Mantras

A mantra is a statement of condensed wisdom, usually intended as a meditation aid. One chooses a mantra, and keeps it in the forefront of their consciousness during a meditation session.

The intention is that you think deeply on the mantra, and reinforce its deeper meaning on a conscious level.

I prefer a more flexible definition. One without the need for meditation as such. Meditation has value in a world of noise. We value well thought out prose that has impactful application in real life, and brevity is no sin in that regard.

Mantras can provide impactful points of thought that we can return to and remember in challenging times, not just meditation sessions. A statement short in length, but long in impact. Not obnoxious optimism. Condensed realism.

What mantras can we form around a positive masculine life? Here are some that I have used and taken from my readings around the manosphere, each with a summary of its deeper meaning.

Ego is the enemy.

The need to prove ourselves right, to protect our image, can damage our true goals. Learn to put your ego aside, and seek true, unbiased, objective feedback on your projects. Learn to identify when you feel the instinct to protect your ego. This is one strength that most people lack, and training it will separate you from the masses.

The obstacle is the way.

The only certainty is uncertainty. You cannot cling to ideas just because they're safe and feel good. The only way to live a fulfilling life is to constantly find new challenges. You learn the most, and grow the most as a man, when you are challenged to your limit by a difficult project. Make a habit of challenging your most deeply-held beliefs. Take comfort in the strength you gain from your challenges.

Challenge builds confidence. Ever hear guys in the army talk about how it ‘builds character’? Ever tried boot camp? Ever been torn down to nothing? Then you’ll know what I’m talking about. That is the foundation stone of masculinity.

All women are like that.

AWALT. No matter how perfect she seems, she will branch swing. She will dump you the second you make her feel unhappy. She will love you in the only way that a woman can: opportunistically. You are worthy of love, but so is everyone else. Separate yourself from the masses in a world of soft millennials and you will earn a lifetime of women's love.

The bull moose doesn't need pickup advice.

The alpha male animal doesn't need any 12-DVD set on cocky humour. He just is, and females flocks to him. Human females are happier and feel safer when you show your masculinity. You have value and are worthy of love. You, however, can and should make yourself more worthy of love through self-improvement that is focussed on your own improvement. Women are not in anyway the goal, and they don't want to be. A woman will not trust or feel safe around a man who prioritises her over his mission.

You will put down the pickup book. You will delete every PDF you ever downloaded on talking to girls. You will prioritise your time on challenges that bring you to your flow state, not the fleeting attention of a woman. Counter-intuitively, this will earn you more female attention.

Be comfortable with discomfort.

Leave your mother's womb, and strike out on your own. Deliberately seek out hardship. You produce your best work when you have no choice but to. Take cold showers to toughen up your body and your mind. Leave your comfort zone whenever you get the chance. This boils down to sharpen your masculine edge.

Fortune is a short line of credit.

All fortune is a welcome gift that must not be in any way expected, and must be repaid with due effort. In any project you should plan for the worst. Plans are nothing, planning is everything. Gladly accept fortune, but form your plans with the assumption of its lack, not its abundance.

Read the sidebar.

No matter how advanced or experienced your ego may trick you into thinking you are, you must return to the basics and perfect your understanding of them. Perfect the fundamentals. The best martial artists spend one month every year focussed entirely on the most basic punches, kicks, and throws. Amateurs try to look fancy, professionals master the basics. Apply the same principle to your projects.

Seize the day.

Your time on this earth is the greatest gift you will ever receive. You will die. You may as well enjoy your limited time here, and make the most out of every moment. Seize your legacy and write your name into the history books. But hey, it doesn't matter right? You've didn't exist for billions of years before you were born, did it bother you? Take the same attitude towards death.

Your reality is the only reality.

This is a paraphrase of ‘hold your frame’ that I find a bit more understandable.

A bunch of young men at work are joking. The boss interrupts this and reminds them to get back to work. The boss’ frame is the reality in which the men accept to exist in. This is the best way I understand frame.

That which is female, cannot understand honour.

...and that which understands honour, is male.

A person who is female, cannot understand honour. Honour is a manly virtue. A man will gladly lay down his life for his comrades. What will you lay down your life for? A woman will never understand such self-sacrifice, for her entire nature is centred around prioritisation of the self.

It is a precise statement of the female nature, that a woman will earnestly write a three-thousand word essay on honour, yet never truly experience its nature.

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These are mantras that I try to think on regularly, bringing me out of an ego-fuelled state of anger into one of stoic acceptance. If you have any others that you find useful, I would like to know them, so share them with a comment below.