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Action and Intention

I came across this youtuber called "Universal Man" and his series "Man of Action", where he talks about reconfiguring your neurological circuits away from short and spiky reward habits like watching porn, eating junk food, playing video games, celebrity voyeurism, etc. to disciplines, both short and long term, to improve your overall mental health, fitness, career and so on.

One of the things I draw from this is that my internet cookies must be quite easy to read because this is not something that I would have searched for myself, but something that I find interesting at the moment. In regards of my thesis at University, which I struggle still to work on, let's just be honest, I started to test more of the topics that Russell Brand talks about in his book "Recovery", which is the main source for my thesis, out for myself.

Russell argues that we live in a society today that is almost run by addiction. Sociel media, food, pornography, drugs - everything is a temptation nowadays and almost anything will have a negative effect on you as a person and your psyche, if you consume it vicarously and without restriction.
Restriction is something that I have touched upon recently as well, basically saying that I am one of the most disciplined people that I know who also gets very little done. Furthermore, I tend do overrestrict and then go crazy every once in a while. To put it simply: I am disciplined in a lot of ways, but not in the one's that I should be, so my priorities aren't set straight at the moment.

Somehow all of these topics are included in the "Man of Action" and the idea of short term and long term discplines and their counterparts.

I have quit watching porn, much like I have stopped consuming alcohol in October. The former because of addiction behavior and the latter for the same reason, but not with the intention to never drink again, but to not consume until I have finished my thesis. I have consumed alcohol on one weekend in the meantime, but not by myself, but since I preach honesty I also have to practice honesty. So, technically I have relapsed. With the pornograhpy it was different, because there is much more temptation in terms of how my brain (my neurological circuits) has been configured over the past 15 years, but I have had less problems with the temptation.

Have I noticed some positive effects? I would say so, yes. Some I may imagine, since what is the point of anything, if you are not hopeful, but since I did not start or rather restrict myself with a goal in mind other than observation, I can take any side effects, positive or negative, just as they come.

What I draw from all of this also, is that I need to work on my thesis and start establishing more positive, long term disciplines in the future. Since I have already restricted myself from pornography and alcohol at the same time, according to "Universal Man" that is more than enough in the beginning of a "Detox Block". All of that doesn't mean that not drinking alcohol or jerking off adds up to the work I should be doing also. That's what I struggle with right now, I guess.

Comments

  1. Liz Lo28 February 2020 at 01:43

    I've heard that some people are more prone to having an addictive personality, like gamblers. Most of us have something we're addicted to, like folding clothes, towels etc in a certain way.
    Are addiction, bad habits and compulsive behaviour similar? Reading books can be seen as an addiction instead of a hobby.

    If you restrict yourself, wouldn't temptation be stronger, e.g., dieting.

    Is addiction a response to our childhoods? An ex-friend struggles with major sugar addiction, and said when her mother was pregnant with her, she ate a lot of sugar.

    Are some people just melancholy by nature, like some people are happy, easygoing by nature (like myself)? I know there is a medical reason that explains why people are bi-polar.

    I like reward habits, e.g., if I do the dusting, then I can enjoy watching Doctor Who.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. steve carlton11 March 2020 at 16:18

      To my knowledge they are similar. If I am not mistaken, then I have read something that says how these conditions relate to each other by Gabor Maté.

      Yes, I believe that our "addictions" and addictive behaviour patterns are a response to our childhoods. I guess everything somehow is because that is the time when our brain develops the most, right?

      Reward structures are functional, if you are disciplined. Do you find yourself binging a lot of Doctor Who when you feel bad?

      Thank you again for taking the time to read and comment. :)

      Delete

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