MASTERING SELF

Chapter 156 Monastery of the Mind Full disclosure up front since the title of this white paper does not originate with me. Conservative scholar Victor Davis Hanson introduced the metaphor monastery of the mind—a self-imposed exile. But let’s give it a different twist relevant to the times for perspective. The title has importance in a culture increasingly critical of conservative, traditional values and masculinity—a culture increasingly dominated by equity wonks, woke ideology, gay pride, drag delusion, and trans mania that pervade entertainment, academia, education, corporations, sports, politicians, judges, and military top brass with platitudes for diversity, tolerance, inclusion, and accommodation. Discerning persons view America as politicized, conflicted, soulless, morally bankrupt, effeminate, and devolving in confusion about abortion, same-sex marriage, sexuality, and gender: a culture in decline and approaching a tipping point—a critical mass dumping into fissures with severe consequences. These discreet, prudent few do not conform to the culture and often retreat for refuge from these entangling effects that diminish quality of mind and demean dignity of soul. Monastery implies the concept of a monk—a term from the Greek word monos that means alone. Monastery of the mind reveals a retreat to master self and edify soul by taking and walking the narrow path of biblical instruction to transform the mind and not conform to the culture (Rom. 12:2)—hence, the title relevance. Some may argue this retreat drops out of society. On the contrary, it stops the cultural creep into the mind and filters out all the junk in entertainment, media, and marketing. Filtering is the reality of a sojourner passing through life this side the divide. Astute persons limit screen time to five percent of the internet, podcasts, and social media that are not junk. The exceptionally shrewd eliminate magazines, newspapers, television, Twitter, and Facebook from their lives to limit cultural creep—the hallmark of today’s monk. My meandering mind recently came across a contemporary definition of a warrior monk that differs from the stuff of history, legend, myth, books, video games, and movies that combine aspects of self-control, ascetic lifestyle, martial arts, mastery of sword, and commitment to a worthy cause and higher calling. Warrior monk refers to those practitioners who write, publish, teach, and mentor others in addition to their full-time work. This definition brought to mind all my magazine articles, white papers, books, hundreds of instructional hours at police academies, speaking at conferences, twelve consultation studies for police departments in four states, and an exceptional few who call me their mentor—selected by them, not the reverse. They are more a blessing than I am to them, but my life is better for intersecting with theirs. Monastery of the mind implies retreat, solitude, reflection, and clarification of what I stand for and why. My monastery is an inner chamber for quiet time in the Word—the counsel chamber of God, crucial for a cultural contrarian nonconformist in staying the course in life’s journey this side the divide that prepares for the other side.