Wolf Among Sheep

Fear not the noisy and the deafening, but the silent and illusive.

“A wolf is no less a wolf because he's dressed in sheepskin and the devil is no less the devil because he's dressed as an angel.”

“I am a forest, and a night of dark trees: but he who is not afraid of my darkness, will find banks full of roses under my cypresses.”

“Society tames the wolf into a dog. And man is the most domesticated animal of all.”

“But he who is hated by the people as the wolf by the dogs – is the free spirit, the enemy of fetters, the non-adorer, the dweller in the woods.”

Fear not the noisy and the deafening, but the silent and illusive. It is not those who bark that are dangerous, but the silent wolves who mask themselves in sheep’s wear, who blend with everyone else, but are unlike the crowd, who seldom speak out but are greatly feared by their lessers. Often, like everyone else, you are easily taken in by the forged machismo of a man who tries too hard, who, desperate to be noticed and feared, ends up making a fool of himself – we all know such types, and they always tend to achieve the opposite effect than what they intended. In their striving to appear tough, they look like clamorous weaklings whose unending appetite to prove themselves worthy makes them less formidable than ever. 

There are very few men out there, and it doesn’t take much effort to pick them out of the herd when they permit you to get closer. From a distance, such men assume common colours, but if you take a close look, you would discern a mould which is superior to and unlike the majority, and not only is it superior, it’s indifferent to the many who lie beneath it. There are many dogs, domesticated, tamed, enslaved. There are few wolves, dangerous, upright, distinguished, vigorous. While you may see innumerable dogs inanely barking and trying hard to appear virtuous and tough, you will not see vigorous wolves making such protests, or see them at any protest whatsoever. 

I am not referring to the wolf that is commonly attributed to the ‘wolf in sheep’s clothing’ who inflicts unfounded pain and selfishly exploits victims to further his own cause through psychological warfare or physical violence. Such a man is still fighting unresolved trauma and pent up resentment. The wolf I’m pointing to is a restrained, dangerous, cunning, and righteous man who gives himself to his own cause, understands ruthlessness, wields suffering, loneliness, and limitation to his benefit, defies all odds, fears nothing, conquers the herd, and above all, obeys himself.

Those who have virtue need not prove it, or even try, but those who lack it must find a means to try and prove themselves, to engage in mindless ‘power’ games to inspire intimidation and assert dominance, however much they know or need of it. You never see a powerful man desperately try to prove himself, or one-up another man, or struggle to assert his worth – he who truly owns himself doesn’t struggle between being who he is and who he wants to be, they’re one and the same. But for the fool, the idiot, the weakling, the sheep, the former and the latter are at odds. There is an effortlessness about the man who doesn’t need to feign his hand to win respect or command it, and that’s because he struggled to earn it. 

Man, in his purest form, is the wolf. Such a beast carries a degree of coldness of heart, thinks rationally, acts boldly, fears little, confronts everything – that is the spirit of man. In his most undiluted form, man is brutish, protective, loving, and authoritative – he neither abuses his authority, nor grows too permissive. He neither clings to things, nor alienates loved ones. Realistically, he stands in the middle of extremes, he’s summoned the courage and fortitude to master himself. That’s why when you see a titan among normies, you can’t pick him out from the pack; while he’s built differently and from a better clay, he need not establish evidence of that truth among those he regards with indifference. The most dangerous men walk among us unawares while the impotent keep making noise. 

When you have virtue in your heed, and you’ve learned to command it, the ‘trying’ - to appear tough and dominant – diminishes, and what replaces it is a serene assurance in oneself, in one’s abilities, and in one’s caliber. This is the heart of self-mastery. I can reassure you, however, that when you see a man trying very hard to be something he’s not – for any man truly whole and integrated wouldn’t behave cowardly – you can be sure that he’s at a loss and at sea within himself, and his undue hostility and force is nothing more than a front to cover up his weakness and fear. 

These men attack life with an apparent forcefulness, but in truth, they’re tempestuous wrecks who feel things awfully and take everything personally. They have come to believe that there is something terribly wrong and unmanly about being sensitive to one’s sentiments. As if a man ought to remain indifferent to his feelings rather than accept them. What such men do is reject their most genuine sentiments - however fragile, transient, shameful – and then posture like bad actors pretending to be good upright men. They’re scared of themselves, they can’t dare look at themselves, or ask themselves why their sentiments may be more profoundly fruitful than their petty little ego. 

The wolf tends to reticence, weaving through the forbidding stony forests, undisturbed, adoring solitude, relishing his own company. Buried in the depths of the high lofty mountains is the immensity that invigorates his heart, that rocks and trembles, always reassuring him of his primal place. With every firm step uphill, he remains resolute, at peace and prepared. Single-minded, solitary, and deserted – the wolf’s caliber stems from brute strength, not fear or timidity. The wilderness is the stronghold in which he finds solace, his prey is the food in which he finds sustenance. The wolf remains a symbol of the outlier, the man who goes against the grain, who cuts across mediocrity, whose existence fails to hinge on the values and beliefs of the inferior herd.

---

If you’ve enjoyed reading this piece, please leave a like and any relevant thoughts below. As you may have been able to tell, I am releasing long-form exclusive content for those who are interested in more esoteric and nuanced knowledge suited for the minor elite who are ready to kill it.

If you’re interested in being a part of an elite circle of like-minded men for an economical 9$ per month (for the price of four coffees you’re getting an unfairly abundant body of knowledge) make sure to become a paid subscriber today! If that doesn’t sound like something you’re interested in, you can still stay for the free essays, which I publish every now and then!