People always remember Conan's answer to the Mongol general: Crush your enemies. See them driven before you. Hear the lamentations of their women.
They never mention the first answer which the general's son gave: The open steppe. Fleet horse. Falcons at your wrist. Wind in your hair.
His answer is immediately met with wry smiles from the men and a loud "WRONG!"
This illustrates the difference between boys and men.
Most Males Want to be Boys
You know the differences between pleasure, satisfaction, and purpose.
Boys chase after sensory pleasure. This is what the general's son seeks. Thrill and exhilaration. Freedom. Fast horses and swift falcons.
This is because he has no responsibility. He does not command an army. Neither does he command respect.
The same things boys seek after today. Women. Fast cars. Trophy collections.
The older men know this is not what is best in life. At least not if you are aiming for greatness.
To Be a Man is to Risk Destruction
The defining characteristic of power is risk. To seek power, to become dominant, is to become the enemy of many.
This is what conquerors knew. Diplomacy when it works. When it does not: ride hard, and crush your foe. Falter, and be crushed yourself.
You will not be killed in battle in this day and age. But the same principle applies to any sort of power. In business, the ruthless succeed. In politics, there is no quarter.
Diplomacy is a tool, not an end in itself. Because ultimately you are competing with other men: powerful, experienced, and hungry for more. As Ferdinand Foch prophesized, the treaty of 1919 was not peace, merely a cease-fire for twenty years.
If you spend your life working for others, you may well earn enough for a spectacular life and not need any more. The moment you seek to carve out a piece of the world for yourself, you step foot into war.
Something to Defend
One day you may find yourself with a piece of the world you call yours to defend from others. A business. Academic accomplishments. Political power. This marks your transition from the Hunter to the Lord. You are no longer living carefree off the land. You are carried forward by those you command. If you fall, you fall far.
I was a military man. I knew the gravity of command and the terror of failure.
You do not need to be military to experience the same. There is a reason why Sun Tzu's Art of War applies so naturally to business; it is the same.
When you own something, you must defend it against others seeking to take it from you. Because market share, political power, and sovereign territory share one thing: they are finite resources. It is a zero-sum game.
To Strive for More
At the same time you are seeking more power, more prestige.
The Red Queen hypothesis is that for a species to simply maintain its viability, it must constantly improve. For prey species, its predators are getting ever stealthier. For predators, their prey get ever swifter.
To choose this life is to continually strive. To simply maintain your position, you must constantly improve against countless others. Older men who have had more time to amass power. Younger, hungrier men.
I mention politics and business. But this is true in all fields. If you want to make a name for yourself, you pit yourself against all others. Many will be weaker. But some will have the power to triumph over you and break you.
Is it Worth It?
Maybe it is best to be like a boy after all. True power is so difficult to obtain, and the risk of destruction so great, that pursuing a career in politics is not worth it. Enjoy the decline.
Business, wealth, and money are still good ways to accumulate power without drawing too much attention to yourself. Be prepared against lawsuits from men and women trying to exploit you. It only takes a moment of carelessness to make an opening for others.
Ultimately it may be the best hedged bet to accumulate wealth, retire young, and seek a life of pleasure.
I cannot tell you what is best.
Longstreet101 5y ago
Crush your enemies, see them driven before you and hear the lamentation of their women!
[deleted] 5y ago
Best in life?
Hot summer day, company of beautiful women, good food relaxing by my pool.
My philosophic answer. To set out and accomplish goals i want not because they are easy to achieve but rather because they are difficult!
MostSolidFrame 5y ago
Excellent post. Those criticizing have likely never had a taste of real power.
chazthundergut 5y ago
I dunno.
I'd rather ride a horse on the open steppe with some falcons than listen to a bunch crying women
Gearski 5y ago
Does life seem awfully complicated to anyone else? As opposed to the old days.
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monsieurhire2 5y ago
According to Sun Tzu, the acme of skill is to subdue a city without shedding a single drop of blood. This does not compute with "crush your enemies..." etc. Empires are most powerful when people are clamoring to be a part of them, and on their way out when they have to send the legions out to compel people into servitude that they gain nothing from.
Ultimately, the problem is, how to make the pie bigger. Failing to make the pie bigger means you're going to have start liquidating the eaters....
BoogersAreTasty 5y ago
This is a very good post. I'm surprised by how many people are panning it.
I think the reason they are is because your post has put a mirror up to their face and they don't like what they see.
The greatest talent most people have is coming up with PLE's (Perfectly Legitimate Excuses) to justify either their failures or their lack of success.
Most people, even those that read this sub, are not coming anywhere near achieving their peak potential. So they justify their shortcomings with PLE's to feel good about where they've "settled" in life.
Again, very good post!
KeffirLime 5y ago
The same way a boy has visions of rewards without responsibility, a women is no different. This is because neither have ever experienced the sacrifices, time and effort it takes to achieve something. Furthermore, neither has experienced the responsibility that comes with it because they both view the world through a solipsistic lens.
This is why if you buy her a car, a house or a trip around the world for her, she will not reward you for it. The time, energy and effort it takes produce those things is never conveyed. She is simply rewarded for existing, has a temporary feel good and then goes back about her business, although now you've set a benchmark of expectation.
Anything given needs to be earned, and the reward needs to be you and your time, the strong, powerful man she get's to spend time with. Material substitutes are temporary plugs that are never appreciated how you would like.
eightandsix 5y ago
Came in expecting "To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of their women!", but this was a good post too.
Herdsengineers 5y ago
Nice to know I'm not the only one that thought of this.
_Anarchon_ 5y ago
I find that the danger of the pursuit of power isn't from others, rather that it's poisonous to your soul. It's the defining characteristic of a sociopath. I find the pursuit of peace to be much more rewarding, and healthier for all aspects of life.
DreamExpedite 5y ago
Completely agree. Thirst for power without a purpose is to fill in a void but thirst for power for a purpose that you feel is greater than yourself is what makes the difference. Someone could, for example, earn enormous amounts of money to give back to TRP and support it in it's hard times which at least for me is a very good utilization of that resource.
And as Tony Robbins says - Power, money, it doesn't change you, it merely gives you the ability to magnify your personality and actions.
_Anarchon_ 5y ago
No, the thirst for power with a purpose is still evil. People need to mind their own business. It's not for individuals to figure out what is better for everyone else, and make that their purpose. The road to hell is paved with good intentions.
DreamExpedite 5y ago
Alright, fair enough. My attempt at being a wise philosopher comes to an end then
handsomerakk 5y ago
A key thing this post misses out on is low-key power, it takes much more self-control and power to help your enemies into becoming friends and further more changing who they are and how they react.
One of the idea's of power is "the capacity or ability to direct or influence the behaviour of others or the course of events", this doesn't have to be done aggressively. This is for people stuck 20 years ago or people who don't realize they can better themselves and people around them without puffing out their chest all the time. Although sometimes it is needed. The strongest power is someone who commands it without having to talk or display it, people know it's there, and they respect it. The people who don't respect or see it can be taught to or if too stupid removed from your life.
By doing this you can keep your energy for the things that matter, like building strong networks, relationships, careers and this in turn will allow even larger influences of power in the modern age.
poopdeck 5y ago
We ain't all gonna be millionaires and conquerors. Choose a life you like and enjoy it. This sub has no chill no more.
poshmarkedbudu 5y ago
That's why I also frequent the MGTOW Reddit. Need balance.
the_real_chronos_ 5y ago
I keep switching between here (redpill), MGTOW (clownpill), and Braincels (blackpill). I'm BALANCED AF.
strikethrough123 5y ago
tells people what is best
“I cannot tell you what is best”
Nice shitpost.
gikere 5y ago
Why striving for power, sex or wealth? Could being yourself and enjoy life when doing things which rise up your hormones be a better choice? Like a more down to earth mind journey.
Snowaey 5y ago
Strive for whatever the fuck u want? No?
good_guy_submitter 5y ago
What else is power useful for, if not for pleasure. Power for the sake of power itself has no end. Life is one big mating game, and then we die.
Genghis Khan set the high score. Good luck.
throwlaca 5y ago
You look very near in the future. Gengis had 1000's of sons. And it gave every son a fortune. That's because of his power, not only his wealth.
​
Do you want pleasure? the best of the best whores are 500 usd. No better women than those exist. That's the price of pleasure, 500 usd.
Standgrounding 5y ago
The only future that is relevant (will affect me) is my remaining future.
So, he looks at whats relevant.
good_guy_submitter 5y ago
Technically your offspring are an extension of you with a 99.9% genetic match. And with prenatal care, nutrition, and a genetically superior mother, they may very well be an improved version of you.
Offspring are the closest to physical immortality you can get.
Of course, real physical immortality and eternal youth would be better and I'd probably do just about anything necessary to obtain something like that. But that doesn't exist.
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Standgrounding 5y ago
Yeah maybe, but that still is comparing apples to oranges.
macheagle 5y ago
I disagree. Because life is finite, pleasure by definition is meaningless the moment we take our last breaths. It voids and nullifies all the endorphins and pleasurable memories we created. The only thing that outlives us are actions that impact lives beyond our own lifespan. Actions and results that help shape the world and those that come after us well after our own trivial deaths.
We are, after all, on a pale blue dot. It’s here we must make our last stand.
I will seek pleasure by all means, but I will also do everything in my POWER to make the world a better place than when I arrived. That is my mission. And that is what ultimately gives me the greatest pleasure.
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Lawojin 5y ago
Untill that pale blue dot gets hit by an asteroid and all humans die in nuclear winter, or with the human race finally getting its shit together and make a mars base, then the sun can die out. Upscale to galaxy, upscale to cluster, upsclae to supercluster, upscale to observable universe, upscale to the entire universe. Betting on life after your own, you have no control over that and now youre left with nothing..
KeffirLime 5y ago
or
You're replying to your own statement, making the world a better place gives you pleasure so you seek it. Not everyone derives pleasure the same way you do.
You're either saying you should sacrifice your personal pleasure for the benefit of future generations(who probably won't care a shit for your sacrifice) or you're projecting that everyone should derive satisfaction the same way you do.
Wolveryn 5y ago
No one that takes actions for a 100 years from now is really caring about whether they give a shit, they might be thinking of their children or childrens children and feeling a moral obligation to leave the planet as they "found it"...
Pleasure is an odd word for it, but I guess the notion of leaving future generations future brighter is a kind of pleasure... even if it takes sacrifice.
KeffirLime 5y ago
Willing sacrifice, but pleasurable nonetheless. My father sacrificed tons for my family, but it brings him the greatest joy.
Had he derived joy from living out his life on his terms, doing what he enjoys most, instead of having and raising a family I can't say I would have had any gripes with that.
macheagle 5y ago
I’m a libertarian. People should pursue what they want and it’d most ideal if they could first, to the best of their ability, tried to overcome their deepest inner fears or insecurities before deciding on what to do with their lives. For instance, if you grew up in a broken home and as a result always feel like you need to be in a relationship in order to subconsciously compensate for the lack of affection you received during your formative years, you should try to address that and be at peace with that first before pursuing greater goals. Otherwise your potential may be “capped” at pursuing a never-ending fulfillment of whatever was missing in your childhood etc. I did not grow up in a broken home, but many of my friends have and I’ve witnessed firsthand how much of their lives may have been impeded by their deep need for a partner as a result, capping their potential in terms of great accomplishments (be it the arts, science, medicine, engineering, or another).
I’m also at a complete loss for where or how you arrived at the conclusion or made the assumption that I would need for future generations to appreciate, recognize, or otherwise give a shit about my “sacrifices” in order for me to be incentivized, motivated, or otherwise feel pleasure about doing so. It couldn’t possibly be farther from the truth. I will do whatever in my power to make the world a better place than I arrived in EVEN and perhaps ESPECIALLY if future generations were to somehow chastise me for it for no reason - 1. I wouldn’t exist by then to be aware of any of it, and 2. Even if I would somehow be aware of it, it’d be more than worth it as their appreciation or recognition (or lack thereof) would have been completely irrelevant.
Your logic is similar to saying “why would you help a stranger that is in need, when he or she probably wouldn’t even give a shit anyway.” - WHO/WHERE/WHEN did anyone say the person helping gave a shit about anyone one else giving a shit? LOL...
I will ALWAYS help you, and while I’m doing so, I’ll probably give less of a shit about it than you or anyone else. So the LESS you or anyone else give a shit about it, the better it might actually be for me. :-)
Welcome to my life brother.
KeffirLime 5y ago
Not implying it's a requirement on your part, merely an observation.
Because you derive pleasure from doing so. It's your goal, your mission, which is great, it's a noble goal, but not everyone is going to be on board with that, mostly because there's very little reward for it individually. It often comes at the sacrifice of individual.
We should be cognizant however that there already are plenty of avenues, byproducts which are mutually beneficial that alot of us unconsciously participate in, such as starting a business, app or concept that you love, which employs people, who pays people, which helps them support their families, which may improve the world of your customers. The goals are not necessarily to save the world, but they have positive secondary effects.
I think we can agree that being a leech on society and those close to you is not a desirable trait in anyone and that's not what I'm advocating for, but seeking ones personal pleasure doesn't always nullify the improvement of the world, they're not mutually exclusive.
I'm saying if you want to help a stranger help him, but if helping him comes at the cost of being unable to then help yourself, you don't derive pleasure from it and he also won't or doesn't give a shit, then it's probably not in your best interest.
macheagle 5y ago
All very valid and fair points!
billybetasnan 5y ago
The funny thing is, most men nowadays are like bitches. They have zero masculinity and cry because they can't get laid haha. These motherfuckers get crushed in the real world. I have zero respect for them. I have ASPD so it's kind of a benefit. People in real life know they can't fuck with me. I get away with so much shit lol.
daffy_duck233 5y ago
This is true because life is meaningless except for one thing, a biological victory, i.e. passing on your genes to children who in turn are viable enough to give offspring of their own.
Otherwise you just create your own 'meanings' to cope with this meaningless existence.
poshmarkedbudu 5y ago
Even that has no meaning because our sun will pass away, and all matter will go dark as the galaxies spread farther and farther apart due to the expansion of the universe. Life itself will cease to exist.
Nothing means anything at all.
Ok-Cappy 5y ago
foot loose and fancy free, that's the only way to be, so you might as well take your pleasure as you find it...
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maeksimili 5y ago
Sorry but fantasizing about "true power" makes you look like a maniac. Go see your mother more.