My Ambitious Plan for "Getting Cultured"

Hey Friend,

This week, I have way too many ideas and too little time.

I'm sitting in a cafe in Hong Kong trying to bust this about before (inshallah) I go to China for 24 hours.

I'll flesh these out once I have time next week, but for now here are some thoughts:

• I want to royally rear myself.

• Self-improvement (as popularly conceived) is drastically incomplete.

• Young people (myself included) are arrogant and impatient and should learn the proper way to do things before trying to be creative and unique.

All of these have a shared theme: Respect tradition.

My being in Japan has led to me respecting tradition and understanding the "proper way" to do things.

This understanding and practicing of tradition is going to be a primary focus for me going forward.

I aim to blend the old and the new. In a masculine development context, this means becoming cultured in addition to more modern, "spiritual" efforts that have consumed me.

What does getting cultured even mean?

According to Wikipedia: "characterized by refined taste and manners and good education."

Here are some examples that come to mind when I think of "getting cultured":

• Literature: Read more. A LOT more. The Great Books, foundational religious texts (e.g. Bible and Quran), etc.

• Self-presentation: Manners, etiquette, speech, fashion, etc.

• Fine things: Understand and appreciate music, art, food, etc. more thoroughly.

• "Handyman" competency (especially for men): Car mechanics (like this amazing online course I took), electricity, plumbing, basic construction.

• And much, much more.

Here's a cool article called “How to Get Cultured in One Year” that lays out a lot more examples and a 12-month “program”.

I like the author's reasoning as to why to care about getting cultured: "the world takes on a certain richness with all the great variety one can find as one seeks ‘getting cultured.’”

I've found this just since joining this Online Great Books Program and reading old texts such as Homer and Plato.

You just start to see the connections between things and understand the world at a greater depth.

It's fascinating.

Overall, I simply like the idea of living a broad, yet rich, life.

I don't expect to become an expert in 90% of what I explore.

But, applying the 80/20 rule, I think that even if I just learn the right 20%, I will have a much greater and deeper understanding of the world and how to be in it.

As I said, all of this is very unprocessed, but I'll be diving into these topics much more deeply in the next newsletters and content after I have some roots again.

I'll be in Bali for the next month. If you have any recommendations or people to meet, let me know!

I'll leave it there.

As always, if anything in this email piqued your interest, shoot me a reply. I’d love to chat about it with you and see if we can’t both grow a little wiser.

Until next week,

Much love,
Ryan

P.S. Favorite Discoveries + New Content

A favorite quote:

“Do not leave your reputation to chance or gossip; it is your life's artwork, and you must craft it, hone it, and display it with the care of an artist.”
- Robert Greene, 48 Laws of Power

What I'm listening to:

The Life We’re Looking For by The Art of Manliness. One of my favorite podcasts in recent history focused on how to use technology rather than let it use us. I love the distinction between using your phone as an “instrument” rather than a “device”. As tech becomes an ever greater part of our lives, it is crucial we learn to use it correctly.

What I'm reading:

When the Money’s Just Too Damn Good by Nat Eliason. This article seems like it could have been written by a 5-year-older me. If you ever asked the question, “should I do X for money or Y for passion?", I’m confident you’ll find value in it.

Community I Joined:

NomadList. If you’re a digital nomad, this platform seems like a game-changer for meeting people. Put in your travel itinerary and see wo else is going to be in the same places as you at the same time. Here’s my profile as an example. This, plus more info than you could ever need on planning where to go next. Very cool.

Content from Me

Nada. Oops.