What constitutes a strong will depends on what time frame we consider: Stubbornness. In the short term, a strong-willed man does everything in his power to win the current fight, even at the cost of losing the battle, let alone the war. This is the person who resists the truth because he can never be wrong, who mistreats and diminishes others in petty displays of power, and who never changes course even when it's obvious that his plan is stupid.Goal fixation. In the medium term, a … [Read more...]
The Pleasure of Willpower and the Lie of Delayed Gratification
Last week I wrote about radically embracing life in the present moment. Today I want to emphasize that this is not the same as living for the moment without regard for long-term consequences. This might be hard for some to understand, because most people see self-discipline as the eschewal of current pleasures. With willpower, they assume, one sacrifices short-term pleasure for the sake of a bigger pleasure in the future. So they feed their dreams and hopes with the idea of delayed … [Read more...]
Forget Your Hope Lest You Forget Your Self
This very moment right here, right now is your life. Look at it. It's as good as it gets. There is nothing to wish for, nothing to hope for. Your desires are mere distractions. They distract you from the simple truth that this is reality. Reality won't get any better. It will either stay reality or be gone. There is no room for hope, no need for hope, for all is well. But perhaps you're suffering, sad, or frustrated? That's okay. Emotions are beside the point. The point is that this very … [Read more...]
What It Means to Be Free
Freedom is the pleasure of doing one's will. Yet since we often understand concepts better by looking at what they are not, let us briefly consider what we must be free from if we want to experience that pleasure: Free from reaction. The free man does not react passively from emotional impulses to a situation. Instead, he actively responds based on a conscious decision, guided by what he values in life, or acts proactively to begin with.Free from compulsion. The free man is behaviorally … [Read more...]
Two Pitfalls of Enlightened Egoism
The egoist says, "I do what I want." The vile egoist (the asshole) says, "I do what I want—fuck the rest." The enlightened egoist (the sage) says, "I do what I want, and that will be good for the rest, too." As an asshole, your unbridled freedom may give you a certain appeal and bring you some success, particularly in the short term. But being stuck in a combative zero-sum mindset limits your potential, because making other people worse off poisons your relationships, and if you gain … [Read more...]
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