Workout: Max Effort Bench Press
Combo Catch of the Day: Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel. New one for your sweating pleasure. ‘Sandbag Shoulders’ simply means grabbing a heavy bag, bear hug style, and getting it up to a shoulder.
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Atlas Snatched
Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote that it takes very two to make very one. Only unions comprised of folks who know how to Be, meaning they are participating in life as independent and vibrant entities, will avoid the pitfalls of an unbalanced or unstable relationship. We’ve all seen the inverse, folks who find their identities and worth FROM a relationship, often resulting in chaos through unmet expectations.
Within a tribe, this dynamic is a bit different. Whatever we want to name our desired outcome; Individuation (Jung), Self Actualization (Maslow), Consciousness of Being (Heidegger), Supreme Wisdom (Muhammad), The Eightfold Path (Buddha), Heaven (Christianity), truth is we could all use some help to get there. Individuality, therefore, is actually not a solo adventure. In fact, an argument could be made that there needs to be the support of the Tribe for freedom of thought to take place. Perhaps actualization can take place in a vacuum, but then there is the falling tree in the forest dilemma. If someone reaches complete individual potential, and no one is around to see it, does it actually exist?
Does individual potential even exist WITHOUT the interaction with the tribe? Am I making Ayn Rand role in her angry, humorless grave? Although she declares happiness as:
“Happiness is not to be achieved at the command of emotional whims. Happiness is not the satisfaction of whatever irrational wishes you might blindly attempt to indulge. Happiness is a state of non-contradictory joy—a joy without penalty or guilt, a joy that does not clash with any of your values and does not work for your own destruction, not the joy of escaping from your mind, but of using your mind’s fullest power, not the joy of faking reality, but of achieving values that are real, not the joy of a drunkard, but of a producer.”
She also states how this should only be claimed only as an individual:
“Just as I support my life, neither by robbery nor alms, but by my own effort, so I do not seek to derive my happiness from the injury or the favor of others, but earn it by my own achievement. Just as I do not consider the pleasure of others as the goal of my life, so I do not consider my pleasure as the goal of the lives of others.”
Sounds pretty darn lonely, if ya ask me, just like all the lead characters in her joyous, uplifting books. Play this through and see what the end product would be. A planet full of self-actualized humans it isn’t, but then her approach has always been a bit elitist, reserved for ‘intellectuals.’
And I thought I was a snob.
Our buddy Emerson also said “a friend is one before whom I may think aloud.” This begets dialog, if proper communication lines have been installed (no, not text message capabilities). And dialog begets education. If anything, our process of actualization needs the tribe for the actual education it takes to BECOME actualized. No matter how alone someone wants to imagine the project, unless you’re Siddhartha under the tree, chances are your ‘enlightenment’ had origins from brains before your own.
In the tribal scenario it takes very many to make very one, each person realizing their individual role, their individual qualities and, most importantly, their individual paths within the process of the community and the benefit of the tribe. We are now safe to find an identity from the tribe, since our role in it comes from a place of Self.
Sure, the mission is still to define and perpetuate the ‘how’ in this Utopian concept, so let’s work on it.
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DVD Update
Seriously, I’m none too bright. After a giant fire swept through the woods by the river on Monday, a routine visit to the river for Lulu’s benefit gave Trainer Al and I a chance to survey the damage. Everything across the river was blackened and although our usual river spot was unharmed, it only took a small walk about 500 yards down to be surrounded by a crispy, smoking landscape. It was strangely beautiful; gothic and peaceful. It reminded me of a friend’s band from the early 90′s called Pax Mortis, or ‘peace through death.’
So of course I had to film there. So 7 am Wednesday morning found me hauling a 70 pound kettlebell that ‘small walk’ about half a mile into the blackened woods, or what was left of them. Smoke from the still smoldering ground hung over the river like a morning mist, and every step brought up a puff of ash. As my lungs started ceasing up, I set the camera up and filmed set after set of heavy kettlebell work. I might die in the process of making this DVD, but it sure will be unique. Once again, kids… don’t try this at home.
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It’s powerlifting meet time!! Next Sunday (September 14th), it’s our first completely RAW meet. No, this doesn’t mean clothing optional, this means no supportive squat suits or bench shirts, just you and the bar. There is also the added competition bonus of a strength Sport competition, which features a strict overhead press, deadlift and strict curl competition. So many choices, one day of lifting! We have 5 team members stepping onto the platform next week, 3 veterans (Andy, Mieke and Deane) and 2 new lifters (TJ and Zac). Let’s have some fun.
As always, I could use helpers. Spotters and plate loaders are always in high demand at these meets, so if you can lend a hand, let me know. Or just come on out and watch!
I agree with the idea that any degree of enlightenment will thrive within the individual when accompanied by a tribe. Those of us who believe in a greater spiritual force (dare I use the word God?) know that sometimes that force can manifest itself through other people’s words or actions. While periodic isolation can be incredibly beneficial in a spiritual sense, total isolation cuts us off from any ideas or interperetations that aren’t our own. It’s also very selfish, in my opinion, to keep such a precious gift to ourselves.
Mmm, that footage is going to demand some careful music selection…
I’m thinking of getting the rights to the entire Night Ranger catalog.
And maybe some Speedwagon?
Agreed on your thoughts- I’ve never quite found Rand as entrancing as some. I’m a beliver in the concept that ‘we are our people’, which just doesn’t ride right with the “I am so Alone & Individual and Bad-assed” self-image.
I like the burn pictures- DVD should be fine…just none of the 70′s/80′s four-letter bands…Asia, Toto, Poco, Rush…
Guess it’s time to hold up my end of the bargain. You did an OL meet, I’ll do your PL meet. I need specs – I’ve never done one before. Shoot me an email with details when you can. Thanks Chippie!
“Consciousness of Being” is one of Sartre’s terms, not Heidegger’s.
PWN3D!
Heidegger wrote against the ‘forgetfulness of being’, which is the loss of the consciousness, or ‘mindfulness,’ of being (all having to do with the ‘history of being,’ blah, blah, blah). So perhaps I should’ve written ‘mindfullness of being’ instead, but Heidegger states it both ways, and was someone from whom Sartre was influenced (although not influenced as much as from Simone de Beauvoir, if ya know what I mean).
Me two cents. This doesn’t really relate to the post on any meaningful level. But I’ll share my most recent musing. Topic – “people I’d like to meet.”
Paul Theroux on the train. Laura Kipnis for coffee. Gore Vidal in a cab. Abbie Hoffman at the library. And Simone de Beauvoir at the gas station as she buys cigarettes (maybe even a scratcher) – she’ll say, “I’m sorry I can’t chat, Jean has the truck running.” Leaning into the seat next to him, he will shout through the passenger window and then the sliding doors, “you got unfiltered, yes?!” She’ll roll her eyes and mutter as she smiles pleasantly toward him, “philistine.”
I think dealing with one’s ego is key to being able to participate in a tribe or community (I mean ‘ego’ colloquially, in the way most people understand the term, before you fling Freud at me).
Everything that prevents one from fully participating in a tribe or community comes down to ego – pride, jealousy, shame, embarrassment, neediness.
Training can bring out these aspects rather alarmingly. For example:
- using a heavier weight than you should, because you want bigger numbers or just want to do better than someone else
- not accepting that what you are doing could be wrong or ineffective
- not accepting that someone else might be able to see what you are doing better than you can
- being jealous of other people’s ideas
- being jealous of other people’s strength/fitness/buffness
- showing off or doing things because they look good
So from the outside, going it alone seems the obvious solution and the ego pushes you in that direction. If someone criticises you, or suggests something different, or seems to be doing better than you, then you can just flounce off and continue elsewhere, “safe” in your little egotistical world where everything you do is right. You can even take it to the extreme and start your own community/religion.
I guess by definition actualisation can’t take place in a vacuum because it can’t take place until you feel truly safe, and you can’t feel truly safe in a vacuum. So goes my logic anyway.
good points!