become angry, lashing their energy out. As stated in an article from the Art of Manliness, “Thumos is much like fire -control it and it becomes an enormous power, handle it loosely and it can burn you and consume everything you touch” (1).
Men who don’t control their thumos tend to be foolish. They let their thumos guide them for a few weeks on a new idea. But then they burn out and get bored of this new idea. They repeat this cycle over and over again.
Men who don’t yield to their thumos also tend to act cocky. They act overly confident, but they don’t have the juice to back their confidence up. Like men with low thumos, men who don’t control their thumos collapse under pressure. Their cocky persona is a facade that hides their insecurities. These men try to emulate great men who control their thumos, but they fail to learn how to control their thumos.
Thumos can become one of man’s greatest allies if he learns how to let it guide him properly (1).
Take action
Plato believed that your thumos naturally draws you towards finding heroic role models (1). These heroes inspire you. They show you a path to living a great life… a life filled with thumos.
According to YouTuber Elisha Long, thumos is the feeling of “being alive” (8). Elisha is a great role model for the thumos lifestyle. He came up with the term "high thumos" to encourage men to live with high spirits. Here is a link to his channel if you’re interested in learning more about thumos and becoming a great man.
Thumos is your inner energy. It gives you the tools to fight through adversity in your life.
When you successfully channel your thumos towards its natural purpose, you unlock a higher version of yourself. You rise above the masses. You’re no longer a sheep who conforms. The days of bending your knee to the slightest threat are over.
Tapping into your thumos makes you become fearless, giving you the warrior mentality.
You become a man who realizes his potential to do great things. You develop inner inspiration that pushes you to take action towards your goals every day.
There are many ways to tap into your thumos. Create. Lead. Build yourself. Take action.
Simply stated, a man who has high thumos is unstoppable.
We are all born with thumos, we just need to tap into it.
As Elisha Long says at the start of each of his videos: High thumos.
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