ERIC KIM ₿

The story of a king who drank a little bit of poison in his cup every single day, in order to build immunity to 100% real poison.

I say to gain deeper wisdom about what is ‘natural’ in humans, simply observe the behavior of children (2 years, 6 months old)– this is genuine.

The ultimate sacrifice.

To go on maximal adventures!

Anything which catches my eye!

Once again don’t worry about whether it is a ‘good’ photo or not, but whether it interests you or not!

Another thing, Americans are too obsessed with notions of ‘luck’:

“Oh, you just got lucky.” or “Oh, he or she just got lucky because of x y z”

Ultimately luck or not does’t matter, but whether or not it took courage to attempt!

Also we gotta get rid of notions of ‘cheating’– another backwards idea.

Why are Americans or westerners so obsessed with notions of ‘skill’?

My theory:

It has to do with the concept of merit.

For example, if you can do something without much effort, it is not seen as merited. Furthermore to become successful without ‘proper’ schooling or degrees is seen as ‘un-merited’.

However the wise thing we must do is to get rid of notions of ‘skill’ as well as merit. Even American notions of ‘meritocracy’ should be gotten rid of!

PHILOSOPHY BY KIM

Essays by KIM

1. Becoming Antifragile
2. How to “Improve” Men
3. The Art of Virtue
4. How to Dominate
5. JUST SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCES AND WISDOM WITH OTHERS.
6. How to Get More Done in a Single Day – MEMENTO MORI PHILOSOPHY
7. THINK FOR YOURSELF
8. Cruel?
9. GO DEMIGOD.
10. How to Be Happy: Challenge and Danger Philosophy
11. To Become Greater, You Must Become *LESS* Productive!
12. Imperfect Beauty
13. The Philosophy of Pleasure
14. What Interests You?
15. Anti Theory of Everything
16. Become?
17. STRONGER OR NOT?
18. Carte Blanche Ideals
19. CHOOSE JOY
20. Don’t Judge Your Impulses
21. On Becoming Less Human
22. COWARDICE.
23. The Philosophy of Futurism
24. PHILOSOPHY IS VALUE-SETTING
25. PHILOSOPHY IS NOT LIFESTYLE
26. WHY STANDARDIZATION IS BAD.
27. YOUR OWN TABLE OF VALUES.
28. RETRO IS BAD.
29. INSANELY LOFTY THOUGHTS.
30. Strive to *Lose* Weight, Not *Gain* Weight
31. DIABLO II ANALOGIES FOR REAL LIFE.
32. If You Know Your *WHY* You Can Discover Any *HOW*
33. Life is Too Short to Be Miserable
34. What Consumption Takes Skill?
35. OFF THE GRID.
36. REALITY IS CRUEL.
37. Pain is Information
38. WHY REMOVE VULGARITY AND DISORDER FROM OUR EYES?
39. AUTOTELIC.
40. UNPLUG.
41. How to Become a Philosopher
42. SUBOPTIMAL IS OPTIMAL
43. THE LUST FOR MORE.
44. TO DO IS TO BECOME.
45. IN PRAISE OF AGGRESSIVE.
46. THE PHILOSOPHY OF OPTIMISM
47. OUR PHILOSOPHICAL WILL TO EXISTENCE
48. Is Hope a Vice?
49. MOVE MEAN
50. Carte Blanche Ideals
51. One Interesting Thought
52. What Lasts? What Doesn’t Last?
53. A WOUND STIMULATES THE RECUPERATIVE POWERS
54. Children & Purpose
55. Thoughts on Becoming a Parent
56. Where Does Our Desire to Upgrade Come From?
57. WE ALWAYS NEED SOMETHING FURTHER TO ASPIRE TO.
58. Self-Task Yourself an Awesome Mission in Life
59. Differentiation vs Equalization
60. My Passion to *Become* Something More
61. No Aesthetic or Ethos is Forever
62. What is Your Higher Purpose in Life?
63. IT WILL NEVER SATISFY YOU.
64. How to Decide
65. Things You *Want* to Do vs Things You *MUST* Do
66. Towards a More Beautiful Mode of Existence and Future
67. EXTREME GRATITUDE.
68. AMAP (As Much as Possible) or None.
69. Why or How Does it Matter?
70. The Philosophy of Time and Events
71. How *Not* to Resent
72. FORWARD LOOKING
73. DOMAIN FLEXIBILITY.
74. The Miracle of Human Growth
75. EXTREME ADAPTATION.
76. Why Plan?
77. You Don’t Need to Justify Yourself
78. The Philosophy of Ego
79. True vs False Passions
80. How to Achieve Tranquility
81. On Making Your Own Philosophy
82. The Purpose of Life is to Create New Life
83. Think On!
84. The Wisdom of Doing Nothing
85. Congruency
86. My Thoughts on Meditation
87. The Philosophy of Purpose
88. Emulate Yourself
89. Good Fear, Bad Fear
90. For the Betterment of Humanity or Just Yourself?
91. What you *really* believe in and care for is manifested through your actions (or non-actions)
92. Why Culture is Your Enemy
93. YOUR EXPERIENCES ARE KING.
94. LIFE IS INHERENTLY GOOD.
95. Artistic, Physical, and Philosophical Muscles
96. All New Experiences are Good Experiences
97. What is the Purpose of X?
98. UTILITY.
99. Philosophy is a Luxury
100. The Attempt is More Interesting than the Result
101. Joyfulness vs “Happiness”
102. Effectiveness Over Happiness
103. Self Actualization
104. MAXIMAL ENGAGEMENT
105. Life & Pain
106. On Living Every Day with No Regret
107. Learn as if you’re going to live forever, live as if you’re going to die tomorrow
108. Live Every Day Like it Were the Last Day of Your Life
109. Self-Determination
110. FALSE GRATITUDE vs REAL GRATITUDE
111. HOW TO LIVE MORE
112. THE UPSIDE OF TRAGEDY
113. Satisfaction is a Sucker’s Game
114. Supreme Repose
115. WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF LIFE? According to ERIC KIM
116. STUBBORN, FLEXIBLE
117. EVERYTHING HAPPENS AS IT *SHOULD* HAVE HAD HAPPENED
118. Good Addiction, Bad Addiction?
119. What is the Best Life?
120. The Philosophy of Thinking
121. The Philosophy of Conspiracies
122. Conspiracies
123. Growth
124. Skepticism.
125. What Do You Really Want Out of Life?
126. Seem or Be?
127. Learn Through Pain
128. Respect Yourself
129. In Praise of Elitism
130. Why Independent Thinking?
131. I Will Never Die
132. Bitter is Better
133. The Genesis of Nihilism and Existential Dread
134. The Ethics of Personal Enrichment
135. Good vs Not Good
136. Punished by Privilege
137. Abstinence Over Moderation
138. Just Leave Others Alone
139. You Can Only Critique that Which You Truly Understand and Love
140. ERIC KIM Critique of Metaphysics
141. Only Trust Philosophers Who Deadlift
142. Heuristic: If Someone Talks Shit About Others Behind Their Back, Most Likely They’re Also Talking Shit About You Behind Your Back
143. Virtue is a Privilege
144. What Are Your Life Goals?
145. Honesty
146. Why I’m Anti Moderation
147. No Spite, No Malice.
148. Ascending Life or Descending Life?
149. Double Edged Sword
150. Ignorance.
151. Why I Don’t Trust “Nice Guys”
152. Why You Must Share Your Opinion
153. Selfish Isn’t Evil
154. Wisdom is the Goal
155. YOU ARE KING.
156. MASTER YOURSELF
157. What is “Good” for You is Often what is Bad for You
158. Care.
159. BITTERSWEET
160. ONE REP MAX
161. Morality and Ethics is the Snare
162. BY HELPING YOURSELF, YOU BEST HELP OTHERS
163. Insanity is Good.
164. Think Deep.
165. PHILOSOPHY IS THE FUTURE.
166. Open Mind vs Closed Mind
167. ENTHUSIASM IS GENIUS
168. Towards a More Critical and Rigorous Line of Thinking
169. How to Encourage and a Foster Independent and Free Thinking
170. What is the Purpose of Life?
171. WHY PHILOSOPHY IS SUPREME.
172. Elitism.
173. I Cannot Form an Opinion About Somebody Until I’ve Met Them in the Flesh
174. ALL GENETICS ARE GOOD GENETICS.
175. Happiness vs Freedom
176. The Birth of a Hater
177. My Way Isn’t the Right Way
178. Walking as an Existential Thing
179. Why I’m So Tolerant
180. Mortal Gods
181. THE HUMAN SPECIES
182. Why I’m So Skeptical
183. Just Follow the Money
184. Why Selfish?
185. WHY WE CANNOT BLAME OTHERS
186. Why Are We So Anti Elitism?
187. What Actually Interests You?
188. How to Become Yourself
189. SELF HATE
190. Optimistic Fatalism
191. Death is the Ultimate Creative Constraint
192. FLUX.
193. How to Think for Yourself
194. FLESH
195. How to Live the Best Life
196. Why Live a Life Without Regrets?
197. Why Plato Ruined Art and Aesthetics for Us
198. Self Respect
199. Hypocrite vs Contradict
200. Ideals vs Reality
201. Spaceship Philosophy
202. What is Your Ideal Life?
203. MY EXTREME GRATITUDE TOWARDS LIFE AND BEING ALIVE!
204. Critique of Utilitarianism
205. Don’t Treat Others the Way You Want to Be Treated
206. The Eternal Recurrence of Tragedy and Joy in Life
207. Elite Asceticism
208. Why I Don’t Like Numbers
209. Action and Reaction, Cause and Effect
210. The Antidote to Nihilism: The Philosophy of Nothingness
211. ERIC KIM Notes on Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
212. EXPLOIT CHAOS.
213. WHY I DON’T BELIEVE IN GENETICS
214. Self-Wisdom
215. The Future Belongs to the Fearless
216. INDIVIDUALISM
217. Why Live Forever?
218. THIS TOO WILL PASS.
219. Why Education?
220. How to Become Yourself
221. Things Shouldn’t Go Back to the Way They Used to Be
222. Why Am I So Cruel?
223. The Great Joy of Existence
224. Virtue for the Sake of Virtue
225. NO DISDAIN.
226. INTELLIGENT IGNORANCE
227. A LIFE WITHOUT PAIN, DIFFICULTY OR TRAGEDY ISN’T A LIFE WORTH LIVING
228. BITTER IS BETTER.
229. EXPLOIT THE BEST FROM TRAGEDY AND LIFE 
230. DISREGARD FOR SELF-PRESERVATION
231. PAIN.
232. WHAT IF EVERYTHING IS NOT GONNA BE ALRIGHT?
233. Tomorrow is Never
234. Life is the Ultimate Creative Constraint
235. EMBODIED REALITY
236. BLACK SWAN
237. THINGS WILL NEVER GO BACK TO THE WAY THEY USED TO BE
238. What are you *really* afraid of?
239. HAPPINESS ISN’T THE GOAL
240. Philosophy is King
241. Why is Selfish Evil?
242. YOU’RE CONSTANTLY IN A STATE OF BECOMING
243. ENTITLEMENT A SIN?
244. NARCISSISM
245. BE BRUTALLY HONEST WITH YOURSELF
246. WHY FREE WILL?
247. OBEY YOUR OPINION
248. EGO IS GOOD.
249. WHY IT IS GOOD TO BE INTO YOURSELF
250. Seek the Good Pain
251. Anti-Perfection in Photography, Art, and Life
252. Can You Become an End into Yourself?
253. WHY I LIVE
254. Why I Hate Decline
255. Why I Eat
256. Why am I So Positive and Optimistic?
257. EFFORT IS ENJOYMENT
258. Never Stop Gaining
259. TRUST YOURSELF
260. A Life of Maximal Personal Independence
261. What Do You Desire to Become?
262. What Do I Want from Technology?
263. Stratified Society
264. Do You Love or Hate Reality?
265. On the Brian, Body and Mind
266. I’m Maximally Happy, Now What?
267. Care over Fame
268. ACTIVE NIHILISM
269. Never Stop Subtracting
270. How to Live a Happier and More Epic Life
271. A Risker Life is a Better Life
272. Only Work on Things You Can Imagine Doing for Eternity
273. How to Maximize Your Happiness
274. Influence
275. The Gladiator Makes His Plans once He Enters the Ring
276. Meditations on Meaning in Life
277. There is Nothing More Interesting than Human Beings
278. Is Hope a Vice?
279. EGO
280. Why Be Unique?
281. Happiness is Metabolism Health and Strength
282. You’re the Hero
283. Is Productivity a Virtue or Vice?
284. Why Do We Prize the Rare?
285. The Joy of Uncertainty
286. How Should I Best Use My Time and Life?
287. A Life Without Pain or Suffering Isn’t a Life Worth Living
288. Free or Unfree?
289. What Do You Really Care For in Life?
290. Anti-Satisfaction in Life
291. Why Think?
292. The Eternal Return
293. Only Do What is Best for You!
294. Truthiness
295. Why Be Happy?
296. Permissionless Living
297. In Praise of Unconventional Wisdom
298. Become the Change Which You Wish to See in the World
299. Happiness
300. Beyond Freedom
301. Idolize People, Not Stuff
302. What Makes You Stronger? What Makes You Weaker?
303. Why Hate?
304. The Secret of Happiness
305. You’re Constantly in a State of Becoming
306. Life is about Choices, Not Obligations
307. Anti-Nihilism
308. First, Do What is Best for You.
309. Live Dynamic
310. How to Prosper
311. Is the Point of Life to Be Satisfied?
312. SUPREME EFFORT OF WILL.
313. How to Become more Idealistic
314. Thrivival 101
315. Create Yourself
316. Non-Small
317. Inspiration
318. How to Live a Heroic Life: Dare the Heights!
319. Human Augmentation
320. Prune
321. Happiness: Do What You Want to Do (And Don’t Do What You Don’t Want to Do)
322. Avoid Vain (Empty) Pursuits in Life
323. Modern Slavery
324. Kill the Leeches
325. Wisdom Augmentation
326. Why We Need Friction in Life
327. Straight Line Philosophy
328. What’s Your End-Game in Life?
329. Create Your Own Happiness Today
330. Desire Both Pain and Pleasure in Life
331. Try the Impossible
332. SELF-RESPECT
333. Anti-Social Extrovert
334. Never Blame Anybody But Yourself
335. Human Flourishing
336. Simpler, Not Better.
337. How to be Free
338. Embrace the Extremes
339. Cultivate Your Own Culture
340. COURAGE.
341. Thrivival
342. Inner Power
343. How to Live a Purposeful Life
344. My Definition of Happiness
345. Why Change is Good
346. Why Work?
347. How to Live the Happiest Possible Life
348. The Two-Pronged Approach to Maximize Joy in Your Life
349. You Always Have Another Option!
350. INFINITISM
351. Never Stop!
352. What is Your Self-Directed Purpose in Life?
353. Live Today Like it Were Your Last
354. Do You Photograph to Live, or Live to Photograph?
355. ARTIST-PHILOSOPHER
356. Live Life to the Fullest!
357. In Praise of Selfishness
358. Why You Must Be a YAY-SAYER to Succeed in Entrepreneurship and Life
359. Why I Love Walking
360. Live Life Like a Video Game!
361. Simple Luxuries in Life
362. Treat Your Life Like a Fun Experiment!
363. Only Prove it to Yourself
364. You Don’t Always Need to Feel Joyful to Live a Fulfilling and Meaningful Life
365. Life is Too Short to Be Bored!
366. Money Cannot Destroy Boredom
367. How to Find Inspiration in Life
368. Why You Must Ignore Haters to Succeed and Win in Life
369. An Active Life is a Happy Life
370. My Simple Joys in Life
371. Never Stop Striving
372. How to Motivate Yourself in Life
373. How to Be Optimistic in Life
374. How to Dictate Your Purpose in Life
375. In Praise of a Dynamic Life
376. PURPOSE.
377. How to Enjoy Life
378. Photography Therapy
379. How to Conquer Regret
380. Take Your Play Very Seriously.
381. How to Prosper
382. Memento Vivere
383. Destroy in Order to CREATE
384. Trust Your Body More Than Your Mind
385. Make Photos to Make Meaning in Your Life
386. Seek Knowledge, Not Information
387. The Purpose of Human Life
388. How to Overcome Impedence
389. Why I Love Death
390. How to Be Centered in the Eternal Now
391. How to Be Happy
392. Why Do You Care What Others Think of You?
393. Why I’m Happy
394. Why?
395. Why I’m So Prolific
396. How to Reduce LAG in Life

Masters of Philosophy Â»

• Seneca
• Marcus Aurelius
• Publilius Syrus

Personal Philosophy Â»

• You Are the Light of the World
• Your Soul is a Diamond in the Rough
• Why Live?

Stoicism Â»

• How to Be a Stoic Street Photographer
• How to Use Photography as Self-Therapy
• How to Free Your Soul From Disturbance

Zen Philosophy »

• How to Be a Zen Street Photographer
• Zen in the Art of Street Photography
• How to Find Tranquility in Your Photography

Life Lessons Â»

• How to Conquer Your Fears in Life
• Conquer Yourself
• How to Focus

Learn more: Start Here >

A problem in photography:

There is too much emphasis on whether or not it took ‘skill’ to make a certain photo or not.

However, the reason why this is a bad line of thinking is that the ‘skill’ of the photographer isn’t his or her prowess with the camera, technical settings etc, but rather … the visual acuity of their eye!

My superpower.

I’m still a little bit confused; how is it that America, which is so insanely far away from everything and everyone, has so much powerful economic might?

And how is it that America still runs the world?

After catching some sort of sickness, cold, and spending around 24 hours unfunctional (sleeping straight through the night, intermittently waking up between 10am-7:30pm), takeaway point:

All the wealth, riches and luxury things mean nothing without health.

AUDIO

Saigon is great:

Why?

As is my wife, my self, my mother.

Learning that certain biases in America are actually quite silly. For example, in Asia, you don’t wash your own car, you get a team of six other guys to wash it for you.

Strange romantic notions of a man washing his own cars; base?

Because you gotta stare at it all day!

The genius of children:

Best to enter realms in which you can gain a virtual 100% monopoly. For example, Elon Musk and Tesla — essentially dominating and creating a virtual monopoly of electric cars and the Tesla supercharging network.

Or Apple and the iPod and later on the iPhone.

The Spartan approach. Think about your wife and kids instead!

Instead, approach to living or life.

Towards more modular futures:

A thought while staring at my Lumix G9 camera and my Leica Lumix 12mm f1.4 lens:

Think Interchangeable

Sigma fpL with Leica M lens?

Trader

Maritime power — navy

Liberica — Liberia

Liberia less coffee — less caffeine

Monoculture

*

Coffee analogies for real life

Genetic Diversity

TTR — robusta

Sigma M adapter

*

Own it for life

Imagination , vocabulary

Density

Cascara

So many myths

Monk

We are taught shame from society and others?

Theory — shame is not an inherent natural thing in humans?

Are monopolies a bad thing?

Perhaps a “monopoly” is a good thing!

Be the best, so dominant, 10000x beyond everyone else.

Note Tesla and electric cars and supercharging stations, Apple and the iPhone, ERIC KIM and street photography etc.

RACK PULL– SUMO STYLE.

My principal pre-occupation:

Whether we like it or not, I believe our personality is more governed by hormones than we would think we do.

If the air pollution is so thick and heavy, and you could taste it and it obstructs your breathing, not all of the luxuries in the world can cancel this out

Not form or technique, but leverage:

I got the keys to all success:

An interesting theory I have; if you want to increase your leverage, decrease your weight. Why? Let us assume that your legs are also levers, and your body is just a dynamic lever. If you got less weight, you can go further, do more.

I do it because I care!

Not “form”, or “technique”:

Rather than thinking about “form”, or “technique”, perhaps it is better for us to think about leverage.

For example, weightlifting. The goal isn’t for growing your muscles or aesthetics, the goal is to move greater amounts of weight!

Also a theory on muscles and bodily physique — your muscles and bodily physique will reflect what you’re capable of, and what you are not.

For example, legs. In terms of our muscles, our legs are at least 1000X times stronger than our upper body. What is the strongest muscles in our body? Our legs and our shoulders!

For example, it is not too difficult for me to atlas lift over 10 plates, but can you imagine somebody bench pressing 10 plates?

970 pound atlas lift as my current record. Can you imagine somebody bench pressing 970 pounds?