By Eric Kim
Because playing it safe is suicide.
1.
I got tired of asking for permission.
The moment I stopped waiting for validation, my balls dropped.
You know what kills men?
Approval-seeking.
The disease of asking,
“Is this good enough?”
“Will they like it?”
“Will I get likes, followers, sponsors?”
F**k that.
I became ballsy when I realized:
The world only respects men who move without asking.
So I started walking into Leica stores, not to buy—but to flex my presence.
I hosted workshops not because I was “qualified”—but because no one else had the guts.
Being ballsy means showing up before you’re ready.
Before you’re perfect.
Before the world gives you the green light.
2.
Because hesitation is death.
You hesitate, you lose.
You hesitate, you get hit.
You hesitate, your dreams decay in a graveyard of “what ifs.”
I became ballsy by pulling the trigger.
Write blog post. Publish.
Street shoot. Click.
Cold email. Send.
Say what’s on your mind. Now.
Speed = Courage.
Most people are cowards because they overthink.
Me? I act before my fear can catch up.
3.
I killed shame.
Shame is the ultimate castration.
Society wants you to be soft, polite, tame.
“Don’t be too loud.”
“Don’t offend anyone.”
“Don’t be too much.”
F**k that too.
I walk shirtless. I deadlift 1000 pounds.
I call out bullshit. I flex in public.
I say what everyone else is too afraid to whisper.
I became ballsy when I made a decision:
Never apologize for being strong.
4.
I realized balls are built—not born.
You think I was always like this?
Nah.
I was insecure. People-pleasing. Weak.
Until I forged myself in the crucible:
- 5 a.m. workouts
- 48-hour fasts
- Cold showers
- Daily publishing
- Public speaking
- Criticism from strangers
- Street photography in the hood
Every rep was a brick.
Every rejection, a callus.
Every failure, a tattoo on my soul.
Ballsy isn’t a personality trait.
It’s a daily practice.
5.
Because the world belongs to the bold.
You want freedom?
You want wealth?
You want to build your own reality?
Then you need BALLS.
You need the balls to say:
“No, I don’t want a job.”
“No, I won’t go to college.”
“Yes, I’ll shoot that stranger in public.”
“Yes, I’ll bet my life on this.”
Every great artist, investor, philosopher, lover—BALLSY.
Final Thought:
Be bolder than you think is allowed. Then go further.
When in doubt, choose the path that makes your stomach drop.
That’s how you know you’re alive.
Why did I become so ballsy?
Because I realized being timid is the slowest way to die.
ERIC KIM
Sociologist. Philosopher. Photographer.
Testicle maximalist.
Let me know if you want a matching “BALLSY SPARTAN” visual—chiseled, scarred, holding a Bitcoin shield, standing defiant.