"What Should A Young Male Of 21 Know?"

Guns & Ammo Magazine ^ | March 2006 | Jeff Cooper

[kiriath_jearim]

What should a young male of 21 know, and what should he be able to do? There are no conclusive answers to those questions, but they are certainly worth asking. A young man should know how his country is run and how it got that way. He should know the Federalist Papers and de Tocqueville, and he should know recent world history. If he does not know what has been tried in the past, he cannot very well avoid those pitfalls as they come up in the future.

A young man should be computer literate and, moreover, should know Hemingway from James Joyce. He should know how to drive a car well--such as is not covered in Driver's Ed. He should know how to fly a light airplane. He should know how to shoot well. He should know elementary geography, both worldwide and local. He should have a cursory knowledge of both zoology and botany. He should know the fundamentals of agriculture and corporate economy. He should be well qualified in armed combat, boxing, wrestling and judo, or its equivalent. He should know how to manage a motorcycle. He should be comfortable in at least one foreign language, more if appropriate to his background. He should be familiar with remedial medicine.

These things should be accomplished before a son leaves his father's household.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

"These things should be accomplished before a son leaves his father's household."

Good in theory, but since this generation of boys don't have a father in the home to begin with, it's a moot point. :(

[VOA]

bump

[Rio]

Heck, I'm twice that age and still can't do some of those things. Guess I better go complain to my Pa.

[lawgirl]

All of this by age 21? Not in America. Guys are too busy with life's other pleasures. Plus this is not 1700- the only guys I think that could ever have a knowledge base like that would be the Thomas Jeffersons of the world and those people are pretty rare.

[Mr Ramsbotham]

This sounds like one of those "lists of books that people ought to have read." Amazingly enough, the books not included in the lists are the exact same ones that their compilers haven't read.

[Jim Robinson]

Now they tell me.

[joesnuffy]

And even IF there is a father in the home...

Until that father is not more interested in his own aggrandizement or the pursuit of his own physical pleasures and comforts..

And until he is able sacrifice his personal leisure time and interests for his son's sakes..

It ain't gonna happen...

imo

[mugs99]

The only thing not on this list is BOB....

[RogueIsland]

should know Hemingway from James Joyce

That's easy. Joyce is the incomprehensible one. Hemingway is the one who likes to describe cheese.

[LibKill]

I had all of that stuff before 21 except for, martial arts, flying a plane, and foreign language.

I still can't fly a plane and my spanish is kinda weak. :)

I must say my parents did a pretty good job and any faults I have cannot be blamed on them.

[proxy_user]

Ha! You might as well say he should be able to tell Borodin from Rimsky-Korsakov, played on a passing car radio.

[apackof2]

He should know that Jesus Christ is his Lord and Savior

[grantgarvey]

I'll be 21 in a few months, I've never flown a Plane or fought anyone, but as soon as I can afford one I'm getting a plane.

[joesnuffy]

A father...and for that matter a husband...has to love his family MORE than he does himself...

That man will teach his sons how to be real men....

Pity the father who teaches his sons to be selfish..self indulgent dolts....especially at the expense of his own flesh and blood...

imo

[chris1]

As far as I am concerned, EVERY male should have a basic knowledge of martial arts and self defence.

[xsrdx]

Ahh, Professor Gunsite, on the case.

I loves me some Cooperisms, but he is a demanding sort.

Good to see he's advocating a solid classical liberal arts cirriculum, but I have to wonder about the omission of the hard sciences, math and engineering. Knowing how stuff works is invaluable.

And fly a light plane? Since LTC Cooper has no sons (he does have a daughter) he has no obligation to practice what he's preachin'.

[Just another Joe]

A Man should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently and die gallantly.

Specialization is for insects.

Robert Heinlein

[parsifal]

Motorcycles? Planes? Have you priced car insurance lately for young males????

Hemingway from Joyce? I know the difference but why is that knowledge required nowadays?

All the combat stuff? Heck some karate is cool, but I don't think your average 21 year old need to be a commando.

parsy, the contrarian.

[Emmett McCarthy]

Amen to that, although it may not always show in their everyday life. They have to know where and how to turn to Him when they hit the wall, as most do eventually. Another thing they must know - well before they're 21 - is that some of the messing around with the females often has far higher consequences than they might guess. It's a Dad's job to outline those possibilities specifically.