This topic has been posted to death, but it worth it
What is dopamine? It's a neurotransmitter used to reward your good behavior (IDGAF about its other uses now).
Imagine a caveman wandering around all day for food and finally hunted a beast, his body will experience a dopamine rush rewarding him happy for his hard work.
His brain also register what he just did in 'fruitful work' category so he will do this again & again.
So what you do?
You play games, you watch porn, listen to music, drink, eat junk food ...Why? So you can get a dopamine rush that the poor caveman spend all the day working hard to get(let alone risking his life). You're stealing his hard work.
So should we care about a now-dead caveman?
No, but listen, when you did these things you instantly reward yourself for doing almost nothing (easy dopamine), so now you don’t need to work hard to get anywhere in your life. It's all here, a click away from you, why bother?!
Why ask that girl out when I can watch perfectbody girls on porn sites, or just tease some on social media.
Why invest in yourself or go to gym/ build social skills when you can dress like the world CEO in GTA
Remember the brain is not good at differentiating between real and virtual.
And that's when all started to fuck up.
We have no motivation to do right things that get you somewhere in real life, you feel down all the time, actually activities that were once interesting and engaging are now lame and dull because you are now desensitized, it's the reason why addicts crave more ‘easy dopamines’, even these become not enough to get the thrill, so they crave more intense forms of it
Can you live with only easy dopamine? Yes you can, but unless this is your role model, it’s not the best idea.
What can you do?
Don’t escape. Fix your current situation and do something now (even the slightest) on the path to what you really want to be in life, don’t go the easy short term way, always choose what benefits you in the long term.
Go a week free from all these artificial pleasures, replace them with productive activities, want to play game? read a book instead. want to go on social media? Go out and socialize instead. Try to force yourself on this for a couple of days, with no “easy dopamine” at all, I promise, your brain will reset its natural state, you become more social, confident, basically you get reward doing what you find hard and tedious now.
Try to make the boring work rewarding by any means, look, willpower is not enough, yet. At least it’s not for one whose entire life revolves around ‘EDs', you still need dopamine anyway, so let’s take studying as example, you can make it more rewarding by making flashcards, you turn them to find that your answer is right => feel rewarded, or by explaining what you just studied to friend or family, they understand it => you feel rewarded, you make a to-do list and physically check every item you finish => you get rewarded => your brain is happy. It’s just a hack to trick your brain to release that necessary chemical to make you love and continue the work. You get the idea, apply it on every aspect of your life you want to develop. After a while, your brain needs no hacks anymore, it gets used to the work.
Want to show how science proved what I said, but just trust me.
Hey man music is freaking magical (at least good music anyway)
I honestly don't know where I'd be today without music
Probably a lot better. Facing your issues head on straight and coming out on top, instead of finding comfort in dopamine releases like listening to your favorite tunes.
I think that’s what most vocal people here feel about music. And I share the feeling, art doesn’t help you much when you use it as an escape.
I think you misunderstand, music has probably been one of the only things that has pushed me forward in my life and probably the largest reason I am where I am today
Well the only physical thing that has motivated me at least
I’m listening. Gimme an example of something that made you better yourself
Life (in my eyes at least) isn't about large events that change our destiny, it's about a consistent stream of small yet crucial battles that if fought consistently build a legacy.
As for an example of a song that enables me to this consistently? I'd have to say Song of the Volga Boatmen, it has consistently been the backdrop for me to keep pushing despite feeling like the whole world is pushing back.
Don't know why your being downvoted. Today's music is specifically engineered to give cheap dopamine hits.
Alot of people are dillusional about what in there life is being used to mask deeper issues.
He didnt say today's music. He said "music". That's why he was downvoted.
We’re clearly not talking about seminal baroque quartert composers or gregorian chants. And it’s not “today’s music”, it’s a decline that’s been going on in the modern era of recorded music.
I’m glad you understood my point man
I get a dopamine hit of mozart. now what?
You really struck a nerve with people. Woe to the man who separates an addict from his drug.
We all know music can be an in-the-moment motivator, but your comment addresses the darker side of music that most people don't acknowledge. It's auditory cheesecake. And not only that, but it's often an opportunity cost.
I been seeing this with people my age the past two days. This rapper Tentacion was shot in Florida, man was the poster boy for depressed suicidal teens and now all those kids who put their well-being on their back have nowhere to run.
This shit happens whenever people fail to carry their own weight and solve their problems, with music it’s really easy to fall into it because of how harmless it looks.
Course this is a deeper look into the behaviour behind it, but like you said, on the surface level running away from problems onto music and art is no different from drugs, excessive eating, masturbation, video games, etc. Just shallow and instant rewards
Like everything else in life, moderation is key
The average person, it seems, isn’t addicted to music. This would be like cutting coffee from the heroin addicts lifestyle.
Even Spartans had music, what they didn’t have was cheeseburgers, Fortnite, booze, weed, and Tinder. For most lurkers here, music is the least of their worries.
I really need to give up Fortnite....
Yeah you do, not only cause it's a waste of time and your dopamine receptors, but it's also a cancerous overhyped game infested by 11 year old kids.
Total shit game.
"Ya lemme just build shit in the open world, instantly, with no cooldown, with no cast or channel time, that provides shelter, and uphill advantage, and 3rd person shotgun abuse, and with a doorway so you're not immobilized."
GAME OF THE YEAR BOYS
Fuck that I’m dropping at tilted toNIGHT
or you keep on enjoying your life
I listen to music even while taking a shit. I listen to music as I fall asleep, and turning on music is the first thing I do in the morning. I drive with music, when I read I listen. When I work or work out. I might be addicted to music.
I used to be like you in that aspect, every fucking moment. I would really recommend you to leave it a little, learn to be comfortable with silence, with yourself, and cut that music dependence.
The best about this is that you'll start to enjoy and appreciate music even more!
I can cut it out if needed, I guess you are right, it just turned into a strong habit, bringing comfort at all times. Whatever is going on, musics there. Maybe it weakens me or maybe it regenerates. Need to change some stuff about it either way.
I used to and still do this but to a lesser extent now. One thing I’ve noticed is that after a while all music was starting to get dull. Definitely something I would try avoiding.
I understand where you are coming from, but you can easily conteract it by having a shitton of songs (spotify premium) to choose from, and listening to exactly what you need at the moment.
Funny. I used to be like this in my teens and twenties. I just kinda naturally lost interest in my thirties without ever thinking about it. Now I basically never listen to music except when I'm running. My dad went through the same at roughly the same age.
Guess I have ten years of brainwashing myself with musing, good to know.
Id say cut out the music when falling asleep to start, try that and go from there. Also try listening to a podcast for some mental stimulation instead of music, thats what I have been doing.
Yeah but... what kind of music?
Whatever rocks my boat atm, rock, 80's pop, mostly old hits, whatever genre.
Do you listen to any podcasts?
Tried some jocko willink, but not really, no. Do you have any particular ones worth listening to?
I agree with your point, but I have to object to the Sparta reference:
No booze? You won't find an ancient Greek society that did not drink wine on a daily basis. And Spartans were infamous for drinking heavily when they left Sparta for some time (as messengers or ambassadors), once society could not check on them.
Mostly the Spartans had slaves to free their time up for excercise and training...
The music of Spartans was nothing like the music of today. Dopamine levels aside, virtually everything on the billboard's top lists is produced to hypnotize you with bluepills.
If you listen to billboards top list you’re only bluepilling yourself.
since when if i listen trap or edm or grunge rock is bluepills?
Is just music
That’s why you listen to metal, hard rock, and gangsta rap.
Listen to techno. Everything else is blue pill
Spartans definitely had booze.
What if you are a musician lol
Then you're a musician and it makes sense to have music as your muse. Other people though definitely invest too much of their lives into music to the point where it's an emotional crutch. You have to listen to certain songs to feel a certain way, there are songs that get you hyped so you never bother during real world actions that create the same feeling, there's music that let's people depressingly wallow in self pity and aid them in thinking "woe is me, I'm such a victim. This song totally gets me."
If you're a musician that's chosen to give themselves to music, then that's fine. But if you didn't make that choice, don't let music control so much of how you perceive the world or your emotional state.
It's such a quick fix for emotions you could be getting in person, so people end up using music as an easy escape to cope with life instead of something that enhances a life you don't need to escape from.
......most people just listen in moderation though, so this isn't an issue. Music addiction is real though, for the reasons I listed.
Is reading books a better way to get your dopamine rush? Perhaps people read to much books.
I would still recommend it in moderation. I prefer to only listen to music actively, dissecting the melodies, rhythms, and tonality of the tracks. I find using music as a white noise for another activity acceptable as well, but for drives I have shifted to podcasts, producing positive results.
Replaying favorite albums/songs is an easy trap to fall into that I find has led to stagnation in my search for new music. I would say this is where "in moderation" comes into play
Including moderation in moderation 😉
I'm sure all the big musicians who get more pussy in a year than you will in your life would agree with that.
Good post OP.
I have a few suggestions I implemented on my redpill journey.
Got the urge to play fifa on the xbox ? Went out, organize and set up ball twice per week. Eventually I sold the Xbox and no longer play video games
Wanted to binge watch Netflix? Bought a treadmill and walked on it anytime I wanted to watch TV. I have since sold the treadmill and took up triathlons and no longer own a Netflix subscription.
Get the urge to eat out and order takeaway ? YouTube a interesting meal and go the grocery store to buy the ingredients and cook it.
Smalls steps from years ago I felt helped self improvement wise.
I'm always curious about what is different between people who make the right decision at that critical moment and those who don't. Like the urge to eat fast food comes and you can decide to give in or go with your plan of making something interesting. What makes people go one way or the other is what I always wonder.
Perspective and self-discipline. If you have a fully articulated map in your mind of the consequences of your actions and are mindful in the sense that you're conscious of the choice you're making you're far less likely to do something self-destructive.
It's something like; motivation is the initial spark or 'heaven' you want to aim towards which is only effective in short bursts. A far more effective driving force is not only having a goal to run towards but also a 'hell' to run away from.
e.g.
Fat guy wanting to be skinny is a heaven only motivation.
Former fat guy wanting to get into better shape and is fully aware that a destructive dietary choice would lead him back into the abyss is a dual 'heaven and hell' motivator. The two hardest things in any new lifestyle change is the initial step, and then not becoming complacent after being on the right tracks for a considerable amount of time.
Let's say I resolved to go running daily. Evenings post-work, I really wanna just shower and lie on the couch, but I declare aloud, bordering shouting, it's '50/50 time' again, and keep verbally harassing myself to change and get out there. By the time I have my jogging shoes on, I usually push forward.
Works most of the time. You HAVE to verbalize it firmly.
Ok fuck face. Get your fucking ass out of bed. Now see those shoes? Put them on your goddamn feet. Not so bad is it, now open the door and walk to the corner. This doesnt hurt so bad, does it?
I actually do this in my head when I get demotivated. I am not sure if trashing myself is good for self-esteem long term but it works.
From Meditations:
But I'm still reconciling this urge to "progress", work, move, improve.. with an increasing sense of utter contentment as I grow older.
Good thing my housemate is gone for a few months. I can shout at myself all I want from now on.
'50/50 time'
Sounds very 80's Arnie. I'm using this one.
Learn to think about food in terms of how eating it will make you feel, as opposed to how good it tastes.
Our boss brings in candy constantly. For the last two months, whenever I see it, I remind myself: that's the stuff that's so terrible for you, they have to make it taste good, just to get you to eat it. I am at the point now where when I see candy dishes or cookies, my brain just sees garbage.
In the case of fast food and most instant gratification.. It's easy.
Throw on sandals and pants, hop in your car and you can have a meal in minutes. Put the trash in the same bag it came in.. No cleanup, no dishes, no cooking.
Whereas cooking a good meal, cleaning while cooking and then washing dishes afterwards will easily take an hour or longer. Most likely more if you're like me and take 15-30 minutes just to figure out what you want to make.
Why take the time to cut some potatoes, soak them in water, heat up some oil, form burger patties, steam buns, prep, cook, put it all together and then clean everything up. When you can pick up a ready made meal that comes with it's own disposable containers?
I make most of my meals, but sometimes (rarely) I will go to taco bell and get 8 different items that would take a all day to make if I tried doing it myself, instead it took 5 minutes.
SPER, you inspired me with your fastfood rant. Hope i can keep posture to do something with it.
No problemo. I actually made fast food today haha. I made chicken nuggets and french fries. They actually came out to be amazing.. But I am never frying french fries again in this apartment. I had more smoke in my place than I do when I make a steak. My eyes were tearing up it was so bad.. But damn those fries were bomb.. It was my first time soaking them in sugar/salt water beforehand and then double frying... Shit was legit!
Soaking them, sounds delicious.
I always bike while watching tv. Let’s not act like that’s destructive if you are burning cals simultaneously. I do like your small step suggestions
Read burning cals as burning cats and I was like whoa this guy has weird hobbies.
Those things that you've listed, literally all of those things, have a secondary benefit that isn't addressed anywhere in this thread:
They make you more interesting.
I need to say it again, because it's vital. These things make you more interesting.
There is no greater sin to a woman than being boring. Good on you finding the crossroads between what expands your value with women and expands your value as a man. I need to work on this myself.
Any advice for substituting information addiction?
and no, the irony of asking that is not lost on me.
Not owning the netflix subscription is a bit odd. You dont have to binge watch netflix. You can watch the good stuff a few hours a week, and come away better for it.
Some people realize they can't control themselves. If you binge drink, it's probably not best to keep a 12 pack of beer in your fridge. Most people can drink in moderation and they temptetion isn't at their disposal. The same can be said of Netflix/video games/etc.
I don't own it. Still use torrents instead
What do you mean with the good stuff. Can you give some examples?
I stopped playing Destiny and started actual shooting. Now i shoot matches and my xbox gathers dust.
Any recommendations for yt cooking channels?
I cancelled my internet and it change my whole routine within a week.
Then how did you see this post, if you cancelled your internet?
might be using data on his phone, silly man
data on his phone is not internet?
Been doing no fap, no video games, no drugs and alcohol for the sole purpose of resetting my receptors because they are fried.
Results I’m a lot more happy, out going, and fearless. I fucking love the way I feel right now.
I’ve been reading books, writing articles, learning photography, and hiking for my new hobbies to replace the old useless ones.
Have not been laid the past month, but that is by design to slow my life down.
I feel like I’m in heat. I want to devour every piece of pussy I come across, which is a drive I didn’t really have before even though I was still getting laid.
No fap is fucking stupid by the way, doing this for a test of will power and resetting my dopamine. After 30 days going back to jacking off but with no porn and the intent to just practice lasting longer.
Agreed on the NoFap. There's a lot of utility to it, but the idea of going years (or even the rest of your life) without jacking off is retarded.
Agreed. I'm learning taoism right now, so I can wield this new sexual energy of mine. Learning to last infinite amount of time in the bedroom.
I don't even want to waste my energy letting bitches take my cum. I will no longer be giving them that validation once I master this. I'll simply have multiple full body orgasms with out blowing my load. Which since I have learned to do, feels better then a simple ejaculation orgasm anyways.
It's not realistic at all to never jack off. The no fap reddit is a cancerous cult of betas.
I haven't jacked off in about 5 months and only about 3-4 times since a year. Most productive year of my life.
In that year I went from doing fuckall in my parents basement, no jobs, no professional education, playing video games, working out a little bit but not seriously and surfing the web 12/24. To moving out getting my own appartment, studying in IT, trying out a job in security, lifting regularly and getting hired as a system administrator at the biggest IT corporation in canada.
Not fapping and keeping your essence will unleash your potential. When I smash and I rarely do because girls aren't my priority right now, despite how easy I could, I still and will practice retention. When you've got an hour to kill you should watch this : https://youtu.be/JU1WAaTSjgI
This is the stuff that the most powerful men in the world know and have known through history.
Thank you for this, spread the message as far as you can.
Keep telling yourself that lol
lol You don't know me. I take good care of myself, I get approached and eyed all the time and I got a stack of girls on tinder waiting to be liked back. I'm a virgo lol that's all you need to know.
I hate religion, I would abolish all of them if I could except my own that I make my plates praise to, but that is more like a cult.
But this talks about sexual energy and meditation shit which I’ve first hand experienced and know is real unlike magic men in the sky.
Also talks about gods and divinity which is cool because I view myself as a god so I’ll check it out.
the larp is real
you are in for a rough one
Yeah i'm not into religions either. The magic sky men were the ancients that seeded the planet long ago.
Can you elaborate why nofap is shit
Yeah it's weird how the human brain works
Took a week of social media, music, Youtube, the whole nine yards and just spent all Monday to Friday meditating, reading, learning financial material, studying, eating very wholesome meals and fasting 16h a day.
By the end of the week I felt unreal, I had never felt that good in my life probably with or without drugs.
Friends and I went out and we walk into the concert and stone cold sober I could feel in my brain the similar feeling people get when on Adderall, the tightness/pressure in the forehead/behind the eyes from the stimulation. The music and lights and people and everything was just wayyyyy too much for my brain to handle so I spent a big part of the night just chatting with people outside.
And yet, somehow the brain always wants to go to that cheap dopamine hit which in the long run actually makes you feel crummy/spent/wasted/grimey (grimey is the best word I can use to explain what it feels like after a day of compulsive group chatting/instagram checking/music listening and nothing productive)
I try Monday to Friday to sleep enough, eat whole meals, fast 16h, uninstall FB msgnr and instagram and minimise music except for leg day and then Friday night reinstall msgnr and insta to be able to communicate with people re: night plans and weekend activities.
But by the end of Sunday I'm once again absolutely hooked on social media and music and start getting ideations of going to watch some porn.
Dopamine: arguably a person's most important molecule in terms of functioning day to day, and yet also our biggest enemy
Renouncing pleasure isn't the way to go, more so compartmenatlization in my experience helps
Yo instead of reinstalling stuff just download Antisocial (if you have Android) and it lets you set a schedule and blacklist apps during the schedule
Is there something similar for iOS?
There is a paid app called freedom. I think the website is freedom.to. It works great.
Excellent, thanks for the suggestion, downloading this right now to prepare for the upcoming business week
Once your brain gets a hit of dopamine it wants more.
You can literally get addicted to anything dopamine-inducing. Worst part is, if you indulge in vices then you want to indulge in more and more.
It just fucking snowballs.
This comment inspired me a lot. Today is gonna be the first day of my week without social media, youtube, music, or anything else that triggers cheap dopamine releases. Also going to force myself to maintain a normal sleep schedule which is very hard for me to do. The exception is gonna be that if I’m with plates or working I’ll allow them (for example, I’ll let myself listen to music while I’m at the gym or working or I’ll let myself smoke if I’m with plates). If anyone’s interested I’ll give daily updates (hopefully someone is interested because this would affect my motivation to go through with this a lot)
Joining you mate, in the last few weeks since the weather's picked up I've slacked off on the productivity and need a reset, no music until Friday night and no social media either. Let's get it
Down to hear how your week's going, keep me posted
So a day after I posted that some personal stuff happened which ended up affecting my motivation a lot and I ended up quitting only social media which wasn’t really even too big of a problem for me in the first place. I actually quit habitual nicotine and went my first whole day without smoking weed for the first time in months (gotta start somewhere I guess lmao). I resolved most of those personal issues though so I’m gonna be starting this today. Music is pretty much the only thing I don’t think I’m gonna be able to quit so I came up with a system I’m gonna follow for the next five days;
I’ll have a to-do list on my phone I’m constantly updating. I’ll set realistic/reasonable ‘rewards’ (letting myself listen to a certain amount of music) for each thing I have to do. For example, I work freelance online as a video editor + graphic designer so if I spend x amount of time editing a video I’ll allow myself 1/2 of x amount of time to listen to music.
On day five aka the final day I’m going to be trying LSD. The past three years have been a very strange part of my life filled with a lot of change (dropped out of school due to severe existential depression + anxiety, went almost two years with literally zero face to face social interaction with anyone other than my family because I didn’t have friends. back in school now, making decent money for my age, been going to the gym + meditating daily and have had decent success with girls but nothing too crazy. still lots of room for improvement) and all of that change really has heightened within the past ten months. Been looking for clarity/answers and after having done my research I think trying LSD will make a positive impact on my life. Another benefit of this break will be that it can sorta ‘cleanse’ my mind to preface the experience
I’ll write about what happens in the next five days and then I’ll hit you up and tell you how each day went. Hoping to keep this system going even after the five days and then try to go another week quitting dopamine releases 100%. Really happy I came up with this idea, gonna head to the gym now to put it into action. So how’d your week go then man?
Huge strides, props mate. I remember when I first started smoking weed it seems like you have it under control and your motivation is fine and then one day you realise hitting 3-4 bowls a day does jack squat and you've been living an empty life. Within 1 week of quitting it last year my "old self" already felt 90% back and by a month was 100% back.
Quit nicotine in February but I find myself smoking casually/socially here and there and I know it's not ideal but I do want to give it up 100%. "if she smokes, she pokes" is a lot truer than it might seem at first glance and an easy way to strike up convo with a girl.
You're in a good place to take LSD right now in my opinion. When I first took it it shattered my view of the world, made me realise lot's of concepts were empty and fake (it's what put me on the meditative path), religion/society/money etc, or at least fake in the sense that I blindly bought into them because that's all I ever knew/was told. It shattered notions I had about the world being a caring friendly place and the next 6ish months of my life were a living hell...
I took some a year after the meltdown and had the most rewarding experience of my life, I was on a self-improvement phase at the time and so was constantly seeking a way to be better, to learn more, to do more, to be more social, etc and abided by a strict set of rules I tried out for myself. The trip was incredible and it felt like it fully internalized all of those notions and concepts.
I took some last weekend and was faced head on with the notion that perhaps the Redpill is just a massive bandage we've all decided to put on over past emotional burden/turmoil/baggage regarding girls or "popular/jock" kids in HS, aka """alphas"""...I'm happy to say after spending a large portion of the trip pondering and thinking about redpill and male/female dynamics and social dynamics in general it hit me. Other times on acid I've felt very animalistic and raw and powerful, and so yeah, to be in the top10-20% of society we can't play nice, can't always act like "civilized" disciplined robots programmed by society, let the beast out and life will go your way. Men will respect you and follow you and listen to you and some will want to be you, while women will lust over you and feel secure around you. But that's for you to all figure out on your own, good vibes your way let me know how it goes when you've done it.
The past week was pretty medicore. Tripped Sunday and got little sleep so spent all of Monday mentally zonked and napping. Tuesday came around and I had a super productive day. Learnt a lot of Python, wrote some articles regarding human individualism and political themes on my blog, interviewed some people for my task at work. Wednesday was a bit of a clusterfuck and only got my producivity act together by mid day. Thursday was great, very on task and then went out with a guy and girl I met earlier in the month afterwards and I think she was throwing me some IOI's and shittests which in the moment I thought I handled well but then when I got home realised there were 2-3 'hidden' shit tests that I bombed pretty hard as I didn't even realise they were shit tests (live and learn). Yesterday was very productive again and I've started reading a 1100pg textbook on Neuroscience which is really helping make sense of a lot of missing blanks I had about human life and about how our bodies operate. I knew a lot about every system except this one which is basically at the middle of it all and understanding it on a biochemical level is already making me see the world from a different POV (Mark Bear et al. - Neuroscience 4th Edition; in case you ever fancy a glance).
Such as yourself music is me and I am music and I really struggle with going a full day without listening when I lift or run/sprint (which one or the other happens to be everyday). Took the weekend off to go visit home and spend the weekend with family and so at least these 2 days I won't listen to music at all and then the no social media thing is huge and I'm in that point right now where I don't understand why I ever started using it in the first place and am very close to deleting instagram. Girls seem hotter in person, they seem less "bitchy"/pretenious and seem more innocent/friendly, staying off messenger and text also makes it more likely for me to go talk to a random in person to satisfy that social itch inside all of us.
6/10 week I'd give it tbh, not bad by any means but I've had 10/10 and 11/10 weeks in the past and this was not one of them lmao.
Yeah man I’ll definitely keep you posted and let you know how my week + the trip went, so far i’ve had a couple urges to smoke weed today and some urges to check social media as well (had to redownload Instagram to check my dms from someone who owed me money and having to open the app but not being able to look through it triggered it) but I just sucked it up and told myself going through with this plan is gonna be worth it. Anyway I’ll let you know what happens bro
Have you ever used Adderall. It hijacks your reward system release more dopamine than naturally possible.
I went through a summer of using it every other day then had terrible withdrawals after taking it a week straight at a pharmaceutical/therapeutic dose. Didn't touch it again for 2 years and the last month have been taking it once a week as a "boost" to work/learn things for myself and never as a crutch and not to socialize, I'm actually worse socially on it.
Therefore yes I've taken it and know the high extremely well. It's weird though, 30mg has be absolutely twacked and acting like what I imagine people on meth are like and 10mg is my sweet spot. I have friends in my field who'll take 30mg and say they barely feel different. Biochemistry is interesting to say the least
You should just go with Modafinil. I don’t want to turn this into nootropics subreddit lol.
Yeah I've used Moda, it's more of a wakefulness promoter than a focus agent, they're not the same at all in my experience
Mods is still better lol. You can use it everyday.
what benefits does it actually give you at say 10mg? I believe I have add/adhd and in a nutshell what would be perfect is a med that can let me focus my thoughts and be productive. I don't need energy, I don't want to be hyperactive or like I'm on a caffeine high cause, I just can't focus my energy if that makes sense.
I also have ADD and have been taking Dexedrine for about 6 months. I usually take 20mg spread throughout the day. Adderall isn't sold in my country. I no longer get a high but I am still definitely more productive in my day to day life. Even a small dose makes a difference in my experience.
For me a day without rilatine is no shame. BUT when i choose to take it, i get work done without feeling guitly i could have had easy dopamine fixes. ADD here.
Better focus, more HD/vivid vision, music sounds amazing which is the achilles heel because if I start listening to music on it I can't stop.
More coherent trains of thought that go really deep and are very detailed, better at staying on task and coming up with ideas.
Never take it every day, if you take it once a week you can probably apply the principles you experienced under it into sober use, but if you start using it everyday your brain will never be the same if you come off of it.
I also make sure to eat a lot on it as uncomfortable as that can be, drink lot's of water, take Vitamin C and other multis towards the end of the day as well as Magnesium. If I then sleep enough I feel 100% normal the next day but if I don't sleep enough or take too much and don't really use it for productive purposes and the day turns into a dopamine fiending frenzy then the next 1-2 days are terrible.
Basically, make sure you're in a productive state of being when you first come up on it as in swallow it, get to work, so that when it hits you'll already be doing something that provides value to your life and you'll continue doing it, vs if you're in a group chat or listening to music or reading reddit good fucking night, breaking out from that will be impossible
People without add/adhd get dopamine from it (i believe so). Rilatine keeps me away from dopamine traps and makes me do shit i was to lazy for otherwise. 10mg here.
rilatine? mind talking about that one?
Is this actually a real thing that can fuck people if they don't get meds for it? I have put it off in the hope that I could do better. The ideas and plans in my mind are real but I struggle to productively get things done.
Yeah that applies to a lot of drugs, I’ve never used adderall but I was considering trying it a couple months ago to help with productivity but I don’t really think it’s worth it anymore because of how bad it is for you
I love how the general consensus is this thread is to help each other do the best we can. Keep up the good work team, awesome post.
Yep, the red pill should always have that frame of mind. It’s an excellent source of info for really any man, but especially the men that need some direction from other men like they used to do before it was labelled sexist and banned forever
The obvious one for me, was anytime I wanted to wank over some nude teens getting railed or own noobs badly on whatever game... I had to go gym. Already did weights in the morning? Then go for a 1 hour run listening to Eminem instead.
Don’t feel like gymming, go down and buy the ingredients for the ultimate clean chicken salad.
Worked well for years... and got me light years ahead. Lost the routine a lot when my son was born recently however
I'm about a month and a half into my RP journey, and this has been basically my mantra since I started. Earlier my mom said to me "Son you're working too hard, you need to relax." and my dad unfortunately agreeing. Shit has me pretty angry, with parents (specifically fathers) telling a 23 year old that they're working too hard. That's what our society has come to though.
Is your dad saying your job? Or just life. I work in government and have no reason to over do it. I put my extra energy into body building
Canada?
Doing a coop term in a gov dept this summer and lmfao it's fucking jokes. I spent 30mins a day TOPS working on my projects for my boss and the rest reading PDFs, learning Python, talking to coworkers and even meditating at my fucking desk, and for the past 3 months every week he commends me for my "excellent work" and to "keep up how you've been doing, expectations continue to be beat" ergo: work smart not hard; at least in government, in the private sector which I miss you have to do both to stand a chance among your colleagues but in government the amount of waste I see is hilarious.
Goverment jobs all around the world are like that
I’m close to 30. Being handsome and charismatic matters more to promotion than actual skill in government (Georgia). I’ve seen soft spoken betas passed over for face guys who can spin it.
No shit, homie. In my country u only get in trough family bonds/relations. Nothing else can help you.
Got to boost those employment figures to secure the next election ;)
Life in general, and it's my mom saying it, my dad just agreeing with the classic "right honey?" - mom, "yeah" - dad.
You do not know everything at 23 years old. Maybe your parents are warning you for a burnout and not something anti red pill.
That goes for drugs too, EVERYTHING in moderation and really ideal moderation is less than you think about.
Not much though that can be done, onus is on you. Do you want it?
Either way don't sit on your ass that stagnation is so fucking bad for you.
This is something I realised recently.
Sometimes I suddenly crave for a dopamine boost of some kind.
For example the other day I was literally not going to sleep since it didn't seem like a 'fun' thing to do. Hence I started looking at getting a boost from something; i.e. fast food, masturbation, playing a game etc. Was literally sitting for an hour contemplating what I should do at 2am.
Dopamine must be controlled and it should flow on a moderate rate throughout the day. Instant kicks are not a good thing.
Well except for your stag do, your 21st, your 30th, 40th, 50th and maybe your 60th... oh and graduation day or if your business reaches 7 figures in revenue... oh and if it’s the last day on earth
obviously there are exceptions, but they should not be a regular occurrence. It seems like a zero-sum game; you get more now, you are getting less later. Main reason why you feel like crap for the next few days after taking LSD or such pills, huge dopamine boost in a short period of time but in reality you have used your dopamine from the next 3 days...
Yep, like the MDMA experience on a Saturday night, you meet god himself when you’re on it... you’re feeling the after glow on the Sunday...your Monday sucks:..but when you fully drop ... you drop to the darkest depths of hell by Tuesday morning... you spend the next week trying to repair your dopamine flow to feel like you again.
MDMA is an amazing experience 2-3 times in your life. Not worth it beyond that.
Used to call it The Tuesday Blues
Lol I heard the term suicide Tuesday’s
Good. But Rewiring takes 90 days or so. But even few days show some difference.
That picture made me throw up in my mouth
Yeah the point could've been made without the disgusting stock photo lol
"This topic has been posted to death, but it worth it"
You may want to ask yourself why you posted this. You just said it was done to death. What are you adding here?
Wait a second.
Oh shit.
Are you getting a little dopamine bump every time you get a magical internet point?? Are you posting on reddit to get your little dopamine hits instead of doing... I dunno...FUCKING ANYTHING ELSE??
And don't tell me you are here to because you have achieved some state of excellence in your own life and you are passing on your wisdom. It is clear that this is a self help motivational speech from someone who spent YESTERDAY beating off and playing video games. Not only is this post repetitive and obvious, it is fucking lazy. "Want to show how science proved what I said, but just trust me."
Uh, OK.
I suffer from dopamine down regulation, the fuck do I do about that? There are no drugs or therapy to fix this. Eating sucks, sex is meh, drugs are no fun. Lol
Now I live life in manual mode with the only incentive to do anything being that I know I'll feel worse if I don't. - chronic procrastination is now my primary enemy.
Can I still play Morrowind?
Lmao I loved that you used Morrowind as an example
Games like Elder Scrolls are the absolute worst... Because they take time to do things like level up, max out crafting disciplines, etc. As opposed to ACTUALLY developing a skill IRL. They trick your brain into believing you accomplished something.
Can confirm. Wasted 550 days on runescape when I was younger.. rpg/ mmo games are the worst.. a good play and go are sports games.. usually get boring after a online match
Oh please they don't trick your brain into anything. They're pretty fucking transparent. They're a temporary break from the boredom of reality and the in game progression just helps keep the experience fresh next time you need a breather.
If your reality is "boring", perhaps you should try changing so it isn't?
Yeah let me just gather the infinity stones and snap my fingers.
God I can't believe I ever subscribed to this shit. Any of the advice that seems helpful is really just "no shit Sherlock" followed by "how to make everyone hate you".
That's not the point... if you're unsatisfied with your life, only you can change that.
You could come home every day from your 9-5 and escape through your virtual world... OR you could read some books, start your own business, learn a new hobby, get a PASSION... actually make a difference in how you live your life vs trying to escape from it.
Of course this is all a matter of perspective. Maybe you're 100% content with your life and playing video games and that's great. But for myself (and probably most on this sub) there's a world out there that's far more enriching if only you make it happen.
At your own risk. But before you do, remember the caveman, he might be your great grandpa
you can do what you want. stop listening to the generalizing bs in this thread lol. all of my friends in med school play video games, study a lot, and go out semi regularly. and they’re happy. do what makes you happy while also being successful. this thread is retarded imo.
"I have a different experience than all of you guys, so therefore you're wrong and this must be 'bs' and 'retarded.'"
Hopefully, by the time you graduate med school, you'll have learned to stop projecting your own reality onto others and to listen to what they're saying. That's especially important in medicine.
By the way, what do you call the absolute dumbest guy in the graduating class at a medical school? "Doctor."
This speaks volume.
Honor your ancestors, earn your dopamine.
Great post, OP is truly unplugged!
Very solid post. Was just reading up on supranormal stimuli. Kind of related.
I really need to break from consuming so much media. It does eat away at my life.
Reminds me of this: https://youtu.be/3K6n-QFm7Pc?t=9s
Is your first language English? Because god damn you need to predicate your sentences
I used to believe dopamine was this simple but apparently it is far mor complex & the even though it may be dopamine, depending on the receptors depends on what it is used for.
As an example dopamine rewards the brain equally for a win as it does for a near miss which is why gambling and extreme sports are popular I suppose.
Yea except that this isnt how dopaminergic structures in our brain work. You are right in what you said regarding not wasting time etc, but tying this to dopamine is incorrect.
This. Well said.
Our brain doesn’t give a fuck if in the long run a certain habit has detrimental effects on us, all it wants is to feel “better” with a quick fix of dopamine. Fuck that.
Also STOP WATCHING PORN FOR FUCKS SAKE. You can’t improve if you’re watching another man fuck the girl that you want. It’s as simple as that. Sex is natural, porn is artificial.
Yeah music isn't going anywhere, I wouldn't lift weights if good heavy music didn't exist. Ever tried to workout without headphones and music, very painful and agonizing. Music makes lifting, reading, studying, working, driving, etc easier and isn't going anywhere.
you have no clue whatsoever
Let's not start a dick swinging contest. I lift more than you, end of story, but continue to provide useless negative feedback.
this is just plain wrong and contradicts every scientific research. music is disturbing you when you learn or do any task which needs focus. Multitasking is bullshit. Also by the way you wrote it, professional Athletes would be listen to music while competing because it makes it easier , which is just stupid. you are just a insecure guy who cant cope with silence.
I just want to know how you including tha banner image of a fatty making love to pizza.
As somebody who enjoys using drugs sometimes I can still agree. Getting rewarded by things that actually require effort is far better if only because it builds confidence and personal rapport.
Taking meth sure does release a lot more dopamine than building a chicken coop or whatever but you feel pathetic afterward. Getting shit done makes you feel good on the long term because looking back at your work causes recurring accomplishment. Taking drugs or eating junkfood will always make you feel shitty in the long run and there are a lot of reasons for that.
Whenever I struggle with depression due to being denied whatever modern comforts I enjoy, I try to remember that people have enjoyed life for thousands of years before the invention of powerful drugs, media and foods that hit the spot.
I love drugs but personally life would be miserable without bikes and music and other passions. No matter what your lifestyle is like, achieving a healthy balance is good. If thats not cliche enough. Lol
You could post this at NoFap and stopsmoking as well and it would still be upvoted. Glad you figured it out.
“To attain liberation, one must be completely purified of perverted forms of desire. A living being cannot snuff out desires, and to practice artificially erasing the actions of desire is more dangerous than the active desires themselves. All desires should be reformed and directed toward spiritual-“ (productive) “-activities; otherwise those same desires will repeatedly manifest themselves in different varieties of material enjoyment, thus conditioning the living being perpetually in material bondage.”
For anyone who want to have that high rush... Keeping a notebook and checking off or writing things you do (better self improvement things) down... Does give you a small high...
It's the same as getting a small Xp in games!! Try it
does it also work when i delete the task on my todo App?
Can I still use tinder or is that off the table?
You did not understand the article. How do you think any stranger can give you an answer to that unspecific question?
If your tinder-usage gives you unearned dopamine-shots: No. If you jerk off to a stream of profile pictures: No.
For those who are still struggling with creating and maintaining good habits, I recommend this post from Barking Up the Wrong Tree and all of the book recommendations on the post.
Heavy metal is oxygen. It has done more for my life than any female ever has.
I like this post - I'd love an even more indepth guide to resetting the dopamine system after (as is in my case) 2 decades of dopamine gluttony & an adult ADHD diagnosis.
Eh, I think you're being way too black and white about this. A lot of the most productive and creative people in our society indulge themselves with "easy dopamine", it's just that they don't spend all day doing it.
Good point, but it's only when you experience the real change and can live without EDs at all, only then they can't impact your life because you don't need or depend on them anymore.
Those who became successful and productive already don't dwell on EDs, yes they may do some occasional ED, but as enjoyment not dependence .. A day/week without EDs? They do just fine.
Others can't pass a day (or even a waking hour) without EDs. It's more than just enjoyment for them. These who I'm talking about in post (guys who are yet to be successful). And Yes, it's only the black or white solution that works for them in order to experience the real difference. No gradual change or grey. Don't buy into the gradual change shit. That's a big life lie I may make another post about.
No grey for them. Grey means black to them.
Well everyone is different. For me, I don't need to abstain from those pleasures to become disciplined or make progress. I think some of the people on the forum fall into this category and that gradual change is a very reasonable thing for them.
However, I understand what you're saying. There are some people who are very all or nothing and might need to give these things up, at least for a time.
Great post, poingant. Gets me excited for a meditative brain detoxing. There is so much more below the infinite surface level distractions.
Don't you think the cavemen were jacking it or using fembots to get a rush daily? Some of this seems a bit redundant
How about coffee? Red pill be on caffeine, TRP
Well I guess if you can see all the progress in one place in a app... I might work the same way...
But I prefer paper... Makes it more tangible
Why Boys Are Failing - TEDx Talk by Philip Zimbardo
I recommend everyone watch the above video. I'm going NoFap, no vidya, and no fast food for 90 days. I like where I'm at in life, but I can always do better.
One thing I've noticed is how much more time I have. I now get bored instead of feeling rushed all the time, which is honestly a relief. Only been at it several days, but I feel a lot calmer and happier.
You're right about the to do part and i love the suggestions but there is something as a psych student i want to sort out here:
Dopamine isn't your brains reward system it is the promise of a reward.
This means no matter how much dopamine you get you will not feel satisfied but you will be convinced the next dose of dopamine will be satisfying.
Examples; video games, bags of malteasers and television.
The way of working around dopamine is to recognise the "want" e.g. "i want to play video games".
Then choosing your action knowing that: I want to play video games but i will choose to go for a walk instead
This serves to keep you more in tune with your emotional state allowing you to stay alpha through recognising when you are "tilted" and choosing your actions despite your emotions.
Happy hunting!
Reference: The Willpower Instinct by Dr Kelly Mcgonigal
you're actually talking about self-directedness, it's a character trait
modern science doesn't have a clue on how to raise it in healthy individuals without stuffing them with amphetamines
forcing yourself to read a book sure works for a few hours, but there is absolutely no evidence of healthy individuals going from lethargic to CEO with conscious willpower
Thank you for this post, brother
This is the truth and quite a well-timed post. I planned on quitting cigarettes and full nofap tomorrow. 2 cigarettes left in this pack and it's over.
Don’t smoke those two cigarettes. With your current mindset you’re already going to fail. Break them and flush them.
Break them, drop them in the toilet, take a photo of the evidence, post it here and say out loud. “I’m not a slave to a fucken ciggie corporation”, then flush that toilet and never stoop to the beta, pussy whipped low of paying money to poison your only body you will ever have
NoFap should just be no porn. If you wake up with a boner, jerk it or if you have one while you’re thinking about some women, jerk it. Getting casual sex for nothing more than a masculinity validation and sexual release ain’t worth it.
Did you quit cigarettes?
I disagree. Enjoy those last 2 cigarettes knowing they will be your last two for the rest of your life. After that, just never think about cigarettes ever again.
Poison yourself one last time a little more... increase your chances of lung cancer just a little higher... OR go achieve runners high doing cardio, opening your blood vessels and increasing your quality of life sooner rather than later
better say "this is the last time I indulge" than "I stop right now"
This is why nofap is so good for your health. Especially mental health. You become desensitized to everything in modern society. Extremely hot girls (think perfect 10/10) with amazing bodies are a single click away.
Train the self to not rely on that garbage and your life will be so much better.
that "role model" pic was hilarious
a lazy, takes-got-handouts, democrat party voter if i ever saw one
:)
I might make a post regarding pill implementation of masturbation. I have a feeling like most other things in life, people are simply doing it wrong.
What's your idea on it? Mine is that you don't watch porn, masturbate maybe once every 20 days or so just to clean out the tank, and not at all if you're getting laid.
20 days is quite a bit. I feel lathargic when masturbating too often, but envigorated if I do it once or twice a week, separatedat least 3 days apart. Everyone's different though.
I would argue against the notion presented here that knowing that something is bad for you in detail would in a significant way help you to overcome the impulse for you to act on it. For example majority of us are aware that binging on fast food is bad or that fapping to porn is unhealthy and counter productive. But most of the men are still stuck in the same non-productive routines. Knowing the extra bit about the loop created by the pleasure seeking reward system does not help you.
What would help you is knowing about the ways in which you could be a better, smarter and a more complete person. A person who is in sync with his desires. For that you actually need to figure out what they are. As has been repeatedly advised on this sub go and join a gym. But more important for breaking out of unhealthy mental addictions is doing meditation. It actually makes you feel more alive. It takes time and builds up slowly. But the awareness you get back after forming that habit is priceless.
It makes you realise that more important than reading about your addictions is the fact that realising you are the kind of person who needs those addictions. You actively crave them. Out of the thousand worthwhile things that you can achieve but you are still thinking about having that meal from mcdonalds or smoking that cigarette or making elaborate fantasies about fucking that hot chick in porn. You are that person.
As soon as you realise this you have taken the first step. A step towards becoming a better person. A person who has desires which are in sync with his true psyche. This person works hard to achieve those desires. No matter how bad the chances of achieving that objective. This person does it because he values himself.
Become that person instead of trying to torture and shame a lesser person(the person you were before) into rejecting his stupid desires.
do people without addictions exist?
I dont think that there exists a straight and definitive answer for this question. If you would ask my subjective opinion then I will say no. We all have our addictions. Some we keep in control and they get categorised under goals and achievements. Some which we let decide our direction of life and these get categorised under addiction with a negative connotation.
A better question will be are there any addictions which are not crippling? The answer to that is a definitive yes.
To help a different mentality, sometimes those of us who are naturally Type A need to think about when we need to relegate something out of the dopamine category.
Want a salad? A Type A will buy a hoe, plow the land, seed and cultivate lettuce, invent a new type of salad spinner, and then gets too busy making a complete salad dressing from scratch that 7 years of lettuce are wasted waiting on olives to grow and be pressed for oil.
So, in those cases, you don't need dopamine from everything, just hang up the pride and buy a salad at the grocery store and call it a day.
Lol what
Nobody tries to reinvent salad for an easy dopamine rush.
If you think you really have the desire to build a salad totally from scratch do it.
Keto diet. Lost 70 lbs in one year. Get dopamine every day with steak, bacon and eggs while losing weight
Keto was my inspiration for my comment. I guess other people just hate salad or something. Throw some lettuce, spinach, steak, and avocado in a big bowl and I'm happy.
One important thing I learned from here was about motivation and discipline. Motivation is fleeting but discipline is eternal. We all know what motivation is, but discipline is doing something even though you don't have the motivation for it.
That's what helped me to start going to the gym and lifting weights. I told myself that if I kept doing this week after week, even though these squats are so hard on my body, and even though I'm not seeing any physical changes, I'd eventually see some results (and I did).
2 days ago I was talking to my cousins and friends about girls. My cousin is a natural born alpha and even though he never reads red pill he does show qualities I read here. And I know that the other cousin and 2 friends watch alot of porn so I mentioned that atleast they reduce the amount, while the other cousin agreed and told him they burn your brain and reduce the confindence and things like that. He got pissed of and immediately left, while the others told us we were right. Constant dopamine left me dead for years. I do relapse but I do notice the difference when I am clean.
Video games as easy dopamine? Have you ever try finishing a Dark Souls game? Nothing easy about those fuckers x)