I see a lot of whining on this sub. Some of this whining is based in some truths. Yes, modern Western "culture" is toxic for men. Yes, the legal system is stacked against men. I could go on.

But, that's not the point.

The point is that no one gives a shit about your particular lamentable situation, or mine. More importantly, and I cannot stress this enough, unless you have maximized your potential, every second you spend whining is a second wasted.

Now, you might say to me: "But, but Dark-Ulfberht, I have been gifted with neither looks, nor wealth, nor height, nor great intellect!" And, because of that you will look to those who outstrip you in these areas and you will return to whining.

That is the behavior of the weak. More relevant, this mindset will allow you to sell yourself short.

You see, natural gifts only provide a range of potential qualities. That is, a man with an average IQ may simply not have the capacity to write a dissertation on Physics. But, he damn sure has enough capacity to balance a checkbook and build wealth, even considerable wealth. A 5'7" guy with no particular athletic talent likely won't make it in the NBA; but, he may well become quite capable at regional and even national level powerlifting or racing competitions.

A person of exceptional talent who realizes his full potential will, of course, outperform one of modest talent who does the same. But, such individuals are exceedingly rare. In fact, and this is the most important part of my post, very few people ever reach their full potential, or even get close. Moreover, a man of modest talent who has maximized his potential will crush one of greater natural capacity but who has not put that capacity to use.

What then is it that separates those few men who maximize their potential from others? The answer is something that our weak and feminized society has shunned for decades: discipline. The word itself has even been given a negative connotation. But, discipline is the key.

What is discipline? I define it this way: it is the act of bypassing those things which gives one immediate gratification in order to invest in something that gives one more gratification in the future. The Romans revered it, as did the Spartans before them and the Mongols after. The Samurai sought discipline in all things; even the most mundane of tasks deserved attention to detail. Every action was worthy of disciplined execution. Compare that to our culture of half-assed action and delayed gratification.

Discipline is what separates the weak from the strong. It's really that simple.

In that vein, I'll tell a quick story. The story is of two brothers. One was attractive, athletic, and had a genius level intellect. The other was an average looking boy with mediocre athletic skills; he was very sharp, but not as gifted as his brother.

I recently saw both brothers, now in their 60s, at a family event. The former brother still lives in 1970. His stories haven't changed; he lives in high school. The latter brother just retired as an executive from a Fortune 500 company. His life is filled with decades of stories of women and adventure.

Discipline defeats talent. And, discipline has an interesting trait: it is transferable. Discipline allows you to get up and train, even in the cold and after a 12 hour shift. It allows you to forgo that new gadget or bauble and instead maintain your savings plan. The same discipline allows you to put down the phone when all you want is to text her just one more time.

Remember this the next time you complain about your athleticism, or your height, or the color of your skin, or your current status in the social hierarchy. Ask yourself, before you place fault on external circumstances, whether you are the ultimate version of yourself. Ask yourself what you have done lately to grind out your goals.

If you can honestly say that you are maximizing your potential, then, and only then, can you whine. But, in all likelihood, if you are the ultimate version of yourself, you won't have time to whine--you'll be too busy leading a life worth remembering.