Foundations before scaffolding

[Akashic_Librarian]

A lot of personal development people will tell you that you shouldn't settle for less, don't be happy with just mere survival, aim for the stars etc...etc...

This is good advice.

But before you aim for the stars, be sure you know what your launching from.

A lot of naive little newbies come here (myself included) with the goal of being a PD master. Gaining all these world conquering aspirations, always wanting to try the new techniques, becoming the best person out there will all those skills etc...etc...

This is as a good thing.

But still there is a pre-requisite (in my opinion)

I think it helps alot if we know what we are, on a primal, real, animialistic level. (btw this post is inpsired by This thread) I don't think anyone herer will really dispute me here, on a basic level we are animals, we have primal urges (sex, eat, sleep) but as humans we have a conscious control over these, we choose what to do and when. We arn't a slave to our urges.

Knowing the greatest way to manage your time might be brilliant, but if society collapses, in the beginning Time-Boxing isn't going to help much.

So I propose a hierarchial approach to life, start learing nbasic survival skills as a child, how to live in the woods, how to catch, hunt, kill, food. How to fighht, martial arts, weapons training. Going to the gym, being strong, knowing how to make food, how to cook food, what you can and can't eat. It might all sound a little extreme, but I think its important we as adults, (myself as a teenager) and our children should know how to be human on a basic level. If you've read The Stand, then you'll know, none of those people were ready...and they suffered for it.

Yes its unlikely the world will end. But its not so unlikely you will get into a fight, its not SO unlikely that if you let your health slip you will suffer problem, premature death...etc...etc...

These are the foundations of life. Strong body, strong mind.

Upon these foundations of strength, reason, critical thinking and survival you can build up and erect a scaffold of Personal Development, academia etc...etc...that will add to your fdoundations, making them stronger, building up and up. But if you start by just building the scaffolding, then if something happens and those weak foundations crumble, everything falls down on top of it.

There is nothing wrong with embracing our Animal side, accepting our own Mr. Hyde, Scientific thinking, hypothesis, time managment, LoA, Empathy...its all well and good but its useless if you don't know who you are on a physical level.

Do a lot of forum members do anything physical? I imagine quite a few do martial arts, Yogas and such, it feels good to be animalistic, don't deny it.

You may not like getting angry, but who here can say at least once in their life, they haven't relished in the sheer electric primal fury that just evaporates the conscience and makes you more animal than person.

</Akashic Rant>

[tylerlloyd]

Check this article on wikipedia out: Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.

But, more to the point about what you said, I think some of it might be slightly -exaggerated? Instead of training yourself for societal collapse I would recommend training yourself in traffic safety - I'm fairly sure that it's easier to get involved in a traffic accident than the end of the world.

Anyway, check out that link.