Reading, audio-books, and podcasts: expand your knowledge, expand your life
Anyone who has been a part of the Manosphere knows how essential reading can be towards your goal of becoming an Alpha male. With all of the forums and books on the game, PUA material, and self-improvement techniques, you have to do a lot of reading if you want to achieve a more positive, masculine identity. With the advent of websites such as YouTube and a plethora of podcasts and audiobooks at your disposal, it is even easier to absorb this pertinent information into your life and apply it at your will. But which medium is more important, and which medium offers the best results that you are looking for?
While the answers to these questions will be subjective, it is still beneficial to decide which one is right for you. In a recent podcast interview with H3 Podcast, Jordan Peterson was asked about the importance of reading. Since Peterson is an accomplished and highly intelligent academic, also being someone who adheres to red pill beliefs, it is wise to listen to someone like him and his stances on reading. Peterson states that reading for pleasure has always been a “minority hobby,” and that only a small proportion of people who read for pleasure read challenging books. This is good for you, because this shows that the majority of your male competition with women most likely don’t read books, and if they do, they probably aren’t reading the type of material that will help them become a better man and subsequently better with women.
So why reading?
Have you ever heard a man that is so well spoken that he commands attention from an entire room of people just by opening his mouth? Or maybe you’ve met a man that you can’t help but listen to his stories and eat them up like candy. Odds are you have, and the odds are even higher that both of these men are well-read.
Reading, and I advocate for reading specifically non-fiction, has countless benefits. Peterson states that reading “makes you think, and then think again, and then re-think”. This sort of intense reflection allows you to analyze yourself. You can continuously re-think your situation with your sex life, work-life, and social life. You can ask yourself: “am I getting the results I want?” “what results am I looking for?” “what’s stopping me from obtaining these results?”, “Am I doing something right that I don’t need to change?”.
Now I’m not going to lie to you and say that reading will solve all of your problems because it won’t. But what it will do is exercise your brain, and it will make you smarter. Reading is essential, and it will give you more topics to talk about with girls, and anyone for that matter. In a world full of TV screens, phone screens, and the constant need for instant gratification, reading will set you apart from the herd as someone who values improving themselves and others’ lives, including other men and women.
But I don’t have time to read!
I know what you mean, and you bring up a very valid point. You can’t drive and read. You can’t cook and read (well maybe you can, but you might burn your house down), and you cant play video games and read. This is where podcasts and audiobooks come in.
Whereas books need your undivided attention, you can multitask with podcasts and audiobooks. Peterson states that audio mediums of books and information are just as important as their physical forms, mainly because of what you can do while you’re listening.
Getting big at the gym? Listen to a self-improvement book while you smash those reps. On your way to the club to game girls? Let a motivational coach hype you up in your ear on the way there. About to quit your job and take over the world? Well, an audiobook might not help with that, but you get the point.
Peterson also states that what makes audiobooks, podcasts, and YouTube videos so fantastic, is that for the first time in human history, these forms of technology have allowed the spoken word to travel and last just as long as the written word. What a time to be alive right?
Does fiction count?
If you aren’t reading any books, then yes, fiction counts. Reading anything is better than nothing, but I highly recommend sticking solely to non-fiction, and I think Peterson would agree with me. Sure, you can read Game of Thrones and read about how Danaerys Targaryen conquered a kingdom, which is badass, but you won’t learn anything from this. Fiction is good because it entertains, just like movies. But Game of Thrones might not necessarily teach you how to be a man. It won’t teach you how to game girls, and it won’t tell you how to be the best version of yourself.
I’m not saying that you have to solely stick to books that teach you how to be a better man and game women, but you need to expand your knowledge. You need to be absorbing new and “real” information. If you’re into biology, read about that. You like anthropology then read about it. If you want to read about building your business, then do so. You will learn so much from these books, and knowledge makes you a better man, and the better man you are, the more attractive you will be in the eyes of females, which is what you want, right?
I would say a safe rule of thumb to follow is that for every 1 book you read for entertainment, read 5 books that will better you as a man and increase your knowledge.
You aren’t on your way to the library yet?
So, where do you start? Well, if you’re new to the Manosphere, I highly recommend Rolo Tomassi’s “the rationale male”. Some would say it’s the Manosphere bible. Jordan Peterson also has a new book out called “12 Rules For Life” that I’m sure would be a great first book to read if you haven’t read a book in a while. If you are looking for something else, just pick a topic that interests you and find a book, audiobook, or podcast about it. Research it, live it, become it. As a man, it is hard-wired into your brain to seek new knowledge and expand your reality. You owe it to yourself and everyone on this planet to do so. So, get reading (or listening)!
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