Summary: Monk mode is often discussed, but there is no clear guideline of when monk mode should be adopted, beyond "you suck and have no smv, fix it." I don't think this is the necessarily the case, as you can self-improve and be encouraged by your social group; the key is identifying when you're in comfortable, productive relationships versus taxing, willpower reducing ones.

Body:

Monk mode shouldn't be a response to activities you already do in isolation, like video games, masturbation or internet procrastination. It's not hard to see how isolating yourself socially may result in you to spending more time on these activities.

The sidebar post in the Glossary defining monk mode is extremely well written and logical, but IMO fails to FOCUS on the reasons for adopting this approach in the first place. I believe the approach should be adopted if you have relationships in which you find yourself biting your tongue, being careful not to offend the other person, or making compromises to maintain. In other words, nearly all bluepill relationships with women.

http://illimitablemen.com/2014/04/13/monk-mode/

Here's a list of things to accomplish in monk mode (cooking removed because frankly I think it's not a skill you need to learn unless it's your career, beyond "start oven, grease pan, put stuff in oven.").

  • Lifting/jogging/playing sport (a workout of some kind.)

  • Tidying and cleaning your room (if your ground zero is spotless it will do wonders for your mental state)

  • Learning a language (increases your skill base and opens up foreign social circles)

  • Learn from non-fiction books, they’re especially good for turning wasted commute time into productive time.

  • If you’re a student of some kind, study hard, don’t waste the opportunity, be good at your specialty and you can make money from it if you’re in the top percentile.

  • Learn a martial art/instrument.

  • Learn to be funny (great for making friends and easing social awkwardness.)

These are all activities requiring high levels of willpower, self-motivation, consistency, and in some cases, social exposure or interaction. I don't see how isolating yourself OBJECTIVELY makes any of them easier to accomplish, although in some cases (studying for example) there is an intuitive means for it doing so.

Another key aspect of monk mode is Introspection:

Introspection is to look inward, to evaluate one’s self. You’re going to be identifying your weaknesses, making yourself aware of them and then accepting them. Rather than hide, begrudgingly co-exist with or deny your weaknesses you must acknowledge them and accept them.

Frankly, while I do think it's easy to delude oneself for decades if you're not dramatically affected by the delusion, I don't think this requires much time spent isolated to accept. The hard part is owning it in public, in front of people whose opinion you care about, or at the very least, people who you're attracted to.

Willpower is the essential ingredient for improving all of these things. An academic review of willpower by the APA can be found here:

https://www.apa.org/helpcenter/willpower-limited-resource.pdf

A key paragraph that stood out to me is:

Unfortunately, depleting events are all too common. If you’ve ever willed yourself to be diplomatic with an infuriating colleague or forced a smile through your in-laws’ extended visit, you’ve probably discovered that social interactions often demand self-control. Indeed, research shows that interacting with others and maintaining relationships can deplete willpower.

Sound familiar? If you have to deal with uncompromising, sensitive, quick to lash out people, who demand you cater to their flaws, then social interaction is going to be incredibly draining. [ie, if you're around a bunch of annoying bitches, tell them to fuck off]. If you have a few bros who you know bust your balls only for amusement, and are happy to trade back and forth without ill will behind it, then it doesn't have to be.

One no-win situation I see is demonstrated in this study:

In one demonstration of that effect, Kathleen Vohs, PhD, of the University of Minnesota, and her colleagues found that people who were asked to convince a hostile audience that they were likable suffered more willpower depletion than people who were asked to act naturally before the audience.

This makes Law 38 backfire in a small way. While it's certainly worth it to avoid the social backlash, it's also draining. The solution is of course, to avoid the situation. If you're in the anger stage, and staying motivated towards self-improvement. The long term solution.. I'm hoping.. is to frame your beliefs in a socially acceptable way, and then black knight like a motherfucker, trump style.

Conclusion: Monk mode has an academic basis in the literature for its value, and we should be explicit about the conditions in which it is beneficial.

I realize TRP is not ABOUT self-improvement, but I think understanding the psychology of willpower is an essential tool for everyone, at every stage.