Scott Galloway argues that the real crisis for young men isn’t toxic masculinity—it’s the loss of resilience and social skills as tech platforms make life frictionless. He shares how working out, earning money outside the home, and volunteering can put young men in the top 10% of their peers, and why enduring rejection is the true marker of success.
Scott Galloway, NYU Stern professor and bestselling author, draws a sharp distinction between being born male and becoming a man. He insists manhood is about adding surplus value—creating more than you consume, loving more than you’re loved, and serving others. Galloway warns that algorithm-driven comfort is quietly eroding the resilience and social skills of millions of young men, who are becoming asocial, anxious, and isolated by age 30. He shares a personal story about forcing himself to approach a woman at the Raleigh Hotel in Miami—a risk that led to a relationship and a son—to illustrate that growth comes from discomfort, not ease.
Galloway’s advice is specific: work out at least three times a week, get a job outside the house, and volunteer or join groups regularly. He backs this up with numbers: doing these three things puts a man under 30 in the top decile of his peers. He also challenges the myth that success equals exploitation and urges young men to optimize for service, not attention.