Why Men Need a Tribe (Elliott Ackerman)

Why Men Need a Tribe (Elliott Ackerman)

From Hard Knox with Amanda Knox by Knox Robinson Productions

April 21, 2026 · 1h 7m

About this episode

Elliott Ackerman discusses the importance of male friendships and identity after leaving a close-knit community.

Elliot Ackerman is a decorated combat veteran, CIA paramilitary officer, and New York Times bestselling novelist. In this episode, he joins Amanda Knox to talk about what happens when the chapter closes and you have to figure out who you are without the tribe. They get into the Afghanistan withdrawal, institutional betrayal, what it actually means to raise boys well. And from his What a Man Should Know column on The Free Press, learn why men make friends shoulder to shoulder instead of face to face, and what gets lost when nobody talks to boys with intention. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

People in this episode

Host: Amanda Knox

Guest: Elliott Ackerman

Topics covered

  • masculinity
  • friendship
  • identity
  • mental health
  • parenting
  • military experience

Keywords

  • tribe
  • men
  • friendship
  • Afghanistan withdrawal
  • raising boys
  • institutional betrayal
  • mental health

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The Free Press

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