The Price of Tea in China
The communities that I spend my time around tend to be very insular. I’m far outside the reaches of the easily-palatable, neon monochrome of the “fitness industry;” if you’re reading this, you probably already know that.
I could care less what the talking heads, or “experts,” are spewing. I spend much of my time in search of what I believe to be truthful and many of my peers do the same.
My “normal” is training, contemplating, and striving for greater degrees of self-knowledge; I’m seeking “the truth,” even if it hurts. I’m pursuing what can only be experienced, not memorized.
The reality is that seriously training to develop physical capabilities and skillsets is incredibly uncommon, beyond the confines of sport. Reading philosophy, or pursuing an introspective practice, is seen as a brilliant addition to a resume or dating profile; it’s performative, rather than undertaken in humble earnestness.
Speaking the truth is shocking in most social or professional contexts – didn’t you know you’re supposed to lie?
Lies are more digestible. You should beat around the bush. We wouldn’t want to rock the boat too much.
If it can’t fit into your LinkedIn profile, why do it? If it doesn’t put another zero into your bank account, what’s the point? What about that promotion? You wouldn’t want to jeopardize that.
I recognize that my experiences and convictions are unusual. The experiences of my friends, mentors, and peers are similarly uncommon.
So, what exactly is common these days?
I would summarize the answer as the following: the “normal,” Western adult male is deeply ensconced in a pattern of vicarious, fantastic, and/or transactional living. Let me explain.
I’ve made an observation recently: within the circles that I tend to frequent, individuals are very active. They’re consumed with a desire to create, to serve, to explore, to expand, to push the envelope, to try, to fail, to touch the fire and get burned, to see just how far they can go – just for the sake of it, in whatever given pursuit that they choose. This is abnormal.
They seek the truth, knowing that they may never find it in totality, because the process alone is sublime. They seek reality, even if it cuts hard and deep, because the wisdom given outweighs any hardship endured.
Contrarily, we can consider what “normal” is: escapism, fantasy, and indolence. Activity, striving towards a higher ideal or achievement, has been supplanted by mindless consumption and daydreaming.
Most people can’t run an uninterrupted mile, but they can tell you all about trending TikTok content, or some celebrity drama, or about the new car they just bought (but can’t afford). They’d prefer to “buy” a fix to every inconvenience, rather than bearing the burden themselves and growing stronger because of it. They thrust themselves into media, consumerism, and trivial affairs in an effort to forget themselves.
No, of course you don’t need discipline, adversity, and risk! All you need is a magic pill, and some reality television, and a tall glass of something. Keep consuming, next time you’ll feel better.
Value, by and large, is conceived as something purely external and transactional by the “normal” Western man.
What can I “get,” with the least amount of giving? How good can I “feel” with the least amount of effort? Why pursue reality, when vicarious or fantastic pleasure leaps from the face of my phone? Why seek the truth, when lies are more plentiful and comforting? Why expose myself to the elements, to potential ridicule and derision, when the soft cooing of manifold group-identities beckons?
You’ll find a place somewhere. Put on the jersey, learn the one-liners, imitate and emulate. All you need to do is be a chameleon – go whichever way the wind blows. Fake it till you make it…
You’re not your favorite football team. You’re not your favorite political party. You’re not your favorite brand, or actor, or “influencer.” You’re not your possessions. Seeking refuge in a group, or in another’s achievements, or in agreeable, “comfortable” external conditions is to drive a knife into your own back and waste your potential.
You have a unique and awesome destiny set before you that is waiting to be pursued – it won’t wait forever. True individuality is to identify and answer that calling, as harrowing as it may appear.
As I’ve said previously, these are trying times for everyone. You’re not alone in your suffering and in the struggles that you face – but it’s not the time to recoil. It’s time to lean into the uncertainty and rise to the occasion. You have everything that you need; have courage and the wisdom to apply it.
My advice is to cut out the noise. Focus on radical self-development, in ultimate service to others; when you pursue that path, you can’t lose. To save another is to save yourself, and vice-versa.
Lastly, recognize that the scale upon which you measure value may be entirely different than the people that surround you. When criticism is leveled, and the cowards start to chatter, consider if you’re even operating in the same economy. Most of the things that people “value” will soon turn to sand - then, what remains?
What’s that got to do with the price of tea in China?
