The exposure of habits of thinking and internal paradigms that this thread has drawn out is pretty fascinating. There are some who get it (the advanced thinkers), some who have a hint that there is something here for them (the thinkers and intuitives who are well on their way) and finally, the nay-sayers (who are not ready to escape their current comfortable living quarters).
Most of us here are getting overly philosophical and abstract about the subject matter in my view.
This is a site that is about getting our relationships with woman handled, first and foremost, and so I write with that overarching fact in mind. Secondarily (but a very close second), it's about self-improvement and living an effective, successful life.
Let's get back to the basics. How did I couch the concept of freedom vs. slavery? Freedom from what?
Freedom from your current story and your history. Both of these are shackles that hold us back from relating well with women and often, succeeding in life.
Your current story consists of the beliefs you hold about yourself, about women, and about your ability to change and succeed. It's your self-definition. Your history is where you came from, the events that happened in your life which helped to form your current story.
Freedom is understanding that both your story and your history are nothing more than a pile of beliefs and memories that together tell you who you are, and what you can and cannot do in life. I have seen amusing videos of cats where someone makes a box around the cat out of tape on the carpet. The cat is inside the tape box, and it thinks it cannot walk over the artificial border that it sees, so it sniffs at the border and walks around its perimeter and just "knows" that it cannot step over the border and escape the box. The reality of course is that it's nothing more than a visual representation of a box that can be easily stepped over.
I think of horses in the old westerns that are trained from birth that a little insignificant rope can hold them where they are. The principle works similarly with elephants. You can tie up and restrain a baby elephant with a small rope, and as the elephant grows up it "knows" it can't escape and do what it wants because that's what its history taught it as a baby. In reality, the adult elephant could snap that rope like a thread and walk away.
What I did about 10 years ago was ripped up my current story about myself and my history, declared them null and void, and created a new reality based on what I wanted it to be. It started with my relationships with women. I was completely unattractive to them, so I decided that the first practical way to rip up my story and history was to do the opposite of what I had always been doing (trying to please them). I did a 180, called them to task for their misbehavior and bratty words, just to see what would happen.
To my surprise, more and more attractive women started giving me inviting signals over the years. I eventually decided to apply this new technique of shaping my reality to other aspects of life.
It boils down to utter simplicity: Act AS IF. Throw all excuses out the window and act as if you are the King of your world.
As Shakespeare said, "Assume a virtue if you have it not". Yes, guys, it's that simple.
An example apart from the subject of women might be a desire to learn a new skill. We often shy away from this, or choose what we want to learn very carefully, because our belief about ourselves might be that it will take too long, we probably won't be very good at it, we're not ready to start, whatever the excuses might be. Instead, we can erase that "story" we tell ourselves and just start.
Massive
Imperfect
Action
is my motto . MIA. Acting imperfectly but consistently reaps massive success.
Getting back to women, it's a good idea to start there as it is easily quantifiable. Most of us think we have to impress women. Most of us alter our behavior in order to get them to like us. That's the monkey dance that I despise so greatly. It's the dance I've done for most of my life. Now they dance for me, simply because I reshaped my reality by flipping the script inside my own head.
Women sense when you detach from them and when you judge them. A man who judges them is usually extremely intriguing to them. They are used to men sucking up to them all day long. When a guy comes along who has no interest in that (because he has reset his mind to be a man of abundance even thought he has nothing), she can't help but be intrigued and open.
Most of us find that women are closed and that we need to open them up. Monkey dance. By detaching and becoming the King of my world, first in my head only, I flipped the script and they work to open me up. By the way, this all occurred years ago. It has nothing to do with my current girl except to say that she is the reward I reaped by changing who I am from the inside out.
You, as a man, are the authority and rule-creator in this world. Not women. Men! Women know this instinctively and crave to escape their need to take on masculine traits because there are no authoritative men around whom they can look up to and submit to.
Some of you guys have been triggered into hand-wringing cries of "How dare Atom Smasher say he is free?! This is an outrage!"
That is sad to see, as it shows how deep down the rabbit hole those guys live. Others get it and are inspired by my experience and are able to understand that they can take some of these principles and experiment with them for themselves.
As for me, I'm just a guy who has been starving and destitute for most of his life when it comes to women. I eventually found my way into a banquet hall, and decided to tell you guys how I did it. My hope is that a few will eventually make it to the banquet. The ones whose hunger eclipses the safety of their cell and shackles will dine here. The ones who are angered are the ones whose shackles and self-imposed limitations will not be ready to dine freely for some time.
Your story and your history can be spirit killers. Turn your back on them and act as if. Start with your dealings with women and then expand to all aspects of life. How do you start with your dealings with women? Retire your monkey dancing shoes and detach. Judge them and call them out on their bad behavior. You can always dial that back to what's right for you once you start training the women around you that you require respect. You will find that higher quality women will start looking at you very differently.
Society is a fearsome, abusive mother to so many men today. The threat of mommy's punishment and rejection keeps so many men in-line in this day and age. Most men live life on the defensive, especially as pertains to women.
Go on the offensive, men. Create a world that you're comfortable in and proud of. Realize that the abusive societal mother who shames you year after year into being puzzled by women has no teeth at all if you simply turn your back on her and start forging your own path. You guys who rail against doing this are just like feminists who really know deep down that they believe lies. "But, Atom Smasher, this...", and "But, Atom Smasher, that..."... The cries of the inmates.
Freedom is getting your issues with women handled. Freedom is the pursuit of success (not the attainment, but the steady pursuit).
Is there nothing here that you can use for your betterment? Then move on. If there is something here, try it and see what you can do with it. Philosophical discussions about it all are pretty much circular time-wasters.
Acta, non verba...
Or, move on and read about how to impress women. Your choice.