Personal Improvement Log #1

This blog will also be about some personal improvement, which is mostly in the mental aspect.

This isn't to be taken as "gospel" for a healthy growth in ability, but charting what I (an Amateur in this field as well) have found to work for me, and possibly others I know who've tried it.

Our first schema: Short-term memory.

I had thought I'd start my logs with my worst vice, procrastination, but that is a LONG road to walk. One step at a time now.

I've had problems remembering things in the short-term; people's names, important numbers (parking, serial, anything I don't get to choose for a password or location), a lot of things, unless I really made an effort to repeat it at least 3 times aloud. It rarely happens to me anymore, and here is why I think that is.

I believe your mind/brain (from here on mind) is like your muscles: Parts of it are meant for certain tasks, and though you may for instance, exercise your legs/feet, it won't help your arms or trunk. Well, I think the Mind is just like that, parts are for planning, memory, logic, art, math, writing, you name it. You may be familiar with right brain/left brain writings, but I think this isn't part of that, necessarily.

A couple of years ago, I borrowed my friend's Nintendo DS, because he wanted me to try this brain training game. I got bored with all the easy math and right brain/left brain stuff in it, but then hit a game similar to this:

http://flashfabrica.com/f_learning/brain/brain.html

Same sound effects, actually, I wouldn't be surprised if this were a computer trial of the game itself, but since it's in Japanese, I'll never know.

The rules are you see the numbers, and then click them in the order low to high (the game on Brain Age 1 on Nintendo DS is called "Low to High" by the way).

With each successful sweep, it'll add another number. Remember, it's not just where the 1, 2, 3 and 4 are, it could have 1, 9, 6, 4 and 3 on there and you'd have to click the right order: 1, 3, 4, 6, 9.

At first, I played it and could only get 3 numbers (on the DS, I saw this in an e-mail, and it reminded me of how much it helped), but I became slightly possessed about it, I hated losing, yes, but I could feel that something was... shall I say... waking up in my skull. I never considered myself stupid (or smart for that matter), but it's entirely possible I let an important part of my Mind slip into atrophy like this, only to be reawoken by this after several years of bad short term memory.

I started to remember people's names, and after I had trained on this every day for 3 months (I missed a couple days, but eh), I could remember people's phone numbers WITHOUT pen/paper, and without reciting it into a song/poem and reciting it 3+ times... I'd say that's progress, but I remember (haha) that I started to retain things much better.

The way I THINK it works is that this game makes you more perceptive when you decide to be. Remember, you only get 2 seconds to look at all the numbers, that's how long it takes to say someone's name. I think whatever part of your mind "opens up" to new information is exercised in this part, and the retaining part is in how well you can remember the sequence.

This was two years ago and my memory's been better since... so if you think it can help you (remember, it's not 2 straight hours of this right now and then never again, it's maybe a few minutes everyday), you may as well give the link I put up a try, it's in Japanese, but I liked hitting each bubble on the Nintendo DS better.

I'm not advocating going out and buying a video game system just for this, which is why I decided to spend a few minutes finding the "free" version, which I think gets the job done just the same. I make no guarantees, but it sure helped me, I have many of these logs to write, so this isn't a one-time thing, I hope.

One last note, the number that appears after you're "done" (when you've done 9 waves or so, I think) with each session is how old your brain is, the closer to 20 the better apparently. Just letting you know in case you think your score is getting worse with time. Also, don't let the score get you down, if anything it can show maybe that you're tired, but keep at it and you will improve!
Let me know what you think!

On Shaming Language:

Hiya! It is time to discuss one of our enemy's most used and more powerful (but not most powerful) weapons, Shaming Language.

Shaming Language is any kind of insult meant to shut you up, first and foremost. It isn't to add to the discussion, it's not to explore new angles of the problem, it is to cause you shame and to cause you to give up.

Shaming Language is a very poor way to choose to "win" an argument, but it has been shown to be effective to those not expecting it, especially if they don't have a few minutes to ponder what's really going on. Remember, it doesn't add anything to the discussion, it's an assault on your character that if not prepared for, you could end up believing.

Shaming Language is really more like several types of such interjections, and it comes in all forms, both slightly flattering to you, and very very hostile, new forms are probably trying to be made everyday, but ever since it's first usage, we've been on the upperhand, countering it at every move. Our motives are just, and our movement is good, never forget what you're fighting for.

I've read many influential posts, but this is one of the most powerful I've ever read about actually taking them down, or at least one of their advantages. The link is from dumpyourwifenow.com, but it could've been from somewhere else first, I don't know, however, if the writer is who I think he is, it's meant for all to see regardless.

http://www.dumpyourwifenow.com/2007/03/01/the-anti-male-shaming-tactics-catalog/

It's a long read, and I considered just pasting it here, but I figure things will be more manageable this way. If it disappears one day, I have a back up to make sure it survives.

Now that you've read (most or more) of it, it is time to comment:

I like how it's very specific about the direction of both incoming attack, and why it doesn't matter, how it isn't true, and the perfectly logical response to such language. It lists every tactic I've seen used in such a way, though I'd like to see them developing something against the "kindness" technique they are using; the one where (basically) they "agree" with your position, and say that we should "work together".

Make no mistake, these people are not on your side, my side, or anyone who supports the rights of Men, it's merely a way to try to get you to support their side while they give yours lip service, of course after they "allegiantly" debunk most of your serious issues and claim to support the smaller ones.

Remember, Shaming Language is something said to put YOU on the defensive, giving them the initiative. I remember reading a post that put that very eloquently, I shall try to find it for next time.

I know I can put that into better words eventually, with examples, but for now the post is going up.

About the Amateur Strategist

Such a self-doubting name, isn't it? Not necessarily so. You see, the word "Amateur", though used often in derogatory fashion, actually means "for the love of doing it" roughly. A strategist is one who thinks far ahead, and treats every action as a chain into the future, arranging those chains in such a way as to effect eachother or not, to achieve objectives that are impossible to pull of with "touching up at every seam".

I'm not necessarily saying I'm a true strategist, but one who subscribes to the disciplene of always putting logic and future-thought to the highest priority whenever an action is considered, or even just to see where something is going.

Why MRA/MGTOW? Because I believe the pendulum has gone out of shift way too far and things are in desperate need to change before totalitarianism or collapse ensue. I believe that feminism (the followers, not the leaders) thought they were getting equality, but now have kept their original rights and surpluses while removing the any responsibilities, while picking up new freedoms and positives without the counteracting negative tradeoff. What this does is put all the responsibilities on Men, and all the freedoms with Women, Men have no rights, and Women have no responsibilites, both are cause for much MUCH trouble.

When you give someone, the average person, the choice of improving their own life at the cost of someone elses, chances are they will do it. This isn't necessarily you in particular, or the incredibly pious people we know, but the average person. And if even only half choose to do so, we end up with disbalance, with haves and have-nots, not by choice, but forced onto people for no reason and order no longer rules.

I believe that feminism, and parts of traditionalism, allowed Women to ignore the original responsibilities while encroaching freely into the workplace without having to prove worth (affirmative action), so basically, Men are left with no power, and their original area, the workplace, is not disadvantaged to them point for point with Women. (I.E. a Man and Woman of equal stature, the Woman will have a better time negotiating a better position, Men only rise above this because they work even harder)

I believe the laws are so against your average Man now, that it's wisest to not be in a relationship with a Woman, due to government now somehow "owning" your relationship and making sure your soon to be ex-wife gets "her fair share", which is way more than half via alimony and child support. I believe the laws are now against Men seeing their own children or disciplining them in proper fashion and are now actually afraid of Men, thus they have to be controlled at every leypoint, and there's enough muscle in the government from old-way chivalrous judges who can't understand that things are different now, to the enforcers; police just following orders.

I will not marry, but I'm not sure if it's mostly that Women are like hand-grenades , in that the payoff is several Miles short of break-even with the most likely demise of my freedom, finance, and contentment, or if I believe I was not one to marry, perhaps a biological/Divine design that some Men would be free to produce and support society, as well as guide it. (At least until recently, more Males have been born than Females)

I've been asked why my picture is of a "Go" Board. Go is a game of strategy, so is Chess you say? I agree, I like Chess as well, but it always felt more like tactics than strategy, as you always are more keen on crushing your opponent than controlling the board, maybe I played Chess wrong, but Go makes me feel like I'm naturally planning ahead, 3 or so steps in advance (I'm not great) for every move I'd consider. Both games are great and easy to learn, but very VERY hard to master, perhaps I'll talk more of Go in later posts, but my priority is MRA.

Thanks for greeting me, all of you, it is nice to be in good company.

Beginnings

I guess in such a complicated world we live in, living by very simple basics, one must find what path to follow. This includes such processes as finding your beliefs and seeing how they will collude with our changing universe.





A few starter questions:





What's in "it" for you? What's in it for anyone?





Do you believe Women were oppressed for millennia?





Do you believe the scales will change? When? 10 years? 50 years?





Where should you be if it happens?





Where should you be until it happens?





Should you stoop to the level of the enemy? (important)





Do you believe you can make a difference?





There are probably many many questions one should ask and answer before setting off on your final plan, which will modify during execution, but once you find your way, you'll more easily react to situations when they occur.





This is, perhaps my first real blog post, so I'll start with some of what I believe in.



I believe government is like fire; a very important tool if used in moderation, but it quickly becomes fierce and uncontrollable at a point, I fear we are nearing or have touched that point.



I was neutral until about 10 months ago, I suppose I'll discuss the events that led up to my polarization in later posts, since it's a long story.



I suppose I shouldn't delve into everything that makes me myself in one post, but rather sparsed accross many posts in the future.

Thank you, Marky Mark!

As you may or may not know if you read Marky Mark's thoughts on various issues, he gave my blog a head's up, which gives me more fortitude to begin writing.

http://markymarksthoughts.blogspot.com/2009/06/yet-another-mens-blog.html#links

Marky Mark is one of my main inspirations, next to Mirror of the Soul, Rob Fedders and the others listed on the side there.

I suppose I should start writing at where I agree with them and my beliefs as well as how I view the world.