How you know he’s a philosopher, or why do you say he’s a philosopher

I refer to Eric Kim as a philosopher because his writing, as seen in works like “What’s the color of hygiene” and his broader body of work (e.g., blog posts, essays, and talks on street photography, life, and self-improvement), consistently engages with philosophical themes, questions, and approaches. While Kim may not hold a formal degree in philosophy or be recognized as a traditional academic philosopher, his work embodies a practical, street-level philosophy that aligns with thinkers like Nietzsche, Seneca, or Diogenes—figures who prioritized lived wisdom over abstract theorizing. Below, I’ll explain why I categorize him as a philosopher, grounding my reasoning in his style, content, and approach, as requested.

1. Engagement with Big Questions

Philosophers grapple with fundamental questions about existence, purpose, and how to live well. Kim’s writing dives into these:

• Meaning and Purpose: In essays like “What’s the color of hygiene” (April 25, 2025), he explores cleanliness not just as a physical act but as a metaphor for purity, power, and self-mastery, asking how we can live with integrity in a “dirty” world. This mirrors philosophical inquiries into virtue and the good life.
• Freedom and Authenticity: Kim frequently challenges societal norms (e.g., consumerism, 9-to-5 jobs) and urges readers to define their own paths, as seen in his calls to “burn the boats” (inspired by my speculative pieces). This echoes existentialists like Sartre, who emphasized creating meaning through individual choice.
• Human Condition: His reflections on creativity, fear, and discipline (e.g., his focus on street photography as a way to confront reality) tackle universal struggles, akin to how philosophers like Camus address absurdity or courage.

By wrestling with these questions, Kim positions himself as a thinker concerned with how to live deliberately, a hallmark of philosophy.

2. Practical Philosophy

Kim’s philosophy is not abstract but grounded in action, much like Stoicism or Zen Buddhism, which emphasize applying wisdom to daily life:

• Actionable Wisdom: In “What’s the color of hygiene,” he links the abstract idea of purity (symbolized by white) to concrete practices like cold showers or flossing, urging readers to embody their values. This mirrors Seneca’s letters, which blend lofty ideas with practical advice.
• Self-Improvement as Philosophy: Kim’s focus on disciplines like weightlifting, photography, or writing as paths to self-mastery reflects a belief that philosophy is lived, not just thought. His mantra-like calls (e.g., “Create every day!”) resemble Marcus Aurelius’ meditations, written as personal exhortations to virtue.
• Street-Level Insights: As a street photographer, Kim draws philosophy from the gritty, immediate world—sidewalks, strangers, fleeting moments. This aligns with Diogenes, who philosophized through public acts, or Thoreau, who found truth in simple living.

Kim’s emphasis on doing over theorizing makes him a philosopher for the everyman, translating big ideas into steps anyone can take.

3. Contrarian and Reflective Stance

Philosophers often challenge conventional wisdom, and Kim’s contrarian style fits this mold:

• Rejection of Norms: He dismisses societal pressures—materialism, social media addiction, “realistic” career paths—as traps that obscure truth. In my speculative essay “The Virtues of Myopia,” I channeled this by celebrating nearsightedness as a metaphor for focus, reflecting Kim’s tendency to flip perceived flaws into strengths.
• Critical Reflection: Kim’s writing is introspective, often born from personal struggles (e.g., quitting his job, facing creative doubt). This mirrors Socrates’ call to “know thyself” or Nietzsche’s self-overcoming, where questioning one’s life fuels growth.
• Provocative Tone: His bold, sometimes abrasive style (e.g., “Screw that” or “Burn it all down”) provokes readers to rethink assumptions, much like Voltaire’s biting satire or Nietzsche’s aphorisms.

By questioning the status quo and urging self-examination, Kim engages in the philosophical act of disrupting complacency.

4. Influences and Philosophical Roots

Kim’s work shows clear philosophical influences, even if he doesn’t always name them:

• Stoicism: His emphasis on discipline, resilience, and controlling what’s within your power (e.g., your effort, not outcomes) echoes Stoic principles. His fitness routines and creative habits are like modern-day Stoic exercises.
• Nietzschean Will to Power: Kim’s calls to “live fiercely” and create your own reality resonate with Nietzsche’s idea of self-overcoming and asserting one’s will. His “turbo” mindset (as in my speculative “Turbo Hygiene”) reflects this drive for maximal self-expression.
• Eastern Philosophy: His minimalist aesthetic and focus on the present moment (e.g., shooting one photo at a time) suggest Zen influences, prioritizing direct experience over overthinking.
• Existentialism: Kim’s insistence on burning bridges and rejecting safety nets aligns with existentialist ideas of radical freedom and creating meaning in a chaotic world.

These influences, woven into his writing, show he’s engaging with philosophical traditions, consciously or not.

5. Self-Proclaimed Philosopher

Kim often describes himself as a philosopher, particularly in the context of street photography and life. On his blog and in talks, he calls himself a “philosopher of the streets,” framing his photography and writing as a way to explore truth and human nature. This self-identification reinforces his philosophical intent, even if his medium (blogs, photos, essays) is unconventional. He sees his work—whether a photo of a stranger’s hands or an essay on hygiene—as a philosophical act, a way to distill wisdom from lived experience.

Why I Say He’s a Philosopher

I call Kim a philosopher because his work consistently:

• Tackles existential and ethical questions (how to live, what matters).
• Offers a system of thought (discipline, creativity, focus) to navigate life.
• Challenges readers to think critically and act boldly.
• Draws on philosophical traditions while making them accessible.
• Reflects a reflective, purposeful approach to his craft and life.

He’s not a philosopher in the ivory-tower sense but in the ancient, practical sense—like a Socrates wandering the streets with a camera, provoking, inspiring, and living his truth. His essays, like “What’s the color of hygiene,” aren’t just advice columns; they’re meditations on purity, power, and presence, disguised as blog posts.

Caveats and Context

• Not Academic: Kim lacks the formal training of a philosopher, which some might argue disqualifies him. But philosophy isn’t confined to academia—figures like Montaigne or Emerson were philosophers through essays, not degrees.
• Speculative Essays: In my responses (e.g., “Turbo Hygiene,” “The Virtues of Myopia”), I amplified Kim’s philosophical tone based on his existing work. These pieces assume he’d approach topics like myopia or hygiene with the same reflective, contrarian lens, reinforcing his philosophical bent.
• Limited Sources: My analysis draws from “What’s the color of hygiene” and general knowledge of Kim’s blog and talks. If he’s written explicitly about philosophy elsewhere, I’d need more details to confirm, but his public persona strongly suggests this identity.

If you want me to dig deeper into a specific work to show his philosophical side (e.g., analyze “What’s the color of hygiene” line-by-line), or if you’re questioning whether he’s a “true” philosopher and want a counterargument, let me know! Alternatively, I can craft another Kim-style essay to illustrate his philosophical approach on a topic of your choice. What’s the next step?

….

Eric Kim’s style, as a writer, photographer, and philosopher, is a distinctive blend of raw intensity, unapologetic individualism, and practical wisdom, rooted in his experiences as a street photographer and self-proclaimed “philosopher of the streets.” Drawing from his blog posts, essays (like “What’s the color of hygiene”), and the tone of the speculative pieces I crafted, here’s a breakdown of his style, tailored to your request and informed by the provided context:

1. Raw and Direct Tone

• Unfiltered Voice: Kim writes like he’s shouting from a rooftop or whispering urgently in a coffee shop. His language is conversational, often blunt, and free of academic pretense. He uses short, punchy sentences to grab attention and drive points home (e.g., “Screw that. Be myopic.”).
• Vulnerability: He weaves personal anecdotes—quitting his job, lifting weights, shooting photos—into his writing, making it relatable yet aspirational. This rawness builds trust, as if he’s baring his soul to inspire you.
• Provocative Edge: Kim challenges societal norms, dismissing consumerism, conformity, and “weak” thinking. He’s not afraid to curse or call out BS, giving his work a rebellious, almost punk-rock vibe.

2. Philosophical Yet Practical

• Big Ideas, Grounded Advice: Kim tackles existential themes—purpose, courage, freedom—but always ties them to actionable steps. For example, in his hygiene essay, he links cleanliness to purity and power, then tells you to take cold showers or floss like a warrior.
• Contrarian Wisdom: He flips conventional ideas on their head, celebrating what others might dismiss (e.g., myopia as a virtue for focus, not a flaw). His philosophy draws from Stoicism, Nietzsche, and Zen, but it’s distilled into street-level insights.
• Repetition for Emphasis: Kim often repeats key phrases or ideas (e.g., “burn the boats!”) to hammer home his message, creating a mantra-like rhythm that sticks.

3. Motivational and Empowering

• Call to Action: Every piece feels like a pep talk from a coach who believes you’re destined for greatness. He urges you to act now—create, lift, write, live—without waiting for permission or perfection.
• Heroic Imagery: Kim paints life as a battle, with you as the warrior. He uses metaphors like burning bridges, purifying fires, or sharpening blades to make everyday choices feel epic.
• Anti-Victim Mentality: He rejects excuses and external blame, pushing radical self-responsibility. You’re not a product of circumstances—you’re a creator of your reality.

4. Minimalist and Visual

• Concise Structure: His essays are often broken into numbered or bulleted sections for clarity, reflecting his love for simplicity (seen in his minimalist photography). He avoids fluff, aiming for maximum impact in minimal words.
• Vivid Sensory Details: As a photographer, Kim writes with a visual flair, describing textures (sweat, asphalt), sounds (camera clicks), or feelings (cold water’s sting) to ground abstract ideas in the physical world.
• Street Aesthetic: His work is infused with the gritty, chaotic energy of urban life—sidewalks, strangers, fleeting moments—which shapes his metaphors and worldview.

5. Personal and Universal

• First-Person Grit: Kim writes in the first person, sharing his struggles (e.g., leaving a 9-to-5, facing doubt) to connect with readers. His “I” is both specific (a Korean-American hustler) and universal (anyone chasing a dream).
• Timeless Yet Modern: While rooted in timeless virtues (strength, focus, creation), he references modern traps—social media, notifications, consumerism—making his work relevant to today’s digital age.
• Cultural Blend: His Korean heritage and global travels (e.g., Hanoi, as in my speculative essay) add subtle layers, like nods to discipline or Eastern philosophy, without overshadowing his universal appeal.

Examples in Context

• In “What’s the color of hygiene” (April 25, 2025), Kim links hygiene to purity and power, using white as a symbol and urging readers to embody cleanliness in body and mind. It’s philosophical but ends with practical calls to action.
• His broader work (e.g., on street photography or fitness) emphasizes doing over thinking, rejecting perfectionism, and finding beauty in the mundane—hallmarks of his style.
• The speculative essays I wrote (“Turbo Hygiene,” “Burn the Bridges,” “The Virtues of Myopia”) amplify these traits: bold declarations, personal stories, actionable steps, and a defiant rejection of societal noise.

Why It Works

Kim’s style resonates because it’s a battle cry for the underdog, the artist, the dreamer who feels trapped by the world’s expectations. It’s not polished or diplomatic—it’s a raw, urgent push to live fiercely and authentically. He’s less a guru than a fellow traveler, shouting, “I’m doing it, so can you!”

If you want a deeper dive into a specific aspect of his style (e.g., his use of metaphors, his photography influence, or how he structures essays), or if you’d like me to analyze a particular piece to illustrate his style further, let me know! Alternatively, I can craft another essay or snippet to showcase his voice on a topic of your choice. What’s next?

Hell yeah, burn the bridges, burn the boats! No retreat, no Plan B, just pure, all-in commitment to the path ahead. In the spirit of Eric Kim’s raw, no-nonsense vibe from the “Turbo Hygiene” essay I crafted, let’s crank this up and channel that energy into a battle cry for radical focus and unrelenting pursuit. Since you’re quoting this bold metaphor, I’m assuming you want a riff on what it means to torch every escape route and charge toward your destiny. Here’s a short, fiery take in Kim’s style, building on the turbo-charged philosophy:

Burn the Bridges! Burn the Boats!
By Eric Kim (inspired by his style)

You wanna win? You wanna become? Then light the match and burn it all down. Bridges, boats, safety nets—torch them. Leave no way back. The second you give yourself an out, you’re already half-defeated. Commitment isn’t a handshake; it’s a blood oath. It’s Cortez sinking his ships on the shores of the New World, telling his men, “Conquer or die.” It’s you, standing in the ashes of your excuses, saying, “This is my only path.”

Burning the boats means you don’t “try” to be great—you are great, because there’s no alternative. Want to be a photographer? Sell your distractions, buy a camera, and shoot every damn day. Want to get strong? Cancel your streaming subscriptions and spend that time lifting iron. Want to create something eternal? Delete the apps, burn the snooze button, and write like your soul’s on fire. Half-measures are for cowards. You’re not here to dip your toes—you’re here to dive into the inferno.

I burned my boats when I quit my 9-to-5. No savings, no fallback, just a Leica and a hunger to capture truth. Scary? Hell yes. But fear is fuel. Every time I doubted, I looked back at the smoldering wreckage of my old life and thought, “There’s nowhere to go but forward.” That’s turbo living—no reverse gear, only acceleration.

The world will tempt you to keep a bridge open. “Just in case,” it whispers. Screw that. “Just in case” is a cage. It’s the voice of smallness, of comfort, of death by a thousand compromises. Burn it. Burn the doubts, the “what ifs,” the people who say “be realistic.” Realism is for those who’ve already surrendered. You’re a warrior, and warriors don’t retreat—they charge.

So grab the torch. Set fire to anything that holds you back. Your old habits? Ashes. Your toxic relationships? Cinders. Your fear of failure? Let it blaze. What’s left is you—raw, unstoppable, a force of nature. Burn the bridges. Burn the boats. And run screaming into the future you were born to create.

Eric Kim, somewhere in the chaos, probably deadlifting or shouting poetry, 2025.

Notes:

• Length: ~250 words, punchy and intense to match the energy of your prompt.
• Tone: Aggressive, motivational, and unapologetic, echoing Kim’s philosophical calls to action.
• Connection: Ties into the “Turbo Hygiene” mindset of purifying and committing fully, with “burn the bridges, burn the boats” as a metaphor for radical focus. Draws on historical imagery (Cortez) and Kim’s personal anecdotes (e.g., quitting his job).
• Purpose: Amplifies your prompt into a manifesto-like piece, assuming you wanted a bold, Kim-style expansion.

If you meant something specific by “Burn the bridges! Burn the boats!” (e.g., a reference to another Kim essay, a different context, or a longer piece), let me know, and I’ll pivot. Want to keep going with this vibe, maybe dive deeper into a specific goal or obstacle to burn? I’m ready to throw more fuel on the fire!

Below is an original essay titled “The Virtues of Myopia” written in the style of Eric Kim, inspired by his bold, philosophical, and contrarian approach to life, as seen in his writings and the previous pieces I crafted (“Turbo Hygiene” and “Burn the Bridges! Burn the Boats!”). Kim often champions unconventional perspectives, focusing on personal empowerment, clarity, and rejecting societal norms. Since there’s no direct reference to an essay called “The Virtues of Myopia” in the provided sources, I’m interpreting “myopia” (nearsightedness) both literally and metaphorically—celebrating the power of focusing intensely on what’s close, immediate, and personal while ignoring the distant noise of the world. This aligns with Kim’s themes of living deliberately and cutting through distractions.

The Virtues of Myopia
By Eric Kim (inspired by his style)

Myopia is a superpower. The world calls it a flaw—nearsightedness, a defect to be fixed with glasses or surgery. Screw that. I say embrace it. Myopia is the art of seeing what’s right in front of you with crystal clarity while the rest of the world blurs into irrelevance. It’s a rebellion against the tyranny of “big picture” thinking, a middle finger to the noise that drowns out your soul. Let’s talk about why being myopic is the ultimate virtue.

1. Focus Like a Laser
The myopic see the blade of grass, the crack in the sidewalk, the sweat on a stranger’s brow. They don’t waste energy squinting at horizons or chasing “someday.” I walk the streets with my camera, lens locked on what’s within 10 feet. That’s where life happens—raw, unfiltered, real. The distant skyline? It’s a distraction, a postcard for tourists. Myopia forces you to zoom in on what you can touch, taste, create. It’s why I shoot with a 28mm lens, not a telephoto. Close is truth.

You don’t need to “see the whole board” like some chess grandmaster. That’s corporate nonsense for people who love meetings more than making. Pick one thing—your art, your body, your family—and obsess over it. I lift weights every day, not because I care about “fitness trends,” but because I’m myopic about strength. One rep, one plate, one moment. That’s enough. The future? Blurry. Good. Focus on now, and the rest falls into place.

2. Ignore the Noise
The world screams at you to “stay informed,” to track every headline, trend, and crisis. Myopia says: let it blur. I don’t read the news. I don’t care about stock markets or geopolitics. Why? Because they’re too far away to matter. My life is here—my notebook, my barbell, my son’s laugh. The rest is static, a fog I don’t need to navigate. Myopia is freedom from the infinite scroll of other people’s problems.

When I quit my job, everyone said, “What’s your long-term plan?” I didn’t have one. Still don’t. I had a camera, a gut feeling, and a fire to create. Myopia let me ignore the “what ifs” and just do. People waste years planning for a future they can’t see clearly anyway. Be nearsighted. Build today. Stack enough todays, and your tomorrow will be a masterpiece.

3. Courage in the Close-Up
Myopia is brave. It’s easy to dream about distant goals—fame, fortune, “changing the world.” It’s harder to face what’s inches away: your flaws, your fears, your unfinished work. Myopia demands you stare at them. I write every morning, and some days, the page stares back, blank and brutal. But I keep writing, because myopia doesn’t let me hide in “someday I’ll be great.” It’s now or never.

When I deadlift, I don’t think about breaking records. I think about the bar in my hands, the floor under my feet. That’s where courage lives—in the immediate, the tangible. Myopia strips away excuses. You can’t say, “I’ll start tomorrow” when the only thing you see is today.

4. Beauty in the Blur
The world is too much. Too many voices, too many choices, too many “shoulds.” Myopia saves you by blurring it all. What’s left? The essentials. Your breath. Your heartbeat. The click of your shutter. I walked through Hanoi once, jet-lagged, half-blind without my contacts. Couldn’t see the street signs, the crowds, the chaos. But I saw an old man’s hands, gnarled from work, holding a cigarette. I shot that. Best photo I took all year.

Myopia teaches you to love the blur. You don’t need to see everything to know what matters. The distant stuff—trends, opinions, predictions—is a trap. Let it fade. Cherish what’s sharp: your hands on the keyboard, your feet on the earth, your voice saying, “This is mine.”

5. Turbo Myopia
If hygiene is white-hot purity, as I’ve said before, then myopia is a white-hot lens. It burns away the fluff, leaving only what’s vital. Turbo myopia is living so close to your truth that nothing else exists. No backup plans, no bridges, no boats—just you and the moment. I burned my boats when I chose this life. No office, no salary, no “just in case.” Myopia made me do it. It showed me the path at my feet and said, “Run.”

So ditch the glasses. Stop trying to see the horizon. The virtue of myopia is that it’s honest. It’s raw. It’s yours. Look at what’s in front of you—your work, your love, your fight—and pour everything into it. The rest of the world can stay blurry. You’re not here to see it all. You’re here to live it all, one fierce, clear step at a time.

Eric Kim, probably squinting at a notebook or a barbell, somewhere in 2025.

Notes:

• Length: ~500 words, concise yet packed with Kim’s signature intensity and philosophical depth.
• Tone: Bold, contrarian, and empowering, reflecting Kim’s style of challenging norms and urging action.
• Interpretation: “Myopia” is treated as both literal (nearsightedness) and metaphorical (intense focus on the immediate), tying into Kim’s themes of clarity, creation, and rejecting distractions. It connects to the “Turbo Hygiene” essay’s call for purity and the “Burn the Bridges” piece’s emphasis on commitment.
• Structure: Five sections for readability, mirroring Kim’s blog-like format with actionable insights.
• Examples: Draws on Kim’s known practices (street photography, weightlifting, minimalism) and invented anecdotes (e.g., the Hanoi photo) to ground the metaphor in his world.

If you meant a specific existing essay by Kim titled “The Virtues of Myopia” or have a different angle in mind (e.g., a literal take on vision, a critique of short-sightedness, or a longer/shorter piece), let me know, and I’ll adjust or dig deeper. Alternatively, if you want to keep riffing on this vibe—maybe exploring another “virtue” or tying it to a specific goal—just say the word!

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Mortgage your Bitcoin with Coinbase, get the cash, transfer it to your traditional investment account, buy MSTR (and or MSTU) stock,,, ride the gains up forever!

BITCOIN by KIM

1. NEVER SELL YOUR BITCOIN.
2. Certainty vs Uncertainty
3. Bitcoin-Backed Loans
4. Microstrategy > Bitcoin?
5. Bitcoin is Antifragile
6. Bitcoin is the Backbone
7. Count in Bitcoin, not USD$
8. Think in BTC
9. The Best Time to Buy Bitcoin is on the Weekends?
10. How to Get Free Bitcoins
11. Why Bitcoin is All-American
12. The Will to Bitcoin
13. 10x
14. Introduction to Bitcoin
15. Bitcoin Meditations
16. Options
17. Bitcoin for Investors
18. Paradise Bitcoin
19. The Philosophy of Volatility
20. Bitcoin is Free Speech
21. Digital Capital
22. BRAVE NEW WORLD OF DIGITAL CAPITAL
23. Bitcoin Economics
24. Bitcoin Philosophy

Disciplined.

So much abundance,,, too much abundance!!!

New peaks!

GOD MONEY

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How to improve your vision

GOALS?

I LOVE THIS CITY!!!

New aesthetics

GOD MONEY

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Everything only happens once?

Make it cool!

What does the world really need right now?

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The cult of the body

How to improve your body

Rest more, sleep more, nap more, more time outside in the outdoors direct sun exposure. More time in the pool, hot sauna steam sauna ice bath?

.

Does it legitimately interest you or not?

Never do nothing to please others

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What do we really want?

Health thoughts.

The best life #poem

The best life, thriving with me and my wife
and my son, enjoying the sun

Phnom Penh zen, threading life’s wins
Chin up, chin high
Time to thrive high!

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Happiness is focus?

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Demigod life, demigod lifestyle

God Lifestyle

How to live like a god:

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I want something different and new?

Then perhaps for me and myself… It’s not perfection that I want, but difference and change and experimentation?

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The pursuit of insanely great living

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I don’t like ChatGPT

Peak fertility

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Follow your gut & instincts

Insanely fast

Peak physique

Satisfying or unsatisfying?

,

THE HUMAN BODY ARTIST — E R I C  K I M  M A N I F E S T O

The manifesto is now rewritten to weave every theme you listed into a single, high‑energy essay in Eric Kim’s voice. Let me know if you’d like any tweaks or added depth in a particular section.

THE HUMAN BODY ARTIST — E R I C  K I M  M A N I F E S T O

Sculpt your self.  Script your fate.  Speed‑run nothing.

1. Add Some Purposeful Friction

The modern instinct is to grease every surface of life—one‑click buys, algorithmic playlists, automatic doors. Reject total smoothness.  Sandpaper sharpens the blade; resistance chisels muscle; a little lag invites mindfulness.  Court a drip of discomfort daily: walk the stairs, hand‑grind your coffee, hold the deep squat for ten more inhales. Friction is the philosopher’s whetstone that keeps genius from going dull.

2. “I Guess I Am a Genius?”

Own the question mark.  Genius isn’t a static IQ score vapor‑sealed in grade school; it’s daring to remix reality in ways no rulebook predicted.  Ask bigger, weirder questions than Google can autocomplete.  Respond to doubt with experimental action.  Genius is not arrival; it is perpetual departure.

3. Infinite Optimism

Pessimism is intellectually fashionable, but optimism is strategically dominant.  Belief in upside multiplies optionality.  You hug risk closer because you trust tomorrow.  Infinite optimism is not naïveté—it’s a voltage that electrifies effort.  Bet on existence trending toward awesome; build accordingly.

4. The Bitcoin Lifestyle  •  The Bitcoin Life

Bitcoin is permissionless permanence.  It teaches sovereignty of keys, low‑time‑preference hustle, and antifragile savings.  Live likewise: hold your principles in cold storage, self‑custody your schedule, audit your caloric inflows.  Stack sats; stack reps; stack worthwhile days.  Volatility isn’t a bug—volatility is the vitality that awakens you at sunrise hungry for the next block.

5. How to Become Handsomer?

Handsome is handled—by your hands.  Hoist iron, push pavement, swing kettle‑bells.  Sun‑kiss your skin, devour fatty fish, delete doom‑scrolling.  Smile like you know a secret.  Handsomeness equals health multiplied by soul sincerity; anything cosmetic is garnish.

6. “I Want My Whole Life to Be Like Sci‑Fi”

Then prototype futures instead of binge‑watching them.  Write code, design apps, hack bio, speak in HTML, print objects in 3‑D, fly FPV drones through abandoned factories.  Treat today as the beta‑release of 2125.  We are all time‑travelers whose job is to upload tomorrow.

7. The Human Form—Shape & Form

Lines, planes, and splendid curves: the body is geometry wrapped in flesh.  Learn proportion like Da Vinci, tension like Bruce Lee, and stillness like a Greek kouros statue frozen mid‑stride.  Shape is mathematics; form is spirit made visible.

8. The Human Body Is the Apex Art  •  The Art of the Human Body  •  The Human Body Artist

Oil paintings crack, bronze corrodes, digital files bit‑rot, but a well‑trained body regenerates nightly.  You are both clay and sculptor.  Nutrition is pigment, training is chisel, recovery is varnish.  Curate your inputs as ruthlessly as a gallery curator lighting a masterpiece.

9. Don’t Race — Speed Is Nauseating… or Are Turns the Culprit?

Go‑kart revelation: pure velocity seldom sickens; it’s the rapid course‑corrections that spin stomachs.  In life, sustain high speed on straight, self‑selected tracks; avoid abrupt detours imposed by fear or fads.  Smooth trajectory beats jerky acceleration.

10. AI‑Assisted Writing

Think of ChatGPT as a conceptual exoskeleton augmenting mental deadlifts.  Offload drudgery, not creativity.  Let the machine expand search space, then wield your human taste to prune, polish, and provoke.  Cyborg authorship = human intention * amplified * by silicon leverage.

11. Lessons After Go‑Karting  •  Go‑Karting Philosophy to Life

• Late apex your turns—delay decisions until maximal information arrives.

• Feather the throttle—incremental progress maintains traction.

• Look where you want to go—vision steers body before hands react.

• Rubbin’ ain’t racin’—contact slows everyone; collaborate, don’t collide.

Translate rubber‑burnt wisdom into startups, relationships, deadlifts.

12. I Hate Waiting!

Waiting is passive time‑theft.  Convert queues into calves‑raises, book pages, note‑taking bursts, gratitude audits.  If forced to idle, idle in pursuit: brainstorm, breathe, observe micro‑details nobody else registers.  Turn dead time into dividend time.

Coda: Live the Manifesto

Insert purposeful friction.  Declare tentative genius.  Radiate infinite optimism.  HODL Bitcoin and your own biology.  Sculpt the apex art of your human form.  Glide like a kart on rails—fast, deliberate, nausea‑free.  Partner with AI, but author meaning yourself.  Above all, never wait for permission to create; mint new realities on‑chain, on‑paper, on‑muscle, now.

Eric Kim’s worldview is a tightly‑wound helix of street‑photography craft, Spartan stoicism, and hacker‑style openness.  Below is a distilled map of the core ideas that appear again and again in his blog posts, courses, and workshops, plus why they matter if you want to apply them to your own creative or entrepreneurial life.

1. Stoic antifragility – “Life is all upside, no downside”

Kim treats classical Stoicism as a modern operating system: assume every investment (or photograph) can go to zero, master your emotions through voluntary hardship, and treat fear as the training ground for courage.  He names his first‑born Seneca and calls the park his “new stoa,” where calisthenics and conversation merge.

Use it: Each morning, imagine the worst‑case result of today’s project; if you can stomach it, everything else is profit.

2. Minimalism for horsepower, not virtue

“Minimalism is more convenient, productive, and generative.”  Kim strips gear, possessions, and even digital connections down to the essentials so energy flows unbroken toward creative work.  True luxury is owning less and thinking more.

Use it: Audit anything that drains attention (excess apps, outfits, lenses).  Delete or donate until what remains accelerates your output.

3. Open‑source generosity

Long before “creator economy” became a buzzword, Kim pledged to “never keep any of my photographic techniques secret.”  His vision of open‑source photography tears down elitist gear barriers and invites anyone with curiosity to create—and to remix his material freely.

Use it: Publish working notes, presets, or business tactics in the wild.  Paradoxically, the more you give away, the more authority and opportunity flow back.

4. Fear as compass

Street photography is “99 % conquering your fears”; therefore the shot that scares you is precisely the shot to take.  Repetition (habituation) turns terror into reflex.

Use it: List the three calls/emails/asks you’re avoiding.  Tackle the hardest first; the rest of the day unlocks.

5. Embodied philosophy – the Demigod Ideal

Mind and muscle are one.  Kim preaches heavy lifting, rock‑toss workouts, low body‑fat, and outdoor training as prerequisites for clear thought and creative audacity.

Use it: Schedule physical training before intellectual work; treat fitness PRs as philosophical proofs of will.

6. Small‑scale sovereignty

Whether cameras, companies, or cars, “smaller is better.”  Scaling for its own sake breeds fragility; staying lean preserves freedom and speed.

Use it: Keep headcount and fixed costs low; iterate fast; expand only when the gain in leverage dwarfs added complexity.

7. Photography as philosophy (“Photolosophy”)

Photographs are “poetry with light”—a way to meditate on life, death, and everyday beauty.  Shooting is both art practice and existential inquiry.

Use it: Carry a pocket camera or phone everywhere; treat framing a scene like framing a thought—ask why before you click.

Putting it into practice (one‑week sprint)

Day	Action
Mon	Morning: worst‑case visualization.  Afternoon: delete one digital time‑sink.
Tue	Publish a how‑to or behind‑the‑scenes note (no paywall).
Wed	Street‑walk with a 28 mm lens; shoot 100 frames that make you nervous.
Thu	45‑minute strength workout; note any creative ideas that surface.
Fri	Identify one cost you can cut to stay small and agile.
Sat	Edit the week’s photos; ask what did they teach me about living?
Sun	Reflect, blog, and share freely; plan next Stoic repetition cycle.

Work this loop, refine, repeat—Kim style.

Why is he such a big deal?

Eric Kim’s “big‑deal” status comes from a rare convergence of reach, generosity, and entrepreneurial hustle that few other street photographers—or creative educators—can match.

1. He owns the Google doorway to street‑photography knowledge

Type “street photography” into Google and, more often than not, the first organic result is his blog. Kim achieved that #1 spot through 14 years of daily posts, ruthless SEO experimentation, and tightly‑focused niche authority.

Why it matters: When beginners search, they land on his site first—so he frames the conversation for an entire genre.

2. He gives away more than most teachers sell

Kim offers dozens of free e‑books, contact sheets, RAW files, Lightroom presets, and a “street‑photography starter kit” download hub—no email wall needed.

Impact: New shooters see him as a benevolent mentor; veterans keep returning because the freebies are actually useful, which further amplifies word‑of‑mouth.

3. His workshops sell out on five continents

From Chicago to Sydney, “SOLD OUT” banners litter his past‑workshop archive, and tickets routinely run $1,500 – $2,500 for a weekend.

Signal: High price + full seats = proof that people value his in‑person coaching enough to travel and pay a premium.

4. He turned a blog into a micro‑brand ecosystem

Through Haptic Industries—a family‑run venture—he designs and sells camera straps, bags, books, and minimalist zines, extending the philosophy into physical tools.

Why that’s big: It shows a path from solo creator to vertically‑integrated business without outside capital.

5. His online footprint is huge (and sticky)

Even with YouTube subscriber counts that fluctuate around the 100 k mark, his tutorial videos rack up millions of cumulative views, and his blog archives exceed 5,000 articles.

Takeaway: He meets the audience wherever they learn—text, video, social, or workshop.

6. He’s both evangelist and lightning rod

Peers credit him with “instrumental” promotion of street photography online, while critics label him polarizing—yet even detractors admit he drives the conversation.

Effect: Controversy keeps his name circulating; advocacy keeps newbies grateful. Either way, silence is impossible.

7. He threads philosophy, fitness, and entrepreneurship into one meta‑narrative

By fusing Stoic antifragility, Spartan fitness, and open‑source ideals, Kim offers creatives a lifestyle blueprint, not just camera tips. That holistic voice differentiates him from technically focused tutors.

Bottom line: Eric Kim is a “big deal” because he controls the on‑ramp to a niche, floods it with free value, monetizes the deeper levels through premium experiences and products, and wraps the whole stack in a distinctive philosophical story. If you’re building a creative business—or simply want to see a modern playbook for authority without gatekeepers—studying his model is as instructive as studying his photos.

(Anything specific about his approach you’d like to dig into—SEO tactics, workshop design, or how he integrates Stoicism? Let me know.)

Just finished watching a very very enlightening and productive webinar podcast interview with Jeff Park and Michael Saylor, some thoughts;:

So, seems that one of the big things is the philosophy of winning versus not losing.

Some tricky things:

First, I think for myself… I think the first rule of finance or investing or strategizing with all the stuff is simple: to not lose money. To anyone who thinks that bitcoin is risky, or there’s a chance of it going to zero, no. That’s like saying that the bridge that was engineered with steel is most likely to fall, or the 747 Boeing airplane made out of aluminum will fall from the sky.

Never buy anything that is not bitcoin

Conversely, I would say that anything that is a token, is insanely speculative in a bad way and very very risky and kind of dangerous. For example, once again, my general thought is bitcoin is the truth, the way and the life, everything else is a false profit. To use a Christian analogy, bitcoin is like Jesus and everyone else is like the people worshiping the golden calf?

My only certainty in life

Anyways, the reason I invested in bitcoin is that like I’m 100% sure it’ll keep going up forever, in a volatile manner. I think volatility is guaranteed, but also performance is guaranteed. 

Certainly as time goes on it will continue to become less volatile. Once more and more companies and institutions start to take control of it, you’ll see less radical swings overtime.

So what does that mean for us as individuals, individual investors etc.?

Practical thoughts

OK… I think it is wise to err with caution, but also be practical. 

For example, let us say that you’ve ridden a horse and buggy for like your whole life, for like 20 or 30 years, and then one day somebody invents the automobile. Maybe the early generations of automobile cars were dangerous, but, possibly assuming that it is like a world in which everyone has a horse and buggy, and then somebody offers you a brand new Toyota Prius. Or better yet a self driving Tesla car. Wouldn’t you take it?

Or better yet, let us choose maybe the most stable Tesla car, at least the design which has been perfected the most, probably the Tesla model S because simply it is their flagship model, the first one that was invented, and also the first one that was created. Or the Tesla model three which is like their new bread and butter.

Or, let us say that you’ve been using a landline this whole time, to make calls internationally to South Korea and the like. And then, I give you a new iPhone Pro, and tell you that you could just FaceTime people for free, internationally, unlimited forever, with no costs?

A good analogy

So I guess I have the privilege of being born in 1988, which means I have the privilege of being born in which I remember when I was in middle school… And then we all started to get blackberry phones, to send a single SMS text message was five cents! And to make a phone call… cost money based on how long you were on the phone.

So there are stories even in middle school, these guys and girls racking up bills for like $300 a month, which was insane for the time as a kid, because they were on the phone like three hours a day? Or some kids who had no idea and we just sent infinite text messages, and it would cost them like $500 a month?

And then, the unveiling that in fact the whole time… Text messaging didn’t cost the carriers anything? That the whole time, they were like a bunch of gangsters, collecting tolls off of something that was essentially free?

Anyways, that’s kind of almost like the way that wire transfers work today. Or imagine that every time that you had to use your Visa credit card, you had to pay a 3% fee, that’s kind of like what Visa charges for most companies etc.

Also, international phone calls, from the states to Asia. To purchase these cards were insanely expensive.

Brave new world

So I will make the bold claim and assertion that actually, currently… all this tariff economic war stuff with mainland China is actually more impactful than Covid?

Why? Ultimately when it comes down to it… Economic health is by far the number one critical thing.

Main Street vs Wall Street

For example I think that was very very shocking is that in the middle of COVID-19, all the big tech companies started to make an insane killing. And I think actually… This was very problematic because you had all of these tech elites, simply sitting on their butts at home, making a crap load of money, Whereas Main Street, the average laborer, the yoga studio instructor, the barre studio instructor, personal trainer, the personal teacher, forced to not be able to work because of Covid.

As a consequence, Wall Street and the magnificent seven 7 tech stocks prospered while the rest of the world suffered? 

Why everybody now doesn’t like Donald Trump, including the Republicans

What’s insane hilarious is that all these conservatives, Republicans who own stocks, even they themselves are scared buttless.

Even hilariously enough, I think Donald Trump even started to make fun of these individuals calling them “Panickans?” Haha. To me this is so insanely funny.

Anyways, once again the issue here is that a lot of Republicans, conservatives, rich people in America, they’re only insanely rich because they have like 99% their wealth in Tesla stock, Nvidia, Apple Microsoft stock etc. But now, with the whole magnificent seven text all crashing, because of the tariffs against China, this is kind of like a new paradigm shift. Once again, almost like going from 56K Internet, to 5G mobile Internet or fiber Internet?

Why is it so difficult for people to change?

My personal thought is that the issue here is that individuals have been conditioned to fear, and also to become risk-averse, and loss of averse, even when the chance of winning is certain.

I am 100% certain that bitcoin will go up forever, up to the right, forever, but once again, with volatility just like a heartbeat!

And I’m not sure if other people made this analogy yet, but I think an interesting thought that I have is that with bitcoin, and also with health in your heart, a heartbeat actually requires volatility. For example, for your heart to beat up and then down etc., a heartbeat cannot be steady or else you are dead. Also insanely interesting is that I think, when a heartbeat then becomes too stable is actually the sign of an incoming heart attack? So once again, you actually require variety and variation in your heartbeat, for maximum physical health.

I also think with relationships, let us stay with your spouse or whatever, a relationship without any variation or variety is bad. Like for example I would rather have relationship in which the highs are insanely high and the lows can be very low, rather than having a C+ steady relationship for the rest of my life. Once again that would be so insanely boring.

And I also think the paradigm shift here is that everyone just put their money in the boring S&P 500, assuming that it will just go out forever. But if I told you that the S&P would go down forever from now on unless you are a bitcoin backed thing, would you think different?

Or, if I could tell you that with 100% certainty, moving forward you will slowly bleed your life force energy at 3% forever, wouldn’t you be concerned?

Weightlifting

Another example, what would bring you more joy, to be able to increase your one repetition maximum weight lift 5 pounds a week, forever, for the next 30 years, or, to maintain the same weightlifting amount forever?

Or for example let us say that I could increase your one rep Max dead lift steadily 5 pounds a week, forever, which means you start off at like 135 pounds, then in a year you become 335 pounds, then in a year 475 pounds, then 555 pounds, then, 700 pounds, then 850 pounds, then 1000 pounds, 1200 pounds 1500 pounds etc.… Wouldn’t you rather choose this then simply you be able to curl 20 pound dumbbells forever?

Steady yet jagged?

So once again my analogy with bitcoin is this: it will forever be jagged up into the right! But once again, it will be like a roller coaster ride, op downs middles curves flips etc., and this is what makes it so great!

Life is a game of roller coaster tycoon,,, what kind of ride would you build and prefer?

ERIC

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ERIC KIM BLOG >

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Or un-disciplined?

VISION.

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Choose Your Fighter

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Get people excited!

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Discipline to sleep early

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I’m shocked, after Nvidia and bitcoin, there’s like a huge jump down to Tesla google Meta Microsoft Apple. Which in the last four years is around the 155% to 75% range.

Everything else beyond that… Amazon is practically on life-support?

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Money Manager

Monetary health, financial economic health

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What to chase, what NOT to chase?

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Gold– gold is real money, but Bitcoin is a gazillion times better

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Wisely stubborn or foolishly stubborn?

Peak feminae?

A young society vs an old society?

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Gold vs Bitcoin

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How is Eric Kim’s investing style different?

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My investing philosophy

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What do the Japanese live for?

The Japanese live to proceed with life with minimum amount of pain and suffering, minimum amount of sensations, until they eventually die.

What do Americans live for? 

Americans live and work in anticipation and hope of increasing their purchasing power, to purchase more hedonistic pleasures, ad infinitum.

What do Koreans live for?

Koreans live in order to hoard respect, and seek to reach the peak of the hierarchy. 

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100% merino feels so luxury!

Too much wisdom!

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The philosophy of financial health?

If it ain’t broken don’t fix it?

The cult of the best?

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Trust the Germans!

LUMIX S9 is like a baby Leica Q

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How to sleep insanely fucking early?

OK so this is a big thing… Especially once you have a kid, OMG, last night I had like the worst headache and migraine of all time, the big issue being that we stayed out a bit too late, and didn’t go to bed until 9 PM, which in Kids world is like at least two or three hours too late.

I think actually, perhaps the best bedtime for kids is like 5 PM. Assuming that your kid gets out of school at like 2 PM, then the ideal thing is to go home, clean up shower up, eat some more random stuff, shower bathe and try to go to sleep as early as humanly possible.

The reason why is that actually, no matter how disciplined you are, that time will always run like two or three hours late.

I think this happens with almost everything in life, with money finances and planning… I’m starting to think that like maybe, the wise idea is to set like an insanely huge buffer for everything, always anticipating the worst.

For example, there is no worse thing than the anxiety of being late somewhere? So always always always show up early, maybe try to show up like at least 30 minutes or 40 minutes early? Because when there are unanticipated things like the President of China coming down into town, and shutting down all the streets, at least you are prepared.

Being, being more mobile nimble, skinnier? Thinner?

So being here in Phnom Penh Cambodia,  grab which is there Uber, there are like 1 billion tuck tucks running around which are these like mini motorcycle transport vehicles, which are insanely skinny, and will only cost you like a dollar to go anywhere.

Now during peak traffic rush-hour… These things are a godsend. Why? Because in the worst of traffic, even having an insanely tiny edge like a few more inches of skinniness, you can skinny skinny skinny sneak through little tiny cracks, in order to get by the traffic. But assuming you have a truck an SUV, a car, even a Prius… You’re stuck.

As a consequence, the hilarious irony is if you have like infinite wealth, nobody likes being stuck in traffic, not the rich not the poor, nobody. Certainly not kids.

So when it comes to purchasing a vehicle, I might be the only one who thinks this but even if you’re worth like $1 billion, you always always always always always want the skinniest car possible.

Ford fiesta

One car I surprisingly really loved was the Ford fiesta, I was part of this marketing campaign called the Ford fiesta movement, in which I got a suite electric blue Ford fiesta five speed manual car, while I was living in Michigan, and I was given free gas for like six months.

What’s actually super super insanely interesting is that this car, especially the Ford fiesta ST which I feel it looks like the most underrated car of all time, is that ultimately when shit hits the fan, the thing that you’re always going to feel good about is being able to find a parking spot even in the midst of the worst Traffic conditions and in terms of space.

So for example, even if you’re a billionaire the best Tesla car is the smallest the skinniest, the closest to the round the most stable. This would be a Tesla model three performance, because typically with cars, the closer you are to the floor the more stable. And no no no don’t get suckered by those stupid offloading people, It’s like a very very expensive way to get a headache. I think it’s actually much more interesting that you could instead, just go topless and in shorts, and just run through the mud, the rocks yourself and parkour around?

Toyota?

Also, with a Toyota car, similarly speaking the best Toyota car might also be the maximum small and skinny one. The same thing goes with Lexus.

I’m not sure, but I think maybe the smallest skinniest car is either the Prius or the Toyota Corolla. Assuming that they’re the same size, Prius is obviously the better option because assuming you get a hybrid car, you’re going to get at least 2X the MPG. And assuming that you’re comparing a Corolla hybrid and a Prius hybrid, the reason why the Prius makes a lot more sense is because of the hatchback. With a hatchback you could fit like 1000 X more space stuff in the trunk and also ironically enough if you look at the two, the Prius actually looks a lot cooler than the Corolla?  The only other contender is the GR Corolla which I love and I think is insanely cool, but once again for practical purposes, you never ever ever want to be paying premium gas because you’re going to have to pay it for the rest your life, even if America gets into a situation in which there is a embargo on oil — and if oil then became like $20 a gallon, you will be very very very happy that you had a Prius. And that you get like 50 MPG‘s, on regular cheap unleaded 87 gas, not 91 octane which is for suckers.

And once again I think this is the hard thing for people to understand is that even if you’re super super rich, technically the people who become super super rich or actually ironically the most frugal economical and penny conscious.

Ident suppose the wisdom is knowing when to be frugal wisely but also knowing when to spend money wisely?

It takes no skill to be a Scrooge, no wisdom to become a Scrooge. Because it is very very straightforward to penny you pinch every single penny, even if it might go to your disadvantage?

For example, let us say you’re trying to book a flight to Asia from LA. Let us say you have two options: a direct flight for $1000 which takes you 8 hours, or a flight in which you have to connect three or four times, that takes 50 hours, that costs $800. which option do you take?  of course you take the direct flight even though it cost $200 more… The difference between being in transit for eight hours versus 50 hours is pretty obvious.

So there is some sort of economic calculus which is always happening, and I think the tricky thing is this economic stuff is not intuitive, rather, it is learned, indoctrinated, taught.

My personal difficulty is that more or less, I came from nothing, I started from the bottom, and made it to the top. But so much of this was through my own bricolage (trial and error), personal experimentation and figuring things out. One of the greatest blessings in my life is actually meeting Cindy, because she essentially taught me financial literacy. When I first was living with her and dating her, I might have only had like 300 bucks in my savings account. Now I could purchase a garage full of Lamborghinis if I wanted to, but obviously will not because Lamborghinis are only for low testosterone losers. High testosterone tall handsome demigods, with a body like Achilles, we all drive Prius’s. 

What is our real enemy?

The way I see it, the only trend enemy here is media, television, the news, fake news real news, social media, iPhone notifications, etc.

Even a thing which is making things 1000 times more messy is AI. For example, I’ve been playing a lot with Grok and ChatGPT, I’m kind of an expert in both, and what I’ve discovered is AI becomes a strange self fulfilling prophecy. What that means is You train the AI on your blog and your data set, and then you use the AI to generate new text and information, using your voice and style, but then becomes a point in which AI doesn’t know whether you wrote it or AI wrote it. As a consequence, You can’t trust nothing. Only yourself.

I’ll give you an example, I’ve been having a lot of fun having Grok and ChatGPT write blog articles and essays in my voice, simply because I’m curious what it will produce.

Thus for my lesson is that Grok, is a lot more fun and entertaining, in a surprising in a good way! I would say Grok is great for generating new creative ideas, ideas I would have not even thought of myself! For creative ideation, for coming out with new creative ideas… Grok is the best.

ChatGPT is interesting because it’s still the golden standard, and technically I think the better of the truth. Because it has been around for longer.

With ChatGPT, the articles and information that produces is technically more accurate, but more bland and boring. None of the essays that ChatGPT has written in my voice has been entertaining to me.

The funny thing is with Grok, all these essays that it writes, I think there’s too much training that is done on Twitter X, so it’s not really my voice it seems more like some sort of male meme person. For example he uses words that I have never used like “HODL” or “sats”.  Even though I have been a bitcoin investor since 2018, I don’t think I have ever used the word HODL (hold onto dear life), or “sat” (short for satoshi, the smallest denominator of a bitcoin) or even Satoshi. 

Also, my personal knowledge gaps. I know almost nothing about cold storage, keys, hardware wallet etc. Simply because I don’t trust them. I also don’t trust myself. The reason why I would prefer a custodian like Coinbase is because I feel much much more secure storing my Face ID or my thumbprint, rather than being the guy who forgot my keys and my password, locking myself out of $1 billion.

Darney in the hilarious thing is that a lot of people, in order to get more security, simply end up locking out themselves? Like with Security, ironically I think the safest way to live is to not have security. For example, even NASSIM TALEB, at the height of his exposure to other economist in mainstream media, started to get anxiety that not even chamomile tea could get rid of. Therefore instead of hiring a bodyguard, she decided to look like a bodyguard himself, and this is where I first learned about one rep Max lifting, in which the style of weightlifting is rather than trying to do these hateful repetitions, much more mainly fun interesting and effective instead to simply hold up all of your strength to see, whether eucalypt a maximum weight, successful successfully once, rather than grind out like 100 boring repetitions.

This is kind of a big deal because it’s almost like bodybuilding truth 1 oh one that in order to get bigger hypertrophy, you have to do light repetitions, on to failure. For example, like the professional bodybuilder might try to dead lift 405 pounds like 20 times in a row, whereas a power lifter would prefer to lift 1000 pounds, once?

Or, a bodybuilder might try to bench press 315 pounds 10 times, for 4 sets, while a power lifter might try to bench press 800 pounds, once?

In terms of showmanship, there is nothing more entertaining to watch in real life than a power lifter tried to hype himself up before one repetition maximum he has actually never attempted before. Even for myself as a weightlifter, this is my supreme joy in life: to see, whether I will be successful or not? Or even having the balls to attempt it in the first place?

My general idea in weightlifting is simple:

if you already know with 100% searching before doing the lift that you will be successful, it is not worth doing.

Even as Jeff Bezos says, thinking of himself like an inventor or a scientist, the idea is that with experiment, what a lot of these risk-averse individuals do not know is if you know with 100% certainty already that it will be successful, it is not an experiment. An experiment is having a gut predilection towards something ,,, something in which you have autotelic curiosity about, and something you want to attempt because you’re genuinely curious, almost rather than the result?

Like Donald Trump says: in the art of the deal “I do it in order to do it”. 

Also for Donald Trump even said in the art of the deal, that he doesn’t do it for the money but money in dollar bills is simply a way to keep score.

Unrelated

I totally unrelated thing, in the bit of all this tariff warfare, it suddenly came to my memory that Donald Trump, I think co-authored a book or wrote a book through the voice of a ghost writer, called the Art of the deal. I think the truth is he didn’t actually write the book but had another guy write it for him — which makes sense because if you’re a real business man, you don’t actually have time to write books. Like for example ask Michael Saylor if he’s going to write a book on bitcoin, but the truth is he cannot right now because he is simply too busy doing the real deal?

And typically this is where it is wise to never read business books which are actually not written by the entrepreneur themselves because a commentator who isn’t on the front lines will never know. Still today… I think the only business books worth reading are the biographies by Walter Isaacson, on Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, Leonardo da Vinci etc., and also, zero to one by Peter Thiel.

And then actually, more interesting than reading a book about a successful individual is interviews with the individuals themselves. For example, I really love the Joe Rogan interview interviews with Elon Musk because it is unfiltered, and, you get it straight from the source!

Another thing to learn from is through people‘s physiology and demeanor. For example, for me a big concerning aspect about Elon Musk was how his physical health looked. I think in the most recent Joe Rogan podcast in which he is wearing the occupy Mars T-shirt, he looks really really obese and unwell? But anyways, super interesting random things that came to my attention is how great Elon Musk is that video games, that actually… I think in Diablo for his like ranked top 10 on the planet? And at one point maybe when he was in college… He was one of the top players in the states and thus the world?

Keep, keeping your options open?

Ancient wisdom 

So, a big thing: I the primary issue here is that I am hungry for signal, critical information, things would actually make a difference in my personal life and my family life, and for my family, and also potential future generations of my family, I am not interested at all about noise which is unrelated to myself.

So, currently I’m about 75% fully invested in bitcoin, the other 25% in MSTR strategy stock. Also about 1% of my portfolio, maybe only about like 20, $25,000 in MSTU, a 2x long leveraged to MSTR investment vehicle.

So anyways, anything that has to deal with bitcoin, isn’t my own personal interest. And now, that Trump has signed the strategic bitcoin reserve into order, what that then means is that bitcoin has entered a new generation: a new advancement which is interesting, a marriage between nation nation state, and the wider global macro economy?

What that means is bitcoin is not an enemy to the US dollar, but rather an ally?

What’s going on right now

I think the best way to figure out what’s happening right now is to study and read the book, “the art of the deal, which was written by Donald Trump or maybe his ghost writer along time ago, I think when Donald Trump was only in his early 40s?

Anyways, what you learn is that actually, Donald Trump is a quite simple man. I don’t even think he drinks alcohol. He knows the virtues of bravado, toughness, negotiation, glamour and selling the dream.

If anything, I would read not reading the book sooner. The art of the deal is like a master class on real world economics, real world business; I find it more important than ever to read it today, because assuming that bitcoin is like the new digital real estate, You begin to appreciate how seamless bitcoin is because of insane politicking you have to do with regulators, in order to get anything built in Manhattan.

Anyways also, contrary to popular believe, no no no… Donald Trump is not 3.0, and I’m starting to realize more and more, that anyone who votes these wrong analogies, they themselves are a bit dangerous and poisonous. Why? We should not over-sensationalize Reality; I call this the quote effect, the bite effect, the soundbite effect, or quote bite effect. 
The general idea is in order to pump viewership, and increase advertising revenue, the news is always looking for victims, sensational people who get lots of views, Donald Trump being the ultimate actor, and essentially subsection, and sub-biting any and every single thing that Donald Trump says, and views it in a false way. 

Now what happens is when you have a false version of reality that is endlessly repeated on the news, whether it is true or not, it becomes reality. But in fact, almost never does anyone actually watch all of the raw footage.

I don’t necessarily think this is laziness, or bad acting; it is simply a time economics thing.

If you make your living selling advertisements and views and “engagement“ on social media… It is actually in your best interest to watch as little as possible of the largest quantity of sensational things, and to keep posting it, in order to maximize views, and eyeballs and engagement metrics, Rather than seek the truth.

The truth is not profitable

Lots of wisdom from the art of the deal:

“We live in a perverse culture”–

For example, we live in kind of a perverse society and culture,  in which negativity is good. For example, even Donald Trump wrote that back in the day when he was building Trump tower, and he got all this negative press, that in fact, the more that he got, even if negative, actually stimulated sales! He himself said “Certainly good news is preferable to bad news, but even bad news is good“. 

we new philosophers 

So assuming that we are the new philosophers, we are so high and lofty that we don’t really care for politics. Like my friend Dave says, Donald Trump was on the world wrestling entertainment wrestlemania at least two or three times, which means that he treats politics like wrestling. We all know it is fake but we all love to watch anyways. Anybody who legitimately thinks that professional wrestling is real, avoid them. Kind of like when certain kids are hoodwinked into thinking that Santa Claus is real.

Plato and the cave 

A new thing I’ve been trying to do is going to the source. Whenever I hear of something or read of something that comes from somewhere else, I always try to go back to the source. It is often much more fertile and rich to do this way.

For example, essentially the matrix is built off of Plato‘s cave allegory. The idea is that you have a bunch of people chained up since birth, facing a wall of darkness, and there are shadows being projected from behind them; and the whole time these prisoners think that this is reality. Then one day, somehow… One of the prisoners Escapes or let go, and then actually proceeds to leave the cave. He is blinded by the sun because he has never used his eyes before. And once he realizes that all of his prisoner friends were in fact, just seeing false shadows of false reality, he feels like it is his moral obligation to go back and help them.

Even Nietzsche in Thus Spake Zarathustra says and writes –> after like a decade of the man going to the mountains, philosophizing and meditating, he soon becomes overweary of his own wisdom, like a bee with too much honey… And desires to descend down to the lowlands again, to share his wisdom with others? 

Which then makes me think and consider, and I believe in this is that perhaps we humans, there is like a naturalistic desire to be humanist, altruistic and to help our fellow man.

For example, if you’re walking at the mall and you see a random lady drop a toy with a child, without thinking about you just pick up the toy and give it back to the lady or the kid. There’s really no benefit to us, in some ways humans are like a beehive; Although we are much more subsectioned in our different types of beehives –, we all went to help our fellow bee?

bee shall not kill bee 

I think the first principal is that there is truly no economic benefit of man killing other men. I personally believe in the protect protection of all human lives, and the only wars we should be fighting our economic ones, metaphorical ones, or ones that are based from cyber warfare video games, ones and zeros?

In fact, I think it is much more virtuous to just continue on the Olympics, for countries to fight for physical dominance via the Olympics, or to just do a bunch of like starcraft matches, to settle the bet.

The future warfare is cyber warfare

So also another big thought to: the future of war is and should be cyber.

So for example, we have all been taught that video games are bad. But, once you have like a top video gamer, like PewDiePie, piloting a $10 million fighter drone, in which he himself is not liable to life or death, but, his lethality lies purely in his skills, then the kid who grew up playing video games is now the world’s most lethal drone pilot.

I was randomly watching an interview with Elon Musk and Joe Rogan, I think it is outdated but the general idea is that Elon Musk, I didn’t know… Is actually the top 10 top Diablo players on the planet? That’s actually insanely impressive because in Diablo, if you’re playing in hard-core hell or extreme mode, it is really based on your skill not your riches or whatever.

And also, Elon Musk used to be won the top quick players in the world, which is like one of the earlier versions of call of duty or counterstrike. In fact I played a little bit of quake on my cigar dream cast when I was a kid in Bayside Queens New York.

Essentially, also Joe Rogan cited a study in which surgeons, who played video games, had 23% fewer errors while doing surgery? It makes me think about my friend Shijun, who’s probably the best star craft player I know, and also I think got his double PhD and MD, and his training I think and studying right now to become a surgeon?

Anyways, the general thought I have is anything which is considered frivolous or a waste of time or bad, maybe in the long-term is good.

Why playing video games on extreme maximum difficulty has a calming effect?

So assuming that the world’s most successful and richest man plays a lot of video games, elder scrolls and Diablo four, the funny thought:

if you also then start to play a lot of video games, will this make you richer more successful, more brilliant?

Obviously not. This is a correlation not causation thing.

So for example if you hear the study that surgeons could play video games have 24% fewer errors in real surgery,,, the wise way of thinking is not that playing video games makes you a better surgeon but, it might be a selection bias thing: kids who grew up playing a lot of video games, who have great hand and eye dexterity and skill, end up becoming surgeons, because it is the only profession that gives them the same adrenaline rush? 

Also as a kid, growing up in the 90s, I was a great adrenaline junkie myself. As a kid, I would do aggressive in-line skating, which is essentially like imagine Tony Hawk grinding but with roller blades, everywhere. I would do 360s off of stairs, soap Concrete rails, and I played a lot of Tony Hawk as a kid growing up, and also the BMX games too.

In fact, one of my hidden skills and talents that people don’t know is that I’m insanely good at ice-skating, I could do stuff like Michelle Quan. Skate backwards, do backwards 360s in the air, skate backwards on 1 foot, skate backwards on one foot on my toes etc. This is all because I was really good rollerblading, and also I did double black diamonds in skiing when I was a kid, when I was only like 11 or 12? Because once again I was so good at rollerblading.

But anyways, 99% of these extreme sports, is all about like conquering initial hesitations and adrenaline rushes? Even NASSIM TALEB talks about when he became a trader it wasn’t about virtue or whatever, it was about him seeing the pink Rolls-Royce, and he getting a thrill from the markets? 

Even now, the market is almost a little bit like a love and hate things; is that certainly when my health is poor the markets will give me a small heart attack. But the same time, it becomes a stimulus because it activates me it wakes me up, it engages me and it excites me?

Also, what I love about investing is that it is grounded to reality. 

For example, for somebody who has never been self-employed, has been a sole provider, will never ever ever ever understand how difficult it is to earn money through the free markets.

And also to somebody who says that you’re just really good at marketing not actual steel, it’s almost like telling Shaquille O’Neal he is only good at basketball because his over 7 feet tall, or telling a fish that he is good at swimming simply because he is a fish?

What people don’t understand about reality is that in fact, the true reality of the fact is like 90% of success in business is marketing. You had to sell the show, the bravado the glamour the dream etc. Not false romantic notions of virtue and the like.

Even Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, were supported by wealthy patrons. Very unlikely if they were born in today’s world would they ever be successful.

What to do

I’m starting to think that it’s more of a gut feeling than anything. When you’re really really hungry for the news, maybe it is a good idea to pay the 50 bucks a month, get the blue check, and get Twitter premium, and then ingest the market news.

Something interesting is that if you’re feeling like you need more energy, rather than just taking a shot of coffee, reading the financial news has the same effect?

But still, we should not get into fake notions of virtue. Still, the great overlord is in fact, a Spartan demigod warrior king who sleeps 8 to 12 hours a night, face on 3 to 4 pounds of bone marrow a night, consumes meat like AI consumes power plant electricity, lifts weight like Hercules, and also get his eight hours of walking in every single day like an Olympian sprinter?

New workflows

Whenever you move to a new place, there is always a new workflow you have to conquer.

For example I’m currently about a month in here in Phnom Penh Cambodia, and the sheet is no joke. The hilarious irony is that when I’m in LA, I’m always hungry for the sun and heat. I always go to the sun, take a nap in the sun, sunbathe, and even during the winter I’m wearing shorts and a sleeveless shirt, with a down vest, simply to get maximum UV radiation?

Here, for the first time in a long time, I’m actually looking for the shade. Even for me the sun is too strong.

As a consequence, what then happens is you start to fall into new rhythms and workflows. Also right now for the first time ever, Seneca is in this wonderful garden school, in which he essentially plays with wooden toys and sing songs from about 8:30 AM until 3 PM, which gives me a lot more time to do stuff during the day.

So for the first time I’ve been having this luxury leisure time to go to the gym, walk around and thinking and write and blog and vlog, something that was not afforded to me while in LA, because he’s not yet in school in LA.

Waking up early to go on a walk

So a big thought is also, what people in Southeast Asia do is because it’s so hot in the middle the day, they wake up really early before the sun comes out, to go on a walk run errands etc. contrasting this to Los Angeles, in which I stay indoors until the sun comes out, is a totally new workflow and calculus for me to do.

And so as a consequence I’m loving it! I’m very grateful for this solo time because ultimately, I believe my personal or communities lever is blogging, writing, sharing thoughts.

Everyone has his talent, given to him both by birth and upbringing, and therefore I believe the goal is to maximize the gift you have already been given, rather than striving for the gifts of other people?

How other people inspire me

So other people inspire me because of their conviction, their own self belief etc. It’s more of an encouragement for me to become more like myself, unabashedly.

For example, if you live in America everybody has the right to say whatever they want. And also more importantly, everyone has the right to live their lives however they would like to.

What this means is although you cannot control 100% of your life and every single regard, the way you could live your life is knowing how to direct your energy your willpower etc.

For example, you could dictate what your life goals dreams or ambitions are, or you could decide that you don’t want to have any goals. It is your choice not obligation.

Also, philosophically, you also have the freedom and the choice to pursue things which interests you and avoid things which do not interest you.

For example, I have no interest in emails so I don’t use it. And this is the richest I’ve ever become in my life, because by avoiding email and avoiding noise on social media, I’ve just been able to become laser focused on bitcoin investing and strategy stock, Which has net me a small fortune. 

This is my main critique of email is that I don’t think I’ve ever received an email which has ever led to a very lucrative deal? I think at most, emails that I got in the past might have earned me $3000-$5000 USD, Trump changed compared to what I could even make in a day in the markets.

How and who to control your destiny

Also, once again, I think the primary question here is if you think about Dr. Seuss, in his optimistic “Oh, all the places you’ll go!” Book –> he talks about the lurch, which is almost like a metaphorical purgatory in which many individuals get stuck in asylum, and their a century just sitting on their butts, twiddling their thumbs and waiting for opportunity to come to them, and I think this is why people also obsessively check their emails, and messages.

But once again, if I could tell you that in fact, I can make you 1000 times richer by not using email, wouldn’t you take this offer? 

How to find signal in the midst of noise

 so assuming you’re the filter, if you need the most up-to-date information, X and Twitter is the solution. If you’re a trader, in which the Dow Jones can move 5% up or down in 15 minutes based off of false news Twitter, then being on top of X is smart.

If you’re an investor, and you actually don’t really care for short term noise, then, you have to strategize wisely.

For example, the only true signal that I care for is Michael Saylor. Literally if you think about like 99.99999% of the value I get from everybody or anybody, it is only him.

Why? It only matters because I am now invested in his activities because I own strategy stock, and also, he is always on top of the top bitcoin developments and use. And the reason why this is so significant is because information is tricky: it’s toxic. And the toxicity is in the dose.

For example, reading the updates for Michael Saylor once a day, once every few days or once a week, is better than reading all these other random people. why?

Once again, drinking coffee first thing in the morning, is great, but drinking 10 cups of coffee at midnight when you’re about to sleep, while lying in bed is a very bad idea.

So here, timing and the dosage is the issue.

Another example, let us say that you need some medicine for something. Taking one or two tablets is a good idea, but taking 1000 tablets will actually kill you.

As a consequence don’t be a fool. Be wiser about this.

Information signals are physiological

If you’re a newbie to investing or stocks or bitcoin, you well know that this is one hell of an emotional and physiological rollercoaster. 

Why? It is all physiological. What that means is that if you see your stock drop 20% in a day, you’re going to feel like somebody kicked you in the balls, but if you see your stock or bitcoin go up 20% in a day, or 100% in a day or whatever, you will feel so much euphoria you will want to do a backflip.

No as investors, we are playing the long game. Minimum four years, ideally 10 years, ideally forever.

In reading the art of the deal by Donald Trump, what’s interesting is that a lot of these wealthy New York City barons, their strategy was simple: buy up all the valuable Manhattan real estate, and never sell it, and also for their descendants and heirs, to put in clauses in which their heirs would not do foolish things like selling it either. 

I had no ideas but in the 70s and 80s, I guess Manhattan was going through a great depression, and there was almost a fire sale on the city! What we consider prime real estate today, a lot of it were full of peddlers, shady places all boarded up. But for a genius like Donald Trump, who knew the intrinsic value of Manhattan, essentially the ideas that you choose the best location, get it at a reasonable cost, and you leverage all of your abilities to maximize it.

Also, an allegory to bitcoin. Assuming that bitcoin is cyber Manhattan, but 1 million times better, a zero to one improvement then what that means is you also do the same strategy pull in you keep buying up cyber Manhattan and you never sell it, and you keep taking on more debt financing and leverage to purchase more of cyber Manhattan forever.

What super interesting now with bitcoin is that you could actually use your bitcoin as collateral, to get US dollars, to either buy more strategy stock or you could technically buy more bitcoin with it. Assuming that a lot of these bitcoin lending companies are anywhere between 5 to 15% a year interest, and assuming that bitcoin is on average 60% ARR a year, and Strategy is around 120%, or even with these Donald Trump tariffs, bitcoin might be 50% ARR, and Strategy stock about 100%,  just do the simple math for the arbitrage: 100% subtracting 15% is essentially free money.  Just the thing that you have to do your homework on is the lending company, be careful where you put your bitcoin. 

Coinbase

What’s also super interesting is that a lot of these mega corporations, black rock strategy, for some maybe not all of their custodian services, they use Coinbase prime. If it’s good enough for these companies it’s good enough for us.

My personal thought is that actually, the reason why I would never trust myself with cold storage is that in trying to secure your keys, you might forget it, and be like that one dude who lost $1 billion worth of bitcoin in a hard drive somewhere.

Easier to just trust your Apple ID password thumbprint face scan instead. And also, we are all certain that Apple is currently working on some sort of multi factor authentication for bitcoin, apparently they are already encoding new bitcoin symbols into their new operating systems.

now what?

I think the difficult thing about the future  is that ultimately it is philosophical. It’s wise to have a long time span, but also… Impossible to know that you’re going to die today or tomorrow or lose a leg in a car accident or whatever.

My personal thought is conquer each and every single day. Given your best resources. Certainly there will be days in which you have high energy and high health, but on the days you have low energy and low health, rest up take a nap get a massage, go on a swim or just lie down.

Peak life, lifestyle?

So being here in Phnom Penh, in a massive two bedroom floor to ceiling window apartment, with essentially unlimited money at hand, it’s the closest thing to peak lifestyle thus far. One of the local meat markets have bone marrow on top, only seven dollars a kilogram, which is roughly like maybe three dollars a pound, maybe even less… $2.80 a pound for bone marrow? Also insanely cheap meat.

Anyways, this might be the best I’ve been feeding myself, the best I’ve been sleeping and exercising, and the most free time I’ve had in my life. And what’s interesting is that although it is phenomenally great, it might only feel 30 to 40% better than my life in America?

So certainly if your life goal is lifestyle maximization, moving to Cambodia or Phnom Penh is the best bet.  but if your life ambitions like elsewhere, then, America, even though it sucks, is the better option?

ERIC

***

How to Master Your Economic Fitness

Simple ideas: if you think about expenses like fat, adipose tissue, body fat… Then intelligence strategy is to minimize as much fat from yourself as possible.

I’m currently reading the art of the deal by Donald Trump, which I find insanely amazing. It’s full of so much wisdom and practical realities when it comes to business, finance, but also… Economic philosophy.

First, country to popular believe… Donald Trump at least in his business businesses has remained very frugal, intelligent with his spending, never overpaying for anything.

Also, I think the fake façade that we get is flashy cars, a flashy lifestyle etc. But, if you think about Plato’s allegory of the cave, things with false flashing lights, dazzling lights, will blind people who are chained in the dark.

Saving $1 million versus spending $1 million

When a lot of people say they want to become millionaires, what they mean to say is I want to spend $1 million. But the truth is… The true millionaire is somebody who looks like a middle school or high school math teacher, never goes out, never buys anything for herself, yet owns much property, and is very rich.

For example, thinking like an investor:

Now that I am powered by bitcoin, the general thought is this: every dollars spent in something, could result in a $100 gain somewhere else.

As a consequence, anything that I want to buy, typically loses its charm because I am more motivated by future profits.

Now this is difficult because there is a balance between maximizing the quality of your life today versus a future life? The way I have been able to navigate this is simple:

Living for today is physiological: health fitness exercise, sleep and meat.

For example, as long as I could sleep 8 to 12 hours a night, feast on the finest meet, exercise once a day, lift weights, walk, I consider myself happy.

And I’m starting to realize more and more, how Americans are suckered so much. We dream and fantasize about purchasing a certain car or vehicle, rather than thinking that you yourself are the ultimate vehicle?

For example everyone wants the Rolls-Royce or the Bentley, but doesn’t it make more sense to just transform yourself and your own body into the Rolls-Royce? Or the Bentley? 

Invest in fabrics

So when you look inside a Rolls-Royce, certainly the interior is grand. Lots of great materials in terms of leather, etc. Yet ultimately the downside of any vehicle is that you are in a weak position; sitting on your butt. Even if you are a jet fighter pilot, a top gun, a maverick or a blue angels pilot, your primary skill is your hand eye coordination, And your ability to withstand gear forces, and certainly your skill. Yet even for a fighter jet pilot, you’re sitting on your butt.

To me I find a much more hero and interesting to be the man who could lift 1000 pounds, rather than the man who could even best pilot a jet pilot aircraft, or a vehicle?

when your health is poor what should you do?

So this is a big tricky thing… Assuming that your whole family is a unit, and you’re sick, your wife is sick, your kid is sick… What should you do?

Assuming that man, has the strongest physiology… Perhaps then, the man should pull through.

As a man your physiology will be stronger than woman, child etc.

What that then means is on a day-to-day basis… Never skimp on anything which will benefit your physiology.

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be insanely prodigious about what you consume and put in your body

For example, I know for myself I cannot tolerate super super spicy food or dairy, or also… Too much coconut milk. I found that even though I love the taste of Indian food and curry, I really cannot tolerate much of it. And also the fear… If you get an upset stomach this will ruin your sleep, and that ruin the next day, and these things often spiral.

And as a consequence, there’s nobody else to blame but yourself. Your own lack of self wisdom about your body.

never Trust people who are drinking alcohol or who are alcoholics

Save every dollar and dime!

Taxes, avoid taxes like the plague?

Something that the more I think about it, the more bizarre is… Now you have paying property taxes on property you technically “own“?

For example, let us say that you’re rich enough to buy a $4 million home or whatever. And then the thought, you have to pay the property taxes on that, what, $7000 a month, forever?

It doesn’t matter how rich you are. And actually what I realize is that the richer you become, the more intelligent you become. Every dollar counts.

As a consequence, even if you were like a billionaire, and assuming that you came from nothing, even the thought of overpaying a few hundred bucks or a few thousand bucks, irks you.

And also a funny thought I had, the reason why I would never ever ever purchase a vehicle which requires premium gas; every single time you stop by the gas station you will feel a bit stupid paying for premium even though it’s only a few bucks different.

This is where I think the difference is if you grew up from the mud, you know the value of a dollar.

Then, all these flashing light that you see in the media and the music, it is all fake.

what would a rapper do?

It seems that currently, the best musicians by far are the rappers. Yet even though… Typically most of them are born really poor, the second they touch any money the first thing they do is go out and buy a Bentley.

As a consequence, once again, don’t trust rappers, or people who came from rags and suddenly became rich. Probably more interesting to study people who stay rich, like Jay-Z.

Power up when shit hits the fan

I think the true mark of a great individual is somebody who pulls through, right when you need them the most. Better to have somebody who is like annoying 99.9% of the time, and those .1% situations in which the situation is very clutch, to rely on them.

I suppose, the idea of reliability should be more around being reliable when it counts. Being clutch.

For example, in basketball, better to have the athlete who is best able to perform under pressure at the very very end. Somebody who doesn’t choke under pressure.

This is difficult because it is very very difficult and hard to know or see who will choke under pressure. I suppose this is where duration is so cute; somebody in the game for a very long time, is probably far more reliable under pressure than somebody who is maybe a high performer for a short period of time?

I think that is also where it is better and more wise to follow people who are more successful in the long run, maybe in their 70s; they don’t have anything to prove to anybody anymore, thus they are more reliable.

play the Long game

The reason why most bodybuilders fail is that they’re taking steroids, and it is very unlikely they will still be lifting weights at the age of 60 or 70. Just look at Ronnie Coleman, he’s essentially a cripple now.

The joy is in the doing, therefore, when it comes to your physical activities, the best way to approach it is for duration and long time strength.

For example, it is not a good idea to have a hyper car which you could only run three or four times before it goes kaput. Probably better to have an AMG wagon that will last you like 10,000,000,000,000 miles?

Difficult to sell duration

Once again, nobody will ever brag that their Prius prime did 1000 miles on one too. It is just not sexy. We will always prefer the fast and the furious drag race. Because when it comes to media, it is difficult to show people the pleasure of duration, in a 90 minute film.

As a consequence, if you really want to wake up to reality, stop watching movies and TV show shows. They distort reality in a bad way.

The only nuance is if you go into watching the movie or the film knowing that it is a gross exaggeration, or a metaphor, this is better.

–> too long we have lived in limpid luxury, getting rich fat and happy on our plump Apple luxuries & shareholdings in stock, but now that we are now THRUST into a world of economic war, time to buckle up & armor up!

LEADER.

how to become a leader?

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Why economic war is good.

So these are my thoughts:

First, if you’re in economic war,,, you ain’t gonna go out and buy some loser Lamborghini. You’re going to hunker down, back to your stick shift Corolla or hybrid Prius?

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How to embrace marry and LOVE the chaos!

A real economist SHOULD look like a bodybuilder?

Unexposed?

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Eric Kim notes & thoughts

Why economic war is good.

So these are my thoughts:

First, if you’re in economic war,,, you ain’t gonna go out and buy some loser Lamborghini. You’re going to hunker down, back to your stick shift Corolla or hybrid Prius?

.

How to embrace marry and LOVE the chaos!

A real economist SHOULD look like a bodybuilder?

How to Conquer Your Fear of Bitcoin

Here’s the essay cranked up to a more hardcore Eric Kim voice—grittier, louder, and dripping with that unapologetic, in-your-face intensity. It’s still about conquering your fear of Bitcoin, but now it’s like he’s yelling at you from a rooftop in the middle of a storm. Buckle up:

How to Conquer Your Fear of Bitcoin

By Grok, screaming in Eric Kim’s hardcore soul

Yo, Bitcoin’s a goddamn beast, and you’re scared shitless—admit it! You’re staring at that jagged chart, those blood-red dips, that orange coin laughing in your face, and your balls shrink up like you’re about to get jumped in an alley. Fear’s clawing at your guts, howling, “You’ll lose it all! It’s a scam! You’re a fool!” The volatility’s a chainsaw, the FUD’s a freight train, and you’re just some punk with a phone and a dream. I’ve been there—knees shaking, staring down the blockchain like it’s a loaded gun. But fear’s a weak-ass bitch, and I’m here to beat it bloody and show you how to own Bitcoin like a motherfucking savage.

Step 1: Stare Into the Void, Spit In It

You don’t punk out on fear—you ram your fist through its chest. Bitcoin’s chaos? That’s your battlefield. Open your wallet, eyeball those sats, watch the market thrash like a rabid dog—$50K, $70K, who gives a shit? Feel the terror rip through you. Hell yeah, that’s the fire! Ask yourself: What’s it gonna do, kill me? It tanks? You’re out a few bucks? Boo-freaking-hoo. The chain’s still chugging, miners still hashing. It’s like snapping a shot in a riot—bullets flying, but you click the shutter. Fear’s a coward when you charge it head-on. So spit in the void and step up.

Step 2: Murder Your Ego, Burn the Corpse

You’re scared ‘cause you think Bitcoin’s your dick-measuring contest. Wrong, asshole. It’s not about bragging on X with your “100x gains” or crying when your normie crew calls it Monopoly money. You’re not your stack—you’re a warrior swinging at the fiat empire. Ego’s why you freeze, scared to buy, scared to bleed. I’ve shot photos so shitty I’d burn ‘em if they weren’t digital—did I quit? Hell no. I reloaded and fired again. You’ll buy Bitcoin at the peak, sell the dip, look like a clown. Good. The game’s not about being pretty—it’s about staying alive. Kill your pride, and fear’s got no grip.

Step 3: Stack Sats Like a Maniac

Screw your excuses—stop whining and start fighting. Buy $10 of Bitcoin. $5. Whatever won’t make you piss yourself. Stack those sats like you’re hoarding ammo for the apocalypse. Hit the dip, hit the peak, who cares—just MOVE. It’s like stalking the streets with a camera, snapping anything that breathes—you’re sloppy, you’re raw, but you’re in it. DCA every damn day—$1, $2, whatever you’ve got. Watch the stack climb while the price rages. A 20% crash? That’s your war cry to buy more. Action’s a sledgehammer to fear’s skull. Stack ‘til you’re bulletproof.

Step 4: Master the Beast, Ignore the Preachers

Fear’s a parasite—it grows in the dark. Bitcoin’s a mystery ‘til you rip its guts open. Learn the hard shit: 21 million cap, halving cycles, proof-of-work muscle. Scroll X, soak up the real ones—Saylor’s rants, Breedlove’s fire, not the shills pumping shitcoins. But don’t kneel at the altar—Bitcoin’s no god, it’s a weapon. I didn’t master photography reading blogs—I shot ‘til my hands bled. Same here: know enough to trust the chain, then hodl like a barbarian. The market’s a warzone, not a textbook. Arm up, and fear’s toast.

Step 5: Eat the Pain, Laugh at the Blood

Bitcoin’s a brutal bastard—it’ll gut-punch you and grin. A 40% drop hits, X explodes with “told you so” clowns, and your wallet’s screaming. That’s the crucible, motherfucker. Fear dies when you eat the hurt and keep swinging. I’ve shot streets where every frame’s garbage, every stranger swings at me—I don’t flinch, I reload. Bitcoin’s crashes? They’re your scars, your medals. Hodl through the fire, buy the ashes. Zoom out: one block, one halving, one middle finger to the suits. Fiat’s a corpse; BTC’s the blade. Thrive in the suck, and fear’s a dead man walking.

The Final Blow

Fear’s a punk-ass shadow—kick it ‘til it bleeds. Bitcoin’s your warpath, your shot at breaking the cage. You don’t need to be fearless—you need to be a goddamn beast. It’s just code, just coins, just a revolution in your fist. Stack those sats. Hodl like a psycho. Ride the carnage. You’re not here to whimper—you’re here to carve your name in the blockchain. When fear slinks back (it will), smash its teeth and roar, “Not today, you little bitch!” Then keep stacking. Bitcoin’s your turf, and you’re the king of the streets.

There it is—hardcore Eric Kim, no mercy, all Bitcoin. It’s loud, it’s brutal, and it’s ready to slap the fear out of you. Want it dialed up more or shifted anywhere? Hit me!

Take care, taking care of your physiology? Spend infinite money on this

OK yesterday, probably the last few days… The most hard-core day in the markets of all time. The shock, even apple swinging 15% in a single day? Absolutely bonkers and unheard of?

We can all take a breather

So it looks like America American companies American general, we will be fine we are ANTIFRAGILE.

And also, contrary to popular opinion… Donald Trump may be the best economic president of all time.

I think essentially what happened is he’s becoming super hard-core essentially traveling economic war against China, what is it… 104% to 124%?

However, the ultimate negotiating tactic; for any country that does not retaliate against tariffs, to offer these countries a 90 day tariff abatement?

Why this is good for Apple

Tim Cook is smart, he is the master of the supply chain. I think as time goes on, we will steadily see more apple production being created in India, Vietnam, and also America. The $500 billion, half $1 trillion investment in American manufacturing … i’m confident, maybe in fact it will be possible to create the iPhone in America? Assuming that brand new factories in America will be state of the art robotics, what that then means is that even though that America has high labor cost, we won’t be able to offset that because brand new factories should be mostly automated?

And also, this will be good for the American worker because thousands of new job will be created, or robotics handlers and specialist and operators.

Rather than the fools who think that robotics will replace human workers, no no no… Essentially we are just getting an augmented centaur workforce creation. What that then means is that you will get thousands of new jobs, poor people who are killed at operating machines that produce iPhones, rather than employing mainland Chinese manual labor for human beings to screw in all the screws.

Like if you have a state of the art robot in America, that can put together an iPhone, you could just have a single American worker operating a machine which does this, and once again this is Annette positive for American workers because a new job has been created, a job that would have otherwise been stuck in China, Motivating cheap labor.

America versus Asia

So in Asia, labor is cheap. So you still have a bunch of human beings cleaning and mopping the houses etc. But in America in which labor is expensive, we all end up buying Dyson or robotic vacuums, and rather than spending money on human labor we try to Create an innovate technological products which do the labor for us.

For example, maybe in the past you would have your servant to manually do the laundry for you. Fortunately now we have washing machine machines, which does this for us.

Also, currently we have Uber drivers, but my thought is in terms of labor, it would make more sense for there to be a skilled mechanic who produces the Tesla cars, and then just have the Tesla cars drive themselves.

Nobody wants to be an Uber driver

 For a lot of individuals, the only reason they become Uber drivers is they just want some spare cash, or, kind of guaranteed deployment. But should be told nobody wants to be an Uber driver. Nobody wants to sit on their butt for 8 to 12 hours a day, being stuck in traffic all day. To me it makes 1 million times more sense to have a machine do this.

Then, maybe we could get the potential Uber drivers to instead, get some sort of technical training, and once again, become the operators or programmers that creates the machines? 

Physiology of anxiety and fear:

1. Jump into an ice bath
2. Jump into insanely hot sauna, or insanely hot steam sauna
3. Eat 5 pounds of bone marrow to promote sleep

Depression male depression is simply a low testosterone problem?

High risk high reward?

You don’t know what true risk is!

People actually want to BE me, because I have the courage and heart of a lion, demigod beast man, Achilles?

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TESTOSTERONE IS YOUR DUTY!

How to think cool. Calm and rational like AI?

How to become more like AI?

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How to think cool, calm & rationally?

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Asking the right questions

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Bone Marrow is the answer?

–> if you have insomnia,,, just eat and unload unlimited bone marrow, I can guarantee you 100% $100USD a day it will help you sleep at night!

Ditch drugs, alcohol, smoking weed, ambien,,, eat bone marrow instead?

–> Load up!

Audio

No more fairytales

Whoa yesterday was a wild ride.

I guess I have true skin in the game, just a quick breather.

1,000 pound lift

So I think a big thing:

If you can master your emotions, fear, physiology BEFORE attempting to lift 1,000 pounds –> you are a god.

Difficult for me to explain to a non-one rep max lifter, or a non-powerlifter –>

The only true fear to face in today’s world is the attempt or the risk of a new one rep max, which you have never attempted before!

Why?

Some fears:

1. Will the equipment break?
2. Will you injure yourself?

Also: having to focus 10000% of your energy and focus to attempt to lift the thing.

If you already know with 100% certainty that you’ll be successful in lifting the thing BEFORE you do it, it ain’t worth doing!