When I first heard the phrase “rawdogging,” I involuntarily shuddered. I was reminded of the discovery of such horrors as “face riding” by overweight strangers. But, no, this slang was, for once, not related to the volumes of filth on the internet, and, as far as I can tell, proved, in certain instances, fairly innocuous.
One writer discovered rawdogging when he witnessed the act: a young man sat in a seat on an airplane without anything to look at save the flight map. He did not check a phone, read a book, eat a snack, or stand up for any reason on the flight. The commentator continues:
“I subsequently learned this wasn’t simply inertia or lack of imagination. It’s a new phenomenon called ‘rawdogging’ where travelers – mostly young men – test their stamina for… nothing, then brag about it: ‘Just rawdogged a 7-hour flight (new personal best) no headphones, no movie, no water, nothing, The power of my mind knows no bounds.’”
That’s it.
Hyperbolic headlines proclaim that rawdogging “could kill you.” I appreciate this is the New York Post we’re talking about. Hyperbolic headlines are their bread and butter. However, the warning comes from a self-proclaimed expert quoted in the article who seems to think there is a risk of death worth warning people about.
The commentator who witnessed rawdogging is disgruntled that young men are willing to do almost anything—including nothing at all—to avoid reading a book. I’m not so dour. I am, tentatively, a big fan! In order to read a book, you have to cultivate the ability to sit without being pacified by a smartphone. Rawdogging may be a long way from reading Dostoyevsky, but it’s a step in the right direction.
The ever-entertaining Suzy Weiss, sister of Bari, recounted speaking to men ensnared by the gadgetry in which we live. One man told her that the readily available conveniences of our age—video games, internet filth, and fast food—technically fulfilled his needs but left him in a state that cannot be called fully living. Rawdogging seems to present one way to begin to master the self: coming up against resistance in your own will. It is unpleasant to sit still for seven hours. It could—there’s a very remote chance—kill you. If you push through and accomplish the feat, that is exciting! You have conquered resistance in your very self.
The people ridiculing the lack of Jane Austen in young men’s carry-ons and acting like rawdogging is the death of civilization, they’ve got it backwards. Young men opting to do something difficult is a sign of health. Is it ultimately pointless? Yes. Are there better uses of their time? Certainly. But in order to discover them, you have to disconnect from the crushing tide of entertainment long enough to notice.
What do we tell children: “Be safe.” Why not: Challenge yourself; excel; accomplish something difficult? We assume that risk-taking involves recklessness. There are no shortage of examples of young men behaving recklessly. Car accidents come to mind. But when done well, risk-taking involves gradually increasing difficulty, understanding the limits of our abilities and pushing them just a bit farther. Risk-taking, when exercised rightly, requires knowledge and mastery of the self.
Pacified with sedentary games and anti-social activity, boys are not going to the emergency room in anywhere near the same numbers as yesteryear. That is not cause for celebration. That is not what progress looks like.
Civilization still requires tremendous risk-taking, and, often, the people best suited for it are young men who are still reckless enough to undertake it. To keep sewage moving, to keep the electrical grid intact, to keep violent aggressors at bay, we need men who live for others, men who risk their lives trying to accomplish a mission. At least let bro TikTok his seven hours of minor discomfort and boredom. That might be the first real challenge he’s had in a while.
