If you have been reading this blog for a while, you have probably realized that I am still at the very beginning of my journey. I try to be as artistically true—as original—as I can. Accordingly, all the basic concepts I have created to express my ideas are still under development. My definitions of mindcoolness, bodymind, true pride, and True Will are developing in unison with my personal evolution.
The primary purpose of the Mindcoolness blog is for me to make sense of the world—in all of its physical, mental, volitional, emotional, and spiritual aspects—and, of course, to help you, my fellow men and loyal readers, make sense of it, too. For even though I was academically trained in both philosophy and interdisciplinary science, I was never convinced that such knowledge would be sufficient to truly understand reality and be effective in it.
My more focused purpose is to seek out the optimal state of the bodymind. This ideal psychophysical state is what I call mindcoolness—a concept I have defined in various ways before:
- as ataraxia
- as bodymind mastery
- as thinking straight, not circular
- as a mental state governed by reason (rationality)
- as a silent mind unstimulated by consumerist entertainment
- as the ideal balance between aggressive activity and grounded serenity
- as an aggressive will undiverted by frantic thoughts and colorful emotions
- as a mind that is cool = free from cognitive noise = free from anger, fear, rumination, worry, negativity, and useless thinking
- as the psychoemotional structure underlying all flow, control, and relaxation activities
- as the power of convictions, principles, and core values over fleeting feelings
- as the mental state in which a man can do his True Will
- as a devotion to the emotion of true pride
- as mindfulness plus will
Now, in the light of yesterday’s blog post, I think I have found the best definition yet:
Mindcoolness is the convergence of pride and love.
Pride is the ultimate positive self-directed emotion; love is the ultimate positive other-directed emotion. Pride, which motivates masculine aggression, is gratefulness for one’s will—the appreciating feeling of having done what one truly wanted to do. Love, which motivates grounded serenity, is gratefulness for other people’s will—the appreciating feeling of other people having done something human, be it lovely or respectable or both or neither. In addition, you can be grateful for other people’s will insofar as it gives you a resistance to strengthen your will against.
Thus, as the convergence of gratefulness for one’s will (pride) and gratefulness for other people’s will (love):
Mindcoolness is gratitude for the universal True Will.
This is the most positive, most powerful psychoemotional state of the bodymind. Where true, genuine pride and true, unneedy love come together, there is the ideal of mindcoolness. Esto voluntas vera!
Further Reading
- The Surprising Truth about Emotional Detachment
- Introduction to Mindcoolness
- Why Pride Will Never Die
- How to Take Action Without Judging
- What Is the Difference Between Mindcoolness and Mindfulness?
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