Gage Skidmore CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED, via Flickr, Cropped by Resist the Mainstream

Tucker Carlson has a strong, unwavering message for men: have kids “immediately” and figure it out as you go because nothing motivates a man more than when his back is up against a wall.

I’ve heard this message from Carlson many times before, but hearing him talk about a man’s ability to achieve under pressure during a recent interview with Lex Fridman got me fired up.

“Men will do nothing unless they have to,” Carlson said in the now popularized clip. “But when they have to, they will do anything. I really believe that after watching and from being one.”

I couldn’t have said it better myself.

Nowadays men (and women) are discouraged from having kids – especially when young – whether that be because of climate change, overpopulation, or even simply waiting until a couple is “financially ready.”

People gasp at the thought of a young parent, and I’ve seen couples prolong starting a family because the money wasn’t right or their circumstances weren’t perfect. They usually wind up wishing they got started earlier: “what were we doing for all those single years?!”

I have also seen couples dive into raising children head first while ignoring all the above, figuring it all out as they went to still ask themselves the SAME question: “what were we doing for all those single years!?!”

Fact is, time is passing by quickly for all of us. And we’re not guaranteed a tomorrow, so Carlson’s call to men to take on more responsibility before feeling ready for the challenge is paramount. It’s the complete opposite of what our progressive society is saying, which is why it speaks volumes to men and hits them directly in the heart. They know it's true.

Men are more capable than society would lead them to believe, and its lying by hiding the notion that more responsibility leads to more achievement (a word that’s hardly constituted as a virtue in America today).

Young, impressionable men who are in desperate need of good role models and the attributes of one need to learn this simple formula. They need to feel motivated and assured that risk and putting themselves in hard situations is an inherently good thing. Not to mention they were designed that way on purpose; to provide.

This lesson stretches far beyond family building. It’s true for everything in life. Whether that be taking on more responsibility at work or in one’s community.

Some men haven’t practiced doing hard things enough and it shows. Plus the downward spiral is obvious, looking something like this: man isn’t challenged, man gets complacent, man loses interest, man invests time into unproductive things, man loses motivation and belief in himself, man tricks himself routinely that he is incapable for more, thus forfeiting his ability to achieve later in life.

Every man, I’m convinced, has surprised himself with what he can achieve after he’s been thrown into something he was not prepared for. Everything is hard at first, but over time it gets more manageable with practice and experience. Think of it like a muscle; work ethic, adaptability, and the ability to figure something out (no matter how hard it is), must be nurtured and challenged in order to grow.

When a man’s back is up against a wall – for instance, needing to provide and care for a child and household – he is forced to go above and beyond, try new things, explore new avenues, and get creative to make ends meet. He is pushed. He is needed. His role is clear and transparent within the home.

This is the kind of pressure men were created to endure, and it's our duty to take advantage of that gift the best we can each and every day.