5 Key Lessons Every Man Should Learn from Alexander the Great’s Conquests and Legacy

It’s without a shadow of a doubt that Alexander (the Great) was one of the most ingenious and hard-charging strategic minds of all time.

He had an empire that stretched from the deserts of Egypt all the way to modern day Pakistan.

He was able to unite disparate cultures under a unique Hellenistic (Greek) umbrella, something that was unheard of in his time.

In short? He was a badass of the highest degree.

Alexander serves as a great model for young men, especially because a lot of his traits align with traditional images of masculinity and masculine direction.

But what made Alexander, well… the Great?

In this article, we’re going to take a brief overview of what made him a force of nature in the ancient world and one of the most interesting historic minds of all time. Then, I’ve given some quick tips on how you can implement them in your own life.

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Lesson # 1: Iron-Clad Discipline

It’s no secret that without some form of discipline, you simply won’t achieve your goals. Alexander had it in spades and he had it because of his father, Philip of Macedonia.

Discipline came first. Troops were drilled until they could execute complex battlefield maneuvers in their sleep. Philip marched them countless miles over the mountains with full packs until they were ready to drop from exhaustion…The Macedonians drilled to such perfection with their long spears that soon they could turn together in any direction, open and close a line in an instant, and charge the enemy with frightening speed. – Philip Freeman, Alexander the Great

Alexander’s father handed down a disciplined army and a disciplined way of life to his son.

Alexander was able to capitalize on this advantage to overwhelm armies who had sheer numbers of soldiers but no formation, no plan, and no discipline.

How to implement: Discipline will get you a lot farther than motivation will. Start off by doing a productive habit every day for 30 days until it becomes a part of your routines and habits. This automation allows you to free up more mental bandwidth for more important tasks.

Lesson # 2: Sexual Control

Sex and sexuality is a paradoxical topic, especially in the Western world. On one hand, there is more “sexual liberation” than ever, but on the other hand, there is more repression and confusion surrounding sexuality.

Sex is something that is central to the human experience – but it has its place.

To Alexander, discipline and self-control were of utmost importance. A man who couldn’t control himself was seen as easy pickings in a court of manipulation and outright betrayal. Alexander knew that a man who couldn’t control his sexual impulses would have no control over the Macedonian court.

“In a court of sexual excess available in a bewildering variety of forms, it might have been expected that the adolescent Alexander would indulge himself shamelessly. But he showed a surprising lack of interest in the pleasures of the flesh…His mother, Olympias, was so worried about Alexander’s apparent lack of interest in girls that she procured for him the services of a beautiful Thracian prostitute…but to no avail…Sex and sleep more than anything else reminded him that he was mortal.” – Philip Freeman, Alexander the Great

In the modern world, sexual self-control is seen as prudishness instead of temperance and good judgment.

How to implement: There’s a reason why your sex drive exists, especially as a young man. It is one of the driving forces for you to get out into the world and make something of yourself. Do you have strong control over yourself in this area? Or do you settle for pornography and prostitutes, things that make you a weaker man in the process?

How you interact with your sexuality is a smaller metaphor for how you interact with life in general.

Lesson # 3: Charisma and Social Intelligence

Anything you want to do is done with and through people.

If you don’t know how to interact with people, especially in a socially intelligent way, you will greatly lose out. Charisma is closely connected to social intelligence, as charismatic people inspire people to act in a certain way towards a compelling cause.

“To be charismatic, your vision must vividly illustrate the difference between the way things are now and the way they could be. Charismatic leaders often point out deficiencies in the status quo, contrast this picture to a glorious future, and show how they intend to get there.” – Olivia Fox Cabane, The Charisma Myth

Alexander was constantly getting his soldiers to “buy in” to the vision of the better future that he promised them and all of Macedonia. He was so effective as a leader because he could inspire people to take action.

How to implement: What about you? Are you so inspiring that you get other people to take action? Do your friends pay attention to you when you speak? Are you able to hypnotize a room with your delivery and self-assured non-verbals? If not, here’s how can you add some spark to your interactions with others:

• Olivia Fox Cabane’s The Charisma Myth
• Kasia and Patryk Wezozski’s Without Saying a Word: Master the Science of Body Language
• Finally, nothing substitutes for actual practice. Toastmasters is great for this.

Lesson # 4: Psychological Warfare

All battles are won in the mind before they’re won in the physical world. This point needs to be understood and internalized.

Alexander was an absolute master at psyching out opposing armies and making them believe they weren’t as great as they believed themselves to be. He was also good at mastering the mind-bending science of propaganda, making entire cities and towns surrender to him effortlessly.

Robert Greene’s he goes in-depth on how these mind tactics can turn the tide of a battle real fast.

The power of guerrilla warfare is essentially psychological…By postponing this natural convergence indefinitely, the guerrilla strategies creates intense frustration. The longer this mental corrosion continues, the more debilitating it gets. Napoleon lost to the Russians because his strategic bearings were pushed off course; his mind fell before his army did. – Robert Greene, 33 Strategies of War

How to implement: If you haven’t already read 33 Strategies of War, I highly recommend you do so. It will give you great tools on how to succeed and thrive in the battlefield of life. This psychological warfare piece goes hand in hand with social intelligence as well, so becoming socially attuned and learning how to read other people is a must.

Lesson # 5: Persistence

The only way to get what you want in life is to fight for it. The only way to fight for it is through persistence.

Alexander had persistence and he had it in spades. His entire kingdom was made up of cities that he won through successive victories over a decade-long span of relentless battles. One particular battle over the city of Tyre demonstrates his unstoppable grit.

Tyre was a deeply entrenched Mediterranean island that was crucial for the Macedonian campaign. The city constantly challenged Alexander by destroying the Macedonian army’s attempt to build a ramp to the island through various means.

It was only until Alexander split the attention of the Tyrians that he was able to come close to the city and funnel through a small hole in the city walls caused by his army. It took him over 6 months of daily effort to put that chapter to a close.

Do you have Alexander’s persistence to stick through challenges and see a completed end? Or are you impatient and give up in a matter of days?

How to implement: Start a project and try to take in bits and pieces at a time. It may be learning how to play the guitar, it may be learning how to code, it may be applying for a dream job. You won’t make it all at one time. Systematize your approach and “eat your elephant” bit by bit until you reach your goal.

Alexander the Great is a great study for young men and anyone who wants to achieve greatness in their own lives. Was he perfect? Most certainly not (after all, he died at 32 in a land far from his home). He had his moments like we all do, and he’s a product of his time and era.

Regardless, his personal values of achievement allowed him to succeed in a time when there was less available to the common man and higher walls around success. If he was able to conquer the known world in a time of little widely available resources, why can’t you do the same for your own personal life?

I want to hear from you now. What’s the most important takeaway you got from this article? Let me know in the comments.