If you've read the manosphere more than briefly, you've probably noticed opinions that contradict each other. For a while I thought they had to be reconciled - did one opinion apply in some way that the contradicting opinion could still be valid? Or was one just wrong and the other right?
For these situations, I'm going to lift a Buddhist concept called "the Middle Path." Basically, don't think of an opinionated argument as one or the other - think of it as a spectrum, with extremes on the left and the right, and the truth in the middle. Note that you have to define the extremes properly to determine the middle, or else you'll think something is a middle when it's actually to the left or right. Also note that this only works when there are extreme opinions to begin with - there's no opinion that 1 + 1 is anything but 2.
To better illustrate, let's run through three examples.
Work on your Game before going abroad?
One hypothetical extreme:
"No, don't bother with Game - just by looking abroad, you can be a fat slob with no social skills, and expect supermodels to fall in your lap. You don't even have to go abroad, just bring them back to the West! And oh, by the way, take a look at my dating website with foreign women ..."
(HappierAbroad sometimes veers toward this).
Hypothetical extreme on the other end:
"Yes, become a complete and total master of Game in the West, because only by doing so will you get even passable girls abroad. Girls are the same everywhere, regardless of the sexual market they're in. And oh, by the way, take a look at my Game books, videos, and coaching sessions ..."
(The big London Daygame names sometimes veer toward this).
The Middle Path:
"The more you put into Game in the West, the more you'll get out of it abroad. But the grass is greener there, at every Game level. Take a look at my books if you like, they're so cheap that I'm practically giving them away ..."
(Roosh is pretty close to this).
How much should I fight feminism?
One hypothetical extreme:
"Just ignore it. With enough Game, you can overcome anything! By the way, I'm in Eastern Europe right now, because the women are more feminine here, and there's NO WAY feminism could come here, right?"
(The London Daygame guys sometimes veer toward this).
Hypothetical extreme on the other end:
"Thou shalt have no other life but to fight feminism! Forget fulfilling the personal or altruistic reasons you're fighting for in the first place!"
(The Men's Rights Movement sometimes veers toward this).
The Middle Path:
"Fight feminism efficiently. Don't forget the other projects in your life."
(Again, Roosh is the closest big name in my mind to this).
Do looks matter?
One hypothetical extreme:
"No, you could be a bug-eyed alien, and with enough Game, you could get supermodels at will! Just buy my books, videos, coaching sessions, etc."
(The London Daygame guys, sometimes, again).
Hypothetical extreme on the other end:
"Yes, looks are all that matters. You could be a male 10 and run 100% anti-Game, and still get supermodels at will!"
(Not too far from typical blue-pill thinking).
The Middle Path:
"Looks matter, so do what you can to improve them. It's easier than improving your Game, but there's a limit, and everyone's limits are different. But, if you're not a male 10, you still might be able to compete with one, if you've put in the hard work to have enough Game to exceed his looks and Game."
(Again, Roosh is the closest big name here).
Hopefully these examples have shown the usefulness of the Middle Path concept. Enjoy!
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