101–110 of 110 posts
The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. These two books taught me the importance of being true to one's values and not sacrificing them under any circumstances. They introduced me to Individualism and Objectivism which have profoundly impacted the way I look at the world.
I recommend reading George Campbell's "The Hero with a Thousand Faces". This is about comparative mythology, aka comparative story telling. He works out the core elements and common concepts that appear in story telling across cultures and time. It opened my mind to be able to understand all kinds of storys on another level. In school I always hated literature. It was like they tried to make me do something I just di…
I recommend reading George Campbell's "The Hero with a Thousand Faces". This is about comparative mythology, aka comparative story telling. He works out the core elements and common concepts that appear in story telling across cultures and time. It opened my mind to be able to understand all kinds of storys on another level. In school I always hated literature. It was like they tried to make me do something I just di…
Isn't it Joseph Campbell?
The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. These two books taught me the importance of being true to one's values and not sacrificing them under any circumstances. They introduced me to Individualism and Objectivism which have profoundly impacted the way I look at the world.
This book starts off as a business book but it is the single most useful book I have ever read. For some people they will find that it's second nature, for those of us on the less socially aware side of the spectrum it's like an instruction manual for communicating effectively without coming off as a creep.
Philosophy in the Flesh - L/J
Rationalism in Politics - Oakeshott
Erving Goffman – Presentation of Self in Everyday Life
Walter Lippmann – Public Opinion
Art as Experience - John Dewey
Plutarch's Lives
G.K. Chesterton – Heretics
(essay) William James - On A Certain Blindness in Human Beings (and its sequel)
(essay) R.L. Stevenson - The Lantern-Bearers
The central point of the book is that most millionaires live ordinary middle class lifestyles. They saved a ton of money because they don't buy expensive things.
That taught me a few things. First, you have no idea what anyone else's situation is, financial or otherwise.
Just because someone has a big house doesn't mean they're rich. They might be or they might not be. They might have a large income to buy that house, or they may have taken out huge amounts of debt to finance it. You just don't know.
The book also has great tips for careers, family, and marriage. I think it's well worth a read.
2. Lone Wolf and Cub (the Manga). I read this just because I liked the drawing style and the dramatic presentation. It rekindled my interest in the martial arts like no other book has and gave me enough fuel to start studying again and get my first dan.
This is completely not tech related but I came across a PDF a few months ago called Endgame. I got it when I believed I was having issues with meeting and attracting women. It kickstarted a series of events that’s completely changed my life. Initially for the worse but in a whole a massive positive.
Could you please tell us about your experience? I’m intrigued (and I think at least a couple others are as well).
I've been someone who's struggled with social anxiety for a long time. Not just with women but I wanted women in my life. I read The Game years ago and understood the book at a very superficial level. That alone got me to attracting some women, but not the women I really wanted. I saw some success doing silly routines and following step by step plans. In hindsight this was the worst thing that could have happened to me. I saw some success and figured I just need to get better at this to get the women I really want.
I did this for a few years and had some crazy experiences but it was never authentic.
Then I met her. I promised myself I wouldn't make a move because we worked together. We were really good friends for a few months. Then she decided that she was going to move overseas.
After that I was stupid one night and made some terrible move on her. Even as I did it I felt terrible inside. She rejected me, just as all the other women I wanted in my life did. What I did was very unattractive and dishonest.
Over the next week there were a number of events that happened. There was a serious physical accident, some crazy conversations and just a general, relaxed atmosphere.
After all of this we started dating. Back then I thought it was because my great moves. Now I realise it was in spite of all that. What she was actually attracted to was what I was doing in the situations in the week after the terrible move I made on her. If those situations hadn't have happened I can guarantee we wouldn't have dated.
She has been by far the best person I've ever had in my life.
Now, because I had a bad interpretation of why she was attracted to me I ended up behaving in ways that sabotaged the relationship. I wasn't the guy she was initially attracted to. I wasn't happy. She deserved better. At this stage I was an anxious wreck with no job, no friends and no future. It wasn't a way to live.
I decided that I needed a future. I ended up throwing everything away and starting over.
Different country.
Different job.
Different path.
No relationship.
We don't talk any more, which is fair. I wasn't the man I should have been.
A couple of months after I left I had no energy to pursue women. I lacked all that drive I used to have to be flirty and smooth. I was lost. Where has that energy gone? So I asked google:
"why don't I want to have sex?"
It came up with a bunch of results talking about women not wanting to have sex with their husbands. Okay, maybe I need to rework the query. Every time it came up with simple stuff like "eat a better diet", "exercise more", etc etc. I'm a reasonably fit guy that cares about what he eats so I KNEW it wasn't any of this pop factoid rubbish.
Then somehow I came across the attraction institute website. One of the blog posts was talking about how the seduction community sucks. The post talked about how it's all superficial and terrible and it prevents guys from growing... Exactly the feelings I'd been having but articulated so well.
The content resonated with me so much I bought the book almost instantly. I remember being engrossed in the book. I did nothing for a whole weekend but read it. Once I finished it and mentally processed it all I had a lot of self realisations. How I was using others around me. Why I was alone.
I got a glimpse of who I really was. I was not a good person.
The more I learned about myself the worse I got. But the worse I felt caused me to want to better myself.
That's what I meant by "Initially for the worse but in a whole a massive positive".
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This might be a bit random but if anyone wants to chat more about this you can send me an email at bcurran421@gmail.com.