You cannot truly be considered a man until you’re content being alone. The incredible advancement of technology in this century alone has created a world of people chasing the next dopamine high whether that be from eating junk food, addiction to social media, pornography or excessive drinking and partying. Whilst many enjoy this fast-paced lifestyle, it can lead to a problem where you’re neglecting both your physical and mental health. Take away all electronic devices from the average person and they’ll be thinking “what the fuck do I do now?”. Why read a book when you can watch a video on YouTube? Why learn a language when you can binge-watch Netflix all day? Why cook a healthy meal when I can just get a delicious cheap one delivered right to my door? The removal of these devices leaves the average person feeling empty. They’re suddenly alone with a person they have failed to put the necessary amount of time and effort to; themselves.

I first came across this realization a few years back when I started delving into stoic philosophy. Stoicism was an eye opener for me and I strongly recommend every man to delve into it a little at the very least. Too often are we consumed by the thoughts of others, what they think of us and how to impress them; but do we ever put that much time into working on ourselves? The body that you live in is the body that you will die in. It will forever remain with you until death so why neglect it? There’s a reason why the manosphere preaches heavily on lifting. With each gym session, you are putting effort into your body, making it stronger and chiselling a physique that you can be proud of. Your subconscious is always watching and when you put in the work, your self-confidence and body will thank you for it and you’re ever more equipped to deal with the next challenge in life.

Many if not all of us here have been victim to the biggest killer of a man’s sense of worth; oneitis. Catching oneitis for a girl is a heavy blow to a man as you suddenly place your time, thoughts and energy into this girl. This girl now becomes the highlight of your life and if you’re one of the unfortunate ones, your value of living is worthless without her. It shows that you are not content being alone and definitely shouldn’t be pursuing any relationship. Your happiness lies with this girl and not within yourself. Why should a single woman out of the 3.9 billion in this world have that much of an impact on you? When you’re comfortable being alone, the next woman that comes along will not affect you in a significant way regardless of the outcomes and in a sense, builds up on the abundance mentality. You are living your own life with your own goals and purpose and nothing can stop that train.

The COVID-19 Pandemic is a prime example of the lack of contentedness of being alone. Suddenly girls weren’t having their phones blow up as usual and the attention and validation died down. Being stuck in their rooms as a result of the lockdowns have left them alone in agonising boredom with no idea on what to do next. It’s no surprise that we’ve seen a major increase in suicides during this pandemic. Hell, I would be suicidal too if I didn’t have a purpose anymore. But instead, I created a new purpose during the lockdown. I started learning French, I started doing calisthenics in my room, programming, reading into philosophy and all sorts of things. The pandemic was a blessing for me; I suddenly had an abundance of time and I utilised it correctly to better myself as a person.

Now how do I unplug from this world and find peace within myself? If you really feel dissatisfied with your current position in life, monk mode is the best way to start. Unplug from social medias, you’d be surprised how much better you’d feel when you don’t have politics, celebrities and advertisements thrown at you constantly. Call people instead of messaging them. I’ve had people tell me they find it weird that I call them instead of texting but also admit they really liked the phone call. Make a habit of doing mindfulness meditation, stick to it for a month and I’ll pay you £100 if you don’t think it’s had a positive impact on your mental health at all. Keep your physical exercise in check, no excuses. Discover new hobbies; it’s a great way to meet new quality people. Once you are truly content with yourself, there is no problem in life that you can’t handle.