Prize your life, this is the only life you got. 

The philosophy of time:

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The death of film

I think this is something that changes a lot, once you have a kid. Or have a child a young child at home. Suddenly, your time becomes scarce, very very scarce.

For example, in terms of time scarcity… this is so insanely critical. If I gave you a choice… Would you rather spend 30 minutes playing and wrestling around with your kid at the house or at the park… Or would you rather spend your precious 30 minutes answering Emails from childless individuals who don’t really have anything better to do?

Also with film — fine if you don’t have kids — once you get a kid go 100% digital!

True success

I’m starting to think… true success is self ownership, time ownership, essentially… never having anything randomly put on your schedule without your own desire.

For example, I learned that apparently Taylor Swift is signed to Universal Records. Which means she has no control over her time or soul.

Also a very funny thing… apparently Taylor Swift is about my age, she’s born in 1989, I am born in 1988. I find it insanely bizarre that millions of 10-year-old girls know everything about her down to her drive-through food order?

Sign yourself

Anyways… I think some simple filters:

Trust no individual who is signed to anything.

For example, I think a very admirable thing that Kendrick Lamar did was quit top dog entertainment… And create his own record label, PG Lang. I think this is also the wisdom of a Jay-Z… The real idea of taking a real chance is to create your own label, and to avoid getting signed to any record or label… Even if they might wave a $100 million check in front of you. Because if you have to be on tour for the rest of your life like lil Wayne (via Pusha T)… Every single night performing for three hours and night, seven days a week… No sleep and rest… Do you have freedom? No!

This is why Drake is also still a slave!

And I think the foolish thing which people do is they trade their most valuable thing on the planet… Their freedom and self ownership, in exchange for cash, arbitrary notions of “fame“… For the sake of what?

Time and self ownership over money.

What is it that we truly seek?

One of my friends, Bing who I met in Singapore… The guy I am grateful for getting me into crypto bitcoin and digibyte at the time —  he said something interesting, very wise guy, saying that what he wanted in life was material desires like a purple Lamborghini, but also… more importantly, getting respect from people.

For example, he said that the primary issue in America is that there is no real notions of respect. For example even very very simply being in Korea, Southeast Asia of Vietnam etc.… On a very basic level, we use honorifics, when it comes to age. Be told, it feels really good! To have a young kid address you in an honorific way, warms your heart!

You never know who is who 

Also… I think in America one of the wise things that I’ve learned, just from myself but also echoed in people like NASSIM TALEB is a simple idea:

Treat the janitor, the hygiene sanitation guy, the security guard with more respect than the big boss.

And also… assume that everybody you meet is super super rich and successful and powerful and influential, irregardless of how they may look on the outside. Often times, the richest most powerful people are the most low-key, keep a low profile, and you would never expect it.

Don’t network

But I think the tricky thing is when it comes to human social capital… the whole “it’s not what you know but who you know”– is also a little bit misguided because technically, especially in today’s day and age, I don’t think that networking or knowing influential people is important. All you need is a website, your own self hosted blog, ChatGPT and you’re good!

100% of the time networking is a waste of time.

I got some experience now

Humans are not super great nor efficient. For example just based on my experiences, I’m 36 now… Almost 0 networking events or meeting famous successful people have led to anything substantive. The only things which have led to substantive things were things that I decided to do on my own; like hosting my own workshops, creating and developing and selling my own products engaging people directly with my own email newsletter blog, platform, etc. Everything else has been a waste of time.

Build it yourself.

I think the biggest issues here is that when you are starting off as an entrepreneur… We do things in such a way in which we think it is the proper way. For example, when we think about business and networking… We think what it means is to get to know a bunch of rich successful people, “get your foot in the door” etc. Yet, I have discovered this is a total waste of time. 

Your own website and blog is the foot in the digital door!

The way that I was able to build my digital capital my fame my power my influence was very very simple… Essentially learning everything about street photography on my own, and then creating really really insanely in-depth articles, blog posts, pages, information and resources on anything and everything street photography. And the whole time, the whole endeavor of mine was guided by passion, personal interest and curiosity.

Curiosity is antifragile.

Lifting 1,000 pounds

On my personal quest to lift 1000 pounds, which is beyond 10 plates on each side of the barbell, was a personal curiosity:

How far can I take it?

Essentially, my primary curiosity was a curiosity of the limits of my strength, my courage, my ability and potential?

I remember the last time I was weightlifting in Westerly, Rhode Island, and an older guy came up to me and asked “what is the purpose of that? Why are you lifting like that?” I made a joke and I said, first– to augment my ego. But the second more honest answer is I’m just curious how strong I can become.

Why curiosity is so critical

What is curiosity? Curiosity is care, curiosity is what drives us.

You cannot force somebody to be cursed about something that they don’t really care for. You cannot spoon feed or inject curiosity in the soul of somebody, against their own will.

This is why a lot of Asian parents fail, when they try to force their kids to play violin, piano, or chess etc.

Back to time

Time is the ultimate capital, the ultimate desirable non-renewable resource.

Another funny lesson: often the most seemingly bad movies, the ones with poor IMDb reviews are actually the best movies.

For example, the movie “in time” by Justin Timberlake.  probably one of the best films of all time, and also, the most underrated. The reason why it is so grand and great of a film is that it creates this metaphor, this philosophical world in which essentially time is money: literally and metaphorically.

For example, the super super rich people have 1000 years on their wrist, and hilariously enough, excuse the pun, but rich people and poor people are separated by “time zones”–

Also in this fictitious universe, real rich people take their time and move really slowly, whereas the poor laborers, are always running, because they are so short on time.

Time inflation

Another funny scene: in the early part of the IN TIME film, when Justin Timberlake is working as a laborer at a factory or whatever, do you have to scan your wrist, imagine like having Apple Pay, your checking account embedded in your wrist, and anytime you wanted to buy a cup of coffee or food or whatever… You would just scan your wrist. And one of the scenes, Justin Timberlake complains “wait… A cup of coffee used to only cost 15 minutes, why is it now costing 30 minutes?” And the guy selling coffee, shrugs his shoulder and says “that’s time inflation!”

Why it is that the only films I care for are dystopic films

The matrix, Blade Runner, and these science fiction fiction, alternate future sociological philosophical films, why? They actually change you! 

What is so interesting about science fiction typically it is just a commentary or a societal critique of our real society. And the thing exaggerated, in cinematic ways, or building up a universe, but in fact, it is really true to today’s world.

Anyways, back on the notion of time… Time is labor, money is labor time.

How renting is superior to owning

For example… One of the things I am so grateful about renting, and having the best landlord of all time, is that when something breaks, like our all-in-one washer dryer machine from LG… And the machine doesn’t even turn on anymore, I don’t have to be the one wasting my time driving to Home Depot, trying to fix it, or finding service technicians to fix it, scheduling it etc. Rather, I let the landlord communicate with his own labor task squad, his own maintenance team, to come in and fix it, when we are not home, and I could do better things like go on a hike with Cindy and Seneca, or do something fun!

DIY ain’t virtuous

In America, we have this weird virtue connection with doing the labor yourself. However, there is a differentiation between hateful labor and joyful labor. For example, I would probably prefer to have a mechanic fix my car, even though I could do the labor myself, because now that I have a kid, an hour spent fixing your car could be an hour playing with your kid at the park! Here a time becomes zero sum thing, which means:

If you only have an hour to spare, would you rather it be chatting with somebody random, spending time with somebody you don’t really care for, or doing some sort of labor you don’t really care for, or rather would you rather spend that time to do something more critical you insanely care for?

Only spend time on people you love and care for!

For example, if you had an hour, to listen to the problems of somebody, or, you had an hour to work out, do exercises, and lift weights… What would you choose? And assume you could only do one. Obviously work out!

For me, my only regret in the evening is if I spent the whole day, assuming that I was in good health and strength, not working out? To me, my nonnegotiable thing that I must do every single day, irregardless of whatever is to lift weights, at least once. 

Avoid time wasters, even the good ones.

Life before Seneca, life after Seneca

Life BC, life AD — I still think it is hilarious that in America, the way we categorize time is life before Christ, life after Christ.

Life before the christos, the lord the saviour, and life after Jesus.

For me I like to use this analogy for Seneca. Before Seneca was born, I wasted a lot of my time, in coffee shops, kind of superficial relationships, etc. Why? I had so much time to kill!

And also good thing about having kid is that it helps you understand what is truly critical to you or not.

Business is bad

For example, business. Do not forget that the original notion of business was centered around being busy, “busy-ness”–

Even the ancient Romans, otium, neg+otium–

Negotium (business) meant the exact opposite of leisure.

I think often times, people like to just stay busy because when you are busy, you don’t have to think about more important things in life, such as life purpose direction etc. And honestly, I think the reason why I philosophy is so critical for everybody is that if you cannot think philosophically, you’re just wasting your life.

Even Seneca the younger stoic (Seneca’s namesake) on his essay “On the shortness of time”– or the shortness of life… Essentially that you could live a great life, even if it is a short life, as long as you use your time well.

For example, if you had a house with 1000 marble and ivory tables, with matching golden plates, can you take that with you when you die? No!

80 years old and dying

Let us assume that the average human span now, I think it is about 92 years old for men, 94 years old for women. But then again you never know if you’re gonna get cancer or whatever, assume that it is 80 years.

If you knew that you would only live to be 80 years old, with 100% certainty, how would you spend your life, the next 10 years of your life? What would you do, what would you not do?

And also… Thinking about the mortality of our loved ones, our parents, your own mother.

For example, my mom is about to turn 70, and let us assume that she’s going to live to be 80. How would I want to spend the next 10 years in my life with her, or without her?

Certainly I’m happy for her to do stuff like travel, do her artwork, but also, more critically more time with Seneca, myself and Cindy, but more critically for her to spend time with Seneca. Why? There’s going to be a day in which my mom is no longer going to be around, and I would probably hope that Seneca could have some lovely memories with my mom.

Memento mori

I think this is also the thing… many of us live our lives, almost like we are going to live forever. Is that true? Of course not!

And also when you’re younger… Let us even assume that you’re going to live to be 80 years old. What that then means is that you have a long life ahead of you! But once again, what if you are Achilles, and your mom is a goddess, And you are known with 100% certainty that you will die at the age of 40? Then how would you spend your life, how would you not spend your life?

Think Steve Jobs, he died at only age 55?

You might die today

If you have the choice, the difference between memento mori, and memento vivre — the memory of knowing that you will die is more critical than the memory or the thought of knowing how to live.

The angel of life and or death?

What’s the story of why Cindy and I decided to have a kid, Seneca?

After this incident I had a few years ago being held up at gunpoint with me just me and Cindy, before Seneca was born in Mexico City… And fortunately I grabbed Cindy‘s hand and we ran away, and we did not get popped at the back of our head. And in our adrenaline, after the incident… What was my only one regret, Assuming that I have might have died? It was very simple, not having a kid! Then immediately after the incident, we started trying, and then Covid happened, and then we stopped…  and then we did a webinar saying that kind of babies and kids were kind of immune to Covid, and then we tried again… And boom, got pregnant within a week!

Anyways… Often it is these life or death encounters which clarify things. After this incident, I had zero thoughts about my wealth, money in the bank etc., or my fame or success or whatever. I literally had zero regrets besides the kid thing.

Don’t die childless.

The greatest joy on the planet

I was thinking this morning, what is something that never loses its novelty factor? Seeing and witnessing your kid grow up!

Also… As a man, by far a 1,000,000,000,000% gratitude thing, having a son, having at least one son, one male, one man, and especially having your first kid being a man!

Why? Speaking from the perspective if you are a man, what every man desires is at least one male heir. Certainly when you see a family with three girls, four girls or five girls, no boys, you know what the family was trying to do. 

And also… The whole second kid question…  honestly, if for some reason or another, we couldn’t have a second kid, I’d probably be fine because the joy of knowing that at least, our first child was a son!

Anti women?

I think if I think about it very very honestly honestly… If our first child was a girl… I’m sure I would love her 1000%, but secretly at the back of your head, you’re always thinking wishing and wondering and desiring, to have a boy.

So this is my simple thought —

If you and your wife, or partner or whatever or girlfriend, decide to have a second kid, and your first kid is a boy… Don’t push the whole second kid thing. 

Also, if I told you that let’s say that your wife decided to have birth to a second kid, and there was a 90% chance that she might die in childbirth… Would you take the risk, assuming that your first kid is already a man? No!

Back to time

Honestly just throw your iPhone to the trash. Something that people don’t understand is that the iPhone is toxic; even reading one weird thing on your phone, watching one weird movie, film, news headline, TikTok video whatever… strange pornography video or picture, can infect your mind, for a few days, randomly in the middle of the day, or even when you’re about to sleep.

Instagram is like liver pancreatic cancer

The reason why I deleted Instagram in around 2017 and no– that ERIC KIM on Instagram is not me– the person that made my @erickimphoto Instagram account was just a faithful follower, was because Instagram started to do bad things to my mind and weird things to my mind. For example I’d be driving, in the suburbs, or the city… And at around noon, while driving, I would get distracted and think to myself “wait… did I uploaded something to Instagram today?” I caught myself thinking this, and I thought “wow, this is bad. I got to get rid of this”. And in 2017, when I had about 65,000 followers, I did probably one of the most courageous and proud things in my life, which was to delete my Instagram. 

mental Freedom?

Something my friend Jeffrey Lam tells me about is this notion of mind space, ideas that was not just a timeframe but, a mental space thing.

For example, you could in theory have 12 hours of free time in a day, but as long as a strange thought lingering in your mind, you can never really focus 100%.

I think this is called the Zeignark effect. For example let us say that you read an email that needs to be attended to… And you don’t attend to it or respond to it, and it will percolate on your mind for days, sometimes even weeks, sometimes even months. This is why I avoid my inbox, or my text messages like the plague…

One strange message email or text message or communication thing can distract you for days on end.

Playing cyber defense

I also think the reason why email needs to be fixed is now, it is so easy to fake an email, ChatGPT, with bots, or generative AI, even if the person is good or bad, or even if the bot is malicious or benevolent.

For example, let me give an extreme example, let us say you are Taylor Swift, and everybody on the planet knows your email (taylorswift@gmail.com)– let us say. If you are Taylor Swift, and you literally get 1 million emails a day, would you have the time to either read every single email, or even worse… Respond to it? No? This would be mental suicide! This is why I quit email and all messaging apps Around 2016, 2017, because honestly I was just becoming too famous, too much cognitive load! 

Dodge

In the Iliad, when the heroes are killing each other… They do two things, obviously they wear protective armor, like shields, helmets, etc.… But if somebody throws a spear at them, or an arrow, what they do is dodge it.

If you see an incoming spear, you are not a fool, ideally you dodge it, ideally dodging it is more effective than even raising your shield. Why? If it hits your, there is actually a chance that it might penetrate your shield, and end up either wounding you or killing you.

I wonder if we should apply the same philosophy two things. Like if you see an incoming missile, or a beer or a bullet… You don’t take the chance. Dodge a bullet, rather than testing your bulletproof vest.

“That little vest ain’t gonna do you I shoot from neck up”- JY Z

The ghost of soulja slim —

Soulja Kim?

The notion of soldier, like Soulja Boy etc., and interesting thought… The notion of a “soul”, period with the notion of a soldier?

And apparently, if you really really need people from the hood, like Crenshaw, where Nipsey Hussle got killed, the honorific to call somebody worth valor is “soldier”.

Kind of like calling somebody boss or chief. Like Chief Keef

Chief Kim! Too many Indians, not enough chiefs!

Anyways, long story short, prize your time. This is the only life you got.

ERIC

Prize your life, this is the only life you got. 

The economics and philosophy of time:

1. The death of film

I think this is something that changes a lot, once you have a kid. Or have a child a young child at the home. Suddenly, your time becomes scarce, very very scarce.

For example, in terms of times scarcity… This is so insanely critical. If I give you a choice… Would you rather spend 30 minutes playing and wrestling around with your kid at the house or at the park… Or would you rather spend your precious 30 minutes answering Emails from childless individuals who don’t really have anything better to do?

True success

I’m starting to think… True success is self ownership, time ownership, essentially… Never having anything randomly put on your schedule without your own desire.

For example, I learned that apparently Taylor Swift is signed to Universal records. Which means she has no control over her time or soul.

Also a very funny thing… Apparently Taylor Swift is about my age, she’s born in 1989, I am born in 1988. I find it insanely bizarre that millions of 10-year-old girls know everything about her down to her drive-through food order?

Anyways… I think some simple filters:

Trust no individual who is signed to anything.

For example, I think a very admirable thing that Kendrick Lamar did I believe was quit top dog entertainment… And create his own record label, I think it’s called PG Lang. I think this is also the wisdom of a Jay-Z… The real idea of taking a real chance is to create your own label, and to avoid getting signed to any record or label… Even if they might wave a $100 million check in front of you. Because if you have to be on tour for the next nine months of your life… Every single night performing for three hours and night, seven days a week… No sleep and rest… Do you have freedom? No!

And I think the foolish thing which people do is they trade their most valuable thing on the planet… Their freedom and self ownership, in exchange for cash, arbitrary notions of “fame“… For the sake of what?

What is it that we truly seek?

One of my friends, Bing who I met in Singapore… The guy I am grateful for getting me into crypto bitcoin and digibyte at the time —  he said something interesting, very wise guy, saying that what he wanted in life was material desires like a purple Lamborghini, but also… More importantly, getting respect from people.

For example, he said that the primary issue in America is that there is no real notions of respect. For example even very very simply being in Korea, Southeast Asia of Vietnam etc.… On a very basic level, we use honorifics, when it comes to age. Be told, it feels really good! To have a young kid address you in an honorific way, warms your heart! 

Also… I think in America one of the wise things that I’ve learned, just from myself but also echo and people like NASSIM TALEB is a simple idea:

Treat the janitor, the hygiene sanitation guy, the security guard with more respect than the big boss.

And also… Assume that everybody you meet is super super rich and successful and powerful and influential, irregardless of how they may look on the outside. Often times, the richest most powerful people are the most low-key, keep a low profile, and you would never expect it.

But I think the tricky thing is when it comes to human social capital… The whole “it’s not what you know but who you know”– is also a little bit misguided because technically, especially in today’s day and age, I don’t think that networking or knowing influential people is important. All you need is a website, your own self hosted blog, ChatGPT and you’re good!

Examples

Humans are not super great nor efficient. For example just based on my experiences, I’m 36 now… Almost 0 networking events or meeting famous successful people have led to anything substantive. The only things which have led to substantive things were things that I decided to do on my own; like hosting my own workshops, creating and developing and selling my own products engaging people directly with my own email newsletter blog, platform, etc. Everything else has been a waste of time.

I think the biggest issues here is that when you are starting an entrepreneur… We do things in such a way in which we think it is the proper way. For example, when we think about business and networking… We think what it means is to get to know a bunch of rich successful people, “get your foot in the door” etc. Yet, I have discovered this is a total waste of time. 

The way that I was able to build my digital capital my fame my power my influence was very very simple… Essentially learning everything about street photography on my own, and then creating really really insanely in-depth articles, blog post, pages, information and resources on anything and everything street photography.  and the whole time, the whole endeavor of vine was guided by passion, personal interest and curiosity.

Curiosity is antifragile.

Lifting 1,000 pounds

On my personal quest to lift 1000 pounds, which is beyond 10 plates on each side of the barbell, was a personal curiosity:

How far can I take it?

Essentially, my primary curiosity was a curiosity of the limits of my strength, my courage, my ability and potential?

I remember the last time I was weightlifting in Westerly, Rhode Island, and an older guy came up to me and asked “what is the purpose of that? Why are you lifting like that?” I made a joke and I said, first– to augment my ego. But the second more honest answer is I’m just curious how strong I can become.

Why curiosity is so critical

What is curiosity? Curiosity is care, curiosity is what drives us.

You cannot force somebody to be cursed about something that they don’t really care for. You cannot spoon feed or inject curiosity in the soul of somebody, against their own will.

This is why a lot of Asian parents fail, when they try to force their kids to play violin, piano, or chess etc.

back to time

Time is ultimate capital, ultimate desirable non-renewable resource.

Another funny lesson: often the most seemingly bad movies, the ones with poor IMDb reviews are actually the best movies.

For example, the movie “in time” by Justin Timberlake.  probably one of the best films of all time, and also, the most underrated.
P the reason why it is so grand and great of a film is that it creates this metaphor, this philosophical world in which essentially money is, quite literally.

For example, the super super rich people have 1000 years on their wrist, and hilarious enough, excuse the pun, but rich people and poor people are separated by “time zones”–

Also in this fictitious universe, real rich people take their time and move really slowly, whereas the poor labors, are always running, because they are so short on time.

time inflation

 another funny thought: apparently in the early film, when Justin Timberlake is working as a laborer at a factory or whatever, do you have to scan your wrist, imagine like having Apple Pay, your checking account embedded in your wrist, and anytime you wanted to buy a cuppa coffee or food or whatever… You would just scan your wrist. And one of the scenes, Justin Timberlake complains “wait… A cup of coffee only cost 15 minutes, why is it now costing 30 minutes?”  and the guy selling coffee, shrugs his shoulder and says “that’s time inflation!”

Why it is that the only films I care for are dystopic films

The matrix, Blade Runner, and these scientific fiction, alternate future sociological philosophical films, why ? They actually change you! 

What is so interesting about science fiction typically it is just a commentary or a societal critique of our real society. And the thing exaggerated, in cinematic ways, or building up a universe, but in fact, it is really true to today’s world.

Anyways, back on the notion of time… Time is labor, money is labor time.

For example… One of the things I am so grateful about renting, and having the best landlord of all time, is that when something breaks, like our all-in-one washer dryer machine from LG… And the machine doesn’t even turn on anymore, I don’t have to be the ones Wasting my time driving to Home Depot, trying to fix it, or finding service technicians to fix it, scheduling it etc. Rather, I let the landlord communicate with his own labor task squad, his own maintenance team, to come in and fix it, when we are not home, and I could do better things like go on a hike with Cindy and Seneca, or do something fun!

In America, we have this weird virtue connection with doing the labor yourself. However, there is a differentiation between hateful labor and joyful labor. For example, I would probably prefer to have a mechanic fix my car, even though I could do the labor myself, because now that I have a kid, an hour spent fixing your car could be an hour playing with your kid at the park! Here a time becomes zero som, which means 

If you only have an hour to spare, would you rather it be chatting with somebody random, or spending time with somebody you don’t really care for, or doing some sort of labor you don’t really care for, or rather would you rather spend that time to do something more critical you insanely care for?

For example, if you had an hour, to listen to the problems of somebody, or, you had an hour to work out exercises, and lift weights… What would you choose? And assume you could only do one. Obviously work out!

For me, my only regret in the evening is if I spent the whole day, assuming that I was in good health and strength, not working out? To me, my nonnegotiable thing that I must do every single day, irregardless of whatever is to lift weights, at least once. 

Life before Seneca, life after Seneca

Life BC, life AD — I still think it is hilarious that in America, the way we categorize time is life before Christ, life after Christ.

Life before the christos, the lord the saviour, and life after Jesus.

For me I like to use this analogy for Seneca. Before Seneca was born, I wasted a lot of my time, had coffee shops, kind of superficial relationships, etc. Why? I had so much time to kill!

And also good thing about having kid is that it helps you understand what is truly critical to you or not.

For example, business. Do not forget that the original notion of business was centered around being busy, “busy-ness”–

Even the ancient Romans, otium, neg+otium–

Negotium (business) meant the exact opposite of leisure.

I think often times, people like to just stay busy because when you are busy, you don’t have to think about more important things in life, such as life purpose direction etc. And honestly, I think the reason why I philosophy is so critical for everybody is that if you cannot think philosophically, you’re just wasting your life.

Even Seneca the younger stoic (Seneca’s namesake) on his essay “On the shortness of time”– or the short of life… Essentially that you could live a great life, even if it is a short life, as long as you use your time well.

For example, if you had a house with 1000 marble and ivory tables, with matching golden plates, can you take that with you when you die? No!

Let us assume that the average human span now, I think it is about 92 years old for men, 94 years old for women. But then again you never know if you’re gonna get cancer or whatever, assume that it is 80 years.

If you knew that you would only live to be 80 years old, with 100% certainty, how would you spend your life, the next 10 years of your life? What would you do, what would you not do?

And also… Thinking about the mortality of our loved ones, our parents, your own mother.

For example, my mom is about to turn 70, and let us assume that she’s going to live to be 80. How would I want to spend the next 10 years in my life with her, or without her?

Certainly I’m happy for her to do stuff like travel, do her artwork, but also, more critically more time with Seneca, myself and Cindy, but more critically for her to spend time with Seneca. Why? There’s going to be a day in which my mom is no longer going to be around, and I would probably hope that Seneca could have some lovely memories with my mom.

I think this is also the thing… Of us live our lives, almost like we are going to live forever. Is that true? Of course not!

And also when you’re younger… Let us even assume that you’re going to live to be 80 years old. What that then means is that you have a long life ahead of you! But once again, what if you are Achilles, and your mom is a goddess, And you are known with 100% certainty that you will die at the age of 40? Then how would you spend your life, how would you not spend your life?

Memento mori

If you have the choice, the difference between memento mori, and memento vivre — the memory of knowing that you will die is more critical than the memory or the thought of knowing how to live.

I think meaningful ways, and also after this incident I had a few years ago being held up at gunpoint with me just me and Cindy, before Seneca was born… And fortunately I grab Cindy‘s hand and we ran away, and we did not get popped at the back of our head. And in our adrenaline, after the incident… What was my only one regret, Assuming that I have might have died? It was very simple, not having a kid! Then immediately after the incident, we started trying, and then Covidhappened, and then we stopped…  and then we did a webinar saying that kind of babies and kids were kind of immune to Covid, and then we tried again… And boom, got pregnant within a week!

Anyways… Often it is these life or death encounters which clarify things. After this incident, I had zero thoughts about my wealth, money in the bank etc., or my fame or success or whatever. I literally had zero regrets besides the kid thing.

The greatest joy on the planet

I was thinking this morning, what is something that never loses its novelty factor? Seeing and witnessing your kid grow up!

Also… As a man, by far a 1,000,000,000,000% gratitude thing, having a son, having at least one son, one male, one man, and especially having your first kid being a man!

Why? Speaking from the perspective if you are a man, what every man desires is at least one male heir. Certainly when you see a family with three girls, four girls or five girls, no boys, you know what the family was trying to do. 

And also… The whole second kid question…  honestly, if for some reason or another, we couldn’t have a second kid, I’d probably be fine because the joy of knowing that at least, our first child was a son!

Anti women?

I think if I think about it very very honestly honestly… If our first child was a girl… I’m sure I would love her 1000%, but secretly at the back of your head, you’re always thinking wishing and wondering and desiring, to have a boy.

So this is my simple thought —

If you and your wife, or partner or whatever or girlfriend, decide to have a second kid, and your first kid is a boy… Don’t push the whole second kid thing. 

Also, if I told you that let’s say that your wife decided to have birth to a second kid, and there was a 90% chance that she might die in childbirth… Would you take the risk, assuming that your first kid is already a man? No!

Back to time

Honestly just throw your iPhone to the trash. Something that people don’t understand is that the iPhone is toxic; even reading one weird thing on your phone, one weird movie, film, news headline, TikTok video whatever… Strange pornography video or picture, can infect your mind, For a few days, randomly in the middle of the day, or even when you’re about to sleep.

The reason why I deleted Instagram in around 2017 and no– that ERIC KIM on Instagram is not me– the person that made my @erickimphoto Instagram account was just a faithful follower,  why is it started to do bad things to my mind and weird things to my mind. For example I’d be driving, in the suburbs, or the city… And at around noon, while driving, I would get distracted and think to myself “wait… did I uploaded something to Instagram today?” I caught myself thinking this, and I thought “wow, this is bad. I got to get rid of this”. And in 2017, when I had about 65,000 followers, I did probably one of the most courageous and proud things in my life, which was to delete my Instagram. 

mental Freedom?

Something my friend Jeffrey Lam tells me about is this notion of mind space, ideas that was not just a timeframe but, a mental space thing.

For example, you could in theory have 12 hours of free time in a day, but as long as a strange thought is lingering in your mind, you can never really focus 100%.

I think this is called the Zeignark effect,  for example let us say that you read an email that needs to be attended to… And you don’t attend to it or respond to it, and it will plate your mind for days, sometimes even weeks, sometimes even months. This is why I avoid my inbox, or my text messages like the plague…

One strange message email or text message or communication thing can distract you for days on end.

Playing cyber defense

I also think the reason why email needs to be fixed is now, it is so easy to fake an email, ChatGPT, with bots, or generative AI, even if the person is good or bad, or even if the bot is malicious or benevolent.

For example, let me give an extreme example, let us say you are Taylor Swift, and everybody on the planet knows your email (taylorswift@gmail.com)– let us say.  if you are Taylor Swift, and you literally get 1 million emails a day, would you have the time to either read every single email, or even worse… Respond to it? No? This would be mental suicide! This is why I quit email and all messaging apps Around 2016, 2017, because honestly I was just becoming too famous, too much cognitive load! 

Dodge

In the Iliad, when the heroes are killing each other… They do two things, obviously they wear protective armor, like shields, helmets, etc.… But if somebody throws a spear at them, or an arrow, what they do is dodge it.

If you see an incoming spear, you are not a fool, ideally you dodge it, ideally dodging it is more effective than even raising your shield. Why? If it hits your, there is actually a chance that it might penetrate your shield, and end up either wounding you or killing you.

I wonder if we should apply the same philosophy two things. Like if you see an incoming missile, or a beer or a bullet… You don’t take the chance. Dodge a bullet, rather than testing your bulletproof vest.

“That little vest ain’t gonna do you I shoot from neck up”- JY Z

The ghost of soulja slim —

Soulja Kim?

The notion of soldier, like Soulja Boy etc., and interesting thought… The notion of a “soul”, period with the notion of a soldier?

And apparently, if you really really need people from the hood, like Crenshaw, where Nipsey Hussle got killed, the honorific to call somebody worth valor is “soldier”.

Kind of like calling somebody boss or chief. Like Chief Keef

Chief Kim! Too many Indians, not enough chiefs!

Anyways, long story short, prize your time. This is the only life you got.

ERIC

What is a pure thought? I thought that comes to you, first thing you do when you wake up… Without any sort of external stimulus weather reading, listening, looking.

I’ve heard this advice before… That when you go to sleep… Charge your phone in your living room, as far away from your bedroom as possible. Better yet, just turn it off completely, or also, just keep it in your backpack. And actually let it die a little bit and drain the battery of it… iPhone sucks, is overrated, and bad for your health and life.

Also… Throw your TV smart TV into the trash. If you really want to watch a movie film cinema etc.… I think the best way to do it is to just download it to your iPad Pro, and just watch it outside! Alfresco style!

For example, here in Culver City and beyond… There has been a lot of events about watching movies in the park, watching movies outside… Even the antiquated notion of the drive-through movie theater is a very interesting idea; I think media has consumed outside, outdoors etc.

For example, pro tip for parents… If your kid wants to play games on the iPad, play with your iPhone or whatever… Make it a rule that they are only allowed to do it when they are outside of the house! For example at the park, the local playground, the local nature center, etc.

This is my tactic; any time that Seneco wants to do programming on the iPad with swift playgrounds, or play poly bridge 2, or a racing game… The rule is we have to go outside, go to the Culver City steps or downtown, and then I let him play there. 80% of the time he forgets… And ends up just running around instead.

Bizarre media habits of adults

OK, taking it a step further: 

First, OK something I never understood was owning a television?

First, if you want to watch something, why not just watch it on your laptop or better yet… An iPad Pro?

I thought we were advanced techies? Why would a techie own a television?

Video games?

Video game is fine for teenagers, and children… Not men or grown adults.

Why would you be playing PlayStation, or a PC game or steam… If you are over the age of 18?

Rule: adult over the age of 18 should play video games.

Video games are essentially a good refuge for kids who grow up without parental figures. Or they grow up in the hood, I’m playing video games is safer than gangbanging.

But besides this… Video games are not becoming of us. 

Becoming a real man 

So the pure thought I had this morning was there’s notion of becoming a real man.

What are my ideals?

First, a stoic manly, spartan ethos approach and aesthetic. We are not cowards, slaves.

The best thing to read is the Iliad, Emily Wilson translation. The best and the quickest and the easiest way to put hair on your chest.

Ignore modern day media

All modern day media is bad. Why? Because media is so hyper nowadays… Things are becoming more and more bizarre.

Things are bizarre, there are no longer any divisions or boundaries, everybody gets a gold medal, everyone gets a participation sticker, everyone is made mediocre. For example, when it comes to the body, bodily physique etc.… Do not be a fool. There is obviously a clear hierarchy here. And it is not a matter of objective or subjective… Both of these are not useful philosophical ideas. Besides physics, there’s nothing objective on the planet. And subjectivity is a modern day concept which is tired.

Achilles or Hector

I think the two best role models for us is Achilles and Hector. The two Apex fighters warriors and men of antiquity, no and forever.

I actually find the Iliad to be so pure, so honest, maybe the only book worth reading. This and the Odyssey. Once I am done reading the Iliad translation by Emily Wilson, I will read the odyssey translation by her as well.

Anyways, my first thought is there is no such thing as valor without real valor, real physical valor and strength. Even the notion “valere” or “vale”, which was essentially a signature like saying “best” at the end of an email, essentially it meant “be strong!”

All strength is good, all weakness is bad. It doesn’t matter what your domain is, we all seek strength, we all hate weakness.

And certainly, you could interpret strength and weakness for yourself. But whether it be physical, mental, physiological, artistic aesthetic etc — strength, power, durability is supremely desired.

Therefore, as a man, your first duty is towards strength, power, strengthening. 

Things which strengthen you, things which don’t

 I think one of the grand clarifying things about having a child is when it comes to time and focus and mind space and zen. 

For example, even before the birth of Seneca, I barely had enough time, mind space for myself. Now after the birth of Seneca, my time is really really insanely limited, and also nonrenewable.

For example, I only have so many bucks to give, and anything which does not promote my thinking or Seneca, is time wasted.

Let us assume that you caught your good 10 hours of sleep, and even talking to somebody who is full of misery, unhappiness etc.… They are strange negative thoughts will infect you in a bad way. If you were in full health and full figure… Unfortunately The toxicity of unwell people will positively harm you. And then it becomes a feedback loop… The second you are in a bad mood, it affects the mood of your wife, your kids, etc.

Being cruel is virtuous

I wonder if we want to become grander, we must also become more cruel.

For example, the second that I realize that my dad was bad news for Cindy, and that Cindy did not feel safe around my dad, it was a very easy cut.

And also, the number one benefit of stoicism is being able to conquer all of your past trauma, and not only that… Using that past trauma almost like clay, strapping it onto your body to make you bigger stronger, buffer, more indomitable.

 This is why I think so much of modern day therapy is bad; it opens up and reopens up too many bad wounds, for example… Let us say that you fell, you scraped your knee, and it takes about a week for your skin to reheat itself. Would you then take a knife, And scalp pull it back again, promoting the cut and bleeding again?! You just leave it alone, and you do not agitate if any further! 

Or, let us say that your whole life you were just drinking dirty sewer water, a metaphor for a toxic family or upbringing. Let us say you finally leave that environment, and now you could drink Fiji clean water, do you then out of virtue, go back to the toxic place and environment, and start drinking sewer water again, just to prove something? No!

The wisdom of Dr. Dre… You get out of the hood, and you stay out of the hood! You don’t go back to the hood to “prove yourself”.

In fact this whole notion of approving yourself, I find it to be insanely bizarre.

For example Achilles is 100% confident and certain in his strength valor and power. And everyone knows it. And it isn’t his ethos to go to battle just to prove how dominant he is.. He only goes back to fighting when he wants to get revenge on Hector, but besides this… Achilles wanted to retire from fighting.

Even if you took all the wealth on the Earth and multiplied it by 100,000… It is not worth your human mortal life.

For example, would you accept $1 trillion, if you had a 99.9% mortality rate chance, in the next three months? Obviously no!

Human life, a long happy life along healthy life is the most desired thing on the planet. Even the ancient Greeks and good old Homer knew this. 

So why are we trying to trade our health our strength and our well-being for money? 

An interesting nuance with Americans versus Koreans,

Koreans seek success as a moralistic imperative. Koreans, South Korean… They don’t really care for money… Money is simply a reflection of a Confucian literati type of success. 
In America, money, US dollars is the ultimate mark of success. It seems in America… We valorize money for the sake of money. We don’t actually want anything else, we just want the money.

In the American case, we want money because we think that the money will make us happy or happier? The simple mathematical equation, a simple vector: more moneys, more happiness.

For Koreans, it is more a matter of respect. The general idea is that the more money you have, the more respect you’ll get from others.

Funny enough Americans I don’t think we really care for respect, we just want money and happiness.

Koreans want respect, respect from others, their peers etc.…  I don’t even think Koreans want happiness. Koreans just want respect. 

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Why does this matter

Quotes

Here are some quotes from Eric Kim that reflect his philosophy on happiness:

1. On Creative Flourishing: “Happiness isn’t something you can buy; it’s something you create through your own hands and mind.”
2. On Physical Well-being: “Your body is your temple—take care of it, and it will take care of you. Happiness is impossible without a healthy body.”
3. On Minimalism: “The less you own, the more freedom you have. True happiness comes from experiences, not possessions.”
4. On Mindfulness: “Happiness is found in the present moment—when you’re fully engaged with the here and now, you don’t need anything else.”
5. On Self-Reliance: “Don’t wait for happiness to come to you; create it yourself by living intentionally and pursuing what truly matters to you.”

These quotes encapsulate Kim’s belief that happiness is an active pursuit, deeply connected to creativity, health, simplicity, mindfulness, and personal autonomy.

His happiness philosophy

Eric Kim’s philosophy on happiness revolves around several key principles:

1. Creative Flourishing: He believes that true happiness comes from creative expression and personal growth rather than from material possessions or societal achievements. For Kim, the act of creating—whether it’s through photography, writing, or other forms of art—brings deep fulfillment and joy.
2. Physical Well-being: Kim ties happiness to physical health, emphasizing the importance of regular exercise, proper sleep, and a healthy diet. He suggests that taking care of one’s body is essential for maintaining a happy and balanced life.
3. Minimalism: His philosophy also incorporates minimalist principles, arguing that reducing clutter and avoiding unnecessary possessions can lead to a more peaceful and contented life. Kim advocates for focusing on experiences and relationships rather than material goods.
4. Mindfulness and Presence: Kim encourages living in the present moment and finding joy in simple, everyday experiences. He believes that mindfulness, or the practice of being fully present, is crucial for achieving a sustained sense of happiness.
5. Self-Reliance: Happiness, in Kim’s view, is also linked to self-reliance and independence. He advocates for taking control of one’s life, setting personal goals, and not depending on external validation or societal standards for happiness.

Overall, Eric Kim’s happiness philosophy is about aligning one’s life with creative pursuits, maintaining physical health, practicing minimalism, and cultivating mindfulness and self-reliance. He sees happiness as a holistic experience that integrates both mental and physical well-being with a purposeful, creatively engaged life.

Here are some articles from Eric Kim’s website that focus on the concept of happiness:

1. “The Philosophy of Happiness”: In this article, Eric Kim explores what happiness means beyond material possessions and societal norms. He discusses happiness as a state of individual creative and physiological flourishing. Read more here.
2. “The Secret of Happiness”: Eric delves into the difference between pleasure and happiness, arguing that true happiness comes from creative flourishing rather than the pursuit of fleeting pleasures. Learn more here.
3. “Physiological Happiness”: This piece focuses on the idea that happiness is closely tied to physical well-being, such as getting sufficient sleep, engaging in physical activity, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Explore the article here.

These articles offer insights into Eric Kim’s views on how happiness is deeply connected to both physical health and creative expression.

The philosophy of famous and fame

I think a critical thing to consider is that fame and money or not the same thing or equatable. Nor is it desirable to link the two.

For sample, it seems that the foolish mistake people make is that they think of fame as a conduit for wealth. But technically… The easiest way to become wealthy or make a bunch of money is to get a job in cyber security, become a lawyer or a doctor, or even work in sanitation and hygiene, doing a “dirty job“, which could easily net you a lot of money, easily $200,000 a year.

So then the question is … What is it that people seek, and why?

Everyone wants to be happy

First, it seems that what people really seek is not fame or money… But happiness. And people think of it like a simple scalar vector equation: 

as I increase my numbers, as I increase my monies, as I increase my fame, my follower number is whatever… This positive increase will be positively equated with more positive happiness.

What is this true? No!

I’ll example… Let us say that you’re the most famous person on the planet, your Brad Pitt or whatever, and your beautiful wife Angelina Jolie divorces you, you become a strange from your seven children, and nobody wants to call you or interact with you anymore.

Or even think about Russell Simmons, the former music producer who was revealed that he sexually abused all of these women, and maybe raped them or drug them or something weird, apparently his not in jail, even though he probably should, and now… He is Gained at least 15 pounds of fat, lives by himself in a mansion in New Jersey, and nobody talks to him anymore. Even though he might have $100 million in his Bank of America checking account, he is probably not happy.

The sorcery of happiness

I think the big issue here is we try to metricate happiness. 
Once again, I think people hear lack some sort of critical understanding… We think of happiness like ones and zeros, commas and dollars, numbers etc.

But some critical issues here, first we don’t realize that 99% of social media and follower numbers are just bots. I think if you waived a magical wand, in order to delete all the bots on the Internet, it would reduce the Internet population or the follower numbers by 99.9%. 

I’ll give you example… Let us say that you see a famous person on the Internet with 1 billion followers. I bet you that 999 million of those are just bots.

Social media inflation

Nobody ever thinks about this, but, I don’t think anyone has ever made the connection between monetary inflation and social media inflation.

Let us consider that it literally cost zero dollars to make a bot on the Internet. For less than a nickel, you could easily spin up 1 billion bots on Facebook Instagram Instagram Instagram Snapchat TikTok and you could create fake views, comments, likes, follower numbers etc.

 Most people are not critical and foolish. For example, obviously if you showed me your Instagram and you had 1 billion followers, in my mind I would just think well “this person is very famous and successful and rich whatever.” But once again… What if the person spent only about $2000 to get all those fake bot followers?  and hoodwink corporations to give them money and free products, because they could show off these fake followers?

Issues

Even if you are a social media influencer, you’re actually not making that much money. Let us say that you have 10 million followers or 100 million followers, and I asked you to promote its product to your phone, they might only give you about $5000 or maybe even $10,000… Which is not that much money, if you think that you could make more money in cyber security penetration testing.

Then, it seems that what people then do is they desire to make their passion their living, and they think that social media is the way. It is not.

My simple ideas only only need 300 hard-core, Spartan fans on the planet… Hopefully very committed, and also wealthy. It is more profitable to have people give you $100,000, rather than trying to get 1 million people to give you a nickel.

True fans true followers

I cannot really speak for other people, but I could speak for myself, from the position of being a fan.

Who am I a fan of? Kanye West, Jay Z, electronica, Kendrick Lamar, Zack Snyder, and the like. 

What makes me a true fan? Even though I could easily pirate their stuff for free, I decide to pay my real money for it, because for me… There is a sense of pride or ownership, or I just want to signal to myself that I really care for it.

Also, it becomes a sense of pride and also a filter– you never know whether you really care for something until you have made a monetary investment in it… Or a financial penalty, because money talks , money is skin in the game .

 I said no the Super Bowl 

Other side… You’ll only know the true values of the creator or the artist, based on the money they do not accept. 

 the difficult thing is that it does not easily discernible from a follower perspective… Knowing what your beloved creator decides to reject.

Often people will just throw money at you.  and typically only fools reject free money. But then… Fools are often wise.

Often we true fools have true conviction .  For example, probably one of the proudest things of my life is rejecting a book offer to publish my beloved 100 masters learn from the masters of photography book, I think I might have rejected about $10,000 USD, because I wanted it to be open and free. Probably one of the happiest and most proud moments of my life. Especially now that I am a bitcoin millionaire, and money doesn’t really matter that much to me anymore.

I think this is also where it is intelligent to stick to your guns and your own values, thinking about the long-term. The only regrets we make in life is when we compromise our values, for the promise of social or economic gain.

People are not stupid. Anyone and everyone can smell intent. For example, if you’re being nice to somebody just because you want an opportunity from them, or a potential financial payoff… They could smell it from half a mile away. However if you are being genuine,  truly genuine…  people know. And also, once you become part of a community or a city or a polis,.  word spreads.

For example,  One of my friends and mentors, Charlie Kirk, said something very nice to me a long time ago… That he would often defend me in public or private on the Internet, saying that I have never said anything bad about anybody ever.

And also… Now that I have enough experience under my belt, at the age of 36, starting my street photograph everything when I was only 21 years old… Wow, 15 years in the game, is this:

You can only trust people who have defended you, and now — your kids!

Defense, to defend, probably the most critical thing here.

For example, reading the Iliad,  when your best friend or fellow hero or champion dies on the battlefield… What do you do? You protect and defend their body, to prevent the other side from stealing their body and stripping their armor.

I think the hard thing is it is impossible to know whether somebody has defended you or not, whether in real life or in private… Until shit hits the fan. 

I find a very funny disconnect between lived embodied reality versus the ways in which people engage with film media video games etc.

I’ll give you example… One of my favorite fighting games or video games as a teenager growing up was tech, me and all my best friends would always play it, trying to warm up one another… Bryan Fury was my character.

The funny thing with video games, video game characters, is that it is a true reflection of your own personal ethos for yourself. For example, the character Brian fury, I think he’s a cyborg… But regardless, he is insanely jacked, shirtless, topless, and in my opinion, by far the most dominant fighter, at least in terms of muscularity And physique.

So essentially, when I look at Brian fury, I look at myself.

And then you think about video games in general, how bizarre it is that you have a bunch of nerves, either insanely twig like and skinny, and nerdy, or, super fat and nerdy, or maybe skinny fat? Anyways, sitting down on their butts, sitting on a couch, with a PlayStation controller in their hands, And play the fighting games in which they are beating the crap out of other virtual players, and if you look at the video game characters, they are essentially insanely jacked, and all look like demigods.

For example just look at the Tekken 8 lineup in terms of characters. Do I any of them look like the average American to you?

Also, in terms of physique… Do any of the fighters, whether a man or woman, look like the real average human being today?

Superhero films

Can you imagine a skinny fat marvel superhero? No. Yeah look at all the people who go watch the movies… A bunch of like the fat people from the wall-E movie, really fat, essentially just waddling around… Coca-Cola in hand, and stuffing themselves with type two diabetes, and watching superheroes be great?

Once again… Isn’t the goal to look like the superhero, or become the superhero?

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As deadly as ares

Noisy shouts 

.

Low lives

Observing traffic behavior, on foot… It seems that a lot of people who honk at you to hurry up, these guys are low lives? You could obviously tell that they are lower, poor, working class, and a lot of them… Our driving cell phone in hand?

And sometimes they often honk at people, to hurry up and turn right… When there is clearly a sign that says no turn on right?

So the problem is… If you’re in front and somebody is honking at you from behind… What do you do?

The problem is when somebody is honking at you from behind, there is not a way you could honk back at them, it is almost like imagine like you’re in battle… And someone tries to spear you from behind? And you cannot defend yourself?

Ideal thing would be to have a horn which is actually mounted on the back of your car, on the trunk… Which honks opposite; or have some sort of really really bright headlights or high beams, in the back of your car, which could shoot bright light and blind the assholes that are honking at you from behind.

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