Hard Times Create Hard Men: Why We're Doomed to Repeat History

I often reference Marcus Aurelius in my newsletter because while he was not the first of my many historical mentors and teachers, he is one of the highest.

As the ruler and emperor of Rome from 161-180 AD, he was not only one of, if not the, most powerful men on the planet, but his power was tempered by his wisdom, empathy, and understanding of himself and his fellow man.

He was the last of the Five Good Roman Emperors, being forged under the lessons learned under despots like Nero, a mere one-hundred years before Marcus's rule began.

It is because of hard times that we are able to develop character, integrity, and concern for the general welfare of everyone, because it's learned (the hard way) that together, we rise but individually, we fall.

Is it any wonder that Marcus's son, Commodus, taking over for his esteemed father at the young age of 16, would be the start of the downfall of the Roman Empire?

Too young, too soft, too untested to bear the weight and burden of the responsibility on his shoulders.

You cannot have a baby be the ruler of the most powerful empire in history.

A baby does not have any internal mettle for the chore and will ultimately fail as a house of cards when the first card is dislodged.

It is only through being tested under duress and not being bailed out from it (either medically, financially, or politically) that you can learn the lessons and build the internal fortitude.

Commodus learned this too late, dying at the hands of the wrestler, Narcissus, and then being declared a public enemy to society (Damnatio memoriae).

But the memory of man is short, while history is long. And if we don't remember our past, we are doomed to repeat it.

But that's nothing new...

The Cycle: A Pattern as Old as Civilization

This saying captures a fundamental truth about human civilization that repeats across cultures, empires, and eras.

It's not a political statement—it's a historical observation.

The cycle:

1. Hard times force people to develop strength, discipline, sacrifice, and cooperation
2. Hard men (those forged by adversity) build prosperous, stable societies
3. Soft times (the prosperity they create) allow the next generation to grow up without struggle
4. Soft men (those who never faced real hardship) lack the character to maintain what was built
5. Hard times return when soft leadership fails to handle challenges

This isn't theory.

This is the story of every empire, every generation, every family business that rose and fell.

And we're living through it right now.

Marcus Aurelius: The Philosopher King Forged by Hard Times

The Context That Created Him

Marcus Aurelius became emperor in 161 AD, but his character was forged decades earlier.

What shaped Marcus:

• Born into a time of relative stability but recent memory of tyranny
• Lived through the reign of Hadrian and witnessed the consequences of poor leadership
• Was mentored by Emperor Antoninus Pius, who taught him duty, humility, and service
• Studied Stoic philosophy intensely from a young age
• Understood that power corrupts unless tempered by wisdom and self-discipline

The hard times he inherited:

• ​The Antonine Plague (a pandemic that killed millions)
• Constant wars on the borders (Parthian War, Marcomannic Wars)
• Economic strain from military conflicts
• Political instability and threats to the empire

His response:

• Led from the front lines of war for over a decade
• Sold imperial possessions to fund the empire during crisis
• Wrote Meditations—not for publication, but as a private practice of self-discipline
• Ruled with justice, wisdom, and concern for the common good
• Never sought glory, only duty

The result: Marcus is remembered as one of the greatest rulers in human history—not because times were easy, but because hard times demanded hard men, and he rose to meet them.

The Wisdom He Left Behind

In Meditations, Marcus wrote constantly about:

• Self-discipline: "You have power over your mind—not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength."
• Duty over comfort: "What's bad for the hive is bad for the bee."
• Endurance: "The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way."
• Memento mori: Remembering death to live fully and not waste time on triviality

These weren't abstract ideas—they were the mental tools that allowed him to endure plague, war, betrayal, and the burden of ruling an empire.

He was hard because times were hard. And because he was hard, he created a period of relative stability and good governance.

Commodus: The Soft Son Who Destroyed an Empire

The Problem of Inherited Success

​Commodus became emperor at 16 when Marcus died in 180 AD.

What shaped Commodus:

• Born into luxury and power
• Never faced real hardship
• Never had to fight for anything
• Was given everything his father worked for
• Had no mentors who could tell him "no"
• Grew up during the "soft times" his father's hard work had created

The character this produced:

• Entitled and narcissistic
• Obsessed with personal glory (famously fought as a gladiator for spectacle)
• Uninterested in governance or duty
• Paranoid and cruel
• Surrounded himself with flatterers and corrupt advisors
• Cared only for entertainment and ego

His rule:

• Abandoned the frontier wars his father had fought to protect the empire
• Bankrupted the treasury on personal extravagance
• Executed senators and officials on paranoid whims
• Declared himself the reincarnation of Hercules
• Renamed Rome after himself
• Was eventually assassinated by his own inner circle

The result: Commodus is considered one of the worst emperors in Roman history. His reign marked the beginning of the Crisis of the Third Century and the gradual decline of the Roman Empire.

The Tragic Irony

Marcus Aurelius—one of history's greatest rulers—raised one of history's worst.

Why?

Because Marcus couldn't give Commodus what he himself had: the adversity that forges character.

Commodus never had to fight for anything. He was given power without earning it. He inherited stability without understanding what it took to create and maintain it.

He was soft because times were soft. And because he was soft, he created hard times.

The Pattern Throughout History

This isn't unique to Rome.

This cycle repeats everywhere:

The American Founding Generation

Hard times (1760s-1780s):

• Colonial oppression
• Revolutionary War
• Creating a nation from scratch

Hard men it created:

• Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, Adams
• Men who risked everything—"We must all hang together, or we shall all hang separately"
• Men who understood sacrifice, duty, and the fragility of freedom

Soft times they created:

• Constitutional republic
• Bill of Rights
• Expanding prosperity and freedom

Soft generations that followed:

• Each subsequent generation further removed from the hardship of founding
• Eventually: civil war, corruption, entitlement

The Greatest Generation

Hard times (1930s-1940s):

• Great Depression
• World War II

Hard men (and women) it created:

• The generation that endured economic collapse and global war
• Built the post-war economic boom
• Created the middle class
• Understood sacrifice and duty

Soft times they created:

• Unprecedented prosperity
• Suburban expansion
• Economic opportunity
• Relative peace

Soft generations that followed:

• Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, Gen Z
• Each generation further removed from real hardship
• Growing entitlement, fragility, and inability to handle adversity

Every Family Business

Hard times (generation 1):

• Founder starts with nothing
• Works 80-hour weeks
• Sacrifices everything to build

Hard men it creates:

• The founder who knows every aspect of the business
• Understands struggle, failure, and persistence

Soft times created:

• Successful business
• Wealth for the family

Soft generations (generation 2-3):

• Inherit wealth without earning it
• Don't understand what it took to build
• Often destroy what was built within 1-2 generations

The statistic: 70% of family businesses fail by the second generation, 90% by the third.

Why the Cycle Repeats: The Mechanisms

1. Success Removes Struggle

When times are good:

• People don't have to fight to survive
• Comfort becomes the norm
• Challenge is avoided, not sought
• Safety is prioritized over growth

The result:

• Character isn't developed
• Resilience isn't built
• People become fragile
• The first real challenge breaks them

2. Prosperity Creates Entitlement

When resources are abundant:

• People expect comfort as a right, not a privilege
• They don't appreciate what they have
• They don't understand what it took to create it
• They feel victimized by minor inconveniences

The result:

• Gratitude disappears
• Responsibility is avoided
• Blame becomes the default
• Victimhood culture emerges

3. Lack of Adversity Prevents Learning

Hard times teach:

• Cooperation (we need each other to survive)
• Sacrifice (individual comfort for collective good)
• Discipline (delayed gratification)
• Resilience (getting back up after failure)
• Wisdom (learning from mistakes with real consequences)

Soft times remove these lessons:

• No need to cooperate (you can succeed alone)
• No need to sacrifice (everything is abundant)
• No need for discipline (instant gratification is available)
• No need for resilience (you're protected from failure)
• No real consequences (bailouts, safety nets, participation trophies)

The result: Each generation becomes less capable than the last.

4. The Memory of Hardship Fades

Those who lived through hard times remember:

• What it took to survive
• How bad things can get
• The importance of preparation
• The value of what was built

But memory is short:

• The next generation hears stories but doesn't truly understand
• The generation after that doesn't even hear the stories
• Within 2-3 generations, the lessons are completely forgotten

As George Santayana warned: "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."

5. Bailouts Prevent Natural Consequences

In hard times:

• Failure has consequences
• Bad decisions are punished
• People learn through pain
• Only the competent survive and lead

In soft times:

• Failure is cushioned
• Bad decisions are bailed out (medically, financially, politically)
• People never learn
• The incompetent are protected and promoted

The result:

• No selection pressure for competence
• No development of resilience
• No transfer of wisdom
• Accumulation of fragility

Commodus is the perfect example: He was never allowed to fail, never faced real consequences, and never developed the internal fortitude needed to rule.

How We Got Here: The Modern Soft Times

The Context

We're living in the most prosperous, safe, and comfortable time in human history:

• Lowest poverty rates ever
• Highest life expectancy
• Lowest infant mortality
• Most access to food, healthcare, education, information
• Least violence (statistically)
• Most individual freedom and rights
• Unprecedented convenience and comfort

This is incredible. This is what hard men built.

But it's creating the softest generation in history.

The Symptoms of Softness

1. Fragility

• Inability to handle criticism
• "Safe spaces" from ideas
• Trigger warnings for discomfort
• Microaggressions as trauma
• Mental health crisis despite material abundance

2. Entitlement

• Expectation of success without effort
• Demand for outcome equality regardless of input
• Resentment of those who work harder
• "The system is rigged" when things don't come easily

3. Lack of resilience

• Giving up at the first obstacle
• Blaming external factors for internal failures
• Inability to delay gratification
• Need for constant validation and comfort

4. Victim mentality

• Competing for "most oppressed" status
• Using identity as excuse for lack of effort
• Seeking to be offended
• Powerlessness despite unprecedented opportunity

5. Avoidance of responsibility

• Blaming others for personal failures
• Demanding others solve their problems
• Rejecting accountability
• Expecting to be taken care of

6. Historical amnesia

• No understanding of what previous generations endured
• No appreciation for what was built
• No recognition of how good things are
• No knowledge of how bad things can get

The Irony

The very success that hard men created is producing soft men who will destroy it.

And most don't even realize it's happening.

The Warning Signs: We're Entering the "Soft Men Create Hard Times" Phase

Institutional Decay

What hard men built:

• Strong institutions based on merit and competence
• Systems that rewarded hard work and excellence
• Standards that created quality
• Consequences that taught lessons

What soft men are creating:

• Institutions based on ideology and identity
• Systems that reward victimhood and compliance
• Elimination of standards in the name of "equity"
• Removal of consequences in the name of "compassion"

The result: Declining institutional competence across education, government, military, business, and healthcare.

Economic Fragility

What hard men built:

• Savings and investment
• Delayed gratification
• Building for the future
• Fiscal responsibility

What soft men are creating:

• Massive debt (personal, corporate, national)
• Instant gratification culture
• Consumption over production
• "The future will take care of itself"

The result: Economic systems built on debt that will eventually collapse.

Cultural Weakness

What hard men built:

• Culture of excellence and achievement
• Respect for competence and merit
• Individual responsibility
• Collective resilience

What soft men are creating:

• Culture of mediocrity and safety
• Suspicion of excellence ("privilege")
• Collective victimhood
• Individual fragility

The result: A culture that cannot handle the inevitable challenges ahead.

Geopolitical Vulnerability

What hard men built:

• Strong defense
• Deterrence through strength
• Respect from adversaries
• Protection of prosperity

What soft men are creating:

• Hollowed-out military focused on social engineering
• Weakness mistaken for moral superiority
• Adversaries who smell blood in the water
• Naivety about human nature and global competition

The result: Vulnerability to those who are still in their "hard times create hard men" phase.

The Hard Times That Are Coming

History shows us what happens when soft men lead:

• Economic collapse (when debt-based systems fail)
• Social unrest (when entitlement meets reality)
• Political chaos (when incompetent leaders can't handle crisis)
• War (when weak nations invite aggression)
• Civilizational decline (when cultures forget how to build and maintain)

We're seeing the early warning signs now:

• Growing wealth inequality and social tension
• Political polarization and institutional distrust
• Economic instability and inflation
• Rising global tensions
• Cultural decay and loss of shared values

The hard times are coming.

They always do.

The only question is: Will they create hard men again, or will the cycle be broken permanently?

What Hard Times Actually Teach (And Why We Need Them)

The Lessons of Adversity

Hard times teach you:

1. Self-reliance

• You can't depend on others to save you
• Your survival depends on your decisions
• Competence matters more than credentials
• You're responsible for your outcomes

2. Cooperation

• Together we rise, individually we fall
• You need others and they need you
• Trust and relationships are everything
• Community matters more than ideology

3. Delayed gratification

• You plant now to harvest later
• Short-term pain for long-term gain
• Discipline creates freedom
• Sacrifice today for security tomorrow

4. Resilience

• Failure is temporary if you don't quit
• You're stronger than you think
• ​Obstacles make you better​
• What doesn't kill you actually does make you stronger (if you learn from it)

5. Gratitude

• You appreciate what you have when you've had nothing
• Comfort is a privilege, not a right
• Small victories matter
• Life itself is a gift

6. Wisdom

• Consequences teach better than lectures
• Experience trumps theory
• Some lessons can only be learned the hard way
• Pain is the best teacher (but only if you pay attention)

You cannot learn these lessons from books, courses, or safe spaces.

You can only learn them through struggle.

And a generation that hasn't struggled hasn't learned them.

The Personal Application: Don't Wait for Hard Times to Find You

The Choice

You have two options:

Option 1: Wait for hard times to come to you

• They will
• They always do
• But you'll be unprepared
• And you'll suffer more than necessary

Option 2: Create your own hard times voluntarily

• Seek out challenge
• Embrace discomfort
• Test yourself under pressure
• Build the character you'll need before you need it

Marcus Aurelius didn't wait for adversity—he sought it out through physical training, philosophical study, and voluntary discomfort.

You can do the same.

Voluntary Hardship: Building Character Before Crisis

Physical hardship:

• Train in martial arts (get punched, choked, thrown)
• Lift heavy weights
• Run when you don't want to
• Fast occasionally
• Cold showers
• Sleep on the floor sometimes
• Build physical resilience before you need it

Mental hardship:

• Study difficult subjects
• Read challenging books
• Learn new skills
• Solve hard problems
• Embrace intellectual struggle
• Build mental resilience before you need it

Emotional hardship:

• Have difficult conversations
• Face your fears
• Sit with discomfort
• Process emotions without numbing them
• Build emotional resilience before you need it

Financial hardship:

• Live below your means
• Save aggressively
• Delay gratification
• Build something from nothing
• Prepare for economic difficulty before it comes

Social hardship:

• Stand for something unpopular
• Disagree with the crowd
• Risk rejection for truth
• Build conviction before you need it

The principle:

Seek out manageable adversity now to prepare for unmanageable adversity later.

Teaching the Next Generation

If you have children, employees, or anyone you influence:

Don't protect them from all hardship—that creates Commodus, not Marcus.

Instead:

• Let them struggle
• Let them fail
• Let them face consequences
• Teach them to solve their own problems
• Give them responsibility
• Demand excellence
• Tell them hard truths
• Share stories of real hardship
• Model resilience and discipline

The greatest gift you can give them is not comfort—it's character.

Conclusion: Break the Cycle or Repeat It

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."

The cycle is clear:

• Hard times create hard men
• Hard men create soft times
• Soft times create soft men
• Soft men create hard times

We are in the "soft men" phase.

Hard times are coming.

But you don't have to be soft when they arrive.

You can:

• Study history (learn from Marcus, learn from Commodus)
• Seek voluntary hardship (build character now)
• Take responsibility (don't wait to be saved)
• Teach the next generation (break the cycle in your sphere)
• Remember the past (honor those who built what we have)
• Prepare for the future (the hard times always come)

Marcus Aurelius faced plague, war, betrayal, and the burden of empire.

He endured because he was forged in adversity and chose discipline daily.

Commodus inherited everything and squandered it.

He failed because he was never tested and never chose to test himself.

Which one will you be when hard times come?

The choice is yours.

Make it now, while you still can.

Because the memory of man is short, but history is long.

And the cycle repeats.

Always.