Donald Trump may be viewed in the media as the “man who will destroy America” and Twitter may have lit ablaze with the hashtag #RIPAmerica, but I want to suggest a totally different opinion of the newest President of the United States Of America:
That he has behaved exactly like a Modern Viking would, and I believe he was inspired by my book.
I’m not a politics graduate, economics graduate or an expert in US state affairs (other than living in California for a year and constantly living in fear of getting sick – seriously guys, no nationalized healthcare? WTF how dumb can you get?). However, what I am an expert in, is recognizing strong and respected leaders.
However, what I am an expert in, is recognizing strong and respected leaders.
Whether you are left or right, and if you like the man or not, for a second just dig deep and be honest with yourself:
Do you believe Trump has demonstrated strength? Conviction? Ambition? A willingness to do and say what others are not?
What do you want from a leader – do you want him to kiss babies and say Yes to everyone’s demands, or do you want him to be a real guy who just woke up and said “Fuck it, I’m going to be President!” and then he had the balls, strategy, and determination to make that happen?
Who would you want as a leader if the galaxy was really, really fucked up and it needed some serious fixing – Darth Vader or Princess Leia?
I don’t know if Trump really has a copy of my book, How To Become A Modern Viking, on his office desk. I’m going to assume an optimistic “maybe“. But let me map out a few points, as I see them, why Trump is almost definitely a secret follower of the Modern Viking movement.
Ambition, Direction & Conviction
One of the strongest messages I teach in my book is that if there is something you want, there is nothing other than yourself stopping you from getting it. I’m not saying you should rush in with only optimism and determination alone – you need to prepare, sometimes for years, to increase your knowledge, skills, wealth and/or reputation until you can conquer that dream.
But if you keep focussed on it and cut out all of the other bullshit in your life that isn’t contributing towards that goal, then you will get there.
I told my Dad I was going to have a book with my name on it… it took me until I was 28 to have that, but now I do. I wrote literally hundreds of thousands of words for blog posts, reports and ebooks at multiple companies until my writing ability was
I wrote literally hundreds of thousands of words for blog posts, reports and ebooks at multiple companies until my writing ability was upto par. It took some seriously dramatic life experiences to give me the story to tell. It took a sever depression and drug abuse to give me the perspective I needed on life.
but eventually, when I was ready, I focussed 100% on that dream and I smashed it!
How is Trump any different? People have argued that as a billionaire business tycoon, he isn’t the right kind of guy to be President.
I would argue that becoming a billionaire business tycoon shows that Trump has exactly the sort of drive and determination needed in a President. And the fact that he decided he wanted to become president, despite having no political office previously, shows how he is able to get shit done when he applies himself to that goal!
He Created A Strong Persona That People Remembered!
How To Become A Modern Viking got its name because I had lost so much belief in who I was that I wanted to create a “Super Hero” version of myself that I could become. A warrior, stronger and more primal than I could ever imagine myself being. The same reason that comic books and their super heroes become the aspirational escape for millions of bullied outcasts, I too needed a persona stronger than myself.
Originally, I needed to become a Modern Viking so that I could walk into public places again. So that I could speak to women again. So that I could hold a confident posture.
But when I started putting my journey out there, that persona became the way people remembered me (and later when I moved to London, it’s how people recognized me!)
It’s the same technique I have witnessed thousands of other men follow who have bought my book. They lean into this persona of a Modern Viking for their own personal reasons, but very quickly, people around them begin to know them as “Vikings”. They notice a new strength, gravitas and perhaps, also a little cookiness!
Being a Modern Viking is quite polarizing, and I’m fully aware of that. Both in the image/style but especially when the mindset starts to influence how we interact with other people in our lives.
But when you want to be remembered and you want to work towards your goals 200%, standing out is a good thing!
And I think Trump new this all along with his over the top, hyperbolic statements and outbursts. He created this “larger than life” persona because it allowed him to lean-in much stronger on bigger issues than any other regular politician ever could.
It gave him an artistic license, if you will, to perform.
He wasn’t Donal Trump the business tycoon – he was Donal Trump the crazy outspoken guy who “says what he thinks, no matter what!”.
Now, how much of these aggressive stances will be followed through during his time in office is yet to be seen. I don’t for a second believe that Trump is even remotely the racist or sexist bigot that he portrayed in his campaign – I think this persona was part of the act to leverage the American’s hidden fears and confusion about the social and cultural divides growing in the country. It was a strategy.
He created a new persona as an avatar, and it worked for him.
Reputation Is Everything
Ever heard of Ragnar Lothbrok? It’s no surprise that the popular History Channel’s Vikings show chose Ragnar as it’s lead character. Perhaps equal to Erik The Red, Lothbrok is probably the most widely known Viking warrior in history (despite the fact that most historians actually believe his adventures in the Sagas to be an amalgamation of multiple warriors deeds.) (Further Reading)
As the Havamal (kinda like a Nordic Bible) says:
Cattle die
kindred die,
thyself too must die,
But a good reputation
Never dies.
Reputation was highly valued by Vikings who wanted to be honored by their peers, both in life and in Valhalla.
It also served very practical purposes – coastal towns would regularly pay off Viking invaders because of fear of their reputation: they were bigger than regular men, fought with indestructible blades and a ferocity unmatched by any mortal man.
I encourage all Modern Vikings to be aware of their reputation, both in their immediate social circle and wider circles thanks to modern technology. I explain why it’s important to achieve goals and become known as “a guy who gets shit done!” and someone who can be relied upon in times of need. I explain the potential for social media tools such as Instagram to build an aesthetic reputation, important for your own self-esteem and accountability but also so that people know that you’re the kind of guy who has his life together. It’s not vanity, it’s nurturing a reputation and building value within that reputation – value which can be cashed-in later.
Trump knew this already when he entered the race. The name “Trump” was already as well known in America as any politician, particularly with an audience that wouldn’t usually engage with politics thanks to his appearances on entertainment TV shows.
Thanks to his acquisition and revival of the Miss USA franchise, The Apprentice (USA) and many hotels, casinos, plazas and other buildings. Americans have come into contact with the Trump brand for decades – either on TV shows they love or atop large impressive buildings (perhaps the closest a modern man can get to erecting Grecian Temples or Egyptians Statues in their honour?)
Don’t Half-Ass It
Trump bet on radical change. Modern Viking isn’t about making small changes – its about an entire lifestyle change. Trump recognized that to get things done, you need to throw everything in and go in hard. MV’s train 6 days a week. We meal prep. We eat a lot of protein. We adopt extreme minimalist/simplistic approaches to men’s fashion and style.
His promises were extreme in every way. He didn’t just promise to “look into illegal immigration” – he said he would deport over 11million illegal immigrants and force neighbouring Mexico to build a huge wall along their border! Outlandish and unrealistic, but by the Gods does Trump know how to throw in on an issue!
Do Modern Viking’s soften their goals and ambitions to make things comfortable?
- When I explain why men need to make a physical change in order to create a mental change, I don’t tell them to follow a “7 Minute Workout”.
- When I demonstrate the close connection between nutrition and working out, I don’t recommend they “try and eat 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day”.
- When I advise readers how to build a strong Tribe around themselves, I don’t suggest that they “be careful of negative people in their life”.
Of course not! Because being a Modern Viking isn’t about half-assing anything!
- I tell guys to get their ass into a gym 6 times a week, for at least 1 hour!
- I tell them to ignore everything they thought they knew about meals and flavor, and to start eating what their body needs because Food Is Fuel and that’s all!
- I tell them to immediately stop talking to anyone in their life who isn’t a positive influence and doesn’t support their goals!
Modern Viking’s don’t make subtle, comfortable changes. They embrace the aggressive path. They aren’t afraid to say and do the tough things, if it means things are going to get done, and fast!
Of course, in practice you may need to temper your ambitions. One day a 1hr 30min workout might get cut short to only 30 minutes because of an emergency at your children’s school. Or you may need to break your eating habits because you’re on a hot Tinder date and 8 beers later, most logic and reason has gone overboard!
But these are minimal compared to the radical change you can create by aiming big and pushing aggressively!
You Don’t Need To Be Good To Be Respected
Love or hate the Vikings, as warriors they were feared and they were respected.
When heroic stories of warriors are written, its great press. When stories of barbarism towards Christian monks was written, it was bad press. But either way, these stories spread. Ancient Viking’s didn’t look to be loved by everyone but they did expect the strength of their actions to be respected.
Trumps business endeavours were attacked throughout the campaign – his ruthlessness has left trail of businesses who feel they got a bad deal. Naturally, these people were all to quick to chime up on News shows and Magazine interviews (I’m sure with an infamous Clinton backhander).
The fact is – Trump didn’t care. These stories were actually doing him a favour!
Trump knew that the American population wanted change – they were tired of multiple terms of stagnant leadership, of subtle claims and a desire to please both sides. What they wanted was a strong leader, and people associate strength with ruthlessness.
Yes, Trump may have negotiated hard and been ruthless, putting some weaker companies out of business… but we already knew this thanks to his no.1 Bestseller, “The Art Of The Deal” where he shares exactly how to be ruthless!
…And isn’t the American Dream a zero-sum game so often anyway? To win $10,000 you need 10 people to lose $1,000. Ruthlessness, morality aside, is one path to success.
Trump didn’t just act ruthlessly in business. In the campaign, he dominated conversations (often verbally) and he was not afraid to bully when attacked. This is an act of masculine strength and regardless of morality and if you like it, it was effective.
Trump could have walked into debates with a traditional politicians Mindset, but perhaps he knew he would lose if he played their game, their way. Instead, he played the game in a space no other opponent was willing to come and meet him.
Jack Welch, former CEO of GE said, “Never do business in a space where you must compete.”
He Lured Enemies Out To Fight On His Battlefield
Finally, on the rare occasion that Trump’s opponents were foolish enough to walk onto Trumps battlefield and attempt to play by Trumps rules, he was more than ready to dominate.
Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) was a candidate who stooped to Trump’s level in exchanging sexual taunts – and lost badly by undermining his image as an upright moderate. It pretty much ended his campaign.
Vikings formed a shield wall knowing that military discipline from the Roman empire was mostly lost. They knew that inexperienced armies would charge as a mob, and slowly but surely, broken down as they crashed onto the sturdy and rehearsed shield wall. Vikings drilled breaking and recreating the shield wall on instinct so that they could lure armies in, form a shield wall once it was too late, and fight the battle on their terms.
Trump repeated this tactic again and again, luring debate opponents onto his shield wall with the false pretense of this bumbling idiot, and then he would hammer them again and again with big problems in the existing establishment or policy until the opponent was left confused but beaten.
I often advise Modern Vikings to use this same strategy – choose your battlefield, prepare your defense, and lure your ‘enemies’ onto those defences. Then conquer on your own terms.
Whether in dating, where I tell guys who aren’t naturally charismatic in crowds to stop trying to seduce girls in big groups and instead invite 1 woman to walk over to aquieter space. In business, if a Viking lacks the patience for a corporate environment, I advise them to establish themselves as a freelance consultant where they can work in the environment and tone that fit’s their strengths. Or in health, we I advise guys who are physically big/tall to forget about going for long runs to burn the fat, and instead, focus on powerlifting or strongman regimes.
Not A Good Man, But Good At Being A Man?
It’s a phrase I first saw in Jack Donavan’s book “The Way Of Men”.
Trump is not a Good Man. His moral compass, by western philosophical standards, certainly lacks true north. He has shown a lack of compassion for the 11 million immigrants he promised to deport or for the safety of those who may lose healthcare coverage when he abolishes Obamacare.
But – what we value in Being a Man, and as an evolution to that, in being a Modern Viking, are strength, conviction, respect, determination and courage (to name a few).
Trump has demonstrated these traits during his campaign and, it’s my belief, this hugely responsible for why a tired and desperate American population voted him in as the 45th President of The United States Of America.
p.s. Like I said, I cannot guarantee that Trump has actually read my book. If you are reading this and you are his lawyer, send me his address and I’ll ship out a signed copy. Just please don’t sue me, you’d get nothing 🙂