The dwindling man
Young men are being failed—and lied to every day.
Each day, countless young men are sold a monstrous lie: college isn’t worth it.
They’re told this by social media influencers, business moguls (real and fake ones alike), celebrities, professional athletes, and even family members.
The great irony is that many of these people have college degrees, or at least some college experience—I’ll introduce them now.
College naysayer 1: Alex Hormozi, a prominent entrepreneur and educator in the social media business sphere, has weighed the value of a college degree in a few separate YouTube videos, and he often captures young men’s attention with his seemingly anti-college lean.
Before we go further, you should know he has a degree from Vanderbilt University, which casually has a 6.3% acceptance rate, is considered “highly selective,” and admits students with an average GPA of 3.9 or higher.
Clickbait or not, his anti-college posture is confusing impressionable young men and, in my view, impairing their judgment.
Now, you could argue that we should be raising stronger young men who aren’t as impressionable, and I would agree, but I’ll save that philosophy for another post. (Shocker: it’d involve more strategic parenting and fewer phones and social media.)
Back to Hormozi.
Hormozi urges viewers to consider the “opportunity cost,” flashing a screenshot of its Google definition—extremely rigorous scholarship, of course—and goes on to criticize philosophy, sociology, and psychology degrees as a “waste of money.”
Let me obviously state that the degree you choose does influence your earnings—so I’m in agreement with him there. But the answer is simple: choose something that will make money at a level you’re comfortable with—and that you enjoy.
It’s nonsensical to me why this is controversial, but I’ll say it anyway: college should be the default.
College naysayer 2: Elon Musk, a man who needs no introduction, is routinely critical of college. It’s worth noting he has two bachelor’s degrees from the University of Pennsylvania: a B.S. in Physics from the College of Arts and Sciences and a B.A. in Economics from the Wharton School.
The University of Pennsylvania is an Ivy League institution—it, too, needs no introduction.
Musk boldly proclaims colleges are “for fun and to prove you can do your chores.”
Funny enough, I concur—with a caveat: you also get a foundation to build off of.
Because here’s what nobody seems to mention:
College teaches you how to think, how to learn, how to socialize, how to manage time, and how to be professional (in no particular order).
And I’m afraid the lonely nights in the university library working on a project with no end in sight—fueled by an inordinate amount of caffeine—are experiences difficult to replicate anywhere else in life.
This misinformed guidance is pervasive and extremely misleading.
I’ll add that it’s killing men early.
A 2013 study led by researchers at UT Austin found that when you look at life expectancy from age 25 onward, the gaps are enormous: men without a high school diploma live about 44 more years on average, while men with a graduate or professional degree live about 60—a 16-year difference.
Sixteen years.
Just shy of two decades.
And this is due to a variety of reasons: better jobs (which lead to lower stress), increased access to healthcare, healthier environments, superior food quality, stronger social networks, and more.
Another recent study published in Social Science & Medicine finds the same thing: adults with more education have significantly lower risks of mortality and chronic disease, and the gap widens as they age. The health benefits of education don’t plateau—they compound, accelerating through midlife and beyond.
The research is clear: more education leads to better health outcomes and longer life.
Why isn’t this ever discussed when people talk about skipping college?
Because college naysayers are obsessed with money.
They talk endlessly about how choosing college prevents people from entering the workforce sooner, supposedly costing thousands in “opportunity cost.”
They bring up soaring tuition.
And, of course, they cite student loan debt as one of the most compelling reasons young men should stay away from college.
But the student loan argument presents a moral quandary:
What value do we place on nearly two additional decades of life?
Are two decades of life worth about $35,000—the average student debt load?
I’d definitely say so.
For comparison’s sake, the average price of a new car today has hit $50,000 for the first time ever. A $50,000 car depreciates the moment you turn the key. A college degree adds years to your life. Which one sounds like the smarter investment?
Based on longevity alone, it’s clear college should be the default.
And here’s the truth nobody online wants to say out loud…
College won’t guarantee success—nothing does. But it dramatically increases the odds of a longer, healthier, more stable life. That should matter.
College shouldn’t be dismissed because a few influencers found engagement gold in contrarian soundbites. It should be the default—the choice backed by decades of research on health, longevity, and upward mobility.
The uncomfortable truth is this: the people preaching anti-college rhetoric aren’t offering you a future. They’re offering you a funnel.
They’d rather sell you a course, a community, or an MLM dream than have an honest conversation about what actually improves a young man’s life.
Don’t confuse someone else’s business model with good advice.