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Last year, around this same time, I found myself in a similar situation: behind the wheel of my faithful road warrior of a car, bounding across the Southwest region of the United States. If you haven’t had the chance to explore this natural wonderland, it is my sincere opinion that no other place is more awe-inspiring and inspirational to anyone who longs for the primitive beauty of nature, a beauty that our modern world inexorably encroaches upon with frightening speed.
As I myself sped past the bounding mesas of western Utah, past mountaintops already dusted with the season’s first snow, I thought of my immediate destination still hundreds of miles away. With the sun setting in the crimson sky of early fall, I could already sense my excitement for what awaited me in the Centennial State.
Of the American Southwest, though each state is replete with unique marvels that are worth a visit, I have found that Colorado is of indescribably diverse beauty, seemingly possessing every imaginable geological wonder that can be humanly experienced. From the roaring shorelines of the Colorado River, which cuts through the canyons of the I-70 corridor, and the alpine altitudes of the Rockies, to the untamed wilderness of the eastern corridor, the topography of Colorado is as varied as the Rocky Mountain weather.
A longtime devotee of the philosophy of Henry David Thoreau, most famously known for Walden, his transcendentalist chef-d’oeuvre, I have come to find that Colorado offers one of the most promising locales to explore the meaning of manhood in society, especially where the goalposts for modern masculinity seem to be in constant movement.
One of the benefits of our ability to evolve as humans are that we are capable of learning from many unsavory aspects of our humanity, like prejudice and bigotry, and work on replacing them with higher, nobler ideals of living. Nevertheless, where gender is concerned, the suggestion that everything we have come to understand about gender is malleable and ripe for change is a notion that I believe, undersells the important ways in which certain gender norms inform our ability to not only thrive but also survive the modern world.
When I first began to explore the natural beauty of Colorado, I came as a pilgrim from the frenetic world of balancing a career in law, design, and continuing education. Truth be told, there was really not much of a balance to speak of; everyday was an effort to push the limits of what a twenty-four hour period could provide. What I had long realized was that in-between the desires and ambitions that I relentlessly pursued, an entire life, one centered on harmony with the natural world, was passing me by. And in that in-between, where a deeper understanding of life can be found, I also came to understand that being close to nature is one of the most positive stereotypes that have historically gone alongside the concept of manhood.
Since the dawn of humankind, the idea that man was inextricably intertwined with the natural world around him continued to capture both popular imagination and philosophical thought. Yet, in Thoreau’s Walden, one of the author’s most striking quotes touches on the consequences of breaking the chain between man and nature:
“The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. What is called resignation is confirmed desperation.”
Though published in 1854, Thoreau’s words are so hauntingly relevant to the plight of modern man. Through the lens of our dependence on societal acceptance, our gainful employment in a trade we may not pursue passionately, and the demands of the modern world, psychologists are finding more and more that men tend to suffer “quiet desperation” in silence. One of the ways in which they suggest tackling this problem organically connects to the thoughts of Thoreau, to the words that have me coming to Colorado every year.
Being in a natural environment like the one I’ve found in Colorado, far removed from the constraints of contemporary society, the modern man has the chance to experience a number of important benefits that nature can offer in the way of making the hustle and bustle less crushing on one’s overall disposition.
The first of these benefits could be the most obvious; within nature, man is much more likely to find in a place that promotes physical wellness, much more than if he were strictly confined to the manmade world. While statistics show that men and women are equally predisposed to be diagnosed as clinically overweight, the impact on a man’s health – from his hormones and sexual drive to his prostate – are more pronounced than the effects on his female counterpart.
The importance of physical health within American society has never been greater. As we witness the rise in diseases related to poor health choices, and with the percentage of Americans getting adequate physical activity far below thirty percent, making a concerted effort to physically reconnect in nature should take on particular significance for all American men. For myself, I have found physical rejuvenation in the multitude of physical activities – from the litany of bike trails and hiking paths to the exhilarating winter sports – that Colorado has to offer. And while it may not be feasible to wander so far from home to reconnect with nature, all men owe it to themselves to put their physical wellbeing at the forefront of their lives.
Ever prescient, Thoreau understood the dangers of how men could be conscripted to sacrifice their bodies to the unyielding demands of society. In Civil Disobedience, he writes:
“The mass of men serve the state thus, not as men mainly, but as machines, with their bodies. In most cases, there is no free exercise whatever of the judgment or of the moral sense, but they put themselves on a level with wood….”
For these efforts, studies show that not only are men physically more likely to suffer greater harm but that given modern society’s push to eradicate the tradition of the man’s rote dedication to “serve the state,” men are also suffering from the psychological consequences of evolving societal roles.
In light of this discovery, the second great benefit of reconnecting to nature comes into view. A Stanford University study showed that just the physical act of walking in a natural setting can lead to clinically ascertainable benefits in mental health. I can certainly say that the times I find myself meandering along an alpine path, listening to the brooks rush down the mountain, or watching the winter snow cover the landscape, my mind and emotions are more peaceful than when surrounded by walls. As the debate on toxic masculinity rages on, perhaps we overlook one of the most obvious ways, by engaging with the natural world, in which we can tackle some of the psychological drivers that fuel negative male behaviors.
It may seem like an easy way out of discussing the greater issues of our day concerning gender roles in society. Yet, for all that I have experienced once I decided to commune with nature, I believe that our collective decision to take the long path away from the natural world has perhaps been the source of many of the perils associated with modern manhood. Over a century later, Thoreau’s imploration that we reconnect with nature in order to understand our place in society is as relevant as it has ever been. As I look forward to my next trip up to the mountains, I hope that men in our society will be inspired to find their own Walden, wherever it may be.
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Photo courtesy iStock.
