Men need other men. There are a lot of guys who are lucky enough to have had a positive father figure in their lives and even older male friends who provided a similar example on how to make wise decisions and live good lives. But it goes without saying that most guys did not. The statistics aren't hard to find; men who go through life on their own, whether voluntarily or involuntarily, have a tough road ahead of them. Don Miller uses the analogy of young male elephants and how without older male elephants in the herd, they become excessively aggressive until they literally cannot control themselves. Yet, with the company of other male elephants, they remain healthy and under control. There is a great deal of life experience floating around and it would be a tragedy to let it go to waste and choose to learn through unnecessary error. The truly tragic part is that by the time most men realize they need help, it is pretty late in the game a lot of damage has been done. This doesn't have to be the case. Those of us who are fortunate enough to have had someone there who threw out a rope have a duty to do the same for others. It is disgraceful for a man to reap the benefits of others' investments in his life, yet remain an island to himself.
Discussion questions include: Who are some men who have influenced you positively? Who are some men you respect? What kind of man do you want to be? What is keeping you from being that man? Who do you know that can help you be that man? What kind of man do you NOT want to be? Are you hanging around that guy? Why? Are the people in your life supportive of you being a better man? What are some huge mistakes you have made that could have easily been avoided? What is keeping you from investing in the lives of others?
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