Selo Ethics #3 — To Bool or to Go Hard

The Selomachean Ethics asks “How much work should a man do in life?” Should a man bool, or go hard in the paint? That, I truly believe, is the ultimate question. Selonomics, then, is the science of maximizing social status given desired work effort, or energy expenditure.

Not every man should be lazy like me, but the reason I feel that exploring this subject is so important is that so few people actually know what they want in life. By extension, few people realize or even want to acknowledge their limitations. This leads to a lot of disillusionment when one inevitably does not meet goals that are inherently out of reach.

Everybody blogging these days, every single lifestyle coach and e-celeb I’ve come across lately is pushing hard for others to work very hard, just like they do. I don’t actually believe this is the right way forward for many. Some people just suck at some things, and pushing harder just results in self-implosion and burnout. For some people, it’s just better to opt out. A positive mindset and ambition are not for everyone.

Today, I woke up at about one o’clock in the afternoon. I picked up some clothes off the floor, and a towel for the shower. I entered the washroom and threw it all on the ground, then got naked. I turned the shower on, set it to a moderate temperature and let it run for a while as I took a big shit.

After jumping in, I scrubbed hard with a loofa in an obviously impossible attempt to remove the lingering smell of tar from my fingers, neck and face as a result of the six Camels I smoked the night before.

I made my way downstairs to the coffee machine, slovenly and tired from a long night of smoking and philosophizing. I brewed up about 6 cups of coffee and diddled my fings, scrolling through Twitter as I waited for my eternal drink.

I went outside to the patio and chugged back that blackest of hot black nootropics. Then it hit me! The solution to an algorithm for a significant contract job that’s been wracking my mind for the few past weeks. Samuel Taylor Coleridge once claimed to have written his “Kubla Khan” after awaking violently from a dream. It really does happen.

In life there are two kinds of people: Artists, and Architects. Artists absolutely have to bool to get anything done. Architects always get things done, but they need a plan, and self-discipline. Because they’re less creative. They benefit less from inspiration. Most say that “inspiration” doesn’t even exist. They are also always anxious about the completion of their final project. That’s not to say that their work cannot be extraordinary, but every “architect” I’ve ever met truly, truly believes that you can’t produce without defined goals and an action plan.

Artists stay up late, drink far too much coffee, socialize more than they should, and then shit out their Magnum Opus in one sitting. And what comes out is not just good; it’s Godly. It’s usually far better than anything an Architect could ever produce.

I’m an Artist. Some people say that to embrace such an identity is merely a cop out for lack of fundamental ability, a circuitous kind of rationalization that ultimately results in never getting anything done but also not feeling bad about not getting that thing done even though you should.

Nah, to bool is life. Trust me. But I’ll explain why later.

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