Applied Living Systems

I'm going to be more direct than usual.

On another website I recently commented on an article explaining how one should react to civilisational decline. I think the real measure of a man is how he lives in such an age. Not how he survives, but how he lives. There are two kinds of people: the first, those who prefer to bitch and moan about the state of things, who are resigned to their position as passive victims of events; and the second, those who actually do something about it. At core are the questions: How does one survive the whirlwind? What is the best way to live under current circumstances? The following are just a few thoughts.

Love For Life

First principles first. Adopt the right attitude. Do you love life and accept your fate--or do you hate it? This is something you must ask yourself and answer honestly. Despair and nihilism are ugly qualities. So is chronic escapism. There are ways to avoid these all-too-common traps and soul-killers. Keep a sound perspective. Why worry about things you can't change? Deal with it. Beware of slave moralities that teach you to hate this life, that suck the pleasure out of everything, that drown your vigor, masculinity, and virility in a swamp of distraction. Remind yourself every day that you were born for this life, and embrace it. There is no other.

Coping

Some coping methods are better than others. For those who are alone and without family, there are alternatives. Stay engaged with life. There's a lot of beauty to be enjoyed and joy to be had. Face the sun. Take a walk outside. Travel. Start a business. Write a book. Be social. Network with like-minded folks. Be a resource for one another. Train and be prepared. As for myself, I work long hours. I go to the gym, lift weights, and swim. I take an interest in eating right and eating well. I read a lot. I have a few outside business projects that occupy my time, which I haven't yet written about here. Going back to nature definitely helps. I live a minute or two from the ocean. The restorative effects of a walk on the beach are not to be underestimated. An hours-long hike in the foothills and canyons above my home clears my mind and recharges my body. Spending time in the sun (for vitamin D) also helps a lot. What do you do?

Women, Game and the Manosphere

Accept that the old order is dead. Whereas finding lasting love was once taken for granted, today in the modern world it is increasingly rare occurrence, if it occurs at all. Fortunately there are other ways in which to interact with the opposite sex and to satisfy the demands of Eros. As you know, I have a strong attraction for the ladies, and, as a result, I have implemented a program of networking and dating. My busy dating schedule helps keep me grounded and connected to real life. I can be a rather detached, taciturn chap at times and I therefore need to reconnect with a warm female on a regular basis to help pull me out of myself. Being around women improves my mood.

In recent months I've taken an interest in the Game and Manosphere communities, in much the same way, I suppose, as a field biologist goes to the rain forest to study howler monkeys. There are a few key writers there for whom I have considerable respect, and who seem to get it. At their best these communities create applied systems of thought and behaviour for men to become who they are and to get what they need out of life. Because, as we all know, the present regime isn't cutting it. But suspicion remains that these communities are inhabited in large part by hollow-chested males who would prefer to remain behind the computer screen, who over-intellectualize the most basic existential concepts, who balk at actually getting out there and living. Ignore these people.

The System may have failed you. But don't fail yourself.