ERIC KIM

Author: erickim

LEICA IS FOR LOOOOOSERS!
In praise of Fujifilm:

At the age of 36, after my world travels, my domination of the street photography sphere, a little time to think and meditate, compile my thoughts etc.… I really do believe now that Fujifilm is the way.

Truth be told, I have nothing but good things to say about Fujifilm. They have always treated me well, and I respect all of the people in the Fujifilm sphere. My recent workshop in Hanoi and Saigon with Chu Viet Ha, and all of the Fujifilm global events I went to.

Why

OK… I’m starting to think about a good analogy between car companies.

First, we all know that Toyota is the best. There is no second best. Certainly Tesla is the coolest and sexiest, the most innovative, the most radical, the most forward thinking car, but in terms of the best car, it is bar none Toyota.

Even I was thinking about the new Toyota crown signia, I saw a brand new one in white, on the dealership lot in Culver City, and I was blown away! The design is so forward thinking, so innovative… truth be told if I had to purchase a brand new automobile in 2024, that would definitely be the car I would want, because it is really one of a kind, you bought it, you would never see anybody else on the road with it!

Anyways back to photography — my thought about the desire for a Leica M rangefinder is like the desire for a Porsche 911 car. But I have personally discovered is that anybody who drives a Porsche 911 car, they are all insecure shorty guys, who don’t really really have anything else going for them.

And this is what is so funny; anybody who drives a Porsche 911 thinks that they are so cool, but not really. They are just another shorty guy drone.

The same thing with the world of photography; it seems that everyone always has penis envy with the guy who owns the newest Leica M camera. And after critically engaging with the whole photography world from age 21 to 36, nearly 15 years ,,, what I have come to realize is that so much of the photography industry is based on insecurity, everybody trying to “prove themselves”, to some sort of random authority figure?

First, Henri Cartier Bresson is out. He was and is now a lame duck.

I think the sneaky thing is that what Leica is trying to do is to essentially prostitute the image the legacy or the concept of the romantic Henri Cartier-Bresson; the idea that we live off the grid, travel the world and planet, prance around with our little Leica M rangefinder camera in the romantic narrow streets of Paris, etc.

Probably one of the greatest benefits that I’ve learned studying philosophy is that essentially, the whole French romantic movement is essentially a bunch of degenerates. As an American, growing up, the notion of romance, being “romantic“, I never really double thought about it. It was always seen as a good thing. To be romantic, was always as a positive notion.

But what I discovered is that romanticism is essentially an escape from reality; we create these fictitious fake false fantasy landscapes and realities, to seek some sort of alternative utopia to our miserable daily grind of remote work, zoom calls, emails, PowerPoint presentations, etc.

“I promise, I’m so self-conscious”

A funny thing that I experienced when traveling the world, attending these fancy photography shows and exhibitions etc. was that typically… the real photographers, the real stars of the show would just show up wearing some sort of shabby outfit, and not even bring their camera with them. On the other hand, the would be photographers would show up, full suit and regalia, sporting the newest most expensive Leica M camera, proudly wearing it around their neck, trying to signal that they were in in fact “serious” photographers.

I think the truth of the matter is that all these photographers tend to be a bunch of insecure skinny fat anemic individuals, who are overly sensitive, overly romantic, I don’t think any of them even lift weights.

I came to break the chain

I think my entire ethos has always been disruptive. In the early days, when my blog first started to pick up steam, it seems that a lot of people were either jealous or envious of my success, because I was the first and only person who was effectively able to become a productive entrepreneur in the field of photography, who was actually able to make a living from it.

And my honest assessment is that typically, we tend to hate, or to debate the success of others, when we are envious or jealous of them. I actually catch myself… whenever somebody mentions somebody else, who is maybe adjacent to my field, I always try to give them praise, even though I might think that they are a dicey personality. Because if somebody is successful, but he seems a little bit shady or uncertain to me, the thought I have is “They must certainly be doing something right… maybe something I am unaware of.”

Never hate, only praise.

Hate is good

I think my greatest joy of being the most hated photographer alive is that hate typically signals relevance.

For example, you would never hate anybody who is irrelevant.

In fact, the second people start to hate you, it is an insanely good sign that you are becoming relevant and successful. The second you stop being hated on… it is a kiss of death; to not be hated on is a sign or a signal that you are no longer relevant.

Think about the youth. As long as you are still cool or relevant to teenagers, 12-year-olds, 18-year-old kids on YouTube… Very good sign.

Photography today

Also some sneaky things I’ve learned about photography book publishers:

First, it is kind of a modern day depotism. I will not name any names, but, in trying to be friendly and cordial, make some good introductions etc.… I was responded with some of the most hateful, pernicious, toxic language that made me super angry? From an individual who was very short, very fat and ugly. It was funny — I met this individual and was super friendly introduced myself, and she told me “I know who you are”. And I did not know who she was.

Anyways, I think in the world of photography and art, it is essentially a grand fellatio giving contest. You are trying to give metaphorical head to all of these so-called individuals in power; publishers, who in fact, inherited the whole publishing empire from their grandparents grandparents, and that is why the whole publishing industry is a total scam and a sham; we think it is built on egalitarian notions of merit, but no. It is modern day depotism, currying for favors, etc.

Honestly, the whole world of photography and art is a scam. The only way that these art galleries, art things get created is not through art… But instead… Another business, and as a family considers their future, they want to get into the fine art market, in order to funnel the family money to keep the trust fund alive.

Have you ever wondered… going into a random town, seeing a fine art gallery or a fine art photography studio or space… And wondering… how do they pay the rent or keep this thing afloat? I can almost guarantee you that the money is not coming from the photography or art, but somewhere else.

Even buying a Picasso is more a tax haven than anything?

Instagram is not the way

Insta-slavery; would you sign yourself up to become a digital slave? Obviously no! But this is what Instagram, Facebook is. Essentially you are selling your self-esteem for likes, which is essentially in theory… A bunch of bots.

For example, a thought experiment: let us say that you have 100,000 followers, and every time you upload an image, you got 10,000 likes. You feel good about yourself. But what if I snap my fingers, waved a magic wand, and revealed to you that all of these followers you have, were all bots? And every single like that you got in your life, was from a bot. With this change how you feel?

Why Fujifilm

OK… let us consider, Fujifilm is probably superior in every single shape form and way.

First, it is stronger, more robust. The problem with any Leica camera — it is so fragile and weak! You would never let your kid play with the $7000 body, and a $3000 lens. Even if your kid is a genius… If he accidentally trips, boom, $10,000 down the drain.

And it doesn’t matter if you’re a billionaire or whatever… Foolish mistake that a lot of people make is that you think that you’re rich, you don’t care. Not true! The reason people become rich is because they do care!

The ultimate point of a camera is something you could use and abuse, throw around, drop on the concrete from waist level, a camera you could teach your kid to use, with zero ounces of fear.

The best camera in 2024

If I critically think about it, my own opinion… No alliances, and this is why you should trust ERIC KIM… Is that I speak my honest truth, without any sneaky sponsorships, now that I am independent bitcoin millionaire.
I believe the Fujifilm X100 VI (6, sixth generation) to currently be the best camera on the market.

The Ricoh GR HDF is apparently out, and seems like a great value proposition. But I think it is not really available, or sold out or backordered or something.

And also… the critical flaw of the Ricoh GR digital camera is that they just don’t last. Now as a young parent, if I had the option of having an unreliable Lamborghini or a reliable Prius, I would take a Prius in a heartbeat! And also the other day… because the Prius is so narrow and skinny, I was able to find a super clutch parking spot at the La Paloma market in LA! I was so happy, and so overjoyed because if I had a loser SUV or even a minivan… Or any car that was even marginally bigger than a Prius… I would not be able to fit it in that spot, and have to hunt for a parking spot for hours!

Once again guys, don’t be a fool; if you live in LA, assuming you ever want to do anything, and you’re a billionaire whatever… always the correct strategy is to have the maximally small compact car.

Even if you have the option, perhaps the optimal strategy is to have a Tesla model 3 over a Tesla model Y, my friend Kevin has three kids, and he could fit them all in the backseat of his Tesla model three! Don’t get the Tesla model Y.

Also, I recently saw the brand new Tesla model 3 performance in Quicksilver at the Century city mall, and it is flawless! I think I actually prefer it over cybertruck!

Cyber truck is still probably the coolest car on the road, but still… When it comes to parking… It is bad.

Park it.

Digital technology

The reason why purchasing any digital Leica is very foolish decision is that it will be outdated in a year or two; you’re automatically pissing down at least $2000-$3000 down the drain.

Only that… But the cameras aren’t even that good. Although this fake marketing about manual focus whatever… kind of a gimmick.

No Leica Q camera — which is essentially a Panasonic Lumix camera with a body kit.

No Leica SL camera… Which is once again, I think Panasonic Lumix S series camera rebranded.

All of these photographers are muppets

All these other people… They are just puppets and muppets. None of them own their own opinion, because none of them are independent, self owned, and all of them are on Instagram.

Very very simple heuristic: Better to think about Instagram like McDonald’s. Would you brag about how many hamburgers that McDonald’s sells a day? No. So why would you brag about how many followers you have? Or how many likes you get? Because once again, the critical bad thing here is that as long as you are in the dirty sewer water, feeding your kid dirty sewer water (via Michael Saylor)– infant mortality rates are gonna be 70% you’re going to get dysentery and cholera etc.

Instagram is the new sewer water. Would you drink sewer water? Of course not! Certainly not feed it to your kids!

The path forward

Very very simple… The future is digital publishing, digital books, cyber books, open source free permissionless, PDF etc.

I’m starting to get super annoyed, come on… why are you hiding your books behind a pay wall. There is no downside to make it open, free, direct download, open source, open access etc.

Don’t be a fool… money and success are not equated… which means just because you sell your stuff for a lot of money doesn’t mean that you’re more successful.

What is true success as a photographer? To be self owned, self independent, not to have an Instagram, to have a self hosted website and blog, a self hosted email newsletter (sendy.co), to shoot small JPEG, to shoot all day every day… Without thinking twice.

Infinite motivation on EK BLOG

Start Here
1. Books
2. Products
3. Workshops
Forward the power!

Upload your best photos to arsbeta.com, delete your Instagram if you need a friend with inspiration, for this to them!

And also note… All of these email newsletters are always open source; feel free to copy and paste this anywhere, translate it to your language on Google translate or ChatGPT etc.

Spread the love!

EK NEWS >

Now what?

Stop buying those Leicas– real streettogs shoot with Ricoh or Fujifilm!

Leica is for loooooosers! (besides the film ones)

ERIC

STOICISM 101 >

This book shall never die

Free ebook for life– feel free to download, copy, remix it or translate it to anyone!

100 Lessons From The Masters Of Street Photography

Direct PDF DOWNLOAD >
August 16, 2024
LEICA IS FOR LOOOOOSERS!
In praise of Fujifilm:

At the age of 36, after my world travels, my domination of the street sphere, a little time to think and meditate, compile my thoughts etc.… I really do believe now that Fujifilm is the way.

Truth be told, I have nothing but good things to say about Fujifilm. They have always treated me well, and I respect all of the people in the Fujifilm sphere. My recent workshop in Hanoi and Saigon with Chu Viet Ha, and all of the Fujifilm global events I went to.

Why

OK… I’m starting to think about a good analogy between car companies.

First, we all know that Toyota is the best. There is no second best. Certainly Tesla is the coolest and sexiest, the most innovative, the most radical, the most forethink car, but in terms of the best car, it is bar none Toyota.

Even I was thinking about the new Toyota crown signia, I saw a brand new one in white, on the dealership lot in Culver City, and I was blown away! The design is so forward thinking, so innovative… Tribute told if I had to purchase a brand new automobile in 2024, that would definitely be the car I would want, because it is really one of a kind, you bought it, you would never see anybody else on the road with it!

Anyways back to photography — my thought about the desire for a Leica M rangefinder is like the desire for a Porsche 911 car. But I have personally discovered is that anybody who drives a Porsche 911 car, they are all insecure Shorty guys, who don’t really really have anything else going for them.

And this is what is so funny; anybody who drives a Porsche 911 thinks that they are so cool, but not really. They are just another Shorty guy drone.

The same thing with the world of photography; it seems that everyone always has penis envy with the guy who owns the newest Leica M camera. And after critically engaging with the whole photography world from age 21 to 36, nearly 15 years ,,, what I have come to realize is that so much of the photography industry is based on insecurity, everybody trying to “prove themselves”, to some sort of random authority figure?

First, Henri Cartier Bresson is out. He was and is now a lame duck.

I think the sneaky thing is that what Leica is trying to do is to essentially prostitute the image the legacy or the concept of the romantic Henri Cartier-Bresson; the ideas that we live off the grid, travel the world and planet, prince around with our little Leica M rangefinder camera, the romantic narrow streets of Paris, etc.

Probably one of the greatest benefits that I’ve learned studying philosophy was that essentially, the whole French romantic movement, who are essentially a bunch of degenerates. As an American, growing up… The notion of romance, being “romantic“, I never really double thought about it. it was always seen as a good thing. To be romantic, was always as a positive notion.

But what I discovered is that romanticism is essentially an escape from reality; we create these fictitious fake false fantasy landscapes and realities, to seek some sort of alternative Utopia to our miserable daily grind of remote work, zoom calls, emails, PowerPoint presentations, etc.

“I promise, I’m so self-conscious”

A funny thing that I experienced when traveling the world, attending these fancy photography shells and exhibitions etc. was that typically… the real Farmer’s, the real stars of the show would just show up wearing some sort of shabby outfit, and not even bring their camera with them. On the other hand, the would be photographers would show up, full suit and regalia, sporting the newest most expensive Leica M camera, proudly wearing it around their neck, trying to signal that they were in in fact “serious” photographers.

I think the truth of the matter is that all these photographers tend to be a bunch of insecure skinny fat anemic individuals, who are overly sensitive, overly romantic, I don’t think any of them even lift weights.

I came to break the chain

I think my entire ethos has always been disruptive. In the early days, when my blog first started to pick up steam, it seems that a lot of people were either jealous or envious of my success, because I was the first and only person who was effectively able to become a productive entrepreneur in the field of photography, who was actually able to make a living from it.

And my honest assessment is that typically, we tend to hate, or to debate the success of others, when we are envious or jealous of them. I actually catch myself… Whenever somebody mentioned somebody else, who is maybe adjacent to my field, I always try to give them praise, even though I might think that they are a dicey personality. Because if somebody is successful, But it seems a little bit shady or uncertain to me, the thought I have is “they must certainly be doing something right… Maybe something I am unaware of.”

Hate is good

I think my greatest joy of being the most hated photographer alive is that hate typically signals relevance.

For example, you would never hit anybody who is irrelevant.

In fact, the second people start to hit you, it is an insanely good sign that you are becoming relevant and successful. The second you stop being hated on… Is a kiss of death; to not be hated on is a sign or a signal that you are no longer relevant.

Think about the youth. As long as you are still cool or relevant to teenagers, 12-year-olds, 18-year-old kids on YouTube… Very good sign.

Photography today

Also some sneaky things I’ve learned about photography book publishers:

First, it is kind of a modern day depotism. I will not name any names, but, in trying to be friendly and cordial, make some good introductions etc.… I was responded with some of the most hateful, pernicious, toxic language that made me super angry? From an individual who was very short, very fat and ugly. It was funny — I met this individual and was super friendly introduced myself, and she told me “I know who you are”. And I did not know who she was.

Anyways, I think in the world of photography and art, it is essentially a grand fellatio giving contest. You are trying to give metaphorical head to all of these so-called individuals in power; publishers, who in fact, inherited the whole publishing empire from their grandparents grandparents, and that is why the whole publishing industry is a total scam and a sham; we think it is built on egalitarian notions of merit, but no. It is modern day depotism, currying for favors, etc.

Honestly, the whole world of photography and art is a scam. The only way that these are galleries, art things get created is not through art… But instead… Another business, and as a family considers their future, they want to get into the fine art market, in order to funnel the family money to keep the trust fund alive.

Have you ever wondered… Going into a random town, seeing a fine art gallery or a fine art photography studio or space… And wondering… How do they pay the rent or keep this thing afloat? I can almost guarantee you that the money is not coming from the photography or art, but somewhere else.

Instagram is not the way

Insta-slavery; would you sign yourself up to become a digital slave? Obviously no! But this is what Instagram, Facebook is. Essentially you are selling your self-esteem for likes, which is essentially in theory… A bunch of bots.

For example, a thought experiment: let us say that you have 100,000 followers, and every time you upload an image, you got 10,000 likes. You feel good about yourself. But what if I snap my fingers, waved a magic wand, and revealed to you that all of these followers you have, were all bots? And every single like that you got in your life, was from a bot. With this change how you feel?

Why Fujifilm

OK… let us consider, Fujifilm is probably superior in every single shape form and way.

First, it is stronger, more robust. The problem with any Leica camera — it is so fragile and weak! You would never let your kid play with the $7000 body, and a $3000 lens. Even if your kid is a genius… If he accidentally trips, boom, $10,000 down the drain.

And it doesn’t matter if you’re a billionaire or whatever… Foolish mistake that a lot of people make is that you think that you’re rich, you don’t care. Not true! The reason people become rich is because they do care!

The ultimate point of a camera is something you could use and abuse, throw around, drop on the concrete from waist level, a camera you could teach your kid to use, with zero ounces of fear.

The best camera in 2024

If I critically think about it, my own opinion… No alliances, and this is why you should trust ERIC KIM… Is that I speak my honest truth, without any sneaky sponsorships, now that I am independent bitcoin millionaire.
I believe the Fujifilm X100 VI (6, sixth generation) to currently be the best camera on the market.

The Ricoh GR HDF is apparently out, and seems like a great value proposition. But I think it is not really available, or sold out or backordered or something.

And also… The critical flaw of the Ricoh GR digital camera is that they just don’t last. Now as a young parent, if I had the option of having an unreliable Lamborghini or a reliable Prius, I would take a Prius in a heartbeat! And also the other day… Because the Prius is so narrow and skinny, I was able to find a super clutch parking spot at the La Paloma market in LA! I was so happy, and so overjoyed because if I had a loser SUV or even a minivan… Or any car that was even marginally bigger than a Prius… I would not be able to fit it in that spot, and have to hunt for a parking spot For hours!

Once again guys, don’t be a fool; if you live in LA, assuming you ever want to do anything, and you’re a billionaire whatever… Always the correct strategy is to have the maximally small compact car.

Even if you have the option, perhaps the optimal strategy is to have a Tesla model 3 over a Tesla model Y, my friend Kevin has three kids, and he could fit them all in the backseat of his Tesla model three! Don’t get the Tesla model Y.

Also, I recently saw the brand new Tesla model three performance in Quicksilver at the Century city mall, and it is flawless! I think I actually prefer it over cybertruck!

Cyber truck is still probably the coolest car on the road, but still… When it comes to parking… It is bad.

Park it.

Digital technology

The reason why purchasing any digital Leica is very foolish decision is that it will be outdated in a year or two; you’re automatically pissing down at least $2000-$3000 down the drain.

Only that… But the cameras aren’t even that good. Although this fake marketing about manual focus whatever… Kind of a gimmick.

No Leica Q camera — which is essentially a Panasonic Lumix camera with a body kit.

No Leica SL camera… Which is once again, I think Panasonic Lumix S series camera rebranded.

All of these photographers are muppets

All these other people… They are just puppets Muppets. None of them own their own opinion, because none of them are independent, self owned, and all of them are on Instagram.

Very very simple heuristic: Better to think about Instagram like McDonald’s. Would you brag about how many hamburgers that McDonald’s sells a day? No. So why would you brag about how many followers you have? Or how many likes you get? Because once again, the critical bad thing here is that as long as you are in the dirty sewer water, feeding your kid dirty sewer water (Michael Saylor)– infant mortality rates are gonna be 70% you’re going to get dysentery and cholera etc.

Instagram is the new sewer water. Would you drink sewer water? Of course not!

The path forward

Very very simple… The future is digital publishing, digital books, cyber books, open source free permission list, PDF etc.

I’m starting to get super annoyed, come on… Why are you hiding your books behind a pay wall. There is no downside to make it open, free, direct download, open source, open access etc.

Don’t be a fool… Money and success are not equated… Which means just because you sell your stuff for a lot of money doesn’t mean that you’re more successful.

What is true success as a photographer? To be self owned, self independent, not to have an Instagram, to have a self hosted website and blog, a self hosted email newsletter (sendy.co), to shoot small JPEG, to shoot all day every day… Without thinking twice.

Infinite motivation on EK BLOG

Start Here
1. Books
2. Products
3. Workshops
Forward the power!

Upload your best photos to arsbeta.com, delete your Instagram if you need a friend with inspiration, for this to them!

And also note… All of these email newsletters are always open source; feel free to copy and paste this anywhere, translate it to your language on Google translate or ChatGPT etc.

Spread the love!

EK NEWS >

Now what?

Stop buying those Leicas– real streettogs shoot with Ricoh or Fujifilm!

Leica is for loooooosers! (besides the film ones)

ERIC
August 16, 2024
Making Money from Street Photography
Simple — insanely frugal Spartan lifestyle and just funnel all of your money into Bitcoin!

Entrepreneurship by KIM

Change and do, and build or do things differently … based on what you believe the ideal world *should* look like:
Think for Yourself.
FREEDOM
Never stop innovating.

Entrepreneurship Mindset
Put a Dent in the Universe.
August 15, 2024
UNSHAME YOURSELF.

What is the metaphorical ball and chain in our new modern day life? Shame. It applies not only to people of Asian East Asian descent, or confusion values… Also in America, with the Quaker protestant morals and ethics being around shame. Certainly within a Christian Catholic mentality as well; also maybe to Jewish people as well? And also… To the Japanese, maybe almost anyone living in an industrialized, modern day world and civilization.

Shame is learned and taught and reinforced

One thing I love about Seneca… Is that he is so free pure, and great. Fortunately because he has wise parents, ever since he is born… We have never instilled any shame culture on him.

There’s a really bad thing in culture, which is called “cheng-pee”, which literally means shameful. I think cream people superficially said to be cute, but if you really think about it… It is actually quite insidious.

For example, you will see it over and over again when a kid is running around naked without pants on, almost everything.

In America, we do have notions of shame, but it is not said so directly. For example if you have a young kid who is running around naked at the house, you’re probably won’t say “shame shame shame shame shame!” Put on some clothes or else you will bring shame onto our family and all of your family members and past generations.

The genesis of shame

Funny enough… Shame is not an ethic that Jesus preached. Shame is rather a form of social control.

For example, growing up Catholic Korean Catholic… All this guilt and shame around porn pornography, masturbation etc. And all these weird superstitions that you would grow hairy palms if you jerked off?

Also, very funny… Even the modern day times, with all these fake macho guys at the gym etc.… Whenever you joke about Porn and jerking off… All guys will always side chuckle a little bit shamefully, because obviously all the guys do it.

But technically, assuming you grew up up without religion and modern day shamed notions… None of it should really be shameful. Maybe gross, or unhygienic, but not shameful.

Why is being naked seen as being shameful?

I have some theories.

First, in the Bible… The second that they take a bite out of the apple from the garden of Eden… Apparently the first thing that Adam and Eve realize is that they were naked, they feel shame and they immediately want to cover up. God knows and discovers that they took a bite of the forbidden fruit.

Some subtle nuances;

First, where does this notion of the forbidden fruit even come from? Kind of a bizarre notion. Essentially the idea is that it is better to be naked and dumb and happy, rather than to possess your own self wisdom rationality and intelligence and judge the world?

The second… Why is it considered to be shameful to be naked, either in private or public?

I have some theories:

The first theory is a capitalistic one. You cannot make money by telling people to be naked. You got to sell them clothes.

Second, it seems that breeding insecurity is a Y strategy if you want people to purchase or desire to purchase certain clothes in articles of clothing, in order to feel “cool“? For example, at the age of 36, I feel the wisest I have ever been in my life. No more lame and loser Nikes, sneakers, etc. Only losers were Nikes, Jordans, whatever.

The true intelligent footwear to wear is either the vibram five finger shoes, or if you have akid, just getting them those super minimalist water shoes on Amazon which only cost about 10 bucks.

Cars are the new shoes for adults?

Another theory; when you are kid, and maybe before you have a drivers permit or license, you can’t drive. Therefore, shoes and sneakers are like a metaphorical car or vehicle.

Now that we are adults, and we are richer, and we could do stupid things like finance a cart with a down payment, and have a monthly payment, cars and automobiles are like the new sneakers. Think about it… Both have to deal with transportation transit and getting around and moving around, being seen, fashion being fashionable etc.

And also, cars… They come in and out of fashion every 3 to 6 months, and there’s always a new car being released. In fact, whether we like it or not, LA, Southern California, California, the states, the planet… A car or automobile Vehicle, a truck SUV whatever… Might be one of the grandest industries in America and beyond?

But lots of problems here:

First, I have a theory that one’s happiness is inversely proportional to how much time you have to either spend seated in a car, driving around etc. And I’m starting to think that the payoff is not worth it ; for example, let us see you have the option to drive an additional 30 minutes to go somewhere that is maybe 40% nicer than just going somewhere local that you could access via walking. Typically that optimization is not worth it.

Why? Opportunity cost. 30 minute drive there, 30 minute drive back… That is a full hour otherwise you have spent just walking around!

Taking the metro is a far better bed. For example, on killing 10 birds with one stone; the joys of taking the metro, especially the metro line in Los Angeles is multifold:

First, you have the joy and privilege of being able to stand the whole ride, and even shifted your way around and walk around the train if you want!

Second, you get an insanely cool view of the city! Playing SimCity with Seneca, there’s this notion of a maglev train; a magnetic elevated train!

It doesn’t have to be magnetic, just elevated. The reason why the metro line in LA is so phenomenal is that you are above traffic, you are above the ground level, and you get this really interesting panopticon view of the city!

Third, kids love it! I don’t know any kid who doesn’t like to take the metro, it is so fun for them! Even for my niece Amelia who is now in the first or second grade, seven or eight years old, After taking her and her younger brother Benjamin to the California science Center via the metro line, she asked me and Cindy… Can we take the metro back home (to Orange County)?

Also, watching this cute film at the California science Center about cities of the future… The general ideas that in the future, everyone would just be taking some sort of magnetic electric elevated train somewhere, And on the mid and bottom kettle levels, would be some of the fools who have to self drive their own cars. In the middle layer would have self driving cars.

Visions?

Singapore is often cited as being a city of the future, but it is not. Truth be told Singaporeans don’t really like living in Singapore; they would prefer to live in the states if they could.

Maybe the closest thing I have to witnessing a city of the future is Culver City, the only city which you could actually walk around all day, and never get bored, and you could also do all your grocery shopping here at Trader Joe’s or Erewhon or Whole Foods. Even nowadays, a supermassive innovation that we got is being able to do the Amazon fresh grocery deliveries so might pull in I think 80% of the average American family, time and resources is wasted occurring food and groceries.

And also, let us consider… It is the year 2024, it is very common to get the same day prime delivery of almost any single item on Amazon. Shouldn’t we apply the same ethos to food, which is really the only critical thing we need in order to live? we don’t have free food… Yet, but at this point we have free clean water, just drinking from the tap or filtered water at home! And at this point, you could purchase coffee in bulk, on Amazon and it is so cheap practically free! The “fresh roasted coffee” 5 pound bag on Amazon, the yirgacheffe Ethiopian blend quite good!

How to unshame yourself?

God sent me to break the shame. I’m the true and living, all the rest of you guys are vain.

First, get rid of those loser AirPods, throw them in the trash. Better to be ghetto and hood, if you want to listen to something, music podcast or whatever, just crank up the volume on your iPad Pro or iPhone, and listen to it loud in public or even in private. Somebody tell you to quiet down, just lower the volume and continue.

Second, throw your iPhone pros into the trash. I see it nowadays… Very subtly; when I am walking around with my 60 pound weight vest on, and I look at somebody, and then they want to go inside me, and they do for half a second, and then half a second the nervous which they do is check their phone… or they are in New York Manhattan, or in a crowded elephant, I will see people open up their phones, check the time, refresh their email inbox, etc.… Simply as it means to avoid eye contact or inter action with others?

Simple suggestions include whenever you make eye contact with somebody, or even if you see somebody half a block away looking at you, just throw up the peace sign, or give them a head nod. You would be surprised , people can spot you from half a mile away.

Maybe a random thought is think like you are the mayor, you are a firefighter, a public servant, or if you’re running for mirror. If this were the case, you would want to be maximally friendly to every single human being you encounter, because you want their votes! This means being nice friendly and courteous and cheerful and acknowledge the existence of people who are even antisocial, bizarre?

Make friends with security guards.

why? first, honestly a lot of security guards, because they are outside all day just walking around… are just friendlier and happier than the average office drone. Second, most of them have not taken the traditional educational rotten life, which means that they tend to be much more interesting to talk to, rather than the average university graduate and career person.

In fact, the only interesting conversations I’ve had is from people from the hood, maybe people in the military, some kids, and those who we would consider “nontraditional. In fact, 99.99% of people you encounter, in the states are quite boring. The second someone bores you, just excuse yourself and say you have to use the bathroom and walk away.

***

Drain?

OK let us assume that you are a battery and you cannot be recharged in the middle of the day. The only way you can recharge your battery is when you go to sleep at night.

That means any single interaction social interaction, engagement whatever could either have a positive or negative effect on you.

I’m sorry to realize this… Some people will essentially just capture you, and just keep talking nonsense to you, and refuse to let you leave.

You could see it, if you give somebody a phone call FaceTime or see them in person, you spend a 99% of your time just listening to them talk, Bitchin moan about their life problems, their own personal misery etc., and never ask you how you’re doing, how your kid is doing etc.

Misery loves misery

To be happy as rare. I am probably the only happy person that I know, and Seneca is also rare; the only happy kid I know.

I would say that 99.99% of people are miserable. And the way that they could feel better about themselves is by dragging other people down, spewing hate, etc.? Very counterproductive.

In the UK they call it the tall poppy syndrome; you see a guy driving around the new Lamborghini, and then you’ll find some sort of way to discredit him, saying that he has a small dick, or he cheated for that money etc.

At least a good thing in America is that often our jealousy and envy could be positive; we see Jeff Bezos Elon Musk and the like becoming super successful, and we aspire to become like them.

Or, maybe if you see somebody driving a surgeon car, US buy to one day work hard, make a bunch of money in order to obtain that same vehicle.

Also in bodybuilding, I think we often use other men and their physiques as a role model; we all want to look like Arnold Schwarzenegger in his prime, is always plastered around all across the planet.

But a simple thought: I think body glorification is 1 trillion times more virtuous than car fellatio, or even money glorification.

For example, I would never switch spaces with any other human being on the planet, irregardless of how wealthy or rich or powerful they are.

Jeff Bezos is short, only 5 foot seven. Kanye West is also short, maybe 5 foot five. I think Kendrick Lamar is only 5 foot two? Jay Z is cool, but he’s too old now.

Also, any billionaire in their 50s or 60s would probably trade their wealth in order to become 20 years old again.

Even if you were worth 100 billion or $1 trillion, and you’re 90 years old, wouldn’t you trade 100% of your wealth in order to become 21 years old again?

Unwealth

Some new radical thoughts on wealth:

I think true world is actually inversely proportional; the things you don’t have the things you don’t own in order to maintain.

For example, I would not wish for your Lamborghini McLaren or any hyper sports car on even my worst enemy. Why? The critical issue here is that maintenance costs are an effing nightmare.

For example, it is not even a money thing. Like the laws of physics; sooner or later you’re going to have to get oil change, and it will not only be very expensive, but time consuming, insanely annoying etc. I think this is where it makes more sense to get some sort of maybe Hybrid sports car or Lexus LC500– in theory you could just take it to any ordinary oil change place, because it is a Toyota, you could easily get it repaired or change the oil.

Maybe this is also the logic of having an all electric sports or hyper car; in theory, an electric sports car should require less maintenance and gasoline or hybrid one; I think the only thing you probably have to change or fix or maintain is refill the window wiper fluid?

Everyone wants the butterfly doors this is our doors or the Lambo doors — but I think the true intelligent optimization here is that you have some sort of electric car that could do this? Maybe this is also where the BMW i eight is a good idea; because it has the butterfly or scissor doors?

I think the big issue here is the question; do you actually like that Lamborghini, the idea of the Lamborghini, actually owning it, the idea of it, or the totem of it?

It is all imaginary in our mind. For example if I knew that I owned a Lamborghini with the scissor doors just parked in my garage, but I never drove it… Certainly I would not really have the benefit of it. But just knowing at the back of my head that I got it, is what makes me smile?

I think this is also a bitcoin is useful; I think the new modern day digital dick measuring contest will be; how many bitcoin do you own? And it is like your metaphorical dick size; the more bitcoin you got, the longer your cyber dick.

Kanye had a funny quote saying that being a male porn star was an objective way to measure them– essentially, their penis size. In theory the guy with the 20 inch dick should be the best porn star. But I would also not wish this even not my worst enemy, because it would seem very uncomfortable to just walk around, without having to tuck it or wrap it around your leg or something.

What is it that we all truly seek?

I think this is where I go beyond Seneca and the stoics, also beyond even my best friend Nietzsche.

Have you ever met a philosopher or a stoic who looks like me?

The problem with Seneca the younger is that I think he was a fatty boy. I think the true post statue of him and his head he was bald, and had a triple chin. Makes sense; even Seneca “On Anger” writes, we should not get offended by truthful facts; why would you be offended if somebody made fun of you for being bald, when in fact you actually are bald? The better response is to just poke fun at yourself; better to poke fun at your baldness, rather than feel shameful about it?

For example, if somebody makes fun of you for being Asian and having a small dick or whatever, just call it a baby turtle. That it pokes out every once in a while. Or that you have a “chode”– a penis which has more girth than length.

When you poke fun at yourself, it is an impregnable defense.
I even remember in high school, whenever somebody would tease you for being gay or whatever, the best response was “I love dick!” And then after that, nobody had anything left to say.

We stoics of the future

Whenever people think about the future, people are foolish; they think about adding more technology to our lives, throwing on more vision pros, more AirPods pros, more time in your self driving car etc.

But in fact, the true path board is via negativa– the true future is more spartan, less physical, more cyber and digital.

More cyber real estate which is bitcoin, more digital money which is also bitcoin, more time outdoors in the direct sun with their shirt off, which is the true way of living the dream.

Another day, when walking by the Toyota dealership, The dealership guys telling me that I was living the dream, being outside all day with Seneca!

Radical?

I suppose the question is do we really need to be radical here?

I think there is some sort of like intelligent wise radicalism, which is just stick into your own guns, following your own gut, refusing to just be another drone. I’d rather be Brad Pitt and Tyler Durden than Edward Norton.

And I think the problem here is that we have weird role models now. Everyone wants to be worn buffet; but do you want to be a fat old man, who is just sitting in hunched over our newspaper all day, even if you are the worlds second richest man?

Therefore the new godhead is wealth being super rich. Being in the Forbes top 100, ideally number one.

There is no second best.

Why settle for second?

Nobody wants the silver. Just look at the Olympics, we always measure by the number of gold trophies. Better to get one gold medal for your country, rather than 1000 silvers.

“One good girl is worth a 1000 bitches” Kanye Bound 2, YEEZUS album

I think this is where it is so critical to be so insanely wise about choosing your life partner your wife etc. Don’t settle for second best.

The ethos of the best

I think this is why America is so productive; we all desire to be the best! We want to be the most rich and the most successful, within our friends circle and family circle, and then maybe beyond that, spreading our circles and sphere of influence a bit further out.

For example, I’m happy that I’m the number 1 Greatest street photography blogger of all time, nobody will ever take the crown from me, no matter how hard they try. Just ask ChatGPT!

Then I then suppose that the next step forward is to discover a new niche, and also dominate that. Perhaps I have a passion for domination.

This is why when I go to the gym, or when I used to go to the gym, it was always my number one goal to be the strongest guy in the gym, by a huge fold. This is why I lifted 10 plates, a 25 and a five on each side; and broke the weightlifting universe.

I believe this accomplishment and will last forever.

What is the next thing I want to dominate?

Anything you have a true passion for, autotelic; it is very easily achievable, if you do not have to consider economic payoff, making money etc. Or making other people happy, or even giving utility to other people.

A random thought I have on my mind is towards lifestyle; now that I am 36 years old, about the same age which Tim Ferris’s wrote the four hour work week? Maybe I could become the next Tim Ferriss? Tim Ferriss is great; but I think the issue is that he is short, balding, insecure, and I think he is also not yet married and childish, maybe he has a dog? And also, I don’t think he’s really figured things out for himself yet; he’s always onto the next thing, just seeking endless distraction for himself?

Maybe I’ll be the next Tim Ferris!

How and why lifestyle is such a critical thing to consider

I kind of hit the lifestyle that shouldn’t because it typically revolves around buying some sort of equipment and gear.

My personal thought is that lifestyle should just be a mental, a mindset, which should actually be “via negativa”– the ideal lifestyle you look more like a zen stoic spartan monk, rather than a fat short old balding loser with a Lamborghini.

Making more money, but also spending no money?

If you really really really gotta buy something, just get it on Amazon Amazon prime! For example, I got this fantastic new all black Sun hat, on Amazon Amazon for only 10 bucks, one day delivery?

in fact, maybe the intelligent path forward is to just always purchase all of your clothing on Amazon, or Uniqlo?

Why? I think it just makes sense. You’re cutting out the middleman, all the stuff by Lululemon is just made in the same factory in Vietnam, I think $100 pair of tight leggings from Lululemon, might only cost $10 for them to produce? The rest of those $90 is probably profit for the Lululemon corporation.

Apparently nowadays on Amazon, you could purchase all these duplicate clothing, in which they take the inseam and the measuring of Lululemon men shorts, and just create a duplicate, with inferior materials. But if you just want something simple and cheap, it seems to be logical this way.

Or, design it yourself! I recently had the epiphany I hate sleeves; and therefore, I just took some heavy duty steel scissors I got at home, and I just took my old -32 merino wool black T-shirt and just cut off the sleeves! Boom, brand new outfit that cost me nothing.

Just buy it on Amazon! Problem solved.

***

Brands are for cowards

I put zero faith in anybody who drives a base level Audi, like an Audi Q3 three or A3, an entry-level BMW or Mercedes, or even an entry-level Porsche 718. They are signaling some serious insecurity here.

Everybody knows that a Toyota Prius is the best car, but for men… They think it is demasculating to drive a Prius?

I was talking to one of the guys who worked at the Toyota dealership, and I asked him what car he thought I drove. The first thing he thought was 911? Which is pretty cool; because I guess I have the 911 personality, without having to Maintain that $100,000 loser car.

In fact, if I had to do some sort of brand new car project today, my idea would be get a brand new Prius prime, and matte black wrap it, murder it out, no loser tints, and paint the doorhandles matching paint colors. The new Prius 911 looks great; look at the horizontal tail light it looks awesome!

Real men drive Priuses

Everything else is for losers!

ERIC

Fashion choices

Cars and clothes are all fashion choices.

If you live somewhere where it is really really strong sun, by a sun hat, not a loser baseball cap.

For your car, get a Prius.

For your body, 60 pound weight vest — my new stoic Spartan fashion body armor accessory?

August 13, 2024
SLEEP IS KEY.
If I have to go on any promotional cruise or tour to promote the most critical idea, it is your sleep.

Sleep is like natural steroids, and also being a parent… For your kid to sleep well is the number one greatest blessing in the universe.

Or even better yet… Even you as an adult, for you to sleep well, might be the number one most important thing for you to optimize. Not your work your productivity your income your ability to stack ones and zeros; no, very very simple… Your ability to sleep well.

Ideas

The first big idea is only have coffee and caffeine first thing you wake up. I’ve been experimenting with this the last six months two year, with great results.

When I first wake up, I take my cold shower, I use my electric shaver to shave… Brush my teeth etc., head over the kitchen, and start pounding espresso. At this point I don’t even even count anymore, I just keep drinking espresso until I start to feel hyped and amped up.

And then I look outside of my apartment window, to see whether the sun has come out or not. Starting to rise, then I finish my coffee and water, and just head out.

Then I go to my 60 pound weight vest, strap it on, and start walking around town with my iPad Pro! The best way to start your day, every day.

What causes you to sleep poorly?

True poverty, a real poor person… It doesn’t matter if you’re making $10 million a year… If you sleep poorly, none of it is worth it. None of the babes, the cars, the wealth.

First, all drugs are bad for your sleep. No no no, alcohol does not help you fall asleep, and not only that… It doesn’t matter what type of alcohol you consume, it will disrupt your REM sleep cycle patterns. And no no no — a glass of red wine over dinner every night is not good for you.

Also, marijuana is not good for sleep. It may help you fall asleep, but it won’t help you stay asleep — it all once again, give you weird dreams, and disrupt your otherwise healthy sleep patterns.

Also, media anything with flashing screens and light. Even a new thing I’ve been trying to do, to encourage our whole family to sleep earlier… When it is around 6:30 or 7 PM… I just try not to turn on the lights. Because artificial light, encourages you to stay up and do “productive things”.

Productivity is for slaves, sleep is for the gods!

“How did you sleep?”

Now, my new way to greet my friends around town is asking them how they slept. Often you can just see it on their faces! When people look super super tired… I asked them how they slept last night.

New thing I’ve been experimenting is when I go to sleep, I’ve been playing a little bit with the air conditioner heating thing in my bedroom, changing the temperature. For a while I was doing 74°, which was actually a little bit too cold, I would wake up in the middle of the night little bit cold. I just switched it to 76° last night, and I felt much better! Even waking up today, I feel 1 billion times better.

Optimize your sleep

Don’t optimize for your productivity, optimize for your sleep.

My simple suggestion; unsubscribe from all those stupid TV shows media stuff.

Don’t take the dope!

Honestly, I’m starting to think that media TV shows films even music or podcasts is the new dope.

For example, I live right next to the headquarters of HBO Max, Warner Bros. discovery, and it is funny… It is a pretty depressing looking building, and the whole place has such low energy, and also, when going to their corporate website, WBD.com — take a look at the corporate governance structure. And then look at all their brands. I think they own almost like 50 streaming or TV or media platforms? And then the thought…

Do all these random executives have the time or opportunity to watch all these shows?

If anything… I think a lot of these companies are quite smart; just sell media is the new dope. The new soma, —

Let us consider, what does watching something on Netflix or HBO Max do for you? It relaxes you calms you, takes your mind off of work and things… You become best friends with all these random people and shows, etc.

Also kind of bad; anime, these shows that on for thousands of episodes, making a generation of really socially awkward kids? Who seek refuge and friendship through these anime series?

Anyways, my number one greatest privilege of Seneca is via negativa — his whole life he has never watched anything on YouTube, I don’t even have the YouTube app installed on my phone. He has never watched a movie, besides maybe the first 15 minutes of the Lego Batman movie which we borrowed as a DVD from the LA Public library, no stupid Disney or Marvel films, etc. He is currently eating about 1/ third of a pound of a Angus burger beef patty a day, like a beast boy, outstripping any other kids in his age range, in terms of height, smartness, muscle mass, playfulness and joy!

iPad is not bad

First, never get your kid a stupid Amazon prime tablet. It is almost like giving your kids the cheapest high fructose corn syrup possible.

iPad Pro or nothing.

A big thing I believe in is don’t let your kid play with stupid subpar devices. Even Seneca knows how to use the touchpad on my MacBook Pro!

Kids are not dumb.

The standard in which you raise them, is the standard in which they will rise.

For example, if you treat your kid like a genius kid, and you said the highest standards for them, and you do it with love and attention… Your kid will become a genius. It is a self fulfilling prophecy.

But, if you feed your kids Cheerios, Capri Sun, digital heroin (YouTube YouTube kids, Disney+, Bluey etc.)– your child will become subpar.

And it is very simple here; it actually saves you money!

Also… Never buy them any toys. Whether you like it or not, they will just get toys to them by osmosis through friends and family, birthdays etc. Or you could just get some secondhand free toys from the Facebook buy nothing group.

Also, one of the critical downsides I discovered about toys is the extreme annoyance of having to maintain and manage it. What that means is that let it say that your kid has all these toys and plays with it… Sooner or later you’re gonna be the one who has to clean it up! Because I hate cleaning up stuff, easiest thing just don’t give your kid the toys.

The best entertainment for your kid is taking them to the public downtown Square, letting them run around, high five and fist bump the security guards, just take them to a local park playground, take them on a hike, even more productive taking them to the mall and not buying anything! Seneca loves the Century City mall and playing with all the new Tesla cars, stopping by the LEGO store etc.

Why media is bad

First, none of it is grounded in reality. Second, I think there is something toxic about movies films cinema etc.… It makes you more and more disconnected from reality, and also, it is cowardly.

It’s funny whenever I look at my antisocial Los Angeles male single neighbors, with dogs, and I see them behind their closed blinds, they’re just watching stupid HBO Max shows, or watching baseball, or whatever.

Typically with media, it reveals what you are truly interested in.

Tell me what you watch, and I will tell you who you are.

For myself, things I have watched in the past have shaped me in very productive ways. for example the philosophy of the matrix, very very formative as a kid, I think our first watched the matrix and neither elementary school or middle school? You could age yourself or timestamp yourself if you remember your friends or kids in school all doing the bullet time bullet dodging thing.

Also, surprisingly these Netflix bodybuilding documentaries, essentially revealing to me that 100% of bodybuilders are on steroids or some sort of weird drugs.

Why it is productive to have kids

I think alive, you should never have to force yourself to do anything. Things just happen naturally, like the Taoist “wu Wei” notion.

For example, when I was in middle school in high school, I played a ton of video games. However, once I got to college and I had a part-time job and I had to study etc.… More or less I quit playing video games called turkey, not because I wanted to be virtuous or anything… I literally had no time or opportunity. I couldn’t even play video games if I wanted to, and naturally overtime it just lost interest for me. Even a few years ago, I tried to “get back into” playing video games, and it was just not interesting. I think this is also where I quit porn, it just became a little bit boring for me;

Anyways, when you have a kid, you won’t have the time nor will you want to have the time to watch media. it is zero sum. For example, if you have the option of watching some lame three hour movie, or an hour TV show, or spend that time to run around and play with your kid… What will you choose? Obviously spend time with your kid!

I think for the average person will have to work, once again your time is even more limited. I have the privileges that I literally have an open schedule, all day every day, which for me, my privilege is to literally spend 100% time with Seneca, Besides the mornings which belong to me, when he is still sleeping like a champ.

Ideas to sleep better

First, let us say you finish work or you get home or whatever, the first thing you do is you turn off your iPhone, all the way off, and you put it in a drawer. I think for myself, if I have a phone in my pocket or an easily accessible spot, I’m going to be tempted to Use it.

For example, it is obvious; let it say that you’re trying to lose fat, and then your cupboard you know you have a bunch of cookies. Obviously you’re going to eat the cookies! The easiest thing is to just throw it on the trash, or give it away.

Disable all shows

It’s funny… Now in the year 2024, we’ve seen the rise and fall of E readers and Kindle. Even though I am a huge proponent of digital books, reading PDF books on your iPad etc.… The downside is when you are using a Kindle or a reader or an iPad or whatever, or your iPhone… You’re going to get distracted by something and want to click on something. or get interrupted by a notification.

Perhaps the reason why printed books are is that they are dumb, and often they just put you to sleep. The kid in New York, I remember when I was living in Bayside Queens, when I was around maybe 11 years old, I would just read myself books to sleep. I recall very vividly… I would just choose a book tuck myself in, read, and slowly, feel my eyeballs droop, and then slowly but surely, I would fall asleep in the book with naturally fall to my side.

Even now, the reason why kids books are such a great industry is that the routine is typically, we parents read our kids books before they sleep. And the reason why printed book are good; the idea of reading a bedtime story to your kid or tablet or a screen or device is insanity; it will keep your kid up! And the goal for parents, we just want our kids to fall asleep!

In this regard, children and adults are not that different.

Time outside

Certainly everybody has a different life, life circumstance etc. But there is still many things in your locus of control.

Let us assume you have to go to the office, I simple suggestion and workflow is when you finish work, just go to the gym and work out! But if there’s too much traffic and the gym is too crowded or whatever… Either sign up for less crowded gym, or, just build your own gym at home! You got options; you could even do it in your house, your apartment, your garage, your parking spot outside whatever.

Even in LA, the Baldwin Hills scenic overlook is a great spot for a lot of people to go and exercise, all they do is just walk up but not the hill, which is great exercise! Or even a simple thing, get a 60 pound weight vest, and every single day after work, just drive there and go on a hike!

Or just sleep?

Also my suggestion is with caffeine and coffee whatever… Only consume it first thing in the morning, not even midday! If you are tired midday, just take a nap! Imagine like your body is a Tesla supercharger vehicle; all you need is 15 minutes to get you to 80%!

Or, if you have to work, just go to your car, roll down the seat, and take a nap! And when you’re taking a nap, once again, turn your phone all the way off and just put in your glove compartment.

It can wait until tomorrow

All of us are working ourselves to the ground, to meet these stupid arbitrary deadlines, like slaves. As a result we pull all nighters etc.

Even now that I think about it… One of the most pernicious things we are taught in college is to cram for the final exam. I’m starting to become more and more anti-university in disregards; now that we have ChatGPT and access to the Internet, what is the point of University besides technical training… Certainly going to college makes sense if you want to become an engineer, a scientist, design spaceships and airplanes, become a doctor or a surgeon etc. But for the soft sciences, or the humanities… You don’t need to go.

And also, a lot of people think they have to go to college to get a job. But now that you could earn $20 an hour flipping burgers at McDonald’s… What is your incentive?

A new society?

We are currently in a brave new time.

There is this cult of work, the cult of being indoors, etc.

The new true privilege is just be outside, and walk, walk around all day! To be indoors all day is a slave like mentality.

And the weird thing… We are becoming trained to prefer the indoors–

For example, one of the things I’m the most grateful about Boy Scouts is the bias to be outside. Even though we would have weekly meetings indoors, the true goal was to be outside — outdoors. And the funny thing, when we really think about the etymology here, what does it mean to be “outdoors? Super simple; out of the door. Not the place which is enclosed by a door.

My privilege

My Spartan privilege is that Seneca never had the misery of having to be inside a daycare, a childcare center, or even these fake “Montessori” schools.

And if you think about it… If you were the true ultimate billionaire millionaire whatever, the goal isn’t for you to be super super rich, and keep working and being productive and making money, and sending your kid to some random person to raise your kid. Isn’t the goal to be super super rich so you don’t have to put your kid into school?

And this is the hilarious irony; we treat our children like economic goods. We think it is more effective that we try to spend our money to put our kids into daycare in order for us to work, in order to pay for the daycare. But the true ideal is to be able to quit your job or not work, in order to take care of your kid 24/7.

Do most parents not prefer to spend 100% of their time with their kids?

I think this is also where the cult of individualism is bad; I think nowadays when I observe, most people would actually not prefer to spend that much time with their kids. I think they like to spend some time with their kids, but not all their time with their kids.

For myself, I would prefer to spend all day with Seneca. The only nuance is I like having the mornings to do a morning walk, workout, etc.… but besides that, to be with Seneca all day every day is my greatest joy.

Should I make my own school?

I have a funny vision for a school; the basic idea is that all these kids, will be the ultimate free range kids, never forced to be indoors all day. Which is insanely depressing. And also poor for their health.

In fact, one of the things that I’ve discovered my friends have misery with is that they are always sick, their kids are always sick, because childcare centers, schools, even Montessori centers are just like breeding grounds for sickness and disease.

And also, the pernicious economic; apparently will still send their kids to school, or a daycare, even if the kid is coughing and sick; incentive in the motive is they don’t want to have to take care of their kid when they have all this work to do.

Avoid sick people

Nietzsche said something interesting in his unpublished manuscript, The Will To Power. What he said was for a future society, the irony is not for us to spend resources and devotion to tending to the sick, the unwell etc.… Rather, to create a greater divide and chasm between the healthy and the sick.

Your first critical task is to take care of your child, your son, your wife etc. To have to care for other peoples kids, or “society“ in the generalized sense, makes no sense.

How was Marcus Aurelius raised?

Private tutors. Or a single private tutor?

If you were the emperor, you’re not putting your child or son in a basic ass school. Even Aristotle was the private tutor of Alexander the great.

So if you’re a child, if you consider your child the chosen one, or insanely great, certainly you would not subject your child to some basic ass education.

even Marcus Aurelius, in his meditations talks about the gratitude he has towards his private tutors, and his father.

I suppose the difficulty here is that certainly we want our children to become great. But even Marcus Aurelius.,. his own son became a degenerate. So I suppose the optimization here is if you have the greatest blessing that your first kid was a son, you devote all resources to prime him to be 100% the best.

More than 1 kid?

I’ve always had a vision of having two kids, our first kid being a boy or a son… And having a younger sister. Just like me and my sister Anna who I love to death. Even though I have unconditional love and devotion to my mom, nowadays, I’ve been finding a natural propensity to engage more with my sister, through regular FaceTime calls, spending time together, and also having the privilege of Seneca to spend time with her.

Because we have to think about the future in the future generations. While our parents are critical, they are not the most important thing. Our children are, as well as our siblings, especially if they have incoming children as well.

Your kids, your siblings kids, the future?

I feel bad for all these people who end up having dogs not children … Sooner or later, your dog is going to die. Before you. You cannot leave behind your wealth to a dog.

I think this is fine, it is totally fine that some people don’t wanna have kids whatever. But when people give me that propaganda or that insane foolishness that kids are bad for the planet, nobody ever says that dogs are bad for the planet and society.

Let us consider all the harm that dogs do on the planet; the primary one is that the defecate everywhere, and even though 99% of owners are good and clean it up, the one percent of random dog poo on the streets makes it all not worth it.

Anti dogs?

What is one thing you’re not allowed to say nowadays? “I hate dogs”. It is almost like saying I hate Asians or Korean people. Although it is seems to be OK to hate on loud and rich mainland Chinese tourists.

Back to sleep

The weird thing in today’s world, is that our ideal is to become a robot. A robot that doesn’t need to sleep, and just be productive all day?

Very bizarre.

Let us consider, just read the Iliad… After a long day of hard work and warfare and combat… Both sides retire, feast on oxen, and all go to sleep. even the gods, every single night, they retired to their immortal beds, and go to sleep!

Can you imagine, if Zeus, before going to sleep, stressed out but some sort of worked deadline, and drink caffeine or coffee or Red Bull to do an all nighter to finish some sort of meaningless task? No!

Also, the ancient greets, and even in times of battle, it seem like it was an unwritten rule that when the sunset, everyone would just lie down their arms, and then stop fighting, and just feast! There is even some stories of some soldiers, on opposite size, when the sun would go down, they will go down to the other side, and party with the other side?

War, warfare is meaningless

Nobody likes war, nobody likes fighting, nobody likes killing, and nobody wants to be killed.

Even in the Iliad… Both sides wanted the war to be over. And it could have been over, if one of the goddesses didn’t pick up Paris in the middle of the fight.

This is an interesting thing… Apparently in ancient times, there was this thing that if there was some sort of war, with no one inside, there would be the simple thing; you take your best fighter, I take my best fighter, we let them battle to the death, and then we just let it end!

Even in the movie Troy –one of the opening scenes in which Achilles squares off, 1v1 against that one bald steroid giant. The fight should’ve been over there and then…

The problem nowadays?

Propaganda from the media, on both sides, the middle, all of it is bad and toxic.

We tend to vilify this amorphus other; for example, we liberals and Democrats pink Donald Trump as Hitler 2.0, and right wing conservatives as a bunch of insane neo-Nazis with guns etc. And then the right vilifies left for being a bunch of “libtards” who care about the alphabet soup and LGBTQ rights, and that were messing up our children etc.

But the thing that we do not do is engage ourselves, mano a mano, face-to-face, to another human being and have an intelligent talk.

I’ve met all human beings, radical progressive right left center mid left mid right etc.… And honestly, at all end of the day, we all want the same thing! We want love, we want to be loved, we want to be happy! Who doesn’t?

This is where it is wise to put away your phones, nowadays the iPhone is ultimate weapon. The weapon against your mind and your soul.

What else?

I think this is pretty radical. Because it up ends the whole ethos a modern day capitalism and consumerism.

Let us notice this weird equation; you work yourself to death, to make money and more money… And use that money to do the pain through sex drugs traveling, EDM festivals, whatever. And then you continue the cycle, until you end up destroying your body your mind your soul etc.

What is the purpose of a single individual human being?

The very simple one: have a child, at least one, maybe two, maybe more if you have the chance.

Nowadays, my new measure of wealth is whenever I meet people, seeing how many children they got, how many sons, how many grandchildren etc.

And it is not even a money thing; if you can make your own football team or your own soccer team with all your kids, isn’t this the ultimate joy?

How many kids is enough?

If you think about the ultimate expression of understanding humanity, ideally you would have at least one son and one daughter, in order to test and understand your social logical and biological theories about life and humanity.

I think the issue here is that a lot of philosophers philosophies about human nature, without having children’s themselves. What does that means is that their philosophy is fake, not grounded in reality or lived experiences.

For example, men, who do not have at least one son to bear their name… A tragedy.

Think ancient Sparta

What I find so fascinating is that Sparta was a real place, real men real people — and the movie 300 was actually quite historical; a lot of the quotes are directly from the history books!

And also, the simple philosophies behind it:

1. Keep a nation nation state small, and have men defend it, with their own shield and sword
1. They do not create aggression on other nations states, or metal in the behaviors or the politics of other nations. You just want to be kept alone, you don’t want to bother nobody else, but conversely… You don’t want to be bothered.
Don’t be bothered by others, but also do not allow other people to bother you.

Military discipline

A lot of these new modern day podcasts and ideas on how to be a macho man I find a little bit lacking. A lot of people turn the notion of discipline to be this weird Christian self sacrificial thing. I don’t.

What does it mean to be “disciplined”? It is to be simple, direct, not distracted. Not making the modus operandi of your life purchasing new things, whether there be cars homes real estate, single-family homes condos, articles of clothing, Teslas, iPhone pros etc.

And actually… where bitcoin has given me some spartan discipline; it has actually made me more frugal, more simple, more reticent to spending money.

Why? I will follow all access cash on hand to purchasing more bitcoin indefinitely. I would even prefer to funnel an additional $10 into bitcoin, rather than buying some loser article of clothing.

And actually… If you really did think about being greedy, being a Scrooge, or be addicted to money and wealth… The goal is to make money don’t spend it. This is why the true capitalist should actually look more Spartan in nature; using all of their excess cash reserves for investing in buying bitcoin, never spending any money on a brand new car, $50,000 into bitcoin is 1 trillion times better than buying any new loser vehicle. Even if you’re a billionaire… The goal isn’t to buy a McLaren, a Lamborghini, a Ferrari whatever… It is to just buy more bitcoin! Even if you’re already a billionaire, rather than putting $1 million into a Bugatti, you buy $1 million more bitcoin! Super simple!

Hedonism is the enemy

Hedonism, hedonic pleasure through your penis, your vagina, your clitoris, your butt hole, your mouth your hands, your skin your body etc. Or your mind, your soul, your nose your ears your head your brain whatever.

Certainly pleasure is a good thing; but I think the problem is when we make pleasure maximization our sole life goal, this is insanely foolish. Thus all these millennials who just want to travel to Japan, eat Omakase sushi, not be tied down by children etc. and if you were really smart, you would not want to be tied down by a dog, which requires a lot of maintenance when you travel, putting your dog into a hotel is very expensive, almost $80 a night!

How many millennials regretted adopting their dog during Covid, now that they have another life form to take care of until they die?

The future?

The future life, the future of humanity… Isn’t this the goal?

ERIC
August 12, 2024
How to Become a Millionaire Blogger

Some honest thoughts:

1. Insane Spartan frugality

This is what people do not understand or get; technically, if you want to become a millionaire, the goal is actually to never spend any money. Just like Kanye said, “White people make money don’t spend it – but I’d rather buy 80 gold chains and go ignant (ignorant)”.

What that means is don’t buy the Tesla, don’t buy the single-family home, don’t buy the condo, don’t buy these stupid overpriced clothing, don’t buy random stuff at Costco.

What that then means is cancel anything which requires a subscription, and funnel all that money into bitcoin. If you could take that $10 a month, that you’re pissing away into the toilet into Netflix Netflix Hulu Disney+ HBO Max etc.… Or even Spotify… And you could put that into bitcoin? Assuming that bitcoin will 10,000x from here ,,, that $10 a month will become 100 a month, 1000 month, or $10,000 a month.

If I told you with 100% certainty that the Spotify you pay $10 a month, when the future be worth $10,000 a month… Wouldn’t the rational thing to do is to unsubscribe from it and buy bitcoin instead? Obviously!

2. Why bitcoin is hope and optimism

I think the simple reason why bitcoin is hope and optimism is because the potential that bitcoin could be worth $21 million a bitcoin or whatever. Or if I give you the simple thought that bitcoin will go up, year over year, 25%, compounded interest forever… And you simply plug that into ChatGPT to create you a future graph, wouldn’t you invest your money differently?

Or even more extreme… If I told you with 100% certainty that bitcoin would go up 55% year over here, for the next 500 years… Wouldn’t you use your money differently? Or not use your money differently?

3. Having kids

The funny irony is that having kids is actually not expensive. Literally almost 100% of kids stuff you get for free from friends and family, or the Facebook by nothing group. I think the only concern that people have is having to put your kids into daycare, or childcare, which can get expensive.

I don’t think anybody should ever have to pay for childcare. This is where if you have grandparent help, grandma or grandfather on either side… Ideally all of them, all the time, this is the key.

Let us consider, if you’re married, in theory you should have a grandfather and a grandmother on both sides, for grandparents. Even if some people have passed, often you will have at least one or two grandmothers who are more than willing to take care of your kid full-time.

4. Free or nothing

Let us think about it now, at this point clothing is essentially free. If you have to pay money, even $10 to purchase something, it is simply too expensive. Just get it for free. Once again the Facebook group, or even ask friends or family members if you have extra clothes that they don’t wear anymore whether they could give it to you.

I think the real secret to success and riches is to get everything for free! For example, all these celebrities etc.… I don’t think they have ever spent their own money on buying an iPhone, a Samsung phone or whatever. Apparently even Lil Wayne would get Samsung phones for free!

And also cars… I think the logical strategy is to never spend any money to buy a car, ideally you would just get it for free! You might be able to get a free car from a family member who wants to dump it or traded in or whatever, and just fix it up and drive it! Or other successful people that have met, you just buy the car at a car auction, in which you buy some thing at an extreme discount.

5. Never buy new

Anybody who purchases any new vehicle, is a 100% fool. Even if you bought a Tesla model three performance, for about $60,000.05 years ago… That car is not only worth about 20 or $25,000. This is the exact opposite of rich, this is a surefire recipe on getting poor.

6. Tax intelligence

My definition of what it means to be a citizen is superior taxes. Yet the intelligent thing is to try to not do anything which can incur capital gains taxes.

This means you buy your bitcoin, and theory, you hold onto it forever… And you just keep accumulating it, rather than selling it, which is a capital gains tax, or even sending it to people, I think in America if you send bitcoin to other people you have to pay some sort of tax.

Also, the intelligence of being a soul provider, is that you could pretty much file almost anything as a tax deduction! But, to simply purchase things in order to log it as a tax deduction is also a foolish idea.

The supreme idea is to just live insanely frugally!

7. There is no second best

Better to be number one in a very small niche, then to be number two in a big one.

So whatever business or thing you pursue, ensure that you are number one. Or don’t bother at all?

August 10, 2024