[May 14, 2026] You’ve got to be tough as nails to be a good person because you have to stand your ground when you need to stand your ground. And, you have to be able to say no when it’s time to say no, and you have to mean it. Grow a spine!
Develop your internal, physical strength, which requires confronting the evil that is inside your heart. Once that evil inside you is controlled, it is no longer evil; it’s strength, the strength of character, the ability to stand your ground. You have to cultivate that, in part, by telling the brutal truth that needs telling.
This means taking your place in the world as a good person and a decent citizen. Learn to be the rock in the stream. To be the one who folks go to when the chips are down and danger lurks nearby. The tyranny of the world is something to deal with; so are the catastrophes of nature and the malevolence and ignorance of others, including your own internal evils.
You have a choice. You can shy away from it and be fearful and be victimized by it, and be bitter, resentful, willfully blind, jealous, and cynical. Or, you can voluntarily run to the dangers of life, toward the most destructive evils, at the horrors that do exist, and to refuse to participate in the wickedness, the immorality, and the vileness that have plagued the world since the first human walked the earth. That ability and skill is courage despite your real fears.
“That which you most need will be found where you least want to look.” – Carl Jung
Face the darkness. If you look at the darkness enough, and you’ve brought everything within you to bear on it, you’ll find that there is more to you than you could imagine. Yet, doing so requires you to be all in; not partly, but give an all-in effort. Some light can always be extracted from the darkness. People admire those who can face that darkness and stand firm.
Don’t be a weak loser. Buck up. Grow a spine. And live.
NOTE: Many of these ideas today are from Dr. Jordan Peterson.
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Please continue with your series on living a “good life.” Your first book on these rules “55 Rules for a Good Life,” has definitely helped me.
A profound series that cannot be missed without missing the point of life. Please take the time to get a copy of Gen. Satterfield’s book “55 Rules for a Good Life,” and read it. https://www.amazon.com/55-Rules-Good-Life-Responsibility/dp/1737915529/ Here is the link, so do yourself a huge favor. And don’t forget to leave a review on Amazon for him. Thank you all. And prepare yourself and family for Monday when we REMEMBER the fallen on Memorial Day.
Too many cowardly men in this world. So, my advice and advice “rule” from Gen. Satterfield is rightly “grow a spine.” Cowards die a thousand times.
Indeed, harsh words but also necessary advice …. Or a simple RULE.
Excellent piece by Gen. Satterfield on growing a spine. This rule nails the straightforward truth: real strength comes from personal responsibility, not government handouts or victim excuses. Confront your inner demons like Dr. Peterson teaches, then stand firm against cultural tyranny. Weakness invites chaos; backbone builds civilization. Liberals push safe spaces while conservatives forge character through truth and courage. Time to reject entitlement and embrace voluntary duty. Face darkness head-on or watch society crumble. Buck up, America, strong men built this nation. No more snowflakes; we need rocks in the stream. Virtue demands vertebrae, not virtue-signaling. Live boldly or fade into resentment.
Others said it, but I’ll repeat it because of the importance, this is classic Gen. Satterfield discussing rules.
You sound like my dad. “Suck it up and move on,” is what he used to say. “Grow a spine” is the same thing, basically. And guess what? It works. I sure loved my dad and despite him not giving me all these “rules for a good life,” he surely provided me with some basic wisdom, and not being a victim was one of them. Victimhood is for the weak, the lazy, the narcissists, the liberals and crazies.
Hi Good Dog, I know you’re a regular reader and often make good comments like this one, but there are many NEW READERS who don’t have the background to fully understand what Gen. Satterfield has written. I recommend that they read “55 Rules for a Good Life” and then come back here to discuss what they learned. The book is fantastic read, easy to pickup and breeze through, full of proven and often ancient advice, and can make a huge difference in your life.
Click on the link and get a copy, paperback or kindle.
https://www.amazon.com/55-Rules-Good-Life-Responsibility/dp/1737915529/
Yep, grow a spine. I’ve given that advice for years now.
This article’s relentless emphasis on individual “spine-growing” and confronting personal evil reads like classic bootstrap individualism that conveniently ignores how systemic oppression—racism, capitalism, and patriarchy—shapes people’s capacity to “stand firm.” By framing courage as voluntarily running toward danger without addressing collective power structures, it reduces complex social struggles to personal character flaws. The nod to Jordan Peterson’s ideas further exposes its conservative underbelly, repackaging rugged self-reliance as wisdom while sidelining solidarity and mutual aid that have driven real progressive change. Telling readers to “don’t be a weak loser” dismisses the very real vulnerabilities created by economic precarity and institutional violence, pathologizing those who can’t simply “buck up” under neoliberal conditions. True strength lies not in becoming an unyielding rock against “the tyranny of the world,” but in building communities that challenge and transform those tyrannies together. The piece’s celebration of extracting “light from darkness” through solitary confrontation feels profoundly apolitical, evading how organized leftist movements have historically turned collective fear into revolutionary hope. Ultimately, this leadership advice serves as a feel-good distraction for those already privileged enough to romanticize facing horrors without systemic support. It calls for personal toughness while leaving untouched the urgent need for structural reforms that would make such resilience less of a daily survival demand for the working class.
Sf or Bust, i assume San Fran or bust and says alot about where you’re going. No need for crashing out.
Gen. Satterfield, thanks for reviving this series! 🫡. I salute you for it.
I agree, and he is making some serious progress here. Thanks mainer. You sure can write the most obvious. ha ha, no insult intended. Just my lady hawk intuition talking.
And today he came out with the best yet.
In a world of snowflakes melting at the first sign of truth, this Rule 64 hits like a double espresso. Finally, a call to ditch the therapy-speak and grow the spine liberals traded for safe spaces. Peterson’s wisdom reminds us: confront your inner demons before voting for more government nannies. Weak knees built empires that fell; strong backs built the West. Buck up, buttercup, tyranny hates a man who says “no” without a trigger warning. Face the darkness? It’s called reality, not a microaggression. Don’t be the victim; be the rock that sinks the entitlement boat. Virtue without vertebrae is just virtue-signaling. Conservatives knew this all along: freedom demands fortitude, not feelings. Time to trade participation trophies for calluses; America’s spine depends on it.
Strong call to courage and personal responsibility. Face darkness, build spine, stand firm … very solid advice. ✅
A lot of folks need to hear this message.