I approach nootropics with the attitude of “use them to bolster what is already there.”
“Don’t use them if you don’t have to” is a guideline I follow.
You might be thinking, “But this is a blog about nootropics.”
I’d holla back, “Yeah, primarily. But it’s deeper than that. Look closer. Barring modafinil, How much of an edge are the current nootropics on the market REALLY giving to the people who are financial, physically, and mentally surpassing their goals? Is it the nootropics or is it primarily their habits?”
See…
I’m old school (Pre Andre 3000, think Zapp & Roger or Howlin’ Wolf. Although I can’t deny 3 stacks being one of the greatest MCs ever). I grew up with a strong internally-focused drive and learned to try my best before using using anything external. Thus, I believe in increasing my mental abilities and willpower through primarily effort and practice. To me, in the right context, there is beauty in the struggle for greatness. Mental enhancement is no different.
I mean think about it.
Why not be patient, train to max out your brain power…THEN attack with some noot juice to the brain when necessary?
I’m not constantly on the shit. More like a patient wolf when the pressure is on and the hunger strikes, and then…
I’m maxin’ that relaxin’ gorilla style until that time returns. That’s how I take my noots. I blast some then chill out like Ishmael until I need to re-up.
Every now and then if the pressure is insane I take nootropics for as long as I need, and then chill out like I just mentioned.
A Glimpse into Mastering the Counterintuitive
What if the hard way is the easy way in the context of “the long run?”
Like Wall Street Playboys say, do the opposite. It’s a theme you’ll notice underlying their writing. Due to following their own advice, they are very successful and observant (i.e. worth paying attention to, especially if you value growing as a man). I’d written most of this post in 2014, but wasn’t going to publish it, so thanks to WSP for writing the “Do the Opposite” article.
Why is doing the opposite so powerful?
[1] It removes you from doing things just because everyone else is.
[2] It makes you challenge the subtle assumption(s) you’ve been basing your actions on: everyone else is doing it because it works. But does it work? How well? Is there a more effective or more efficient way?
[3] It forces you into a state of courage and resourcefulness
[4] It primes you to think for yourself
The fruits of doing the 4 things above
- By applying #1, numbers 2-4 come more naturally
- #2? You pay closer attention to your habits and if they are serving you. As a corollary, you begin to analyze their effort to reward ratio
- #3? Courage and resourcefulness are damn near required for doing and being successful in many areas of life
- #4: Here lies the foundation of mastery, strength, and power. You see the spectacle for what it is.[PDF]
Instead of wasting time chasing the easy way…why not go through the pain of the mental battle? I notice when I constantly avoid the pain it limits growth and mastery. Why not run toward the (right type of) pain? I rely on external substances only when I truly need them, not using them as a crutch to delay handling my demons and running from pain.
It’s satisfying to feel accomplishment solely from just your own hard work ans internal power and pushing through the limits. Not that it means anymore than someone who snorts a wheelbarrow full of cocaine and accomplishes the same thing as me. I just orient myself toward being more and more self-reliant. After all, becoming antifragile is about exposing yourself to right stress and the right pain. You become stronger from it.
Constantly avoiding pain is, in a sense, avoiding strength and the ability to thrive.
The hardest lesson I learned last year: Strong belief in oneself is essential, the pills and powders are only a sidekick for those who hunger for greatness. I spend more time doing mental weight lifting like studying cognitive biases, reading difficult material, and image streaming than popping nootros.
It’s not a “normal” thing to do, but normal isn’t my goal or my path.
Do what you’ve always done…get what you’ve always got, right? Do ordinary actions, be ordinary. Focus on being extraordinary, do extraordinary work and actions, become extraordinary.
Where you place your focus within the 24 hours we are given daily, determines where you end up.
So I choose to focus my 24 hours on arete, freedom, strength, power and antifragility by…
Mastering the counterintuitive
Where do you place your focus daily?
