Something on my mind is in regards to the human body. Specifically, our own human body.
First of all, why is it that everyone is trying to control our body? Why can we not control our own body?
Conspiracy theorists screaming illuminati, they cannot imagine this much skill in a human body – JAY Z
What is interesting is that everyone is insecure about their own body, and their own human skill. When we see somebody who we see as superior to us, we try to figure out ways how they are “cheating“. How is it that they are so much stronger than me, or buffer than you? Certainly they must be doing steroids or some other weird stuff.
Or, how did that guy get so rich? He probably either has a small dick or cheated his way to earning that much money.
How people try to discount you
One of the funniest critiques that I’ve got of myself is this, Eric Kim is only successful because he is good at marketing. I find this to be a very funny thought, because in fact in today’s capitalist society, marketing is success.
I like the idea that we could all thrive together. That reality is not zero-sum.
For example, we can all get super strong and swole together. Just because I am super buff doesn’t mean that you are less buff. Everyone has different levels of buffness during different periods of time.
For example, after the birth of Seneca, I became a lot less buff. Why? Typical sleep deprivation the first six months of Seneca‘s life, until we sleep trained him by using the extinction method. Essentially just let your kid cry it out.
Now that Seneca is one year nine months old, and naps and sleep like a champ, now I could frequent the gym again, and get super super swole, hyper swole.
Why I support abortion
If I was born a woman, I would want to have the legal right for an abortion.
I think if men could give birth, the laws will be a lot different.
The tricky thing is it in America, we have the freedom of speech and expression, I don’t necessarily know if we have the freedom of body. That is, freedom of our own body.
I really really despise the notion that somebody else could control your body.
For example, I am a carnivore. Also, I do not eat carbs, sugar, starchy things or sweet things. I do not eat fruit, nor do I eat starchy vegetables.
I would hate if I lived in a society in which I was forced to eat vegan food, and it was illegal for me to eat meat.
This is the funny flipside of tyranny; why is it that vegans are trying to get everybody to stop eating meat, but no carnivores are trying to get vegans to stop eating kale and quinoa?
Body tyranny?
Nowadays we have notions of “body acceptance”, etc. I think this is a good thing.
What we must be careful of is when there are certain individuals who try to get everybody to look a certain way, or not look a certain way. People should be able to do with their bodies whatever they want to do.
For example, if people want to drink Coca-Cola zero and get fat, and get diabetes, and be or become overfat and obese, it should be their right.
What I am more concerned is the public aspect, should we allow evil corporations like Coca-Cola and Pepsi to put vending machines inside or public K-12 schools? I say no. Even the “zero calorie”, stuff, it is all a scam. It is my personal theory that even 0 cal sweetener drinks like Coke zero messes with your bodily hormonal and insulin signaling system causing you to store adipose tissue, a.k.a. fat.
Smoking is also another public concern. I think people should be able to smoke cigarettes inside their own home if they want to. This changes once they step outdoors. I do not ever want to take into secondhand smoke or somebody smoking outdoors or in public. This should be illegal.
Back to the body
I do not believe in the notion of an immortal soul. My personal belief is that when you die, your soul also dies.
Then what is the soul? My empirical view is that the soul is simply a mishmash of your blood, blood flow, bones and sinews, your brain, and the electricity flowing through your body. Your soul does not exist outside your body, your body is your soul.
Therefore, we should take pride in our bodies, our egos, and sense of self. Why? It is all that we got.
Also, I like to think that we are an instrument. An instrument for art and creation, and making stuff.
For example, I consider myself an instrument for making art, ideas, and things. And it is my self appointed duty to share it with the world.
Physiology
Can you do great things if you only sleep two hours a night? No. It is my personal thought that anything which is done during or out of sleep deprivation is not great.
Great things should be created out of a surplus of physiological energy and power. As a simple thought, what if you just went to bed every night at 7:30 PM, and woke up naturally in the morning when your body prompted you, instead of forcing yourself to wake up early in the morning with an alarm clock?
Why is it that we discount sleep so much? It is this foolish American notion that the more pain one suffers, the more virtuous one is. Is this the case? No. Pleasure in pain is a slave mentality.
Why is this thought so persistent? Because in America, we are essentially a Judeo Christian, Protestant nation. The founding fathers of America were either Puritans or Quakers, essentially protestants that sought salvation, and virtue. Benjamin Franklin, although he seemed to be atheist, a lot of his life philosophies was a mishmash of Quaker ideals, and the glorification of labor and the virtue of hard work.
But a thought, if something is created, and it is not hard, is it still virtuous? Sometimes yes sometimes not. There are many things in life that you could do which are virtuous, which actually do not require much effort.
Once again, we must get rid of this bizarre equation that the harder you work, the more virtuous you are.
Virtue and the body?
Can you imagine a skinny fat Superman? No.
Despite what our current “woke“ ideology tells us, there are levels and a hierarchy when it comes to the human body. For example, having less body fat and more muscle mass will be superior to a body with more body fat, and less muscle mass.
Also, something which is not fair but true, the virtue of a man is highly contingent on how tall he is. Short men do not appear virtuous.
And this is what I have noticed, every man, if he is short, has some sort of insecurity bias. This includes Kanye West, Eminem, etc.
But if you were born short, what are you to do? Typically what men strive to do is to marry some really really tall and beautiful woman, typically models, and they have children with them. And then the hope is that their next generation of children will be taller than them.
I am around 5 foot 11, and it is my aspiration that Seneca is far taller than me. Also stronger, more muscular, and more self-confident.
What does it mean to be a man?
It seems that the notion of virtue and manliness go hand-in-hand. Virtue just means human excellence, typically reserved for men.
In ancient Greek times, what was the highest measure of virtue? Courage, strength, and skill in battle. If you were the king, it was your obligation to stand on the front lines, and be the first to charge into battle, regardless of whether you lived or died. The leader and the king and the hero actually put himself at the most physical risk.
For example, it is difficult to imagine a King Leonidas all the way in the back of his Spartan 300s, controlling some sort of drone.
What do you desire to do with your body?
It seems that most people in modern capitalist society seek to prostitute their bodies and their minds in order to make more money. This is not just men or women, it is human.
For example, if you decide to join a bank, in the pursuit of making a lot of money, and you spend 12 to 14 hours a day in the office, clicking a mouse and pushing a keyboard, you are prostituting your body and your mind for money.
Or, if your existence has something to do with utilizing your bodily orifices to make money, one must consider the consequences.
In ancient Greek times, the peak condition wasn’t wealth, it was otium or leisure. Or battle.
In fact, nobody cares how many oxen or cattle king Priam owned, or how many tripods of gold he owned. We much more admired Achilles, and his bloodthirsty hunger for battle. Or we admire the virtue of Hector, sticking his own personal life to protect His people.
The very interesting thought is according to Homer, Achilles and Hector were both seen as equally virtuous. Even though Achilles was the superior fighter. And also because Achilles was a demigod, whereas Hector was a mere human.
So what can you control?
I think in life, the courage you’re willing to risk in order to further your own personal mission. Also, your own personal courage to remain tenacious in that which you care for.
ERIC