ENDURE. RESIST
THE HUNTER
An ancient village… Most men are the hunters. Some are good, some mediocre, others suck. Good hunters frequently bring the game to the village. They feed their families. Everyone admires and loves them. However, most men are mediocre. They go out for a hunt but usually come with a small game or empty-handed. They try to catch an animal but are often unsuccessful.
The world has changed, however as human beings we are all the same. There is a huge gap between good and bad hunters. No longer do we need to kill an animal to be a hunter, but figure out a way to make money. No longer hunting is limited to men. Women are on the field as well. What is the difference between good and bad hunters?
Good hunters pay the price. They make small deposits of time and work day by day. Good hunter spends most of his time in the forest. He studies animal behaviour. He talks to more experienced hunters. He practices…
Mediocre hunter spends time laying on his couch, scratching his belly. He hangs out with girls. Drinks beer with his mediocre hunter buddies at the bar. He relaxes, because “life is meant to be enjoyed”. He spends his life f*cking around. He does not invest in his future. He does not see further that a few months from now. A good hunter is in the forest… People rarely see him in the village.
The time has come and both men went out for a hunt. An average hunter spent some time walking around with his bow and arrows. He couldn’t catch anything. “Not a good day”, he thinks and goes back to the village empty-handed. No game? Yeah, that sucks… but he and everyone around is used to him coming back with nothing. Maybe next time he will have more luck.
The good hunters stayed. Rain or snow, he sits and waits. He could decide to move 10–20 miles away from the village because there will be more chances. And further… and further. Does he like to be wet and cold? Of course not, but he continues to spend his time and energy. He spends… spends… and spends. This is the key. Sooner or later he kills the animal and brings it back to the village. Even if not this time, statistically he will be much more likely to bring it the next time. When he comes back, everyone will look at him and say: “What a man!”. Kids will look up to him and others will show respect. Other mediocre hunters will find a lot of reasons to disregard his success.
A good hunter is a strategist. His strategy is to put in the effort daily, regardless of the circumstances. He sees his work as an investment into the future. Everything he does and endures — will pay back, just a matter of time. He limits himself here and now, day after day, just so he can get more in the future.
Good hunter has the willpower to limit himself and waits because he believes it will payback. Bad hunter does not have such a will. Bad hunter didn’t catch anything today, so he turned around and went back home. Rain? Snow? Hell no, he is back on his couch. They both had chances.
A good hunter knows what it FEELS like to catch that large game. He knows how it FEELS to bring it back to the village. He’s experienced it before, so he knows exactly what he sacrifices for. We are all driven by emotions. Dopamine, oxytocin… This is why he pushes himself.
A loser had never been successful. He doesn’t know what it feels like to be on top of the game. He does not have such experiences, therefore it’s harder for him to sacrifice for the possibility of success. Bad hunter does not know what he loses if he comes home empty-handed. He loses motivation and becomes okay with being a loser.
It’s easy for me to lose 30 pounds because I know how it feels to be lighter. It’s easier because I remember how it feels when someone at the gym asks how I got so ripped. I know exactly what I sacrifice for. Most people don’t, so they lose motivation before achieving their goals. I push through, I limit myself, I endure. I see and FEEL the reward.
Why do people often prefer an instant pleasure over the long-term one? Why do you take that cupcake when you know that it hurts your health? Why do you smoke or drink when you know for a FACT that it will kill you slowly?
You are not better than my dog. You are just an animal. You react to the immediate impulses and urges of your body. Your actions are driven by anything else, but not you. You and your life are the products of your instincts. You want to eat — you eat. You want to have sex — you have sex. Just like my dog. Actually, Blake is much more intelligent than a lot of people.
Take a lizard as an example. It’s driven solely by instincts and its behavioural model goes like this:
- Any objects that are bigger than me — are the enemies. Runaway
- Any objects that are smaller than me — I eat.
- Any objects that are a similar size as me — I have sex with.
Find any similarities?
The human superpower is to resist temptations. Unlike any other animal in the world — we are capable of controlling our urges and impulses.
THE BETTER YOU ARE AT CONTROLLING YOURSELF — THE MORE OF A HUMAN YOU ARE
We are humans. We can control our urges and temptations. We can fight our instincts. We have the will power. We can use imagination to envision future success. It depends on our ability to resist temptations.