The Cult of Children [& Parenting.]

The Red Pill Parent |: "[People] will try to convince you of the logic that children come first, that children are the future, that all of that which makes them better is more important than anything else. This is bullshit. Do you think cavemen sat around in caves all day playing and socially interacting with their babies? Do you think they had some kind of fresh-gazelle-delivery service that allowed him to interact with the children directly? Do you think the mothers were not under exactly the same survival condition, needing to forage for carrots, potatoes, berries, etc, while the men hunted and built structures? Do you think the “children” came first in any other era of humanity? If so, you are very sadly mistaken. 

Children are more than capable of getting everything they need to know about how to live simply by watching their parents live a happy life together. This is how humans did things for eons, changing that order and putting the “children first” is frankly perverse and the beginning of the destruction of the family. Children are more than information sponges, they are blank minds that want desperately to be adult. Children want to understand everything that everyone around them understands, which is why a parent telling a child that you’re “disappointed” in them is more effective than a paddling. If you focus on children, you are frankly just spoiling them with attention that they will never receive in the real world. If instead you focus on yourself and your spouse, you will raise children that see you putting yourself... and your marriage/partnership as an important part of what you do each day. Don’t put the children first. That’s essentially like negotiating with a terrorist, they’ll only make more demands on you until the cops storm the plane and lots of people get shot...

There are doubtless benefits that come from elevating parenthood to the status of a religion, but there are obvious pitfalls as well. Parents who do not feel free to express their feelings honestly are less likely to resolve problems at home. Children who are raised to believe that they are the center of the universe have a tough time when their special status erodes as they approach adulthood. Most troubling of all, couples who live entirely child-centric lives can lose touch with one another to the point where they have nothing left to say to one another when the kids leave home. In the 21st century, most Americans marry for love. We choose partners who we hope will be our soulmates for life. When children come along, we believe that we can press pause on the soulmate narrative, because parenthood has become our new priority and religion. We raise our children as best we can, and we know that we have succeeded if they leave us, going out into the world to find partners and have children of their own. Once our gods have left us, we try to pick up the pieces of our long neglected marriages and find new purpose. Is it surprising that divorce rates are rising fastest for new empty nesters? Perhaps it is time that we gave the parenthood religion a second thought..."

As usual, Carlin knew it first.

No wonder we're all fucked up.

ashlllleigh — school:

"...if your only reason for supporting a law is the Constitution, or because Congress said so, you are officially stupid."

Opinion Vs. Stupidity | Scott Adams Blog: "During an American election cycle you will see a lot of “opinions” that looks like this: “The Constitution clearly gives us the right to do X. Therefore, that’s the way it should be.” That sounds like an opinion, right?  But it really isn’t.  Here’s why. The Founders wisely made it hard to change the Constitution, but they did give us the tools to do it. And we have changed it in the past, e.g. slavery. So it is stupid to hold the opinion that we should do what the Constitution says, no matter what, when the authors of the document had no such intention. And common sense tells us that society ALWAYS changes over time. The Founders knew situations change (they were revolutionaries after all) and sometimes people get better ideas...

 We have a similar situation with laws passed by Congress. Look at the debate about illegal immigrants. You hear a lot of people arguing that the law-breakers must be deported because they broke a law, and we are a land of laws. On a conceptual level, a nation must have laws in order to function. But again, the Constitution explains in great detail how to change laws. They change all the time. Change is the normal condition. If you think illegal aliens need to leave because it is the law, that’s not an opinion. That’s stupidity, because we can change the laws any way we want. All that matters is what we want, and what makes sense, not what has already been written down somewhere. Let’s make wise decisions first, then force the laws to agree with us.  Americans aren’t rule-followers. It isn’t in our DNA. We are revolutionaries. We are entrepreneurs. Often we are total assholes. But I sure hope we never become a nation of obedient rule-followers. The only laws I plan to respect, now or ever, are the ones that make sense to me and are a net positive for humans. That feels American to me. You won’t see me obeying any laws because someone I have never met decided it would be a good idea.  I literally feel offended when anyone suggests that my life should be guided by the wisdom and fairness of dead slave owners...

The nature of capitalism is that innovation often requires breaking some sort of law or social convention. A few years ago I blogged that a company like Uber was not possible because taxis had legal monopolies. Then Uber decided to ignore all of those laws, or change them. And in so doing they are on track to be the largest company in the world. I identify with Uber, not dead patriots that pooped in holes and raped slaves hundreds of years ago. I’m sure the Founders were awesome when viewed in the context of their day, but maybe we need to update our heroes every few centuries to avoid this kind of awkwardness...

As a citizen of the United States, if your only reason for supporting a law is the Constitution, or because Congress said so, you are officially stupid. But if you obey laws that make sense, and violate the ones that don’t, you are as American as the Founders of the country and our illegal immigrants. Here’s a little thought experiment for you. I will describe two groups of people and you can decide which ones to deport: 1. Hard-working people who took huge risks to live in America so their children could have better lives. 2. People who believe all rules should be obeyed, even if the rules are senseless and inhumane. I’d like to deport that second group, just to improve the average."

Training - "We will all die. We will all be in a lot of pain. It's all coming our way... it's part of life. But in the meantime, you might as well be a fucking savage... and train like a motherfucker."

9/30 - press [PR 170, w/belt], chins, dips, db press/pike pushup, alt db curls, speed bag

We 'Mirin Vol 112: 16 Head-Turning Physiques - Bodybuilding.com

 This Average Joe Got Jacked - Bodybuilding.com:

Learn How an Office Worker Lost 100+ Lbs, Saved His Own Life, and Became a Superhero | Nerd Fitness 

"If there's one thing that I believe wholeheartedly it's environment is stronger than will. And the illusion in our head is that our will trumps environment... if you are around a bunch of positive athletes, you become a positive athlete. If you're around a bunch of unhealthy shitbags, you become an unhealthy shitbag. In spite of your will. Your will is what tricks you into thinking you'll be different. Once you're aware of that, your will is what gives you the chance to change environments. And then your life follows with change afterwards."

Training - "Antidepressant."

9/28 - stretch, squats [repPR 235x13, PR 300, both w/my awesome new belt from EliteFTS], speed bag, leg raise - Finally got my squats unstuck, first 1RM PR in over a year.  First repPR since leaving Thailand in May.  Feels pretty good.  Smarter programming, better recovery/rest, super-solid training partner [Hi Justin!]

9/26 - hike w/weighted vest [Brutal.  Thank god the weights were adjustable or I'd have never made it.  Felt like the first quarter mile was all uphill.  Crushing.  Calves still hurt this AM.]

True Story.

Training - "It takes no talent to be in shape."

9/25 - stretch, treadmill walk/wmup, bench [PR 255], db row, incline bench, pulldowns, pushups, cable curls, pushdowns, speed bag

That's what the voices in my head tell me.

"True nobility..."

QFT.

"Carlos Santana." So say we all. AoS S2 Bloopers.

"I'm sure the worlds' banks have more incentives than greed."

"You're wrong."

Training - "Always listen to your body. Unless your body says 'Don't Deadlift Today.'"

9/23 - deadlifts [repPR 335x14, PR 425/chalk, belt, mixed grip], situps, back xt, sauna, bridges

"I ain't never hit a bar with a cover. Low thread count, hard with the covers." - LD is killing it.

"Fuck you rappers braggin' bout?  You overpaying for it!"

Lil Dicky - $ave Dat Money feat. Fetty Wap and Rich Homie Quan (Official Music Video)

In today's news, guy in a dress with imaginary friend coming to the U.S.

"...the real and fair solution is [to] stop trying to protect people’s feelings. Your feelings are your problem, not mine—and vice versa."

The Real Reason We Need To Stop Trying To Protect Everyone’s Feelings | Observer: "There’s that saying: The road to hell is paved with good intentions. When it comes to censorship, one might say that the road to thought and speech control is paved by people trying to protect other people’s feelings. It’s important to realize that today, we have a media system paid by the pageview and thus motivated with very real financial incentives to find things to be offended about—because offense and outrage are high-valence traffic triggers. We have another industry of people—some call them Social Justice Warriors—who, despite their sincerity of belief, have also managed to build huge platforms by inventing issues and conflicts which they then ride to prominence and influence. One might call both of these types Rage Profiteers. They get us riled up, they appeal to our notions of fairness and empathy—who likes to see someone else’s feelings hurt?—without any regard for what the consequences are. Of course, the real and fair solution is much less politically correct but effective. It’s to stop trying to protect people’s feelings. Your feelings are your problem, not mine—and vice versa...  

Real empowerment and respect is to see our fellow citizens—victims and privileged, religious and agnostic, conservative and liberal—as adults. Human beings are not automatons—ruled by drives and triggers they cannot control. On the contrary, we have the ability to decide not to be offended. We have the ability to discern intent. We have the ability to separate someone else’s actions or provocation or ignorance from our own. This is the great evolution of consciousness—it’s what separates us from the animals. What also separates us is our capacity for empathy. But how empathetic the speech we decide to use is choice for each one of us to make. Some of us are crass, some of us are considerate. Some of us find humor in everything, some of us do not. It’s important too—but those of us that believe it and live our lives by a certain sensitivity cannot bully other people into doing so too. That sort of defeats the purpose."

Training - "Be like Groot."

9/21 - stretch, press, chins, dips, db side swings, pike pushup/press  

9/19 - planks/sprints, v hold, chins

Want Results? Be like Groot. I AM GROOT! | Nerd Fitness:

The Walk On | T Nation: "The idea of fairness is a ridiculous notion – if you have something to offer then you should be treated as such. If you're a scrub in life, don't expect to be treated like someone that has value... There are two kinds of people in the world: the ones that protest and complain and want fairness despite never having earned it, and the ones that fight their asses off to be important and make a contribution. You have to earn the right to be treated fair. The people that have a problem with that are the scrubs. If you take one thing from this article, let that be it."

Body Transformation: Champions Aren't Built On Excuses - Bodybuilding.com: