"Philosophy cannot be taught.  Philosophy is the union of all acquired knowledge and the genius that applies it:  philosophy is the shining cloud upon which Christ set His foot to go up to heaven."

― Alexandre Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo

At some point in a man's life, he must adopt a code of conduct: a set of behaviors that he alone finds acceptable in response to situations.  This 'code' is inherent in all cultures and found throughout the world.  The samurai in ancient Japan had their "bushido", or way of life.  This would serve to instruct and guide them.  As men, we are held accountable by society, family, women, and other men to behave as we were conditioned.  Every generation has their own influences such as the abundance of technology and social communication that is so prevalent today.  I know that I was raised in a 'bubble' of protection to perceive the world quite differently than when I was old enough to venture off alone and record my own observations.  Philosophers, or people who thought about thoughts (typically men), became the bearers of "light" to the masses.  These thoughts and ideas were the product of logic and reason without the corrupt lens of emotion clouding our judgement.

Why it's important to study philosophy is because there is simply "nothing new under the sun", and nearly every situation or suffering has been shared by a fellow individual whose thoughts, concerns, or strategy has been recorded so that posterity may learn.  In addition to explanation, philosophy offers the language of logic which is capable of surviving generations in tact.  In other words, it maintains it's integrity over time.

As I grew older, I learned to absorb the philosophies of many different 'masters' before forming my own code.  In any pursuit in life, whether it be for pleasure, profession, or sport there has always been someone from whom you can learn.  They have already done the work necessary to attain a level of mastery that anyone can learn from until they themselves become masters.  It reminds me of Bruce Lee's quote: "absorb what is useful, discard what is useless, add what is uniquely your own".

One genre of philosophy that has been on my mind lately is that of the Stoics.  Stoicism, which formed roughly in the 3rd century BC, deals with concepts such as determinism and conscious choice.  In other words, Destiny and Free Will.  It teaches one to focus on applying reason to understand the relationship between external stimulus and internal peace.

It reminds me of the serenity prayer: "God grant me the serenity to accept the things that I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."

Today the modern definition of stoic has changed to: a person who can endure pain or hardship without showing their feelings or complaining.  This is derived from the ancient stoic's ability to detach emotions from a situation and see it from a viewpoint of reason and understanding.  Easier said than done... The famous Caesar (as portrayed in the movie Gladiator), Marcus Aurelius, was a stoic philosopher who would meditate:

“Begin each day by telling yourself: Today I shall be meeting with interference, ingratitude, insolence, disloyalty, ill-will, and selfishness – all of them due to the offenders’ ignorance of what is good or evil. But for my part I have long perceived the nature of good and its nobility, the nature of evil and its meanness, and also the nature of the culprit himself, who is my brother (not in the physical sense, but as a fellow creature similarly endowed with reason and a share of the divine); therefore none of those things can injure me, for nobody can implicate me in what is degrading. Neither can I be angry with my brother or fall foul of him; for he and I were born to work together, like a man’s two hands, feet or eyelids, or the upper and lower rows of his teeth. To obstruct each other is against Nature’s law – and what is irritation or aversion but a form of obstruction.”
― Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

In applying this reasoning, he was able to serve Rome without the corruption of ego and emotion from clouding his judgement. This is the defining moment for a few men when they learn to separate their feelings from their decisions. Stoicism taught that humans were given the gift of 'choice' and were not subject to the blind irrationality of instinct and emotion which separates us from the other animals. Stoicism teaches the development of self-control and fortitude as a means of overcoming destructive emotions; the philosophy holds that becoming a clear and unbiased thinker allows one to understand the universal reason. A primary aspect of Stoicism involves improving the individual's ethical and moral well-being: "Virtue consists in a will that is in agreement with Nature." This principle also applies to the realm of interpersonal relationships; "to be free from anger, envy, and jealousy," and to accept even slaves as "equals of other men, because all men alike are products of nature."

One of the most studied Stoics is Epictetus, who was born a slave, became free, and through struggle became a philosopher. He maintained that all external events are beyond our control; we should accept whatever happens calmly and dispassionately. However, individuals are responsible for their own actions, which they can examine and control through rigorous self-discipline. Most of what we know of him came from his student's recordings. He held pantheistic beliefs that God was the Universe and was present in Nature and in All things. The essence of God is goodness, and humans were given the divine gift of reason to separate between good and evil. To Epictetus, good alone is profitable and to be desired, whilst evil is hurtful and to be avoided. He taught independence from external sources of happiness. Ultimately contentment comes from within.

American fighter pilot, James Stockdale, was shot down in Vietnam and held prisoner for several years. He was able to survive torture, isolation, and regain sanity by remembering Epictetus' philosophy. In his memoirs, Stockdale quoted Epictetus as saying, "The emotions of grief, pity, and even affection are well-known disturbers of the soul. Grief is the most offensive; Epictetus considered the suffering of grief an act of evil. It is a willful act, going against the will of God to have all men share happiness"

Furthermore, Epictetus' teachings have influenced countless Stoics from Caesars to prisoners as well as cognitive behavior therapy as developed by Albert Ellis. It empowers the individual to unleash the abilities of their minds to overcome the emotional obstacles preventing happiness.

Lastly, the nature of stoicism is rooted in spirituality as in gratitude to God for the gifts of reason and logic. Both Stoicism and Christianity assert an inner freedom in the face of the external world, a belief in human kinship with Nature or God, a sense of the innate depravity—or "persistent evil"—of humankind, and the futility and temporariness of worldly possessions and attachments. Both encourage with respect to the passions and inferior emotions such as lust, and envy, so that the higher possibilities of one's humanity can be awakened and developed.

Some amazing pearls of this philosophers wisdom:

"Men, the lecture room of the philosopher is a hospital; students ought not to walk out of it in pleasure, but in pain."

“Nature hath given men one tongue but two ears, that we may hear from others twice as much as we speak.”

“Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants.”

“Seek not the good in external things; seek it in yourselves.”

“Don't explain your philosophy. Embody it.”

― Epictetus

"I cried because I had no shoes, until I saw a man with no feet"

Today I got to break in my new "Cleto Reyes" sparring gloves in an actual 'round robin' sparring session.  New gloves were needed because I had smashed the snot out of my old "Ringside" leather gloves.  I was sad to see my classic ring gloves go, but it was getting unsafe to hit others with a cloud of pulverized padding exploding from inside each time I connected a punch with my opponent.  The new gloves smelled like babied leather and held up really well like they were custom made just for me.


After boxing, I decided to treat myself to a cheeseburger and curly fries from 'Dan's Hamburgers'.  It's a local fast food chain here in Austin that I believe is a step above Whataburger (a semi national Texas born fast food restaurant).   Being a smaller chain, Dan's Burgers are located in older neighborhoods in ancient buildings.  I stumbled into discovering Dan's after a friend helped me move from Dallas to Austin after which we searched for a good place to have lunch.  It was just a few miles down the road from my apartment.

I remember rewarding myself (every now and then) with a trip to Whataburger in the past, but started favoring Dan's somewhere along the way (I doubt Whataburger is jealous).  It became one of the reasons that I love living in Austin.  Whenever I had been away for a long time or knew that I would be soon going, I would often stop by the restaurants nearby that I'd come to love.  (Wingzup is another local favorite).

Today while having lunch, a poor elderly black man without hands had walked in wearing the shiniest red tuxedo shoes.  It was hard to tell if he was impoverished or simply possessed a unique sense of fashion.  He sat down at the booth across from me.  I saw how he used both of his arms to manipulate the straw into his cup and use the ends of his wrists and undeveloped nubs to squeeze the ketchup.  He deftly ate his food with ease.  He was older and possessed a deep sense of dignity as he carried himself with pride.  I finished my fries and set out without staring too much to head home, shower, reflect, and write...

"I wept because I had no shoes until I saw a man who had no feet"

This phrase which has been credited to many wise authors through time was burning in my mind.  I laid in bed to recover from my aching neck and to reflect on this thought.  In boxing, hands are like feet, and gloves are like shoes.  I proudly sported my new gloves uttering the phrase "ain't nothing like new shoes" as fellow boxers and coaches welcomed the metaphor.

I think when I find myself getting down from the worries of the world, I have to remember to take stock of how blessed my life truly is.  I am so fortunate to love and be loved by so many.  I get to live a dream life!  Gratitude replaces the negative feelings and frees me from my state of mind.  The Lord works in mysterious ways and the people he sends my way are reminders of His presence and Love for Us ALL.

Lately I've been writing about the dynamics of power and the divide between Men and Women.  My hope is that someday we will have peace between the classes that hold power and those that do not; between Husbands and Wives, Brothers and Sisters, Men and Women.

This year is an election year in the US where one can hardly go anywhere without hearing the political bickering between the candidates: a Billionaire Business Man and a Female Political Titan.

Once again, 'fear' is used to goad the masses into a frenzy.  People form opinions, which later fuel emotion-driven behaviors.  Hate campaigns and speeches are given which are intended to discredit or mar the opponents credibility.  Rallies are held which capitalize on groupthink to steer the direction of the herd.  These speeches are rebroadcast on television and published in online journals and newspapers to reach as wide an audience as possible.

It's a bit Orwellian in actuality to see our 'telescreens' broadcasting such messages along with our cell phones equipped with two way camera/microphones used by simple 'proles' (short speak for proletarians or common man).  In fact after numerous attempts at privacy protection with online protests such as Sopa/Pipa, it seems that individual privacy is a thing of the past.  In the name of national security, We the People have been coerced into submission by the powers that be.  This means that anything we post online whether through email, social media, or web searches are recorded as part of our digital footprint.  (Good luck to all the parents raising children in this era of online transparency.)

Today I met a man bathing in the restroom as I went to wash my hands before lunch.  He apologized and asked if I could help him with a few dollars.  He was an older man but not as old as he appeared.  His hair was still more colored than gray, and he was missing all of his teeth.  After I finished washing my hands, I invited him to join me for lunch.  While they prepared my food, I discovered that I had amassed enough 'loyalty' points and was able to secure some chips and guacamole with my meal which was more than enough for two.  We split our burrito and he introduced himself as "Popeye" (I think due to his toothless one-eyed grin).  He thanked me over again, and we both bowed our heads and gave 'thanks' before eating.  He asked if I liked music and shared that he was an Elvis Presley fan; he even belted our a few bars while we ate.  I noticed that he struggled with chewing as his teeth were gone and he frequently washed his food down with what was most likely alcohol.  I listened and ate until it was time to depart.  He hugged me and I wished him well.

In George Orwell's 1984 he discusses the class distinctions between the upper, middle, and lower classes.  His dystopic novel, published in 1949, offers insight into the human condition as well as the maxim that 'absolute power tends to corrupt'.  The novel explains that throughout human history there have been essentially three classes of individuals, those with power, those with some, and those with none.  (The inner party, the outer party, and the proles.)

When the ruling party fails to maintain their vigilance, becomes lazy, or allows the middle class to rise against them in revolution, the middle class seizes control and they themselves become the ruling party, all while the poor stay poor.  The inner party in Orwell's novel had figured out how to cement their control over the masses through the illusions of constant warfare, a barely sustaining economy (despite abundance), and fear.  This way the middle class could never amass enough wealth or strength to over throw the ruling party and would remain forever under manipulation.  If any challenges were made, drastic measures were taken to ensure the demagogue or agitators were punished, tortured, or even killed.  Freedom had ceased to exist.  History books were re-written to reflect the inner parties politics, to keep the masses ignorant and dependent.

"He who controls the past controls the future.  He who controls the present controls the past."

― George Orwell, 1984


With the political war between the Conservatives and Democrats in full swing, it really makes no difference to the poor.  The candidate most likely to garner the majority vote will be the one who can emotionally manipulate voters into action, but it is my opinion that the best candidate is the one who does not want the job for their own ego satisfaction.  The best candidate is the one who will use their power to enrich the lives of the poor, to free them from their dependence.

The same goes for Men and Women.  When there is no feminism or chauvinism, but Humanism.  When both parties treat one another with the respect that each deserves.  When there is fairness and open dialogue.  When there is reason, accountability, and compassion.  When we no longer have to campaign and simply BE the best person for the job.  Then we can make some real progress.

"Nothing can be more absurd than the practice that prevails in our country of men and women not following the same pursuits with all their strengths and with one mind, for thus, the state instead of being whole is reduced to half."

― Plato

“Yes Siddhartha,' he said. 'Is this what you mean: that the river is in all places at once, at its source and where it flows into the sea, at the waterfall, at the ferry, at the rapids, in the ocean, in the mountains, everywhere at once, so for the river there is only the present moment and not the shadow of the future?'

'It is,' Siddhartha said, 'And once I learned this I considered my life, and it too was a river, and the boy Siddhartha was separated from the man Siddhartha and the graybeard Siddhartha only by shadows, not by real things. ... Nothing was, nothing will be; everything is, everything has being and presence.”
― Hermann Hesse

It has been suggested by astrophysicists that spots exist within our universe that are said to be "nexus points", or points of intersection between time and space where the past, present, and future coincide.

An issue that I have been wrestling with for quite some time is the state of affairs between Men and Women.  When it comes to the business of politics between the sexes there seems to be a divide especially in sexual mating strategy, namely the "cuckold".  This term derives its meaning from the cuckoo bird which is said to lay its eggs in the nest of another bird, while abandoning it to be raised by an unsuspecting parent.  Often upon hatching, the cuckoo offspring (which bears little to no resemblance of the host parents) will push the other 'real' eggs out of the nest thereby securing resources only for themselves.  The host bird(s) will feed and 'raise' the cuckoo offspring as their own until they too are forced out of their own nest or die.

The concept of raising a child that does not belong to one or both parents is controversial.  A child born and placed for adoption is often the answer to a prayer from couples who are unable to conceive; whereas, a child borne from a mother's infidelity is another matter altogether.  Sexual mating strategy has evolved around the instance of human "cuckoo birds".  With the obvious parent being the mother, the question of paternity rests with the father.  This might explain the irrational fear of race-mixing as the offspring from this union will bear obvious traits from both parents thereby reducing the chances of questionable paternity.

Men are predisposed to fears of sexual infidelity which may be corroborated with experiential evidence.  Unfaithful wives and cheating men are the brokers of mistrust.  No man wishes to unwittingly invest his time, energy, and resources in raising a child only to discover that it is not his offspring with a soul-crushing betrayal of trust.

The psychology employed by pick-up artists tap into the receptive female psyche which surprisingly reacts to their "gaming" tactics like hypnosis.  These tactics include exploiting the female propensity for emotional responses to male behavior which can be confused for high mate potential.  Often times these women will sleep with such men without fully understanding the consequences.  The consequences being a repeating cycle of use, abuse, shame, and sometimes offspring.  Women bond through sex, which releases the hormone, Oxytocin (especially after orgasm).  This is the same hormone released when women breastfeed their children which helps to bond mother to child (more on biochemistry).  With repeated sexual experiences with multiple partners, women are susceptible to losing their ability to pair bond as their hormones grow accustomed to nebulous associations.  This is why societies evolved to 'slut shame' women of 'loose moral' character; however, this condition has been around since the dawn of our species.  In biblical terms, since Eve was first tempted by the snake in the Garden of Eden.

One of the least discussed and most famous "reverse-cuckolds" in fact comes from the bible in the form of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary.  Mary was a young girl betrothed to Joseph, an older man and a simple carpenter.  She was visited by an angel and was told that she "had found favor with The Lord" and would carry the Son of God.  She humbly submitted "as the handmaiden of the Lord" and returned to her future husband with the news.  Joseph reacted with anger and decided to "quietly divorce" Mary, when he too was confronted by an angel who explained that Mary conceived without sin (or temptation) and that her child would be the son of God.  And so the story goes that Joseph took care of Mary during her pregnancy and up until the child, Jesus, was able to fend for himself.  It was not clear in the scripture when St Joseph died, but it was clear that he cared for his adopted son as illustrated in the story where Jesus was lost in the Temple and his parents found him discussing sacred writ with rabbis and priestly scholars as a child.  St Joseph, (aptly named a saint) was a simple man from the working class who displayed an enormous amount of grace in being strong enough to have the character to do the right thing even in the face of 'soul-crushing' circumstances.

We may be the sons and daughters of Adam and Eve, but We are ALL children of God.  Our ancestors have failed us.  Infidelity has most likely crossed our genetic past.  It currently haunts our present, but it doesn't have to determine our future...

The good news is that there is hope!  The psychology of human behavior lies in our ability to map new neural pathways.  In other words, we are capable of self hypnosis so much so that we can regain control of our hormones and even map new associations so that we can change old habits and form healthy new ones.  This begins first with a sincere desire to make a change in our lives.  Next, we must take our desire from thought to word by spreading the seeds of change in the form of meaningful words that speak to the individual.  Then push further from word into deeds that 'carve' behavioral associations into the mind.  With time and effort all things can submit like water cutting through rock to form a river.  With enough practice, one's actions can sustain into habits that eventually turn into character.

When one is faced with a 'nexus' point in their lives where they must choose a path that can determine the course of the future (as St Joseph had to decide) their character has been developed to assist them with their decision.  The character of their past determines how they will react in the present, which alters the course of the future.


"Nexus points are places where destiny and opportunity collide or from a Christian perspective where God’s call and man’s courage and will intersect. They are strategic moments that speak to core of history and purpose, of decisions and the trying of men’s souls. They are opportunities to demonstrate in the moment of testing that your heart is true, that out of the fire comes precious treasure and not garbage to be swept aside." (1 Cor. 3:11-13)

― The Burning Bush

Throughout history our ancestors have known about supernatural power over elemental forces of nature embodied in objects and people.  Early tribes of Polynesian (Hawaiian) origin as well as those of the Maaori (New Zealand) have referred to this as "Mana".  Individuals strong with Mana were said to wield powerful influence.

Ever since I was a young boy I recall being fascinated with stories of heroes.  I watched them in cartoons, I read about them in comic books, I listened to people talk about them in church.  I fell in love with the idea that despite overwhelming odds in each of these stories, the hero was somehow able to overcome his enemy's traps, defeat the 'bad guy', and save the day.  Over time I took notice that all my heroes seemed to possess a similar character (author, Joseph Conrad writes about this in The Hero's Journey).  The basic format is that the hero starts off as a regular person, they encounter tragedy or hardship, and must journey to find resolution ultimately returning with the knowledge or power to defeat their foe.

My older brother indoctrinated me and my younger brother to the world of "Star Wars" which introduced us to the concept of "The Force", a mystical energy that surrounds everything in the universe and can be used to manipulate or influence one's environment by those sensitive to its presence.

In college I became familiar with the concepts of social dominance, which basically details how people fall into a certain "pecking order" at work, at home, and in the sexual market place.  I remembered being invisible to girls in junior high school and envied the athletes and "cool kids" that seemed to effortlessly command the attention of the herd.  For high school my parents enrolled me into a competitive all-boys preparatory school which taught me many skills.  I grew strong in mind, body, and spirit.  In college I returned to a co-ed learning environment with the gift of self-confidence.  I was no longer 'invisible' to the fairer sex and relished in the newfound attention.  I competed in talent shows and contests and won.  I dated the most attractive females, got selected for competitive jobs, and things generally seemed to work out for me.

After graduation I took a job where I started at the bottom of the social hierarchy.  I slaved 80 hours a week making 'cold calls' for little pay.  My confidence waned, and I struggled.  My body reflected the poor diet my lifestyle could afford.  My spirit was crushed by rejection at work and in my personal life.  My choice of career was clearly affecting my life in a negative manner.  I did what any young and inexperienced college graduate would do and accepted the first job that "looked' good and would help me pay my bills.  I suffered nearly 17 months at a job that I hated in order to save enough money to secure a house.  Shortly thereafter, I left that miserable work experience with the knowledge and training to acquire a position at another firm with a higher income and better hours.

Slowly my confidence began to resurface.  I took time to eat better and exercise.  With time I experienced love and acceptance which helped my soul to heal.  I was growing strong again in mind, body, and spirit.  Things once again started to work out for me and I became grateful!

I learned a most valuable lesson in seeking balance in one's life so as to not take any of the gifts of well-being for granted.  With this I vowed to help others on their journey as I was helped in mine.

I started with myself.  I wrote out the characteristics of the man I wished to be, then I devised a plan to accomplish this.  I started to read for leisure to keep my mind sharp.  I took up competitive sports to train my body and learned to cook in order to eat a healthy diet.  For my spiritual growth I would often spend time in nature listening to the 'universe' in quiet meditation, thoughts, and prayer.  My faith grew stronger...

After results started manifesting in my own life through attracting health, wealth, friends, and important relationships I felt confident to begin helping others.

In today's vernacular we call the person on top of the social hierarchy the "Alpha".  The Alpha is the leader of the pack (In wolves as well as in primates).  They achieve this ranking through dominance of mind, body, and spirit.  They are CEO's of corporations, heads of state, and leaders in the world. In grammar, Alpha is a verb, adverb, noun, and adjective.  Alpha behavior is marked by being in control of oneself.  These individuals possess seemingly supernatural powers of influence.  They are the 'x-factor' in the equation that tilts the odds in their favor.  Their influence can turn a sinking ship of a company into a flying frigate of profit and success.  They are not handed these gifts so much as they have learned to wield them.  Their struggle has made them strong.  Alpha is equivalent to "favor from God".  One cannot become Alpha without first suffering through other ranks of the hierarchy.  Alpha is a constant process.  If one fails to maintain it, it can leave them.  With Alpha, great things are possible...

Young people are interested in the benefits of being perceived "Alpha" due the social benefits of attracting wealth, mates, and power; however, true Alpha cannot be impersonated.  Some may be fooled initially, but society can tell almost immediately.  In nature, the Alpha animals are typically the tallest (biggest), most intelligent, and most equipped to defend the tribe (including themselves in battle).  Most of the candidates selected to become CEO's or presidents of the United States were over six feet tall.  Alpha status is highly coveted for the benefit of mating as females are attracted to status; however, 'with great power comes great responsibility'.  Alphas must stay on top of their game in order to prevent being bested by another competing member of the tribe.  Barring physical combat, one need not be discouraged if they do not possess great height or size.  Alpha status can be achieved through wealth, talent or ability, and most importantly attitude.  Alpha mindset is to control that which is in their power, to shrug off disappointment, and to continue moving forward towards their goal of being the best they can be.  Everything else will fall into place (status benefits and all).

Throughout the course of time the terms will change in which we assign the mystical powers associated with individuals of influence.  The important takeaway is that it does exist, it always has and will continue to shape our environment, world, and ultimately our universe.

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be open to you"