The Fading Friday Night Lights

In the ancien régime, people were famously divided into three classes: those who fight, those who pray, and those who work. That world was dissolved in a bubbling brew of revolution and Enlightenment ideals, which may be for the best, because I can’t say that serfdom particularly appeals to me. But sometimes it’s helpful to look back and consider which aspects of older societies are worth recovering. Here’s one thing I admire about the ancien régime: its elites cultivated courage and toughness in their children.