The highest prize in a world of men is the most beautiful woman

"The highest prize in a world of men is the most beautiful woman available on your arm and living there in her heart loyal to you." These words, spoken by the legendary Norman Mailer, reflect a profound, yet often controversial, view of love, loyalty, and honor. To understand the essence of this sentiment, we must first acknowledge the significance that beauty, loyalty, and love have held throughout the ages. In a world of men, where battles are fought for glory, riches, and dominion, Mailer places at the pinnacle of all human achievement a woman's affection, a loyalty so powerful that it transcends mere physicality and becomes a reflection of the soul.

From the earliest of times, the warrior and the lover have been intertwined in myth and history. Consider the story of Helen of Troy, whose beauty was so transcendent that it sparked a war that would last ten years. Men fought, kingdoms crumbled, and nations were brought to their knees, all because of the desire to possess her. Though beauty in its physical form can captivate and dazzle, it is not the beauty alone that men seek, but the loyalty and heart that accompanies it. Helen's story reminds us that beauty without loyalty is a fleeting prize, one that leads to destruction. In contrast, when a woman’s heart is truly given, when her devotion resides in the soul of her lover, that is a treasure more valuable than all the riches of the earth.

In the great epic tales, it is often the love between a warrior and his lady that symbolizes the highest ideals of both. Think of King Arthur and his relationship with Guinevere—though their love was marred by betrayal, it is also a testament to the lofty and unspoken bonds that tie a man and woman together. Arthur’s quest for honor was incomplete without the loyalty of his queen, and the love they shared was the driving force behind the kingdom's greatness. Yet, as Guinevere’s infidelity showed, loyalty, once broken, can lead to the undoing of the grandest of empires. The lesson here, and in Mailer’s words, is that a man’s highest prize is not just the external beauty of the woman by his side, but the trust and loyalty she holds in her heart. It is this unity of soul and body that defines a man’s success in the deepest sense.

In the world of men, battles are often fought for more than land or treasure. The greatest warriors and kings were those whose victories were not just over their enemies, but in their ability to win the loyalty of a woman’s heart. Napoleon Bonaparte, the great conqueror, understood this deeply. While he achieved much in terms of empire, his relationship with Josephine was the one he treasured most. Though their love was fraught with challenges and Josephine's eventual infidelity, Napoleon’s love for her, and her influence on him, shaped the man he became. Josephine's loyalty, even in the face of her own personal struggles, was a prize for Napoleon that far surpassed the riches of his empire. In this, we see that the highest prize is not in the possession of beauty, but in the shared devotion that elevates both the man and the woman to heights of greatness.

But Mailer’s words also remind us that this ideal is not simply about the external display of love or possession; it is about the deep bond that a man shares with a woman, one that transcends the superficialities of appearance and material wealth. It is this bond that is forged in loyalty, mutual respect, and trust—an understanding that beauty fades, but true loyalty endures. It is not the woman’s beauty alone that makes her the highest prize, but the loyalty that rests within her heart, a loyalty that binds her to the man in ways that time cannot sever. In the end, it is the soul of a woman, intertwined with the soul of the man, that creates the true and lasting prize.

In our own lives, let us not chase after fleeting things that can be taken or lost in an instant. Instead, let us strive for the loyalty of those we hold dear, be they lovers, friends, or companions. A man who is truly successful is not one who wins trophies, but one who wins the heart of a woman who is devoted to him, whose loyalty remains steadfast no matter the challenges they face. The beauty of a woman is fleeting, but the loyalty she offers—when freely given—is an immortal treasure. Let this be the prize we seek in all our relationships, not only with those we love, but with those who walk beside us in life.

In the pursuit of loyalty, remember, too, that it must be earned. Just as a man must be worthy of a woman’s love, so must he remain worthy of her trust. In the world of men, we are tested not by the beauty we attract, but by the strength of the bonds we form, the loyalty we inspire, and the respect we give. The highest prize, then, is not one to be grasped or possessed, but one to be cherished and nurtured—a bond that exists in both the soul and the heart, steadfast and unbreakable.