It is official, guys. We now live in the age of Anxiety and Uncertainty. But uncertainty and anxiety over what things, specifically?
Men have lost their intellectual and psychological rudders, and are being swept to and fro by currents that are now too strong for them. Men used to lead, and are the natural alphas to the world’s omegas.
This is what monk mode tries to resolve, or at least tries, because the outcomes will be completely up to you. You, yourself – in monk mode. Monk mode is not a magic bullet.
It is a concrete, hardcore method of self-improvement that aims to deliver you from your weaknesses. It aims to recreate you, so you can become better in most aspects of your life. It is a beginning worth taking, and if you love yourself, even a little bit, you would pay closer attention to how it’s done properly.
The Pillars of Monk Mode
The heart and soul of monk mode is its three I’s. They are introspection, isolation, and improvement. It’s best to go through these life-changing principles with an open mind. Imagine yourself a blank slate.
Control your inner resistance to change, because monk mode is all about change – the toughest kind of change around. Inner change. And that’s going to take some inner fortitude and strength you thought you never had. Let’s get started.
1st Pillar: Introspection
Introspection is a form of looking inward, of determining the relationship of the “I” with Truth.
Overinflated egos prevent men from even seeing their weaknesses, and the process of introspection doesn’t end with just knowing that you have weaknesses. The point of the first pillar of monk mode is you are looking inward to find solutions and fix problems with yourself.
To have weaknesses is human, but to ignore them because of your pride or laziness is never a good thing.
We can say that such tendencies edge closer to self-destruction in the worst way possible: in stasis, because you chose not to act. Introspection should be done regularly, and the output of introspection is knowledge of what must be changed, and not just a begrudging acceptance that you have weaknesses.
2nd Pillar: Isolation
Monk mode requires a certain level of isolation in order to work. Our take of isolation is you have to start distancing yourself from activities and people that are flat out distractions to self-improvement.
You are probably already well aware of what these activities are: time wasters, excessive desires, and so on. While we do not want to put a cap on your happiness, it is vital that you realize that many of the activities that eat up your time are unnecessary for your self-improvement and only drain you of the essential energy that you need to start changing.
Additionally, the isolation element of monk mode will pare down your social obligations and interactions to the absolute necessary ones only. Of course, if you have a 9-5 job, you won’t be completely isolated. But you can be isolated enough for you to begin forging yourself anew in the white-hot fires brought about by your regular introspection.
Take note that introspection is by no means associated with obsession or any other negative activity or process. Like the depth of the ocean, introspection allows you to move from the bone dry land of your bad habits toward the unfathomable depth of your own human potential, your own wells of confidence, motivation, and natural love for change.
Humans used to be brave, quick, and adaptable. That’s how our ancestors were able to carry our genetic lines to the modern era.
They were adaptable. What we learned from the age of Anxiety and Uncertainty is that modernity isn’t what it’s cut out to be. Modernity didn’t bring us joy. It brought us a truckload of weaknesses that have eroded intrinsic human strength as we know it.
3rd Pillar: Improvement
Assuming that you are performing both introspection and isolation in a balanced manner, you probably gained more than half of your life back.
You have additional time on your hands, time you are no longer wasting on activities that simply take but never give back.
This is where the third pillar of monk mode comes into play. Now that you have more energy and time, it’s time for improvement. But what can you improve?
Remember the main goal of introspection? We try to be more introspective of our lives because we want to weed out our weaknesses. These weaknesses belong to us, and us alone. In the same breath, no one else can take responsibility for these weaknesses but us.
You can’t expect your partner, girlfriend, or spouse to be the one ironing out the kinks and setting you on the straight path.
That simply is not tenable. You have to go about on your own, in monk mode.
There are five levels of needs according to Maslow: physiological, safety, love/belonging, esteem, and self-actualization. You don’t have to go level by level.
It’s actually better if you can identify weaknesses that correspond to each level and work on them as frequently as possible every day.
By doing so, you will be able to create new routines and change your lifestyle in the process.
Does this sound dry and undesirable? Good. It’s supposed to feel that way because no one likes change on Day One.
But there are many more days ahead of you, and many more chances of quitting. We’re sure that you are not the one to quit on yourself.
If you feel that you are not worth the effort, then that simply means that you have not found the things that are of value in yourself. And we go back to the first pillar again, which is introspection.
As you find your weaknesses, so must you find the inner strength and values to counter these weaknesses. They are already there, the resources that you need. And by just having these resources, you know that you are already worth fighting for.
