Book SummaryHard Times Create Strong Men, by Stefan Aarnio

1-Page Summary1-Page Book Summary of Hard Times Create Strong Men

In Hard Times Create Strong Men, Stefan Aarnio argues that modern Western men are weak—and this weakness will lead to the decline of Western civilization, especially America. To avoid this, men must learn to be strong by taking ownership of every aspect of their lives so that they can defend the practices and ideologies that make America great.

Aarnio was an award-winning Canadian real estate investor who authored several books on topics ranging from masculinity to business. He wrote Hard Times Create Strong Men in...

Hard Times Create Strong Men Summary Aarnio’s Life: A Primer

The lessons in Aarnio’s book stem from his own life. Growing up, Aarnio lacked a strong masculine role model. His father was unable to sustain a successful business and struggled financially. He also couldn’t sustain a successful relationship; Aarnio’s mother lost her attraction to his father because she was forced to support him financially, and she ultimately divorced him. Aarnio thus had to learn how to function well as a man from his own studies and experiences as an adult.

(Shortform note: Aarnio’s parents’ divorce follows a familiar pattern: [Marriages in which the female partner is the primary breadwinner are more likely to end in...

Hard Times Create Strong Men Summary Why Western Men Are Weak

Why are most modern men—such as Aarnio’s employees—weak? In this section, we’ll explain what went wrong with Western men. Namely, Aarnio argues that men have grown weak due to the cyclical nature of history, a weakening of traditional gender roles, and a turning away from Judeo-Christian religious values.

How has the cyclical nature of history contributed to weaker men? Aarnio contends that history operates in 80-year cycles, following the storyline of the poem by G. Michael Hopf that inspired the title of this book: “Hard times create strong men/Strong men create good times/Good times create weak men/Weak men create hard times.”

(Shortform note: There is some debate over the origins of the poem that inspired the title of Aarnio’s book. Most sources attribute it to Hopf's Those Who Remain, a novel set in a post-apocalyptic version of the United States. However, some experts point out that the poem first appeared on the Internet in August 2016—four months before the publication of Hopf’s novel.)

From 1940-1960, American men...

Hard Times Create Strong Men Summary The Problem With Weak Men

We’ve now discussed why modern Western men are weak—but why does this matter? Aarnio argues that this matters because unless men become strong, Western Judeo-Christian society will face destruction from two possible sources: Communism and Islam.

How Communism Might Destroy Western Society

Citing an interview with Yuri Bezmenov, an ex-KGB agent who revealed Soviet spy secrets, Aarnio argues that Marxist powers like Russia are currently deep into a campaign to “subvert” or destroy modern Western culture and install communism instead. This is inherently bad because people die in Communist societies; The Black Book of Communism suggests that the death toll of the ideology is nearly 100 million. (Shortform note: Two of the authors of The Black Book of Communism have since disputed this figure, claiming that the book’s editor falsified these numbers.)

According to Bezmenov, the first two stages of this campaign were: 1) a systematic effort to destroy the morals, values, and beliefs of American society by...

Hard Times Create Strong Men Summary What Makes a Strong Man?

Aarnio argues that the core difference between a weak man and a strong man is whether he embraces ownership of every aspect of his life. While a weak man ignores his problems or blames them on someone else (like his family or the government), a strong man accepts that he is the only person who can solve his problems and actively works toward doing so.

(Shortform note: In The Subtle Art of Not Giving A F*ck, Mark Manson agrees that people should take ownership of their lives. However, he argues that everyone—not just men— should do so to feel happier and more in control of their lives (not because they need to be strong). Additionally, Manson highlights the reality that even if you choose to ignore your problems or blame them on someone else, you’re not effectively avoiding responsibility: Ignoring your problems or blaming them on others is still a choice for which you’re responsible. Therefore, the question isn’t...

Hard Times Create Strong Men Summary How to Be a Strong Man

We’ve now discussed what makes a strong man, but how do you become one? Aarnio argues that you must be strong in two main spheres—your work and your relationships.

How to Be a Strong Man at Work

To be a strong man, Aarnio argues that you must work. This is your purpose as a man: to do whatever allows you to provide for your woman and your family. Aarnio contends that if you stop working, you lose your purpose and so lose your masculinity; therefore, both retirement and relying on the government for survival are unmanly. You should always be chasing as much money and power as possible, as both allow you to control your life, which is inherently manly.

(Shortform note: Over 70% of Americans share Aarnio’s view that men should be able to provide financially for their families. And while working forever to do so may seem foreign to some modern Americans, the concept of retirement is relatively new. In The Psychology of Money, Morgan Housel explains that prior to World War II,...

Shortform Exercise: Are You Spending Your Time Wisely?

Aarnio argues that a strong man avoids distracting pursuits like video games and pornography and instead spends his free time pursuing his passions so that he can eventually work on those passions full-time. In this exercise, you’ll evaluate whether you’re spending your time wisely.

Imagine your dream job. What would you love to get paid to do every day?