If you’re a new reader here, this is a good place to start.
The purpose of Fortress Of The Mind is to inspire, educate, and entertain. We aim to equip ourselves for the turbulent voyage of life.
This is a list of articles that provides a good introduction to my core beliefs.
The tab Articles Archive on my home page contains a complete list of this site’s content, and may be used as an additional reference point. This site is intended to be a treasure-trove of knowledge, inspiration, and wisdom.
My books are important places to begin the journey. Icons and links for all of them are also on the right side of your screen (desktop), and below each page (hand-held).
THOUGHT
Do Not Seek Immediate Utility In Everything
The Unrelenting Fires Of Heraclitus
The Best Reliance Is Self-Reliance
Ancient Greek Athleticism And The Idea Of Virtue
The Object Of One’s Desire Is The Means Of One’s Capture
The Moral Corruption Of The Elites
On Whether Alexander Could Have Conquered Rome
On Why The Best Philosophers Are Men Of Action
Everything Is Fine, Until It is Not
Empty Words, Empty Gestures, Empty Actions
Alive Today, Dead Tomorrow, Then Alive Again
Seven Pillars Of A Noble Youth
Only The Brave Will Find Redemption
The Gravitation Of Noble Souls
Sustained Effort Is Needed For Grand Designs
Never Surrender What Is Most Important
Sentinels Of The River Of Life
The Counsel Of Helios To A Noble Youth
The Six Most Important Leadership Principles (Podcast)
The Power Of Physical Gestures
The Monkey Atop The Ship’s Mast, And How To Deal With Him
The Architect Of The Imagination
In Trying To Avoid One Harm, You May Cause A Worse One
Petrarch Counsels A Ruler On The Ends Of Power
The Man Of Action Should Not Expect Gratitude From Others
On The Acceptance Of Disappointments
The Hand Of Ibn Muqla: Do Not Envy Those Who Wield Power
The Merciful Filtration Of Memory
Rejecting Cynicism And Nihilism, And Embracing An Ennobling Vision
When Embarked On A Great Enterprise, Do Not Look Back
Whether A Man Can Change, And How He May Change
The Pursuit Of Work, And The Quest For Ideals
The Wisdom Of Moderation, And The Dangers Of Extremism
The Right Man In The Right Place Can Make All The Difference
Xenophon’s Dream, And The Power Of Character
The Wrath Of Least Persistence
The Eight Qualities Of The Man Of Understanding
Why We Must Seek The Divine Within Us
A Letter To A Graduate Student
Why We Study Great Exemplars Of History
Adrastia: The Goddess Who Punishes Hubris And Arrogance
Why We Should Not Rely On First Impressions
The Combat Of Sonnenberg And Sanseverino
Ibn Zafar’s Principles Of Power And Leadership Success
The Need For A Fighting Ideology
The Cultivation Of A Sense Of Humor
Many Go To The Marketplace, But Few Seek The Crown At Olympia
Bad Character Will Inevitably Bring Consequences
Decisive Action In An Emergency Can Always Be Justified
The Conquest Of Anxiety And Fear
The Wisdom Of Ibn Tumart: Until You Can Change Things, You Must Endure Them
Seeking Peace Of Mind: A Letter
Your Defiance Is Your Abundance
Six Ethical Principles To Rejuvenate Societal Health
“Do What I Say, Not What I Do”
Beauty Seeks Beauty, And Ugly Seeks Ugly
Whether It Is Better To Criticize Or To Remain Silent
The World’s Fury, And The Spirit’s Repose
7 Observations On Getting Older
Ibn Qalaqis On The Importance Of Travel
The Wisdom Of Mercy From Ibn Hazm Al-Zahiri
Treachery Ensnares Some, But Is Defeated By Others
BIOGRAPHY
Apelles, The Greatest Painter Of Antiquity
Pythagoras: An Introduction To His Life, School, And Ideas
Candido Rondon: Brazil’s Greatest Explorer
Michael Collins: Irish Prophet Of Urban Guerrilla Warfare
Paul Von Lettow-Vorbeck: Greatest German Commander Of The Great War
Sebastiao Salgado: Brasil’s Greatest Photographer
The Genius Of Joseph-Louis Lagrange
The Remarkable Memoirs Of Madame Roland
Samuel Griffith: Warrior And Scholar
Scott Joplin: A Musical Visionary
HEALTH & FITNESS
Ancient Roman Advice On Dog Grooming And Care
Ancient Treatment For Depression And Melancholia
Six Men’s Health Topics You Should Know Something About
Adding Much-Needed Variety To Your Fitness Routine
Celsus’s General Directives For Good Health
Cato’s Advice On Purchasing A Farm
HISTORY
What Did A Roman Triumph Actually Look Like?
Al-Minara: The Pharos Lighthouse Of Alexandria
The Alexandrian Library: Dissipation Through Neglect And Apathy
Scipio Puts Down A Mutiny In His Army
Age Of Spectacle: Chariot Races, The Hippodrome, And The Four Factions
The Fall Of Singapore: The Price Of Inept Leadership
Sallust: The Conspiracy Of Catiline And The War Of Jugurtha
Justinian’s Codification Of The Law
Theodore Roosevelt Brings Big Business To Heel
The Importance Of Theodore Roosevelt’s “New Nationalism” Speech
The Chilling Origins Of The “Sardonic Laugh”
Unusual Battle Injuries In Ancient Combat
“Dark Globalization”: The Progress Of The Plutocratic Insurgency
The Inquisition And Contemporary Political Correctness: The Pedagogy Of Fear
Portugal: Making The First Modern Commercial Empire
Civil And Military Organization Of The Later Roman Empire
The Rise And Fall Of Empires: Ibn Khaldun’s Theory Of History
Brazil’s Rubber Soldiers: A Tale Of Courage And Woe
An Unexpected Consequence Of The Crusades
LANGUAGE
The Importance Of Linguistic Nationalism
7 Reasons Why You’re Not Reaching Your Foreign Language Learning Goals
The Positive And Negative Power Of Humiliation
Friedrich Schlegel, The Sanskrit Language, And The Growth Of Comparative Philology
Forensic Linguistics: The Footprint Of Language
Wilhelm Freytag’s Latin Compendium Of Arabic Proverbs
LITERATURE
The Dream Of Maxen: A Celtic Myth Of “The Mabinogion”
A Video Review Of My Translation Of “On Duties”
Why Every Man Should Read “Robinson Crusoe”
TRAVEL, DISCOVERY, AND EXPLORATION
The Travels Of Benjamin Of Tudela
The Travels And Achievements Of Giovanni Belzoni
Antonio De Ulloa’s Explorations In South America
The Three Types Of Travel Writing
The Travels And Philosophy Of Lady Mary Wortley Montagu
The Life, Travels, And Literary Works Of Yakut Al-Hamawi
A Humanist Visits The German Baths
The Remarkable Travels Of Jonas Hanway, And What He Learned From Them
The Travels Of John Bell In Persia And China
The Life And Travels Of Leo Africanus
The Travels Of William Of Rubruck In Central Asia And Mongolia
Captain George Francis Lyon’s Explorations In Africa
René Caillié: To Timbuktu And Back Alive
Heinrich Barth: An Incredible Explorer And Ethnographer
Fray Bernardino de Sahagún: The New World’s First Ethnographer
John Ireland: Captured By Cannibals In The South Seas
The Incredible Life And Explorations Of John Ledyard
The “Voyager” Program: Mankind’s Most Distant And Awesome Explorations
Carl Friedrich Philip Von Martius’s Daring Explorations In Brazil
John Lewis Burckhardt’s Travels And Explorations In Nubia
John Lewis Burckhardt’s Pioneering Explorations In Arabia
Adam Olearius: Amazing Travels And Explorations In Russia And Persia
Dixon Denham: Pioneering British Explorer Of Central Africa
The Strange Travels Of Pietro Della Valle
Russian Explorer Adam Johann Von Kruzenstern Circumnavigates The Globe
Quintus Curtius 