Summary4 min read

Podcast Summary: Breakpoint

Episode: Heroic Stories for Today's Young Men
Host: John Stonestreet (Colson Center)
Date: July 20, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode, John Stonestreet highlights the importance of celebrating and sharing stories of heroic young men who courageously serve others. Drawing on Dr. Anthony Bradley's recent writing, Stonestreet challenges negative stereotypes about masculinity and advocates for recognizing positive examples that inspire and guide the next generation.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Challenging the Narrative on Young Men

Societal Focus on Negative News:
- Media narratives often highlight young men in a negative light, associating them with disengagement, addiction, anger, and aimlessness.
  - "The headlines have become a liturgy of bad news about young men. They're disengaged, addicted, angry, aimless." (Anthony Bradley, quoted by John Stonestreet, [00:21])
Counter-Narrative:
- Dr. Bradley and Stonestreet emphasize that many young men are thriving, displaying selflessness and making positive impacts in their local communities.
  - "...lots of young men are thriving and selflessly changing lives in their local communities." (John Stonestreet, [00:40])

Redefining Masculinity

A Positive Vision:
- Bradley’s definition of masculinity centers on using one's power and strength for the benefit of others.
  - "Using your power, presence, creativity and strength for the benefit of others." (Anthony Bradley, quoted by John Stonestreet, [00:58])
Rejecting Toxic Stereotypes:
- Stonestreet stresses the need to move beyond the "toxic masculinity" label and to recognize the critical role of rightly ordered male virtue.

Real-Life Heroic Stories

Examples of Heroic Young Men:
- Cameron Swann (15), Kervon Johnson (14), Cassian Wilson (14): Saved a child's life from drowning. ([01:41])
- Anthony Killinger: Performed CPR to keep his stepfather alive until paramedics arrived. Credited by EMTs with saving his stepfather’s life. ([01:53])
- Unnamed 12-year-old: Rescued his one- and two-year-old siblings from a burning house, guiding his grandmother to safety. ([02:06])
- Jaheim Warner (17): Stopped a rolling pickup truck, broke the back window, and stabilized a woman having a seizure. ([02:17])
- Gunner Skidmore and Cohen Chick (both 13): Rescued an older woman who had been stranded in her yard for 16 hours. ([02:30])

The Value of Aspiration and Admiration

Active Engagement vs. Passive Observation:
- Stonestreet contrasts these heroic actions with the trend of bystanders filming crises for social media instead of intervening.
  - "They didn't sit around passively capturing the crisis in front of them on their phones… Instead, they put their phones down and risked their lives because someone else was in need." (John Stonestreet, [02:45])
Stories as Models:
- Such stories serve as both inspiration and aspiration for boys and young men.
  - "These are the kinds of young men all parents should want their sons to be. Yes, stories like this are inspirational, but as Bradley put it, they should also be aspirational." (John Stonestreet, [03:04])

The Importance of Male Heroism

Nurturing Protective Instincts:
- Positive instincts to protect and serve should be encouraged rather than suppressed.
  - "So it's good when boys play soldier and fireman and policeman. These are instincts that should be encouraged and cultivated, not suppressed." (John Stonestreet, [03:26])
True Heroes vs. Celebrity Culture:
- Stories like Bridger Walker (age 6, protected his sister from an attacking dog in 2020) illustrate the value of true heroism over fleeting celebrity.
  - "...he reminded all of us that it's far better to be a hero than a celebrity." (John Stonestreet, [03:22])

Closing Reflection

Real-Life Heroes Are All Around:
- The episode closes with the hopeful note that heroism isn't reserved for fiction or fame; it can be found in the everyday actions of ordinary young men.

Notable Quotes and Moments

On Negative Stereotypes:
- "The headlines have become a liturgy of bad news about young men... but this is not the whole story."
  — Anthony Bradley (quoted by John Stonestreet), [00:21]
On Masculinity:
- "I frame masculinity as, and I quote, using your power, presence, creativity and strength for the benefit of others.”
  — Anthony Bradley (quoted by John Stonestreet), [00:58]
On Heroic Action vs. Social Media Bystanding:
- "They didn't sit around passively capturing the crisis in front of them on their phones... Instead, they put their phones down and risked their lives because someone else was in need."
  — John Stonestreet, [02:45]
On Role Models:
- "We need to capture those stories and celebrate them. We need to share them. Boys need to grow up hearing them over and over again. These stories are aspirational.”
  — John Stonestreet, [02:54]
On Heroism over Celebrity:
- "He reminded all of us that it's far better to be a hero than a celebrity."
  — John Stonestreet (on Bridger Walker), [03:22]

Timestamps for Important Segments

[00:01 – 00:58]
- Introduction and discussion of societal attitudes towards young men
[00:58 – 02:45]
- Explanation of positive masculinity and real-life heroic stories
[02:45 – 03:26]
- Commentary on need for better role models and critique of passive bystander culture
[03:26 – 03:59]
- Final reflections on cultivating heroism and celebrating real-life role models

Tone and Language

The episode maintains an encouraging, earnest, and reflective tone. John Stonestreet combines storytelling with cultural analysis, frequently quoting Dr. Anthony Bradley and using vivid examples to inspire listeners to recognize and nurture virtue in young men.

Final Takeaway

By sharing and celebrating the stories of everyday heroism among young men, we can provide both models and motivation for the next generation to pursue goodness and courage, redefining masculinity as a force for the good of others.

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Transcript2 lines

[00:01]
A
Welcome to Breakpoint, a daily look at an ever changing culture through the lens of unchanging truth. For the Colson Center, I'm John Stonestreet. Last month on his substack, Dr. Anthony Bradley shared some newsworthy stories. Not too often when young men attract media attention, it's usually for all the wrong reasons, unless it involves sports or music. Maybe. These young men, however, earned this attention through courage. As Bradley put it, and I quote, the headlines have become a liturgy of bad news about young men. They're disengaged, addicted, angry, aimless. The concern is real and there are many institutions working on this issue. But this is not the whole story. Lots of young men are thriving and selflessly changing lives in their local communities. In my book, this is Bradley still speaking called Heroic Fraternities. I frame masculinity as, and I quote, using your power, presence, creativity and strength for the benefit of others. There are countless stories of young men doing just that, but those stories are drowned out by stories of the opposite. End quote. Well, telling better stories of young men is a passion project for Dr. Bradley. In a world where masculinity is regularly derided as simply being toxic, these stories extol male virtue and remind us that masculinity, when rightly ordered, is in fact good. And if we want young men to be good, they'll need to know that that kind of goodness is, is in fact possible. In the headline photo of the article by Dr. Bradley are three young men, Cameron Swann, age 15, Kervon Johnson, 14, and Cassian Wilson, 14, who saved the life of a child who was drowning. Among the other stories was of a teenage boy named Anthony Killinger who kept his stepfather alive long enough with CPR so that paramedics could arrive. The EMTs credited Anthony with saving the man's life. And another story told about a 12 year old running through his burning house rescuing his one and two year old siblings while guiding his grandmother to safety. Just a few weeks ago, 17 year old named Jaheim Warner managed to stop a rolling pickup truck, break through the back window and stabilize the woman who was inside having a seizure. On June 9, two 13 year olds named Gunner Skidmore and Cohen Chick saw an older woman lying hurt in her yard before they came to her rescue. She had been stranded there for some 16 hours. As Bradley explained, these are stories that provide a sharp contrast to so many stereotypes. They didn't sit around passively capturing the crisis in front of them on their phones to post on social media, which has to be the height of cowardice Instead, they put their phones down and risked their lives because someone else was in need. We need to capture those stories and celebrate them. We need to share them. Boys need to grow up hearing them over and over again. These stories are aspirational. These are the kinds of young men all parents should want their sons to be. Yes, stories like this are inspirational, but as Bradley put it, they should also be aspirational. Back in 2020, a six year old Wyoming boy heroically protected his little sister from an attacking dog and Bridger Walker not only earned those scars that day, he reminded all of us that it's far better to be a hero than a celebrity. So it's good when boys play soldier and fireman and policeman. These are instincts that should be encouraged and cultivated, not suppressed. And if we want healthy young men who know that their strength is there in order to serve others, we'll have to point them to these kinds of heroes stories that they can admire and follow. Thankfully, as Dr. Bradley reminds us, heroes aren't just in the make believe stories for the Colson Center, I'm John Stonestreet with Breakpoint. Today's Breakpoint was co authored with Dr. Timothy Padgett. If you're a fan of Breakpoint, leave us a review wherever you download podcasts. And for more resources or to share this commentary with others, go to breakpoint.org.
[03:59]
B
The 8th Annual Great Lakes Symposium is happening August 6, 2026 in Bay Harbor, Michigan. This year we'll explore what it means to stay human in the age of AI. As AI continues to advance, it presents a temptation to surrender our minds, creativity, relationships on the altar of efficiency. But to do so is to surrender our very humanity. John Stonestreet will be joined by Abdu Murray, Gretchen Huizenga and John Lennox to help us explore how Christians can live out our God given humanity in an increasingly AI driven world. This event is free, but space is limited. Sign up today@greatlakesymposium.org that's greatlakesymposium.org.