ERIC KIM ₿

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  • EVERYDAY IS LEG DAY!

  • WE ARE ALL AMERICAN

  • OFFEND

    We have the right to defend, why not the right to offend?

    Fendo — to strike.


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  • Risk taking in art and your words and vlogs

    You must offend or be offensive for the thing to be interesting to you!

  • WHAT *SHOULD* A CAR BE FOR?

    A second home? Or a mobile indoor outdoor space?

    Also, a mobile play place for your kid!

    Car like a big mobile living room?

  • New Street Photographers

    New Street Photographers

    We are the new street photographers. What does this mean, and how can we expand this notion?

    First of all, break out of all boundaries and genres. The uber street photographer knows no boundaries or limits. Also, the real street photographer disdains to be defined. Even Garry Winogrand hated being called a “street photographer”— he just told other people, “just call me a zoo photographer instead!” (note his “Animals” book in which he shot in (Street Photography of animals and humans at the zoo).

    For ourselves, I like the idea that we can expand the notion and the approach of street photography, to apply to other things. For example, I also believe that we are the new Spartans, and Street Photography is an interesting applied methodology to the way we live our lives. That is, we don’t need much, and we prefer ascetic values and ascetic approaches.

    Photography is training

    What is training? Askesis — we prepare for battle and combat through training.

    In the context of street photography, what does this mean? This means that we love challenge in danger. This is the root of our passion for stupid Harvey, the fact that it does require courage, danger, and fear.

    I think in order to be happy, one requires both danger and challenge. For example, the only type of weight lifting at the gym which interest me is both challenging, and “dangerous“. For example, very very heavy squat walk, and rack pull. Hypelifting — any type of weightlifting which requires you to hype yourself up before doing it.

    Also, I might have been the first to have thought of this, which is that in order to have zen, you need adrenaline.

  • In order to gain Zen, you need Adrenaline

    Zen and adrenaline as sister components.

  • How to Be Happy: Challenge and Danger Philosophy

    More challenge, more danger!

    PHILOSOPHY BY KIM

    Greatness
    ZEN OF ERIC by Eric Kim Haptic Mobile EditionDownload

    Essays by KIM

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

  • You create your own happiness, and you must.

    In terms of happiness, how do people seek it? They look for novelties, through buying cars, homes, new clothes, going to the mall, watching new movies and shows, and eating new foods. But none of these make happiness. How does one really create happiness?

    In terms of happiness, it can only be created through challenge and danger. For example, going to the gym and attempting the heaviest squat walk possible, or, attempting the heaviest rack pull possible. The best types of weightlifting exercises at the gym require some sort of potential for failure, or a small mocidum of danger.

  • Better to be feared than loved

  • NEW STREET PHOTOGRAPHY

    NEW STREET PHOTOGRAPHY

    VID

    We are the new street photographers!

  • Don’t Be Trapped

    Don’t Be Trapped

    It seems that nowadays, one of the big problems is that we put ourselves into situations in which we trap ourselves. For example, literally being stuck inside the house, or if we live somewhere and we feel like we cannot leave. For example, let us assume you live in downtown LA, and you don’t have a car, you might feel stuck in downtown LA, with difficulty to venture further.

    Another reason why I think perhaps an electric car is bad for freedom is that with an electric car, you’re either stuck in the immediate vicinity of your home, or at around charging stations. A life of maximal freedom is probably a hybrid car, or some sort of plug-in hybrid car. Even a plug-in hybrid car doesn’t seem necessary, just a standard hybrid car seems to suffice. The great benefit of a hybrid car is that you don’t have to fill up your tank as frequently, and you could also just use the standard cheap gasoline. I don’t think it matters how rich you are, I don’t think anyone likes the idea of paying for premium gas.

    Also, cars that require lots of gasoline to run are bad. Cars which are not gas efficient mean that you have to go to the gas station more frequently, and it also takes up longer to fill up your tank. This is bad, even the other day filling up the tank of Cindy’s mom which I am borrowing, it took too long.

  • THE ZEN OF WEIGHTLIFTING VLOG

  • Filling up your gas tank takes too long!

    Maybe it is a good idea to have a fast charger at home, and just charge your electric vehicle overnight at your house every night. In praise of TESLA — pretty much the only electric car to have.

  • ERIC KIM BEEF RIB MEAT MEDITATION

    The more ribs, the merrier!

  • THE ZEN OF WEIGHTLIFTING VLOG

  • 635 RACK PULL ATTEMPT OFF BENCH PRESS

  • THE ZEN OF WEIGHTLIFTING

    Lifting weights is my zen meditation:

  • Fat?

    The philosophy of fat.

  • CREATE IMAGES

  • Treat your mother-in-law as if she was your own blood mother.

  • Reader or Writer?

    Better to be a writer than a reader.

  • Photo Habits

  • CREATIVE WAR

  • Ethnic diversity is good

    For example, the strength of the Spain soccer team is that there are so much diverse ethnic diversities on the team, compared this with Japan, where everyone is ethnically Japanese.

  • vinyl wraps on cars are really ugly

  • Squat Walk?

    Squat Walk?

    A new innovation I’ve done at the gym is what Cindy coined a “squat walk”. Basically the general gist is that you just rack a very heavy weight, your attempt on racket, walk back a few steps, and then re-rack it.

    • Eric Kim squat walk

    Why?

    The first question is consider, what is the point of doing this? My practical thought is that it is fun, interesting, and thrilling. Certainly just being able to even hold a very heavy weight on your shoulders is a quite transformative experience.

    610 POUND SQUAT WALK

    For example, my first iteration of this was doing what I called “micro squats” which was just put a very very heavy weight on your shoulders, step back a few steps, and then just squat down half a centimeter. And then put back the weight.

    605 POUND MICRO SQUAT

    How low do you really need to go?

    When it comes to weightlifting, it seems that there is this bias that with the squat, one must squat all the way down, at parallel, a little bit below parallel, or maybe a little bit above parallel. But why?

    My first thought is that I think it has to do with competition. If you are getting a bunch of dudes in a room, and trying to figure out who is the strongest, do you need some sort of standardized rules and judges. It seems at least in powerlifting, the “rule“ is that your hips or knees or whatever must be at “parallel“. But who judges this? The judges. However, I am certain when you get a bunch of beefy dudes trying to squat over 1000 pounds, everyone’s definition of “parallel“ is different.

    Ass to Grass Squats GOPRO POV

    Is the goal to just get stronger, or to maximize your leg muscular growth?

    Currently speaking, my thighs are out of control. I think I might have the beefiest thighs out of any dudes I’ve seen at the gym. My thighs are so buff I could even jiggle them on command. Kind of how bodybuilders on TV do the pec or the boob jiggle.

    The first thing; muscular growth. My thighs are getting insanely buff, from even doing this “squat walk. Or micro squats.

  • Becoming a Street Photographer

    Becoming a Street Photographer

    We are the new street photographers. We disdain the old, and we throw mayhem and havoc onto past notions of street photography. No more John Szarkowski, no more Gary Winogrand, no more Henri Cartier Bresson, no more Alex Webb, etc.

    Becoming a Street Photographer PDF TEXTDownload

    Why have I never met a self-assured street photographer?

    I think the funny thing about street photography is that it is such a small funny niche. The interesting thing is that a lot of new industries were born out of it, including Leica camera, and also Fujifilm, and also Ricoh.

    Also, I love street photography because it is the most democratic. Literally anyone could just grab their iPhone, or camera, and just go outdoors and make photos.

    Think about street photography as an aesthetic an ethos to life

    One thing I love in Vietnam, like my friend Chu Viet Ha is they don’t really call it street photography, they call it “life photography.” I really like this, because I think that is ultimately what we are trying to capture is life. We love life, we love being alive, and we want to share our joy of life with others.

    Pro life, or anti-life?

    The reason why we have to be very very careful with artists is that some artists are anti-life, very few artists I have met are pro life.

    For example, the reason why I think it is a good idea to be very very distrustful of artists who were either addicted to drugs or alcohol is that their artwork was simply a way and a means of bearing their pain, depression and sorrow. While I do think that making art is a good remedy to dealing with the maladies of life, the big downside is that if you ingest the artwork of a sick person, you will also become sick. There is a physiology to art, which means, the physiology of the artist is imputed into his or her artwork, and when you consume that type of artwork, you will also gain the physiological attributes of that individual.

    For example, do not trust any artist who are addicted to alcohol, drugs, heroin etc. For example, don’t trust Jackson Pollock, because he was an alcoholic. He died while drunk driving, no respect should be given to that man. Because if you are drunk while driving, the potential of killing someone else in their family in a car.

    Even Jean Michel Basquiat, he died of a heroin overdose. I don’t think we should trust his artwork either, I would only trust the artwork of the sober artist, more trust in Kendrick Lamar, whose only vice seems to be eating Cap’n Crunch cereal, rather than all these other rappers and artists out there who are perpetually drunk or high off of some sort of strange drug or alcohol concoction.

    Also, the reason why I am highly distrustful of EDM, and all of these millennial music festivals is that everyone there is high on drugs. Can anyone really enjoy an EDM festival, or some sort of music festival without alcohol or drugs? Highly doubtful.

    The best drug is coffee

    Elon Musk said something very funny in the interview with Joe Rogan when he said that smoking weed is like the exact opposite of having a cup of coffee. I think the least bad drug out there is probably coffee, consume it straight black, with no milk cream sugar or fake substitutes. Also maybe green tea. But that is pretty much it. No drugs, no alcohol, no weed, etc.

    Why do I not trust anybody who smokes weed, either regularly, or even recreationally? I think the reason why people like to smoke marijuana is that it eases their pain, or it makes them forget about themselves. The only philosophers we should trust are the sober ones, because in order to have real lofty thoughts, you must have 100% of your cognitive abilities with precision. Anything which intoxicates you is bad.

    Back to street photography

    If we assume that street photography is an aesthetic and ethos and approach to things, then you could apply the street photography methodology to anything I like. The way you photograph your kids and your wife and your family is a street photography approach. Either with permission, without permission, it doesn’t matter.

    I think you could also shoot street photography in national parks. Like Joshua tree. That you could shoot a Street Photography aesthetic of natural places and things, in a street photography aesthetic. Also, you get extra bonus points if you get humans in it, which is often the case. The funny thing is a lot of people desire to go to all these nice national parks, thinking that they will be the only ones there. No. They are very very crowded and full of tons of people, Maybe as crowded as the mall. And this is a good thing, because even if you go visit Joshua tree, you could do street photography there of all the people trying to climb the rocks etc.

    Think beyond street photography

    When people ask you what you are, say that you’re like a big kid, and you like to run around with your camera.

    Street photography is the future. Let us pave it together.

    ERIC


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    Innovation thoughts

    1. My personal thought is perhaps the future of innovation doesn’t lie in tech, but clothing, fitness, health, etc. At this point, we have all the money, and all of the iPhones, etc. However, what we like is physiological health and strength. Currently speaking, my favorite clothing brand is Lululemon, their license to train shorts are quite phenomenal. Also, I’m very inspired by Outlier.nyc, they keep innovating and creating new products. A very good sign.
    2. Why do I think that fitness clothing is so important? It makes a huge difference. Our clothes might be more important than our iPhones. Why? If you have the right pair of shorts or pants, it offers you greater freedom of movement, a very simple thing in these Lululemon license to train shorts I have is front zippers and a back zipper, which means I could play with Seneca in all situations without worrying about my stuff falling out of my pockets. This is quite critical. Also, when hypelifting at the gym, often times the clothes get in my way. I’m starting to think about trying to discover new clothing types in order for my shirts not to get in the way when I’m lifting.
    3. All of the new Apple products are insanely boring. I stepped inside an Apple store the other day, and I believe that Apple needs a radical line of simplification. Way too many products, lame colors etc. For example, the new MacBook Air in the midnight blue is really ugly, it looks like an old Sony VAIO laptop. Also, I think Apple should just get rid of their big size iPad Pro, Steve Jobs would’ve hated it. Also, I don’t think Apple went hard enough with the deep purple color for the iPhone pro. In real life it’s not that impressive. Also, it looks like nowadays the Apple store is really empty. A very bad sign. Why? No more radical innovation in their product lineup, just boring iteration. Unless Apple does something radical, I think Apple will become the next Microsoft, a lame and slow decline.

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  • A lame and slow decline

  • INSANE SIMPLICITY

  • Street Photography Aesthetic

    Street Photography Aesthetic

    Street photography is not a definition, but an aesthetic. That means, approach street photography as an aesthetic, which means that anything and everything could be street photography if you just shoot it in a certain aesthetic style or form which you love.

  • Street photography is a methodology, or an approach to things.

    Street photography is a methodology, or an approach to things.

  • The Physiology of Art

    The Physiology of Art

    Only trust the artwork of somebody who is muscular, not some skinny fat dude who is addicted to drugs or alcohol.

  • iPhone for Street Photography

    Very bright future for a Street Photography because nowadays, everyone has an iPhone. Or at least wants one. And, with the iPhone keep getting better at photography, essentially Apple is a photography company, more and more people will get into street photography.

  • How to Become a Street Photographer VLOG

    How to Become a Street Photographer VLOG

    To become a street photographer means you like being on the streets, in public, outdoors, and you love human beings. Human beings are your art form, and also your artwork. The more connected you are with embodied reality, the happier you are.

    How do you get started?

    The first simple thought is just go out and start shooting photos. You could just shoot with your iPhone, or preferably your digital Ricoh GR camera.

    Any camera is good for street photography, as long as it is comfortable for you. Ideally, the smaller, lighter, more compact the camera, the better. Ideally the camera should be able to fit in the front right pocket. Why? This way you will spot more photo opportunities, and also shoot more.

    Black and white or color?

    It doesn’t matter. Whichever aesthetic you prefer. I personally prefer black and white, as aesthetically I consider it more beautiful. I personally prefer to just shoot on small JPEG, on my Ricoh GR 3X camera.

    If you shoot with an iPhone, I suggest just shooting with the default camera app. Why? It is faster, and more easily accessible from your lock screen.

    What are the best technical settings for street photography?

    In today’s world, auto focus is easiest and best. Why? In the past, digital cameras were too slow in auto focus, and thus manual focusing was better.

    I personally just recommend using program mode, P mode, and auto focus. And start shooting before you think.

    What should I photograph?

    In Street Photography, you can photograph anything. You can photograph people that you met on the street, candid photos without permission, even photograph trash and rubbish on the floor, urban landscapes, etc.

    The beauty I think about street photography is that it is limitless. Essentially you could shoot anything outside your house and it is “street photography”.

    What makes a good street photograph?

    For me, what makes a great street photograph is a combination of beautiful aesthetics, and also the subject matter you photograph, whether you care for it or not.

  • I am the strongest street photographer that I know

  • INSANELY BOLD

  • BEYOND APPS

    Apps are not the future. Blogs are.

  • By ERIC KIM

    Put your name on it. Your first and last name. Make sure it is by you, not anyone else

  • Aesthetics Over Success

  • How to Become an Influencer

    How to Become an Influencer

    The hilarity; if somebody says that they are on “influencer“, they are not. Also, the true way to become an influencer is not through social media, but through your own website and blog instead.

    I would actually say that the true way to become an influencer is to become number one on the Internet, or number one on Google for your given category or subject of interest.

    What does it mean to become number one?

  • Black is boring?

    My most recent clothing purchases include a high viz. orange tank top running sleeveless shirt, and a neon green pair of Lululemon license to train shorts that I got on a black Friday sale.

    The other day, I also saw a brand new Porsche 911 GT3 RS in white, and they looked really boring. The front aerodynamic vents are cool, but the back is boring.

    Even nowadays, when I look at black, it is so boring. Even though black is the most versatile, maybe life is too short for black. If you have the option to buy clothes, just buy insanely unusual colors instead. High viz. orange, high viz. green, hyper magenta, etc.

    I thought for Apple; for the next iPhone Pro, make it some sort of interesting pink color. I think people will love it, especially women who make up a large purchasing base of the iPhone pro series it would be hot candy for influencer

  • BECOMING A STREET PHOTOGRAPHER

  • SO MUCH TO CONQUER

    This morning when I woke up, I randomly had the image of a downtown LA highway overpass of concrete in bedded in my mind. So much to conquer.

  • Where does the next level of innovation lie?

    Not tech?

    My thought: it has somewhere to deal with fitness, clothing, and the human body

    . Also, a lot of innovation to be made in the realm of types of exercises and workouts. For example, my rack pull innovation, as well as my squad walk innovation.

  • 610 POUND RACK UNRACK SQUAT

    A squat walk?

    EK

  • The more yoga type moves and exercises and stretches that I do, the stronger I get with lifting very very heavy weights at the gym

    For example, I think I’m the only guy at the gym who could rack pull over six plates that could do a really really good pigeon pose and birds of paradise pose.

  • How well you eat matters more than how well you sleep?

    Thinking about the Iliad, after the battle scenes, and the sunsets, when both sides go back to their camps, proceed to slaughter a bunch of oxen, roast the thigh bones, and then feast, sleep, and wake up the next morning to the rosy-fingered Light, and then continue to do battle.

    Some thing I’ve discovered especially now that I am lifting so much, how well you eat your meat might be by far the most important recovery tool. That is, if you have the option to stay up a little bit later, but sure you have enough meat, it is better than going to sleep hungry, not having consumed enough meat.

    Also, I’ve noticed that the nights where I feast like a demigod, I actually end up sleeping way deeper. Then perhaps the lesson is that it doesn’t matter how many hours you sleep, but how deeply you sleep. Ideally you would sleep a long time, and sleep deeply, and it seems that the critical ingredient to sleeping deeply is the nutritional density of your meat.

    For example, the days where I have tons of bone marrow, beef ribs, heart, liver, innards, I sleep the best.

  • The people who tend to look very unfriendly actually are the real friendly ones, and the people who superficially look friendly end up being the biggest assholes.

  • How to Become a Street Photographer VLOG

  • What makes LA culture so good for media?

    Perhaps the fact that it is sunny and warm all year around means that you could just spend more time outdoors, recording and filming, etc.

    Also, all of the beautiful people all end up going to LA. Aspiring actresses all go to LA, and therefore the percentage of beautiful women is higher. Also, more interesting and handsome men go to LA, and search for some sort of fitness stardom, etc.

    Also, in LA, the culture is around clothing fashion and the human body. People in LA don’t really care for tech, don’t even know if they really care about money that much. They care more for fame.

    I believe that if your golden is to create some sort of solo media empire, LA is the place to be.

  • How to Become a Street Photographer

    How to Become a Street Photographer

    To become a street photographer means you like being on the streets, in public, outdoors, and you love human beings. Human beings are your art form, and also your artwork. The more connected you are with embodied reality, the happier you are.

    How do you get started?

    The first simple thought is just go out and start shooting photos. You could just shoot with your iPhone, or preferably your digital Ricoh GR camera.

    Any camera is good for street photography, as long as it is comfortable for you. Ideally, the smaller, lighter, more compact the camera, the better. Ideally the camera should be able to fit in the front right pocket. Why? This way you will spot more photo opportunities, and also shoot more.

    Black and white or color?

    It doesn’t matter. Whichever aesthetic you prefer. I personally prefer black and white, as aesthetically I consider it more beautiful. I personally prefer to just shoot on small JPEG, on my Ricoh GR 3X camera.

    If you shoot with an iPhone, I suggest just shooting with the default camera app. Why? It is faster, and more easily accessible from your lock screen.

    What are the best technical settings for street photography?

    In today’s world, auto focus is easiest and best. Why? In the past, digital cameras were too slow in auto focus, and thus manual focusing was better.

    I personally just recommend using program mode, P mode, and auto focus. And start shooting before you think.

    What should I photograph?

    In Street Photography, you can photograph anything. You can photograph people that you met on the street, candid photos without permission, even photograph trash and rubbish on the floor, urban landscapes, etc.

    The beauty I think about street photography is that it is limitless. Essentially you could shoot anything outside your house and it is “street photography”.

    What makes a good street photograph?

    For me, what makes a great street photograph is a combination of beautiful aesthetics, and also the subject matter you photograph, whether you care for it or not.

  • How to Become a Philosopher VLOG

  • If you treat them like a baby, they will remain a baby

    This also includes adults.

  • JUST DO WHAT YOU THINK IS BEST PHILOSOPHY VLOG

    Vlog

  • How to Become Spartan Philosophy

    How to Become Spartan Philosophy

    What do you lack in modern day life? Physical challenge, combat, hand to hand things.

    I cannot speak for women, but for at least us men — the modern day man is like a sick animal. Anemic, lacking sun exposure to the sun, none of chutzpah, balls, and reckless audacity, preaches notions of sexual equality and women’s rights, yet watches pr0n in private, and doesn’t even lift heavy weights at the gym.

    Why become a new Spartan?

    Several reasons. First of all, ironically enough I think the Spartans were just happy. They lived a simple existence, full of martial training and combat, and they lived a simple ascetic life.

    Also, anti-pampering. A soft lifestyle is bad, a hard lifestyle is good.

    For example, let me talk to us tech nerds. What do we live for? We live for travel, exotic experiences, exotic foods, the newest Apple product which will revolutionize our lives, the new Tesla, buying a home, etc.

    Yet, all of these life goals are superficial. They are soft. They don’t really require any sort of true innovation, they just require hard work and money.

    What is in your control?

    An interesting thought is one thing that we could control is what we desire. That this is actually something which is dictated by you. You can desire to want the Lambo, want to buy a home or own a home, have a certain amount of money, etc. But are these goals actually good? I think not.

    My Stoic-Spartan ideal

    And I think the ideal approach to things is a mishmash of stoicism, spartan, and zen.

    That mentally, we have a stoic mindset to things. Which in short means we have a lofty insouciance to things, we are mostly unperturbed by things. That we take all of the good and bad in life in equal stride, and we realize that there is more in life we can control than not.

    The spartan one is to become the overman. That means do not see yourself as a mere human being, but as something beyond. Certainly DNA wise you are just an ordinary human, however, your own ideals for yourself are so insanely lofty and beyond. That you set yourself insanely high standards, because you see yourself as different.

    Zen in terms of our personal aesthetics. A Wabi Sabi aesthetic that the more used and worn something becomes the more beautiful it becomes. Also, to seek a sublime simplicity to things.

    Spartan philosophy

    If you read a lot of the sayings of the Spartans, they are poetic, hilarious and deeply philosophical. For example, the saying in the movie 300, which was actually based on real life — when the Persians told king Leonidas and the spartan 300s that their arrows would blot out the sun, and then one spartan said then we shall fight in the shade. I find this to be so insanely beautiful as a thought, because it takes something that was seen as fearful, and transforms it into fuel and fire to become even more courageous.

    Also, a philosophical thought; would you trust the thoughts of an individual who is skinny fat to philosophize and more lies on matters of beauty, bravery, courage, and masculinity? No. I would rather trust the thinking and saying of a spartan then a modern day male academic.


    Applying a spartan mindset to Street photography

    I think I am the most courageous street photographer that I know. That I love people, and I am really good at talking to people, and strangers. All of the other street photographers why have met in the past seem to be timid, soft, and anti-human.

    What do I mean by that? A lot of these weak street photographers try to augment their own low self-esteem by trying to tyrannize their own personal aesthetic and approach to things. They are very close-minded. They think to themselves, “it is either my way or the highway!” They lack independent thought — they cannot even think that everyone could do things a little differently.

    To bridge the gap, let us think about not just spartan philosophy, but also, the philosophy of risk.


    The Philosophy of Risk

    Greater risk, greater futures. The greater the risk, the better.

    Something I haven’t really heard people talk or write about is the philosophy of risk. What is risk, what is the significance of risk, and what are practical ways we can leverage risk in our every day lives in order to become more?

    Avoid death and possible permanent disfigurement

    The practical thing I learned from the Nassim Taleb is that one should never take any risks in life which might cause possible death, or potential disfigurement.

    For example, never in any circumstances text while driving. This can lead to your death, and also to the death of your child, your wife, or even cause you to kill somebody else in another car, their children, etc.

    When I am in taxi cars, Uber’s, or have a private driver, something which I was on the fence about was when they would text while driving. I didn’t want to ruffle any feathers, so I would just stay quiet.

    But now that I got a wife and a kid, and if they’re in the same car as me, I have a zero tolerance policy for people texting while driving. One of the proudest moments is when we were in Cambodia and we had a private driver drive us to Angkor Wat Siem Reap, and half the time he was texting while driving. I then mustered up the courage to ask/command him to not do that anymore. Why? Even if there was a one percent chance of potential death in a car accident, I need to muster the courage to defend my family.

    Other risks I would never take include skydiving, bungee jumping, etc.

    Double safety

    The most critical thing I learned from Boy Scouts was the notion of safety first. This is very true.

    For example, I think the intelligent thing is to expect yourself to fail, or potentially hurt yourself or others, and therefore, the safe thing to do is create a double safety barrier, in order to prevent bad things from happening.

    For example, when I am handling a very very sharp knife in the kitchen, I commend everybody to leave the room. Why? I do not want to accidentally stab or cut anybody.

    Or, when you were attempting very very heavy squats at the gym, both have safety pins in the correct position and ask somebody to spot you. Why? When you’re handling a very heavy weight, let us say six plates on each side, or 605 pounds, your chance of not being strong enough to either move the weight, or re-rack it is very high. And therefore, having a spotter will give you 1000 times more security and safety. Once again, when it comes to powerlifting style one repetition maximum attempts, when should always expect to fail, and have a contingency plan.


    Why real life loves risk

    How do you know if you are really alive? If your real life involves taking some sort of risks in real life. What does that mean? That means life, if you were just stuck in a virtual reality simulation would be boring. Why? There are not real risks involved with virtual reality.

    For example, let us say that you are doing a rock climbing simulation in virtual reality. If you fail, slip and fall, there is no real downside. You just push a button and start over. However in real life, let us assume you’re doing free solo, if you slip, you’ll probably die. There is no restart button in real life.

    However with matters with entrepreneurship, business, etc., the upside is that there aren’t that big risks involved, at least in regards to life and death. For example, let us say that you attend some sort of entrepreneurial thing, if it fails to takeoff, you’re not gonna lose a limb, or die. At worst, you might have difficulty paying rent that month.

    Therefore, what is the most intelligent way to think about risk at least in the context of business and entrepreneurship? That is, it seems the only thing people really are afraid of is this fuzzy notion of “failure“, or some sort of social stigma or social ostracization that happens with “failure“.


    Conquer the social fear

    Then my practical thought is in the context of risk, the only thing you gotta fear is the fear of looking like a fool, the fear of looking like a “failure”, or losing “face“.

    For example, in East Asian cultures, which follow Confucianism, the greatest fear is the fear of losing face or prestige or rank in front of your peers or in society. This is a horrible concept, because your whole life is spent trying to get other people to “respect” you, or see you as “successful. It revolves nothing around doing what you really want to do.

    So how do we become a spartan?

    First of all, watch the movie 300 by Zack Snyder. I think it paints a very vivid image of what true manliness looks like.

    Or better yet, read the original 300 graphic novel comic by Frank Miller — Amazon.

    Philosophy is aesthetic

    What does it mean to become a philosopher? Becoming a philosopher simply means to think more critically, and to become what you desire to become.

    Spartan exercises

    1. First, go to the gym, and attempt to rack pull the heaviest weight you possibly can. Just buy some weight lifting chalk on Amazon, the one which comes in a tube, and when attempting your maximum lift, use the mixed grip, which means one hand is overhand and the other is underhand. How do you know which way is proper? It doesn’t matter. Just do what feels comfortable to you. Why rack pull, and not deadlift? My practical thought is assuming you were not competing, having to do a full range of motion for a dead lift doesn’t seem necessary. By doing a rock pool, in which I am lowering the range of motion, it is more thrilling and fun. Also, I theorize it is actually making me much buffer — currently my traps, back and biceps are out of control.
    2. Second, start intermittent fasting. This means no breakfast no lunch. Only a massive dinner. Just think of yourself as a warrior, or a hero, in which during the day it is about battle and combat, and it is only the evenings in which you celebrate and feast, eating endless oxen. Just read the Iliad, I actually find the most fascinating part in the books are the evening feasts. Even in ancient Greek times, once the sun went down, there was an acknowledgment on both sides to cease battle, for both sides to feast, and then resume fighting the next day. Perhaps in modern-day times, just imagine, can you imagine an ancient spartan 300 getting “hangry” during the day, and having to eat some sort of granola or protein bar? No.
    3. Cold showers. The last seven years I might have only taken five warm showers. It is my personal ritual to only do cold showers, maximum coldness, even in the winter time. Why? It is the best way to wake yourself up in the morning, and also ironically enough, the best way to relax yourself before going to sleep at night. I’ve actually discovered that when you take a really warm or hot shower in the evening, your body remains hot, and it is more difficult for you to fall asleep at night. When your body is cold, and you step into a warm bed, it actually promotes a better sleep. Also the reason I like the notion of a cold shower is that it is a very very low hanging fruit where you could become more manly in soft modern day times.
    4. Say what is on your mind. Really. Never censor yourself, and even if you’re going to say something politically incorrect, just say it. See how people cringe, and smile. What is the thing we should feel most ashamed about in modern day times? Self-censorship. The ultimate courage of the Spartans was to say what was really on their minds, without fear of retribution.

    Why is everyone in Silicon Valley so scared?

    It seems that Silicon Valley is full of subservient nerds, who know how to do good things with computers or email, and are good at collecting a high salary, in the range of $300,000 a year to $500,000 a year. Yet, what they lack is courage.

    If I were still in tech, my personal strategy would be this:

    Do the minimum amount of work necessary at your job to not get fired, and milk your company and your employer, and use all of your extra free mind space and time to do things you really care about.

    The funny thing I’ve actually realize that in tech, even if you’re a horrible person, it is actually really difficult to fire somebody. I assume you’re not that much of an asshole, therefore, your likelihood of getting fired or laid off is actually quite low.

    Let us say that you are going to get laid off. It’s not really that big of a deal, because you could just jump to another big tech company, maybe even get a raise and a promotion.

    Let us consider all of these potential employers which include Apple, Google, Facebook, Netflix, etc.

    So I would say go harder. Break out of the cubicle, and your house. Spend more times outdoors, chatting with beautiful people, and lifting heavy weights at the gym, getting loud and making a ruckus. Hypelifting.


    Next steps

    1. Write out your thoughts, or Vlog out your thoughts, and just upload them to YouTube, anchor.fm, or your own website blog.
    2. When you vlog something, just do it in one take. Don’t feel like the need to edit out your “ummms“ or “likes.” I think one of the worst impediments to speaking out your mind is this notion that one must speak proper, like a boring news anchor talker, or even worse, a TED talker. In order to be more interesting, or to share more interesting thoughts, do NOT talk like somebody doing a TED talk. In fact, if you want to become more innovative or more courageous, don’t watch any TED talks, they are all boring and generic.
    3. With writing, write it out like you speak it out. A good pro tip is using the voice dictation function on the iPad, or iPhone. This is the best way to conquer writers block. Also, it is more natural to write out your thoughts using voice dictation, then just doing it on the keyboard or laptop. Also, do not feel the need to write “proper“ like boring New Yorker articles, or the New York Times. Anything owned by Condé Nast makes writing more generic, boring, and lame.

    CONQUER IT ALL.

    What can you conquer in 2023?

    1. BOSTON WORKSHOP 2023: Register intent here // March 25th, 2023 (Saturday) — New!
    2. April 15th, 2023 (Saturday): BAY AREA BERKELEY CREATIVE INNOVATION WORKSHOP. Register intent here.
    3. June 19-23rd, HADONG SOUTH KOREA ZEN PHOTO RETREAT // Stay updated here.

    Good movies to watch

    1. FIGHT CLUB
    2. 300
    3. NINJA ASSASSIN (the one with the Korean singer Rain)
    4. John Wick, all of them.

    Cinema by KIM

    Share the thoughts!

    Pump it up! Feel free to share this with a friend, or family member who you like.

    Never lose the new: ERIC KIM NEWS


  • Self-Censorship

    Self-Censorship

    The road to failure and shame is self censorship.

  • KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE

    KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE

    Who is your audience? People who think like you!

  • Street photographers would benefit from intermittent fasting

    Why? While you are fasted, you have more alertness, focus, and visual acuity of the environment around you.

  • Strong or Anaemic?

    Strong or Anaemic?

    Even with thoughts, I have zero interest in people with anemic thoughts — no blood.

    Haima.

  • Why Rack Pull, Not Deadlift?

    Why Rack Pull, Not Deadlift?

    I am currently theorizing that a rack pull might actually be superior to a deadlift, in terms of overall muscle activation, and also Zen focus, fun, and also muscular gains.

    • Attempt rack pull Eric Kim 630
    • Eric Kim rack pull 630 pounds
    • 630 pound rack pull Eric Kim

    630 POUND RACK HYPELIFTING PULL ERIC KIM SUPER SAIYAN

  • ERIC KIM TRAP MONSTER

    ERIC KIM TRAP MONSTER

    Eric Kim trap monster
    Eric Kim front flex traps
    Eric Kim front muscle back flex
    Eric Kim back muscle flex
    Eric Kim back muscle flex
    Eric Kim front muscle flex
  • Become What You Desire to Become

    Become What You Desire to Become

  • WE ARE THE NEW SPARTANS VLOG

    Video

    NEW SPARTANS

    What do we lack in modern day life? Physical challenge, combat, hand to hand things.

    I cannot speak for women, but for at least us men — the modern day man is like a sick animal. Anemic, lacking sun exposure to the sun, none of chutzpah, balls, and reckless audacity, preaches notions of sexual equality and women’s rights, yet watches pr0n in private, and doesn’t even lift heavy weights at the gym.

    Why become a new Spartan?

    Several reasons. First of all, ironically enough I think the Spartans were just happy. They lived a simple existence, full of martial training and combat, and they lived a simple ascetic life.

    Also, anti-pampering. A soft lifestyle is bad, a hard lifestyle is good.

    For example, let me talk to us tech nerds. What do we live for? We live for travel, exotic experiences, exotic foods, the newest Apple product which will revolutionize our lives, the new Tesla, buying a home, etc.

    Yet, all of these life goals are superficial. They are soft. They don’t really require any sort of true innovation, they just require hard work and money.

    What is in your control?

    An interesting thought is one thing that we could control is what we desire. That this is actually something which is dictated by you. You can desire to want the Lambo, want to buy a home or own a home, have a certain amount of money, etc. But are these goals actually good? I think not.

    My Stoic-Spartan ideal

    And I think the ideal approach to things is a mishmash of stoicism, spartan, and zen.

    That mentally, we have a stoic mindset to things. Which in short means we have a lofty insouciance to things, we are mostly unperturbed by things. That we take all of the good and bad in life in equal stride, and we realize that there is more in life we can control than not.

    The spartan one is to become the overman. That means do not see yourself as a mere human being, but as something beyond. Certainly DNA wise you are just an ordinary human, however, your own ideals for yourself are so insanely lofty and beyond. That you set yourself insanely high standards, because you see yourself as different.

    Zen in terms of our personal aesthetics. A Wabi Sabi aesthetic that the more used and worn something becomes the more beautiful it becomes. Also, to seek a sublime simplicity to things.

    Spartan philosophy

    If you read a lot of the sayings of the Spartans, they are poetic, hilarious and deeply philosophical. For example, the saying in the movie 300, which was actually based on real life — when the Persians told king Leonidas and the spartan 300s that their arrows would blot out the sun, and then one spartan said then we shall fight in the shade. I find this to be so insanely beautiful as a thought, because it takes something that was seen as fearful, and transforms it into fuel and fire to become even more courageous.

    Also, a philosophical thought; would you trust the thoughts of an individual who is skinny fat to philosophize and more lies on matters of beauty, bravery, courage, and masculinity? No. I would rather trust the thinking and saying of a spartan then a modern day male academic.


    Applying a spartan mindset to Street photography

    I think I am the most courageous street photographer that I know. That I love people, and I am really good at talking to people, and strangers. All of the other street photographers why have met in the past seem to be timid, soft, and anti-human.

    What do I mean by that? A lot of these weak street photographers try to augment their own low self-esteem by trying to tyrannize their own personal aesthetic and approach to things. They are very close-minded. They think to themselves, “it is either my way or the highway!” They lack independent thought — they cannot even think that everyone could do things a little differently.

    To bridge the gap, let us think about not just spartan philosophy, but also, the philosophy of risk.


    The Philosophy of Risk

    Greater risk, greater futures. The greater the risk, the better.

    Something I haven’t really heard people talk or write about is the philosophy of risk. What is risk, what is the significance of risk, and what are practical ways we can leverage risk in our every day lives in order to become more?

    Avoid death and possible permanent disfigurement

    The practical thing I learned from the Nassim Taleb is that one should never take any risks in life which might cause possible death, or potential disfigurement.

    For example, never in any circumstances text while driving. This can lead to your death, and also to the death of your child, your wife, or even cause you to kill somebody else in another car, their children, etc.

    When I am in taxi cars, Uber’s, or have a private driver, something which I was on the fence about was when they would text while driving. I didn’t want to ruffle any feathers, so I would just stay quiet.

    But now that I got a wife and a kid, and if they’re in the same car as me, I have a zero tolerance policy for people texting while driving. One of the proudest moments is when we were in Cambodia and we had a private driver drive us to Angkor Wat Siem Reap, and half the time he was texting while driving. I then mustered up the courage to ask/command him to not do that anymore. Why? Even if there was a one percent chance of potential death in a car accident, I need to muster the courage to defend my family.

    Other risks I would never take include skydiving, bungee jumping, etc.

    Double safety

    The most critical thing I learned from Boy Scouts was the notion of safety first. This is very true.

    For example, I think the intelligent thing is to expect yourself to fail, or potentially hurt yourself or others, and therefore, the safe thing to do is create a double safety barrier, in order to prevent bad things from happening.

    For example, when I am handling a very very sharp knife in the kitchen, I commend everybody to leave the room. Why? I do not want to accidentally stab or cut anybody.

    Or, when you were attempting very very heavy squats at the gym, both have safety pins in the correct position and ask somebody to spot you. Why? When you’re handling a very heavy weight, let us say six plates on each side, or 605 pounds, your chance of not being strong enough to either move the weight, or re-rack it is very high. And therefore, having a spotter will give you 1000 times more security and safety. Once again, when it comes to powerlifting style one repetition maximum attempts, when should always expect to fail, and have a contingency plan.


    Why real life loves risk

    How do you know if you are really alive? If your real life involves taking some sort of risks in real life. What does that mean? That means life, if you were just stuck in a virtual reality simulation would be boring. Why? There are not real risks involved with virtual reality.

    For example, let us say that you are doing a rock climbing simulation in virtual reality. If you fail, slip and fall, there is no real downside. You just push a button and start over. However in real life, let us assume you’re doing free solo, if you slip, you’ll probably die. There is no restart button in real life.

    However with matters with entrepreneurship, business, etc., the upside is that there aren’t that big risks involved, at least in regards to life and death. For example, let us say that you attend some sort of entrepreneurial thing, if it fails to takeoff, you’re not gonna lose a limb, or die. At worst, you might have difficulty paying rent that month.

    Therefore, what is the most intelligent way to think about risk at least in the context of business and entrepreneurship? That is, it seems the only thing people really are afraid of is this fuzzy notion of “failure“, or some sort of social stigma or social ostracization that happens with “failure“.


    Conquer the social fear

    Then my practical thought is in the context of risk, the only thing you gotta fear is the fear of looking like a fool, the fear of looking like a “failure”, or losing “face“.

    For example, in East Asian cultures, which follow Confucianism, the greatest fear is the fear of losing face or prestige or rank in front of your peers or in society. This is a horrible concept, because your whole life is spent trying to get other people to “respect” you, or see you as “successful. It revolves nothing around doing what you really want to do.

    So how do we become a spartan?

    First of all, watch the movie 300 by Zack Snyder. I think it paints a very vivid image of what true manliness looks like.

    Or better yet, read the original 300 graphic novel comic by Frank Miller — Amazon.

    Philosophy is aesthetic

    What does it mean to become a philosopher? Becoming a philosopher simply means to think more critically, and to become what you desire to become.

    Spartan exercises

    1. First, go to the gym, and attempt to rack pull the heaviest weight you possibly can. Just buy some weight lifting chalk on Amazon, the one which comes in a tube, and when attempting your maximum lift, use the mixed grip, which means one hand is overhand and the other is underhand. How do you know which way is proper? It doesn’t matter. Just do what feels comfortable to you. Why rack pull, and not deadlift? My practical thought is assuming you were not competing, having to do a full range of motion for a dead lift doesn’t seem necessary. By doing a rock pool, in which I am lowering the range of motion, it is more thrilling and fun. Also, I theorize it is actually making me much buffer — currently my traps, back and biceps are out of control.
    2. Second, start intermittent fasting. This means no breakfast no lunch. Only a massive dinner. Just think of yourself as a warrior, or a hero, in which during the day it is about battle and combat, and it is only the evenings in which you celebrate and feast, eating endless oxen. Just read the Iliad, I actually find the most fascinating part in the books are the evening feasts. Even in ancient Greek times, once the sun went down, there was an acknowledgment on both sides to cease battle, for both sides to feast, and then resume fighting the next day. Perhaps in modern-day times, just imagine, can you imagine an ancient spartan 300 getting “hangry” during the day, and having to eat some sort of granola or protein bar? No.
    3. Cold showers. The last seven years I might have only taken five warm showers. It is my personal ritual to only do cold showers, maximum coldness, even in the winter time. Why? It is the best way to wake yourself up in the morning, and also ironically enough, the best way to relax yourself before going to sleep at night. I’ve actually discovered that when you take a really warm or hot shower in the evening, your body remains hot, and it is more difficult for you to fall asleep at night. When your body is cold, and you step into a warm bed, it actually promotes a better sleep. Also the reason I like the notion of a cold shower is that it is a very very low hanging fruit where you could become more manly in soft modern day times.
    4. Say what is on your mind. Really. Never censor yourself, and even if you’re going to say something politically incorrect, just say it. See how people cringe, and smile. What is the thing we should feel most ashamed about in modern day times? Self-censorship. The ultimate courage of the Spartans was to say what was really on their minds, without fear of retribution.

    Why is everyone in Silicon Valley so scared?

    It seems that Silicon Valley is full of subservient nerds, who know how to do good things with computers or email, and are good at collecting a high salary, in the range of $300,000 a year to $500,000 a year. Yet, what they lack is courage.

    If I were still in tech, my personal strategy would be this:

    Do the minimum amount of work necessary at your job to not get fired, and milk your company and your employer, and use all of your extra free mind space and time to do things you really care about.

    The funny thing I’ve actually realize that in tech, even if you’re a horrible person, it is actually really difficult to fire somebody. I assume you’re not that much of an asshole, therefore, your likelihood of getting fired or laid off is actually quite low.

    Let us say that you are going to get laid off. It’s not really that big of a deal, because you could just jump to another big tech company, maybe even get a raise and a promotion.

    Let us consider all of these potential employers which include Apple, Google, Facebook, Netflix, etc.

    So I would say go harder. Break out of the cubicle, and your house. Spend more times outdoors, chatting with beautiful people, and lifting heavy weights at the gym, getting loud and making a ruckus. Hypelifting.


    Next steps

    1. Write out your thoughts, or Vlog out your thoughts, and just upload them to YouTube, anchor.fm, or your own website blog.
    2. When you vlog something, just do it in one take. Don’t feel like the need to edit out your “ummms“ or “likes.” I think one of the worst impediments to speaking out your mind is this notion that one must speak proper, like a boring news anchor talker, or even worse, a TED talker. In order to be more interesting, or to share more interesting thoughts, do NOT talk like somebody doing a TED talk. In fact, if you want to become more innovative or more courageous, don’t watch any TED talks, they are all boring and generic.
    3. With writing, write it out like you speak it out. A good pro tip is using the voice dictation function on the iPad, or iPhone. This is the best way to conquer writers block. Also, it is more natural to write out your thoughts using voice dictation, then just doing it on the keyboard or laptop. Also, do not feel the need to write “proper“ like boring New Yorker articles, or the New York Times. Anything owned by Condé Nast makes writing more generic, boring, and lame.

    CONQUER IT ALL.

    What can you conquer in 2023?

    1. BOSTON WORKSHOP 2023: Register intent here // March 25th, 2023 (Saturday) — New!
    2. April 15th, 2023 (Saturday): BAY AREA BERKELEY CREATIVE INNOVATION WORKSHOP. Register intent here.
    3. June 19-23rd, HADONG SOUTH KOREA ZEN PHOTO RETREAT // Stay updated here.

    Good movies to watch

    1. FIGHT CLUB
    2. 300
    3. NINJA ASSASSIN (the one with the Korean singer Rain)
    4. John Wick, all of them.

    Cinema by KIM

    Share the thoughts!

    Pump it up! Feel free to share this with a friend, or family member who you like.

    Never lose the new: ERIC KIM NEWS


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