I probably don’t have to tell you just how important testosterone is to being a man. Healthy levels make us feel strong, confident, and aggressive. But lifestyle choices can and do affect just how much of the manly hormone we produce. Here are some tips for keeping your T levels high:
1. Forget “Testosterone Boosters”
I’ve been contacted by different supplement companies to see if I will promote a “testosterone booster” on my blog. I always ignore these requests. The reason is simple: I’ve yet to see any real scientific evidence (double-blind, placebo controlled studies) that any supplement actually increases levels of the manly hormone. I’ve seen these pills and powders come and go for over 20 years and none of them actually do anything except drain your wallet. I’ll be happy to change my mind if something hits the market that is backed by solid research, but in the meantime I’d recommend you save your money.
2. Stay Lean
High body fat levels in men are associated with low testosterone and high estrogen (a losing combination). This makes sense—a fat body will produce more estrogen than a lean one. You may rightly argue that causation and correlation are not the same thing, but the evidence suggest being overweight is the cause (not the effect) of low testosterone in most cases. One study measured the body fat and testosterone levels of 821 men over the span of 4.8 years. As expected, fatter subjects tended to have less favorable hormonal profiles. The researchers reached this conclusion:
“Longitudinal analyses showing no influence of baseline hormone levels on change in anthropometric measures imply that body composition affects hormone levels and not the reverse.”1
Is it possible to be too lean? Maybe. The calorie restrictions required to get down to 4-5% body fat may be just as bad for your T levels. One study tracked a drug-free bodybuilder as he dieted from 14% down to 4.5% body fat for a competition. His testosterone levels dropped and incredible 80%.2 This is one of the many reasons anabolic steroids are so popular among competitive bodybuilders.
You will look and feel better if you can maintain a reasonably lean physique (maybe 8-15% body fat).
3. Sleep
Consistently getting a good night’s sleep is another way to make sure to keep your T levels high. One study measured the effects of sleep deprivation on the testosterone levels of ten healthy men. Their hormone levels were tested the first three days with ten-hour bedtimes (retiring at 10:00 p.m. and getting up at 8:00 a.m.). The men were then subjected to sleep deprivation, only getting a five-hour bedtime for the next eight nights. Their testosterone levels dropped anywhere from 10-15% as a result of the sleep deprivation. This is especially remarkable when you consider the mean age of the subjects was 24—what should be a peak as far as testosterone production is concerned. In other words, even young men are not immune from the effects of sleep deprivation.3
Here’s another bonus to sleeping well: it will help you stay lean. Losing sleep seems to cause several unfavorable changes as far as hormones that control appetite and fat loss. It makes you feel hungrier, making you more likely to eat too much.
4. Eat Broccoli
Broccoli is great because it is full of fiber and has virtually zero carbohydrates. These properties have made it a staple of bodybuilding diets for decades. But broccoli is also helpful for hormone balance and (indirectly) boosting your testosterone. Broccoli contains a phytochemical that helps to minimize the effect of estrogen in your body. These chemicals basically convert estrogen to “friendlier,” less potent form. The end result is higher levels of free testosterone.4
5. Drink Less Alcohol
Alcohol use has been shown to have a negative impact on testosterone levels in several studies. The negative correlation between alcohol consumption and T levels is not completely understood, but here are a few things to consider:
1. Alcohol itself seems to have a direct (negative) impact on the production and/or synthesis of testosterone.
2. Alcohol abuse damages the sexual organs as well as the liver and other organs.
3. Some types of alcoholic beverages (such as bourbon, beer, and wine) are high in phytoestrogens–chemicals that mimic estrogen when ingested. Even “moderate” drinking levels have been shown to lower testosterone levels in some men.5
Conclusion
Let me give you some final words of advice:
I mentioned not spending your money on “testosterone boosters.” The same goes for most bodybuilding supplements. Stick with the basics: creatine monohydrate, protein powder, a multivitamin, and fish oil (you may want to add vitamin D3 if you don’t get much sun exposure or are dark-skinned). The same is true for “fat burner” supplements: most of them are overpriced caffeine tablets (there are a few exceptions which I have written about on my blog). Be skeptical of the hype when it comes to supplements.
Keep the “90% rule” in mind. I realize most of us can’t follow these tips 100% of the time. I’m not saying having a beer or pulling an all-nighter every once in a while is going to turn you into an effeminate, doughy beta-male. But what you do most of the time matters and will affect you for better or for worse. If you can follow these tips 90% of the time you should have great results.
One more thing: I’d advise you to get your testosterone levels tested while you are still young. This will give you a baseline to compare against as you age. If you need testosterone replacement therapy at some point you will have an idea of what your levels were in your peak.
References:
1. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2013 Apr 26. Sex Steroid Hormone Levels and Body Composition in Men.
2. Int J Sports Physiol Perform. 2013 Feb 14. Natural Bodybuilding Competition Preparation and Recovery: A 12-Month Case Study.
3. JAMA. 2011 Jun 1;305(21):2173-4. Effect of 1 Week of Sleep Restriction on Testosterone Levels in Young Healthy Men
4. J. Nutr. July 1, 2003 vol. 133 no. 7 2470S-2475S Indole-3-Carbinol Is a Negative Regulator of Estrogen
5. Alcohol Health Res World. 1998;22(3):220-7. Alcoholic beverages as a source of estrogens.
Read More: 5 Easy Ways to Boost Your Testosterone
“The self-reliant person is no joiner of groups or communities”
http://i340.photobucket.com/albums/o330/ShalerGatsbyLosClavos/StoppedReading.jpg
If you think about it, in the context, there is a little truth there. I am sure he did not mean it in the sense that it came out. This one line should not be usedas the base of the entire article, I believe. The article is quite insightful. But yes, I do understand why it could be regarded as belittling. Not opposing you, BTW
Depends what you’re trying to do. It’s stupid to join up because you just need to feel cool…..but other groups like Toastmasters or a fitness club provide tangible benefits and allow you to draw on the knowledge that others may have in that area.
You missed one hell of a good read then. But I think the presumptions that you have made about the article based on that sentence alone are redeemed a little after:
“The self-reliant person is no god. He is not altogether independent of others. In the practical affairs of life, he, like everyone, requires other people. But he knows that, as Cicero put it, “a good reputation is not worth raising a finger to obtain, if it were not that it is so useful.”
You see, it’s not the author’s point to describe the independent man as a fedora wearing pretensious douchebag who brags about his ‘supperior intellect’ and sees himself too cool for the crowd. But rather a no-nonsense individual who is perceptive enough to see that the frivolities of modern society bring no benefits at the end of the day, or atleast not as much as the skills you learn yourself, for your own gain, and not for the approval of others. That has always been what manhood meant to me.
It took me 20 years and a divorce but I finally went to a blacksmithing class and it is one step forward to self-reliance if SHTF
You are one of many.
So many young men waste their youth. Instead of investing in themselves, they invest their hard earned dollars in buying furniture for their future ex-wife.
From a philosophical point of view, he’s absolutely correct.
From a pragmatic point of view, most people need some form of community.
I agree- while having others in your life can be enriching, what is a man if he can’t survive on his own?
Self-reliance builds an inner confidence that comes with knowing that no matter what happens, you’ll always be able to fall back on yourself.
There is (was/used to be?) a series of books called Foxfire. A wealth of self reliance information is in them, as well as a fascinating narrative way of writing, most of it taken directly from people in 19th/early 20th century Appalachia when they didn’t call it “self reliance” they called it “gittin’ through a normal day, y’ear?”.
The SAS Survival Manual is also a good beginner’s resource for all kinds of information that can be applied not just to survivalism but to self-reliance as well.
Amish, specifically Schwarzentruber (sp) or “old order” are a good thing to study as well. The kind of Amish that still forbid buttons and don’t “cheat” by putting a generator outside the house to warm the barn, them types.
Another great introduction to self reliance, especially for city or suburban men, is to take up hunting and fishing. While not self-reliant in and of themselves, they start you down the path in a good way. Learn how to gut, hang and bleed, and butcher a deer, or clean a load of fish efficiently, and your mind starts wandering to other topics that lead to self-sufficiency.
“In practice, it presupposes discipline and sacrifice”
Well said.
I don’t think too many people are going to agree with you or let alone really understand the fundamental meaning you’re trying to convey in this article. But this is perhaps the only way I’ve found possible to live in this society. A fundamental that I will never give up. Well put @C.Contrary:disqus . FT1X.
Thank you, Kenneth. Wisdom doesn’t address itself to the crowd. Neither does it expect to be understood by them. Wisdom is by definition a minority or elitist affair.
I don’t consider myself an elitist by any means. The more I learn the more I realize how little I know. Forever a student to hard lessons learned through the glorious pains of life. The struggle will always be to achieve and apply the most truthful/useful/realistic principles. No egos, no emotions. Just straight truth. Unfiltered and unbiased. Because nothing is really “yours” at the end of the day. F the one time.
“Basic Instincts
Social Life
Paradoxes
Side by Side
Don’t submit to stupid rules
Be yourself
And not a fool
Don’t accept average habits
Open your heart, and PUSH THE LIMITS”
These are the lyrics from Enigma’s Push the Limits song. I always listen to it to motivate myself during moments of tyranny from others, when I’m in situations where I have to depend on others, even if I can’t stop the dependence.
Self reliance. as the author correctly said, can lead to solitude. One actually feel happy when one is alone, when one is self-reliant. The true test of a man’s character is how he can live with himself, all alone. Women, friends, family, etc are all evanescent. Enjoy their company, but never attach yourself to them. Self reliance creates freedom. A great book which explores this is the book by Harry Browne,” How I found freedom in the modern world.” The problem why most people can never be completely self reliant is because of the need for security. This need for security causes attachment to other humans, which takes away our freedom. Like how 50 cent said, “I was born alone and I will die alone. I must do what’s right for me, and not live my life like how others want.” That’s what society does to every person. Our women, our children, our parents, our family, our friends, the society, they all want men to sacrifice self reliance for security. The ironic thing to be noted is that people themselves want to attach themselves most to self-reliant men, just like how a parasite seeks out a host. In the end, self-reliance is one of the greatests things a man can achieve in his life. Don’t ever sacrifice it for security or evanescent attachments to people. Love yourself first. This has been one of the best articles on RoK lately and the lesson to be learned cannot be emphasized enough. Choose freedom over security, gentlemen. Your freedom will eventually create security for you.
Well said my friend. Women value security over self reliance which is the polar opposite of most men. This is why they can be desperate to attach themselves to a self-reliant man. It’s a weird catch-22 isn’t it?
Quote: “Well said my friend. Women value security over self reliance which is the polar opposite of most men”
And this is why a single mother raising a son is doing him a major disservice, and exactly why it should be considered child abuse to a boy.
That is insightful … to the extent that is true
^^ right on. Single women have no clue about raising a boys. It takes a man to raise a boy. It takes a woman to properly raise a girl. The optimum is kids raised by ..wait for it …heterosexual opposite sex parents.
It takes a man to raise a boy. It takes a woman to properly raise a girl. – I disagree biskuts. Male influence is very important in a girl’s life. Lack of father’s influence and control leads to whoredom.
You are right of course. The Yin and Yang ie balance but I would say that mom’s mostly raise the daughters and dad’s mostly raise the sons. Re: fathers and daughters you are right daughters of single moms are more likely to be unwed moms themselves and fall prey to father figure types ie thugs and get knocked up perpetuating the single mommery cycle. A dad’s role in his daughter’s life is simple. Dad tells his “little girl” that she is beautiful and that he will protect her like the Liam Neeson character in the flik Taken. Boys at around 7 or 8 need to transition to the dad’s influence which i give about 80% dad : 20% mom. See the flik “Legends of the Fall” and the father/patriarch ( played by Sir Anthony Hopkins) is a model father type for sons….
The man
Of virtuous soul commands not, nor obeys.
Power, like a desolating pestilence,
Pollutes whate’er it touches; and obedience,
Bane of all genius, virtue, freedom, truth,
Makes slaves of men, and of the human frame
A mechanized automaton.
Percy Shelley, “Queen Mab.”
I’ve only ever been dependent on my self. When i ask other people for help I always assume no until they are in the act of helping me. In the meantime I’m looking for alternative solutions. But in being self reliant, I’m also considered a loner because I do what I want regardless of what anyone else thinks or says. Hell I travel by myself all the time and I kind of prefer it
Good on you. I’m contemplating a solo trip soon-I’ve always traveled with friends or gf’s. Any tips on travelling solo? I’ve always been a guy that enjoys his solitude so I think it would suit me.
Start at one end of the rocky mountain national park, end up at the other.
Research the country, find the things you like to do ie Museams, trails, food, the night life, art, culture and history. And go for it, just be mindful. Maybe try to learn a little about the people and the language, expect to make friends once you’re there
You do everything else solo so why not travel solo haha
Travelling by myself is something I could never bring myself to do.
Seriously? Why not, if you don’t mind me asking?
I meant could as in the past tense.
I have been considering it, but have made no plans as yet. I’ve got a number of projects I’d like to get started first.
? Traveling alone is better than NOT traveling. Taking the journey is key
Oh, I have travelled outside the matrix. I just haven’t gone anywhere where I didn’t know anybody.
I travel alone alot and when people find out they look at me like I’ve got 3 heads. Like I’m peculiar. Or that I’m going on some 3rd world whore bender. Would rather go with someone I guess but my peers can never get off work, the wifey blah blah etc
I recommend the book Restoring Pride: The Lost Virtue of Our Age, by philosopher Richard Taylor:
http://www.amazon.com/Restoring-Pride-Richard-Taylor/dp/157392024X
My favorite quote on this is from Heinlein: A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.
Most importantly – control his lust for women, and control his woman.
That’s where most modern men experience epic fail.
Amen to that.
The
will of the species is so much more powerful than that of the
individual.
Individuals collectively form a species. So the collective will of individuals will THEN constitute the will of the species , only in the case of females (bitches/hoes). The herd mentality is primarily a female trait, never a male one. But men today have become spineless identityless mirrors who just asskiss everyone. If society tells them to marry a slut in a big fat wedding, they’d do it because ‘everyone’ is doing it. What does it say? Most modern men have become emasculated feminized cuckolded slut ass-licking faggots, like you who takes pride in marrying a used bitch. The herd mentality is the trait of faggots. Real men follow, but when the leader dies, another man takes up the mantle to lead. Modern faggots of men can’t take charge because they’ve become the feminized herd. That’s why men today don’t have a direction in their lives, they just waste their lives floating around like an autumn leaf in the wind, which then becomes dust.
Yes, but it’s deliberate. When a man can’t lead and has no direction in his life then you know that he will follow the direction others provide him.
Saturn, very true. But if a man can control the cunts properly, no need to worry about controlling his lusts.
BTW Saturn, I read some of your earlier posts. Great stuff, man.
I love that Heinlein quote….thanks for posting it…
The only part I disagree with is ‘program a computer’. yes, programming was complicated in the 60’s, but was possible for anyone with math knowledge… What Heinlein refers to as ‘programming a computer’ would be more appropriately referred to as ‘USE a computer’ today.
As for the rest, I have made that phrase a lifelong goal for the last 40 years 🙂
It is better to have little money and be free, than be rich and vulnerable to
the whims of others.
Great article, C.Contrary. More like this one, please and less of the kinky articles by reywolfy
For you MGTOW crowd, Supreme just put up a video addressing you bitch-asses.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aP5btBE4fP8
TL;dw except last few minutes to get his recapitulation. Ridiculous advice for a would-be “teacher of young men.” ‘Breed’ is his advice, or you’re going against nature. Marriage is a bona fide fraudulent agreement in the Western world and regardless of being married, creating a child with a woman (or being accused/on the hook to be the de facto father) is legal indentured servitude. What a complete tool.
A ghost would be wise enough to not reply but I have to debunk stupidity masquerading as wisdom. And nice job outting yourself as a troll, H_B.
Whether or not the marriage institution has been corrupted by American “society” has little to do with whether it’s natural for people to want to breed.
It’s also not “trolling” to call people out on their bullshit.
I suspect you are either a woman or a man who thinks too much like one; i.e. not understanding a simple deductive chain to convince many thinking men to avoid marriage/children in Western societies. There is no bullshit to call anyone out on but entertaining strawman.
Any animal is driven to breed. A thinking animal (man) decides if the environment warrants the implied risks of that action. r vs K-type strategies. I’m done.
I simply pointed out the natural instinct……which you yourself admit exists.
Let’s also look at who’se behavior is feminine. That man stands up and said what he believes, and aggressively challenged people. Your response was to cry over hurt feelings and start calling people names (troll, woman, etc).
Your actions resemble a teenage girl, not fully grown man.
Also worth noting is that “It’s risky, so don’t do it!!” is a behavior that’s usually taught by MOTHERS. It’s a FEMALE behavior and thought pattern.
Most successful men take substantial risks in order to achieve success, risks that could get them bankrupt, imprisoned, or even killed.
Men mitigate risk, women avoid risk.
I’ve noticed on these blogs there seems to be a lot of debate between MGTOW, Traditional routes, etc… Instead of trying to debase each other(after all we’re on the same team) we should just accept that there is no right or wrong path in life, we just all want an educated choice in the matter. There will always be pros and cons to each kind of lifestyle-it really depends on your personality. I think we can agree that we should not live according to other people’s expectations, even if that means the opinions of ROK members or any other blog. The purpose here should be to educate men on the pitfalls of any lifestyle choice and then make up our own minds on the best route. Even when a route is chosen, a man may change their position over time as well. We don’t have to remain static, although I will say that a family commitment is a bit harder to back out of-that’s why you have to make those decisions very carefully.
much of the dislike for MGTOW stems from the fact that a lot of us feel that they have abandoned the fight… there’s a ton of work to be done to hammer America back into shape, and those who have ‘given up’ seem to be traitors.
Don’t go your own way, fall into line and do as you are told like a good little lackey within a system designed to Genocide White men, otherwise everyone else who didn’t go their own way and fell into line and did as they were told like good little lackey’s within a system designed to Genocide White men will call you names like ‘traitor’ ‘supremacist’ or ‘naziwhowantstokill6millionjews’.
Hammer America ‘back into shape’ by all means and ensure that Pedro and Tran and Ahmed can enjoy their 2nd Amendment right to have a bayonet lug on an AR15 and live in a land freed from the scourge of ‘privileged’ White people. Yep, that makes a lot of sense to me.
Until the attempt to destroy EVERY White country through 3rd World immigration and ‘assimilation’ is ended the system gets absolutely no participation by me at all, and this is from a guy who was in charge of raising the national flag in high school and who joined the military as soon as high school was over and who gave 15 of the prime years of my life to ‘my’ country.
I was basically Captain America.
But screw ’em, I did every single thing I was told would get me ahead in life and it was all lies based on deceit and BS.
I now channel Loki instead, and the girls love me for it.
I don’t blame men who abandon a system that abandoned them long ago but for me the fight isn’t about hammering America or Australia or UK back into shape it’s about fighting White Genocide.
you are mistaken. It is not our duty to fall into line, it is our duty to REBEL against an unlawful system.
I would rather a man blow up a bank, murder a politician, gun down hundreds of people at a marxist reeducation camp, than give up and walk away like a coward… Those are REALLY the ones that are ‘falling into line’, because ‘falling through the cracks’ is what the movers and shakers behind liberal america WANT the rebels to do, rather than actively rebel.
Like Sam Adams…my favorite founding father…a radical and a badass…
Aye, I agree, the people who emulate The Founding Fathers don’t realise they were moved to bloodshed and rebellion against the nation they loved because of TAXES. Yet everyday the Liberals and Cultural Marxists take away more and more of what made Western Civilisation great, and the Conservatives just take it, blindly thinking they are free. It’s subtle oppression, nay, destruction, yet I fear Conservatives will not realize this until they are in a jail cell, or worse, a firing line.
Nice thought, but in practice MGTOW usually means you’re going to sit at home crying about how much the world sucks and jacking off to internet porn.
I was explaining why it is that many people consider MGTOW traitors.
The system could not survive, because it needs the ressources provided by Whitney to properly function.
No, much of the dislike for MGTOW stems from the fact that “MGTOW” people advocate self destructive and disempowering behavior.
I think this is an important point. A while back there was an article on the incapability of women to attain solidarity amongst themselves. I agree, but it felt a pretty hypocritical piece in light of the “debasing” you just mentioned that (I notice too) is often found here. To be a man is to take in, with as clear vision as you can, the world around you and choose you own way based on what you have learned and experienced balanced against what you know makes life worth living. RoK can be a great tool for this purpose… it will stop being so if it is felt to be just another media or peer pressure force trying to control us one way or another.
Beautifully written. As a good friend of mine said “collaboration, not collectivisation.”
Some confort to us free thinkers in a world that hates individuals, and tries to break us into submission, making us feel like anti-social haters, even “terrorists”, when truth is collectivism has been the real force of ruin for all of mankinds history.
Thank you
John Galt
Very good.
Different from the usual “listserve” articles.
Thid article is fucking genius. It condenses much of the wisdom I’ve learned the hard way through life experience down into a single article. Bravo.
It also feels like a shift away from the usual (but still needed) analyzation of problems facing modern Western men and towards laying down a new philosophy for Red Pill takers.
ah yes, the goal i’ve been striving for all my life. not there yet, but getting there.. nice article man, keep it up
>Nothing indeed can be a stronger presumption of falsehood than the approbation of the multitude.
money quote.
Long time reader, first time poster-
Our family is self reliant in that we produce virtually everything that we consume from food to energy and our excess production offsets those needs we cannot meet. We accept nothing from the government even though we live far below the official poverty line (but far above most Americans standard of living- how’s that for a paradox?). Our goal is to be an example to our children that success in life is to produce more than you consume and to find contentment in every aspect of life no matter how difficult, no matter how challenging and without concern for what others think of you.
The truth is that no matter how self reliant you are- no matter that there are no tasks that require me to hire in- you are always dependent in some fashion on your community and without exception on your family. I can deliver calves, build barns, repair tractors, cut timber, raise produce, and on and on, but without my family and their love and unconditional support I would likely die an early death, alone and without purpose.
True self reliance and self sufficiency is an illusion. Mastery of your own life and the ability to direct your actions and efforts into productive labor for the benefit of yourself and your loved ones- and this includes close friends and neighbors- is what real men should endeavor towards. The support provided by a wife and children gives you the ability to go out into the worst conditions and do the most challenging and arduous tasks on your own because it is for the benefit of others. My wife is equally self sufficient in her activities because she understands that her efforts benefit those whom she loves and cares for and in turn they provide for those things she cannot. From the outside I appear to be one of those rugged self reliant individuals who goes my own way, but I am carried on the shoulders of my family every step.
Didn’t mean to get long winded, but I also don’t want any of the younger men out there who aspire to a life of self-sufficiency to mistake the purpose of life as something lived purely for the sake of self. We are here to create a posterity that can in its own turn be as independent as possible in order that others can depend upon him. And all your PUA mastery, whether you realize it or not, is really a means of finding the one gem of a woman that can not only hold your attention for a lifetime and give you children to love who will in turn carry on your line long after you have gone-
” I can deliver calves, build barns, repair tractors, cut timber, raise produce, and on and on, but without my family and their love and unconditional support I would likely die an early death, alone and without purpose.”
– What a fucking lie.
Four of the greatest men in human history – Jesus, Buddha, Newton and Tesla. All proof enough that the myth of the female agency and the lonely old men are nothing but MYTHS. A life of dependence on others – especially women – is the sure shot path to a life of mediocrity.
Just make sure you don’t go down the deep end and end up sniffing your own farts all day. Man is a social animal and there is wisdom in the crowd, call it swarm intelligence, environment, God or whatever. It’s easy to get lost in solitude and rationalizations as well.
RoK needs an article on “The Value of Self-Respect”. Most men today don’t have any. They’re just dogs on a leash being led by slutty women today.
As a woman who was self reliant throughout her life I have always considered myself a loner with strong emotional strength and had a” fuck everyone else” mind set. It all changed once I entered a serious happy relationship but as a person became a whiner. Need to get some of my old traits back, fast.
Tapering off right when it was getting even more interesting, i.e. big pharma gradually enslaving a nation…
Clearly, you can do anything to the herd, because by definition sheeple never question what is being fed to them.
Great article, anyway. Emerson would have been proud of you.
I love this fucking article. I read it from time to time, and show off to other men.
This right here is what entails……an ALPHA MALE.
I am every bit of what the articles says, but i’ll say this: the path of Self-reliance can be quite draining and lead to extreme loneliness. Having nothing and no one to relate to and share the most simple thing in life with, can be very hazardous for your health as you end up with no social life at all. People think this is the pinnacle of the Alpha male i view it as the Omega male description of Urban dictionary. And if you take my word for it here’s and advise: Don’t go to far with self-reliance.
If you are „every bit of what the articles says“ (good for you then), then
you shouldn‘t feel this „draining and extreme loneliness“. If you do you are probably not yet „every bit of what the articles says“ and have more work to do.
Self-reliance must be acquired and the path toward it can be very difficult as i’ve been there, i advised to consider the risk of taking such a journey. There is alway more work to do.
I understand your point and do actually (more or less) agree with you. Most people I know would have very difficult time trying to mentally cultivate this „state“ and some of them I belive would even be harmed. This work is a lifetime mission but not something you can just „pull of“ and then quit. One could though argue that the risk is worth taking.
This is how I have lived for quite some time. I doubt I could have ever articulated it as well as you.