The School of Greatness

Why 63% of Young Men Have Stopped Trying | Scott Galloway

November 24, 2025

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  • The traditional role of men as provider and procreator has been disrupted by societal shifts, leaving many young men confused about their purpose, evidenced by alarming statistics on suicide, addiction, and incarceration. 
  • Men benefit significantly more from romantic relationships than women do, as evidenced by longevity statistics and widowers being less happy than widows, suggesting a societal need for men to be involved in these connections. 
  • Manhood, according to Scott Galloway and Richard Reeves, is defined by generating 'surplus value'—contributing more economically, emotionally, and relationally than one absorbs from society and relationships. 
  • Men's motivation to level up is tied to contributing surplus value economically, emotionally, and relationally, not just economic parity with women. 
  • Young men who lack economic contribution and romantic relationships are highly susceptible to online radicalization, conspiracy theories, and destructive behavior. 
  • The most crucial lesson for raising healthy sons is for fathers to treat their sons' mothers with consistent kindness, affection, and respect. 

Segments

Men’s Crisis Statistics
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(00:01:44)
  • Key Takeaway: Men face severe societal struggles, evidenced by high rates of suicide, addiction, and incarceration.
  • Summary: The host introduces the topic by listing statistics showing men are struggling: four times as likely to kill themselves, three times as likely to be addicted or homeless, and 12 times as likely to be incarcerated.
Scott Galloway Introduction
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(00:01:59)
  • Key Takeaway: Scott Galloway is introduced as an author whose latest book addresses manhood.
  • Summary: Scott Galloway is introduced as the host of several podcasts and the best-selling author of ‘Notes on Being a Man’.
The Confused Role of Men
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(00:03:37)
  • Key Takeaway: The traditional male roles of provider and procreator have been disrupted, leaving men confused about their purpose.
  • Summary: Galloway discusses how the script for men has been torn up as women ascend professionally. He notes that men are struggling because their traditional roles are less clear, and vocational paths have diminished.
Impact of Lost Vocational Paths
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(00:05:13)
  • Key Takeaway: The shift away from vocational education towards tech/academia has left the majority of men without clear paths.
  • Summary: The conversation covers the loss of shop classes and the over-optimization of society for the college-educated tech entrepreneur, leaving the majority of men behind.
Remote Work and Isolation
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(00:07:57)
  • Key Takeaway: Remote work has been detrimental to young men’s development by removing crucial in-person mentorship and social interaction.
  • Summary: Galloway argues that remote work removes guardrails and mentorship opportunities necessary for young men to learn professional behavior and interaction skills.
Relationships and Male Well-being
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(00:08:42)
  • Key Takeaway: Men benefit significantly more from romantic relationships than women do; lack of partnership correlates with negative outcomes.
  • Summary: Data is presented showing that men who haven’t cohabitated by 30 are more likely to become substance abusers, while women often redirect energy from singlehood into friends/work.
Generative Value in Manhood
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(00:17:43)
  • Key Takeaway: Manhood is defined by generating ‘surplus value’—giving more love and economic value than one absorbs.
  • Summary: The discussion defines manhood not by age or milestones, but by when a male starts generating more value than they consume, referencing Richard Reeves’ concept.
Motivations for Male Improvement
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(00:26:45)
  • Key Takeaway: Personal crises, like caring for a sick mother or the desire for romantic partnership, are powerful motivators for men to improve.
  • Summary: Galloway shares personal anecdotes about how his mother’s illness and the desire for dates motivated him to become economically secure and a better man.
Masculinity Conflated with Cruelty
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(00:34:23)
  • Key Takeaway: Current powerful male role models often conflate masculinity with coarseness and cruelty, missing the ‘protection’ aspect of manhood.
  • Summary: Galloway critiques wealthy and political leaders for achieving prosperity without fulfilling the protective duty inherent in manhood, citing examples of poor treatment of dependents.
Procreation as a Feature, Not Bug
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(00:37:06)
  • Key Takeaway: The male desire for romantic/sexual relationships is a natural driver for self-improvement, including developing perseverance.
  • Summary: The desire for relationships is framed as a positive feature that fuels progress, fitness, and the crucial skill of enduring rejection.
The Three Parties Who Must Help
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(00:45:45)
  • Key Takeaway: Society (via fiscal policy), older men (via mentorship), and women (by not framing men solely as the problem) must address the crisis.
  • Summary: Galloway outlines three groups responsible for helping: society must stop transferring wealth from young to old; older men must mentor; and progressives must stop telling young men they ‘are the problem’.
Economic Power and Attraction
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(00:54:42)
  • Key Takeaway: Data suggests that when women earn significantly more than their male partners, relationship stability and sexual attraction decrease.
  • Summary: The discussion explores the data showing that when women become the primary breadwinners, divorce rates double, and men experience self-esteem issues, highlighting the anthropological link between economic strength and attraction.
Economic Contribution in Relationships
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(00:59:26)
  • Key Takeaway: Relationship issues arise when men feel they are not contributing surplus value, regardless of the woman’s income.
  • Summary: Discussion on why men feel inadequate in relationships when they are not economically contributing, contrasting this with the undervalued emotional labor traditionally provided by women.
Women Lied to About Career Focus?
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(01:00:04)
  • Key Takeaway: Questioning if women were misled into prioritizing career over family, evidenced by an anecdote of a woman finding joy in motherhood.
  • Summary: Exploring the narrative that women have been told to delay marriage and kids to achieve financial stability, and whether this path leads to unhappiness.
Unfair Romantic Currency for Women
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(01:02:24)
  • Key Takeaway: Society rewards successful men romantically even if they are flawed, but doesn’t reward women equally for professional achievement.
  • Summary: Analysis of the asymmetry where successful men find partners easily, while women face different romantic expectations despite achieving economic parity.
Men Need Relationships More Than Women
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(01:04:10)
  • Key Takeaway: Data suggests men suffer more from lack of relationships, often turning to online isolation when unattached.
  • Summary: The speaker notes that men without relationships often engage in conspiracy theories or extreme online behavior, contrasting with women who often pour energy into friends and work.
Male Trauma and Mass Violence
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(01:09:22)
  • Key Takeaway: Mass shooters are overwhelmingly young men who are isolated, economically strained, and radicalized online.
  • Summary: Connecting the lack of work, relationships, and economic stability in young men to radicalization and political violence, emphasizing the need for societal support for struggling men.
Importance of Male Mentorship
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(01:10:48)
  • Key Takeaway: Boys who lose male role models are significantly more likely to face negative outcomes like incarceration.
  • Summary: Discussion on how unhealed trauma in men leads to destructive behavior, and the critical need for male mentorship to provide tools for navigating life.
Overcoming Childhood Trauma
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(01:13:44)
  • Key Takeaway: Healing shame and trauma requires opening up and actively seeking coaching and mentorship.
  • Summary: The speaker shares his personal journey of healing from sexual abuse and internal destruction by allowing mentors to guide him and studying how to be a better person.
Father-Son Relationship Lessons
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(01:22:37)
  • Key Takeaway: The biggest unlock in relationships is putting away the scorecard and deciding what kind of person you want to be.
  • Summary: The speaker reflects on his flawed relationship with his father, emphasizing the importance of forgiveness, course correction for his own sons, and showing affection.
Message to Young Men
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(01:35:03)
  • Key Takeaway: Resist the temptation to live life on a screen; real relationships are essential to combat anxiety and loneliness.
  • Summary: The speaker urges young men to get out of the house, take risks, and establish real-world connections, warning against the dangers of constant screen time engineered by Big Tech.