Our self-improvement is one to benefit us. Since the connotation of the phrase "self-improvement" is so commonly accepted as the feminine-primary version, I hesitate to use the term at all, lest it be mistaken for "self-improvement-for-women." We are here to learn the truth. How we act on this information is up to the individual, and how it improves them is not for the benefit of society, women, or others. Rather, it is for the benefit of themselves in the most selfish and greedy of ways.

I think a better way to put it, is that we're here for "improvement for self." Though a key element here is improving one's options in life through exercise and learning skills (which seem merely like self improvement), our end goal is not to serve somebody else's imperative, but to increase our position in life to satisfy our own imperatives. That others' imperatives may be served along the way is incidental.

This is one meme in our society that I wanted to highlight as a tangent to /u/redpillschool’s awesome post on TRP and future “Border Erosion”.

See, it’s tough to recognize when you’re staring at life the way you’ve always seen it. Oftentimes, men are told to “improve” in ways that benefit the long-term hypergamy-centric ways of women, rather than to improve in ways that benefit the long term prospects of the men themselves. For example, when you are a tubby, balding 32 year old with a wall-slamming wife, the most “self improvement” thing you could possibly do is to change your diet, perhaps adopt Keto or some other regimen, and start hitting the gym like it was a habit. And that is not what you do; your wife tells you that you are "just fine" the way you are, and that the slow erosion of your sex life has nothing to do with your slacking body, but with "slowing libido" having to do with "aging" or "motherhood".

But if we are honest with ourselves, there is nothing more terrifying to a woman in a “secure relationship” than a man that starts practicing “self improvement”; and by “self improvement”, I mean a man improving himself only for the benefit of himself, and for the benefit of nobody else. See lifting weights, eating right, reading non-fiction literature to expand his mind, etc. She knows that she has an asset (a depreciating one, if you keep on the downslide), but an asset nonetheless; if that asset starts rising in value, then she may realize she doesn't have enough capital on hand to resist a hostile takeover (you fucking a younger/hotter chick).

The immediate social assumption of a man doing such things is akin to a man of ill-repute; a man who has designs on being unfaithful, a man with designs on eventually leaving his wife who has gained 200 pounds 4 years into marriage, and a man with a grand plan to not make the rest of his life a highlight reel for the Maury Povich show.

NOW….let’s contrast that with the social designs of a woman doing the same fucking thing.

A woman who decides to “improve herself”, i.e., lose some weight, get into shape, start hitting the gym…her motivations or underlying tones are never questioned. She’s doing it “for herself” says Cosmo and Women’s Weekly magazine. She is to be applauded. She is to be admired. What a “strong, independent” woman, they tell themselves.

Just look at the social double standards that exist for women; they are A-OK if they are fat heifers (see Tess Munster), but they are god-like icons to be admired if they can somehow manage NOT to be walking two-legged cows with attitude problems. They can go on Oprah and talk about all of the “challenges” they faced along the way (not eating a quart of ice cream), and they can go on Dr. Oz and proclaim how “strong and empowered” they are because of the fact that they lost 30 pounds and got accepted into nursing school.

THE POINT

Some of the newly-redded amongst us may not be able to see the same “double-standard” that exists between men and women in today’s society. Men, when your girlfriend wants to go to the gym to lose that Freshman 15, she’s gonna be cheered on, commented on every FB post, and told how certain she is to reach her goals. But when you attempt to do the same, she (and maybe her friends) are going to tell you how you are just a piece of shit looking for a piece of ass, and the only reason you are lifting weights is to find a hotter piece of ass than you already have.

And the proper answer is? Yes. I am trying to find a hotter piece of ass than I already have. Because there is nothing wrong with being SELFISH, being a man trying to improve HIMSELF and therefore his STATURE in the dating world. When women do it, it’s applauded. When we do it, society throws tomatoes at us for it.

Find a good stain-fighting detergent, and press on. Be Selfish.