/SIG/ Self Improvement General

This was my reading list from 2015. Would recommend each and every title.

Reading was the main thing that allowed me to get out of the awful rut of gym, vidya, porn, repeat...

This last year I've challenged myself to dive into a new hobby each month. The ones that I'm sticking with are
>gardening
>drawing
>cooking (this has drastically changed my quality of life)
>shooting

How is reading Lord of the Rings going to make you a better man? Why don't you need some actual literature like "Meditations" by Marcus Aurelius or any piece of classical literature?

>quilting porn

How in the absolute fuck does QUILTING porn make you a better man, what the fuck Veeky Forums

Actually scratch that...don't read the way of men...

so you can learn honor and courage.

>Haven't drank Soda in 6 months
Any big difference?

Btw I love piano, I'll try to take some classes on vacation

Quitting porn is ultimately good for your mental health. Fapping isn't bad, but porn will fuck with your head. Quit before it gets too bad.

Oh you said "quit" I thought you wrote "quilt" as in like sewing porn onto a comforter

this the porn online is super porn

>so you can learn honor and courage.
also frodo was a manlet with no muscle, still had courage to fight against dragons and giant orcs.

50 books in 1 year? Impressive. I'm 32 years old and have never actually read a whole book

The major difference I've felt without drinking soda is that I feel physically better, as in I don't feel as sluggish. Having mental energy but no physical energy feels like shit, which is what I got from soda.

Yeah, but it's fake honor and courage... Obviously you can learn from fiction, but why learn from fiction when there's volumes and volumes of classical literature that teaches true honor and courage.

not that guy but after quitting soda for close to a year, drinking a coke at in-n-out was disgusting. had to dilute it because it was too sweet and syrupy.

Plato believed that cinema and fiction is a great way for people to learn, Actors and public figures need to be good and promote goodness, also if you want to understand a culture you look at their art/film

Out of that list which one book would you recommend?

Hey.I never read a single book throughout highschool and reading always bored me. But now that I've quit vidya and jerkin my dick, do you have any reccomendations? All I've read for like 3 years are greentexts.

Was thinking on quitting it, maybe just drinking beer at parties and no more soda (Usually drink 1-2 beers or 2 glass of rum with soda or a glass of whisky)

>Books
How to Bomb the US Government
Art of War
The Wheel of Time

>Writing
All of my workouts and anything that I see that's funny/interesting

>Misc
No porn
Practicing eye training (switching between looking at reading far away objects and looking close)
Deep breathing exercises via Wim Hof

Things Fall Apart - Chinua Achebe
The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin - Benjamin Franklin
Meditations - Marcus Aurelius
Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
The Brothers Karamazov - Fyodor Dostoevsky
The Stranger - Albert Camus
Siddhartha - Herman Hesse

Those are the more important ones on that list. I honestly ADORE the vampire trilogy but that's personal preference.

The First print run sold out breh. Sam's not sure if there will be another one.

I do not think you should be aiming to read a certain number of books in a given amount of time. Instead, I believe you should get as much as you can from one book. That's just my opinion, I'm getting away from "oh man I'm so close to finishing this book" and instead getting to "fuck this book is so good, why does it have to be over?"

You can only read what you are into. What do you enjoy? Sci-fi movies? Read A Scanner Darkly, Ender's Game, or some Michael Crichton.

Google what you're interested in, add "books" to the end of your search. Protip: look for it in your local bookstore, preferably used. Amazon used books are a steal if you're willing to wait a week for it.

>

go to Veeky Forums and look at some of the charts from the sticky

You could start with the greeks or maybe read something more modern like infinite jest or the stranger

Reading in general is good for you. Personally, I read it prior to bed to help me drift off. I'm sure it has a positive effect on my dreams. I have read the Meditations, I would highly recommend every man has a copy on hand.

>The Tower Towers

Typos happen

Check these 6s....

No check these

...

Does anyone know any books? Perhaos similar to pic related?

Have you read How to Win Friends and Influence People? That is always highly recommended here.

>reading
I am in the middle of The Last Wish - "first" book in the Witcher series
>Writing
Term Papers
>Misc
Stretching, particular focus on Hip mobility
Plan to take up another martial art depending on class work load

21 seconds.

bruh what kind of people are u surrounding yourself with? s.m.h. I'm 5'6 and i lost my virginity when i was 22. at times i felt like i was never going to but i didn't give up, 24 now and I've been with a bunch of girls. it's ok to move at a different pace than others. And you're doing fine by focusing on yourself, but dont "give up" completely and turn into a faggot /r9k/ robot that doesnt know any better. It may sound cliché, but to build up that confidence that a lot of girls actually find attractive you gotta love and accept yourself first brah.

also, dont show desperation. next time dont even look at the fat cunt

>Books
Just finished ''The King in Yellow'' who inspired lovecraft. Well that is, the more ''scary-story'' part of it. I couldn't really get into the other ones but only because I was really into horror at that moment.
>Writing
Nothing. I can't even get myself to draw comics at the moment, the last illustration job I did left me bummed out.
>Misc.
Military, hopefully. Also I'm back on Veeky Forums after 4-5 months where I was too bummed out to do anything. Turn out when I pick up drawing, I stop trainning, and when I pick trainning again, I stop drawing.
Probably because I feel terrible when I draw (never satisfied) and feel awesome when I train on a daily basis. FML

Learning how to stop shitposting on Veeky Forums and actually spend time doing important things is the most important skill you can acquire

forgot to say in the writing part, all I asked for christmas are all books that I'd recommend.

-Essential Substances: A Cultural History of Intoxicants in Society
-Lovecraft's compendium
-No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai

No, I think that's a better perspective to have. It was just a challenge for me because as a kid and teenager i read dozens of books a year. After high school, I read what my classes required (4-8 books per semester) and maybe one or two others.

imo people who are lost should read "letters to a young poet" by rilke. it is has been a source of good advice for me.

>Books
Reading the Wheel of Time series for the first time, almost finished with the first book and I am already hooked. I am also reading non-fiction books on a continuous cycle, right now I am reading Multipliers by Liz Wiseman, so far it is decent.
>Writing
I post stupid comments on Veeky Forums threads. Sometimes it leads to meaningful discussions.
>Misc.
I've started learning the piano (a few months in, really enjoying it.) I have also started boxing, golfing, and skiing (once we get enough snow!).
Boxing is thus far the most enjoyable out of the three, although I do enjoy golf from time to time. I know I have quite a ways to go before I am going to be anywhere near where I want to be skill-wise for golf, but I am excited.

>Academics/Career
I am lead on a research project with the head of the biology department (my major), and am starting an internship at a nearby hospital soon (since I am aiming for med school). Right now I work construction part time to make some money on the side. It keeps me active and is generally satisfying work, albeit not what I want mentally. It allows me to kinda check out for a while, and after a days work I can look back and feel accomplished.

I have to stay busy or I go crazy, anyone else need to keep their schedule as full as possible? I feel like the minute I slow down, I am dropping the ball on all of my goals, and just stress way too much.

>Books
How I raised myself from failure to success in selling- frank bettger
The bible.

>Writing
Gratitude journal
journal of medetations
Journal of plan of action.

>misc: Meeting new people daily, taking cold showers, building my business.

So why the cold showers? I have heard about the positive effects it has but what made you decide to make the change?

Brainlet

Well, various other things I've read and mentors I've had, and reflections about myself I've had, has shown me beyond any shadow of a doubt that we are habitual creatures.

Seems pretty obvious but on the daily, most people have habits, that they aren't even aware of, and those habits produce the results that are their life circumstance.

If you change yourself, you change your life.

The cold showers are nothing more than a means to train my mind, to develop new habits, despite not really wanting to do it. Its training my mind that when I say do something I do it. No one really wants to take cold showers, even if they are good for you (I always feel more alert and energetic afterward, but it always sucks.) Its more about not holding myself back by something external, and having the mental fortitude to do something I'm uncomfortable with for the sake of progressing.

Success is nothing more than positive habits practiced daily.
It's a small thing, but its the part of maintaining the habit, to exercise my will on the world, develop myself and do what I know needs to be done despite discomfort or fear. It's a habit I decided to develop because it reinforces the larger belief that even if I don't necessarily enjoy it, i have the capacity to do whatever i decide to do.

This was also true, for why I started working out, it's the thrill and enjoyment that comes from improvement. I didn't necessarily like it at first, but now I'd have it no other way.

So it is a method of exerting control on your own desires? Saying "yeah this sucks, but I'm in charge so stfu" ?

I have had a few experiences like that. I will start liking something almost too much, to the point where I will have to cut it out just to exert control on my body haha

Why is that?

Yeah, that's exactly what it is.
There are a good bit of benefits outside of that, but for me that's what I use it as.

There are some damn good books on your list. Haven't read quite a few of them, but my favorites from your list:

all Dostoevsky (top tier), Anna Karenina, Lolita (the book is written so poetically, like every word Nabokov scrutinized to make perfect), 1984, American Psycho (good guilty pleasure).

I want to read Meditations.

CRIME AND PUNISHMENT

i just listened to meditations by marcus aurelius on audiobook

its a meme book

Taoism and Greek Stoicism are almost the same thing, fwiw.

How is it a meme book? Are you retarded?

I am planning on either reading American Psycho, Unbroken, or continuing the Dark Tower series.

Pls help me choose.

Men need to be connected with their purpose in life, a purpose lives after you are dead. Check out the book the way of the superior man. Changed my life

I brought it as soon as available.

I've poured through their material- new and old- and found it to be rich.

Other good books
>Ride the Tiger
>Revolt Against the Modern World
>Men Among the Ruins

Just one of these would suffice though.

Another Classic
>Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

Anyone into psycadelics?
Does it really help?

can confirm

classical literature is still fiction.

>Books
Main reading is Demons by Fyodor Dostoevsky and I'm slowly working on Super Imperialism by Michael Hudson
>Writing
I have a diary where I write down my kooky ideas and short essays. I started writing a short story today but it is hard.
>Misc.
Starting to buy fresh ingredients and cook again. I need to start tutoring again. Might start ghostwriting and writing niche erotica for petty cash. I'm also looking for places to move as living by myself is too expensive, maybe won't if I can increase my cash flow.

i mean look, "meditations" was kind of cool with this all time great leader listing hundreds of qualities to have

but you probably won't remember anything the dude said. they are pretty much all just basic life tasks. nothing really out of the ordinary that will "really make you think"

Have you even fucking read it?

compulsory post

I read it in college and studied it. It's a meme book but that doesn't make it bad. Most of it is "be yourself" which is fine but not particularly insightful. People read it to signal their virtue, like reading The Art of War and The Prince.

What the fuck

You can't possibly have read it or studied it

Most of it is "be yourself"? How do you come to that conclusion? It's a collection of lessons and morals that he's learned and been taught from others and how to apply them to life when you are struggling. People like it because it's written very plainly and most can find something that they can relate to today, i.e. it's timeless

not technically, i listened to an audiobook (6 hours long btw)

what this guy says
and even this chart
are basically correct. sure its a nice book and all, but really, pretty much all it says is to stay calm in all situations and have a routine that you follow to create stability in your life that allows you to stay calm

>sure its a nice book and all, but really, pretty much all it says is to stay calm in all situations and have a routine that you follow to create stability in your life that allows you to stay calm
is this a complaint/criticism?

as i said, it's a nice book. but it isnt really some amazing book giving life changing advice. basically everything in it, hundreds of pages of individual pieces of advice, boils down to the same basic, repetitive ideas

I still don't understand if that's supposed to be a criticism

He repeats the same ideas because those ideas are effective answers, you are supposed to return to them

I thought you were saying that about all the books in the chart above.

>basically everything in it, hundreds of pages of individual pieces of advice, boils down to the same basic, repetitive ideas
Well it is a book about stoicism.

its not a criticism. i'm not criticizing the book, it has a good message for how you should live your life

i am merely saying that it's not really a life-changing book. it's hundreds of pages of saying basically the same thing that a lot of people already know

Does anyone have anything similar to "models", I really enjoyed it. Especially the self improvement parts with grooming and fashion tips.

I suggest you read the book again

>i am merely saying that it's not really a life-changing book
I disagree. One of the most important discoveries I ever made. A few years ago my brother had bought the book, and I came across the word stoic. I had no idea what the word meant, even though I am, and always was a stoic person. To think that there is a whole school of thought and philosophy based on it, really changed me. Same thing happened with with my discovery of existentialism.

>A few years ago my brother had bought the book, and I came across the word stoic. I had no idea what the word meant, even though I am, and always was a stoic person.

You are saying you were a stoic by any other name before reading the book. That means it didn't change your life it just affirmed what you already believed.

Been trying to be better. I'm weak and slow, but lifting consistently.

>Books
I started reading Brothers Karamazov back in June but I'm having a hard time with it honestly. I enjoy it, but I have just sucked at reading this year. I've recently picked up a great book on existentialism, a Chinese science fiction, and Zorba the Greek. I also read Meditations by Marcus Aurelius which I'd recommend to everyone here.

>Writing
I want to write, used to write for school paper. It just feels pointless when there's no one to read what I write. How do I keep going there?

>Community
Volunteer helping adults learn to read and write twice a week, it's great.

>Misc
Do some piano and I've gotten into photography this year. I'm not great but it helps me deal with depression. I like the ideas others have posted about doing a new hobby a month, but I have a hard time sticking to stuff. How do you stay motivated? I feel like I lose interest in everything I start.

Mastery, the 50 laws of power both by robert greene

Not really. It allowed me to discover people who are like me, and what wisdom and ideas they held. It reawakened my love for philosophy

>my love for philosophy
Bit of an oxymoron.

how so?

philosophy is love of knowledge (learning)

You said you love to love knowledge.

true

You should all be reading Julius Evola.

Philosophy is love of wisdom, not knowledge. Epistemology is a huge topic in philosophy.

Finally quit drinking. Ive stopped for a couple months once and for one month another time but my mindset was different. This time its is a more deliberate, definitive decision. Im just so sick of all the time and money ive spent either on drinking or because of drinking and im sick of feeling like crap all the time. Time to get serious about saving money and going back to school and being a healthier more fulfilled person.

That's not what an oxymoron is...

how embarrassing. I meant redundant.

>It just feels pointless when there's no one to read what I write.

Post it online. Bother your friends to read what you wrote. Read it to a girl you like. Show your mom.

>tfw gay dudes hit on me all the time
>tfw no girls ever hit on me
He threw in a pls respond afterwards for good measure

I'm trying to kill my procrastination. It's one hell of a demon and it's holding me back like you wouldn't believe. I've already dug myself a hole, within another hole and things seem bleak. I'm tired of putting up a facade to make things seem like they're alright. Honestly, I'm probably fucked, but god dammit I'm gonna fix this. It may be too little too late, but some day soon, I'll be on top. That's a promise I'm making to myself.

What does he look like? What do you look like?