A Hero's Journey: The 21 Convention 10 Year Anniversary

10 Years Later

Anthony and I were born in 1988. I grew up to a virtually absentee father and a controlling feminist mother. No need to dwell on the details, many people have a similar story as me. Those of you who understand know that relationships do not come easily when you begin your adulthood journey.

In early 2009, I was under 21 and the question began obsessing in my mind. What do women want? A Google search revealed two things that caught my attention. One was David DeAngelo's Double Your Dating. The other was The Under 21 Convention. It looks like someone else my age had similar questions.

What a ride Anthony

What blew me away was how a kid my age could organize such an event. Not only that, give away the content for free. I was expecting some marketing ploy that would tease you the content and then keep it behind a paywall. Anthony is definitely self-concerned. What you get from the 21 Convention is a reflection of what interests Anthony at the time. But Anthony also has a big heart as he shared with me his interests through the upload of all these videos from the event.

Steve Mayeda (known as El Topo at the time), Nick Sparks, and James Marshall really stood out as speakers talking about sexuality and dating at the 21 Convention. As time went on, I got to see his tastes evolve. Anthony got flak for daring to expand his event to include more topics beyond pickup and game. But for me, I could not get enough. I remember getting Dr. Doug McGuff's Body by Science book. I also remember exploring Paleo after seeing Mark Sisson.

Anthony then began exploring political philosophy, so I began reading up on Ron Paul and the ideas of Austrian economics. Maybe it was the combination of the 2012 election and the harsh breakup of the girlfriend at the time that made me open to The Red Pill. The idea that the world wasn't the way I had been led to believe. I noticed the girlfriend go from warm to cold in an instant as soon as I was unemployed. It seemed love through thick and thin was only a masculine quality. That's where the Rational Male and Rollo Tomassi entered my life. I was hooked to that site.

"Why do my eyes hurt? ...You’ve never used them before"

My all time favorite Rational Male post is The Medium is the Message. It cuts straight to the point about when women send mixed signals. That mixed signal is the message itself. That means you are not her top priority. If she really wants you, she will make damn sure you are not confused by her message. No longer did I have to obsess and over-analyze the meaning of the mixed signal. The message was loud and clear now, she's not that interested.

Alan Roger Currie was a speaker for The 21 Convention 10 Year Anniversary and showed me a wonderful contrast to the mixed message. If the feminine is passive and signals mixed messages, the masculine is aggressive and signals explicit messages. Alan is a firm believer of NOT beating around the bush and getting straight to the bush. Because his time is valuable, he does not want to waste time going after a woman who's not interested. He wants to get the yes or no response as soon as possible.

I remember another phrase from Rollo. "Women should only ever be a compliment to a man’s life, never the focus of it." Which got me thinking what is my purpose in life? What am I striving for? Cue Dr. Jordan Peterson. His lectures blew away the arguments for nihilism. Life may be suffering, but embracing that challenge can lead to great things. Not only that, his lectures made me appreciate ancient texts and elders more. He made the Bible relatable on a psychological level. Elder wisdom is crucially important to maintain civilization. Much easier to maintain something than rebuild something when everything falls apart. Dr. Peterson often remarks that what he says is not revolutionary, it just puts into words what we all feel in our gut. His lectures have indeed triggered a very visceral reaction.

If you didn't know, we only can observe 4% of the universe. The rest of reality consists of dark matter and energy. I believe the same concept applies to our mind. Our conscious thoughts only consist of a small portion of our mind. Our "instinct", our subconscious, our unconscious make up the majority of our mind. The ancients often talk about the Way or the Path. I believe our instincts know the Way and we need to learn to trust and develop that instinct. Clearly not science, but honestly Hunter Drew said it best. You have to be irrationally confident in yourself to make it in this world.

The combination of  Rollo's new book, Positive Masculinity, the fact that he'd be in the 21 Convention, the fact that there would be multiple married men speaking (like Hunter), and it being the 10 Year Anniversary... I couldn't miss this event. There were so many wise elders to gain knowledge from. Particularly knowledge on raising a family right. More than half the speakers either have a kid and/or are married! Not only that, you could finally put faces to those in the virtual manosphere. This event showed us how connected we truly are. While the mainstream media seeks to isolate Red Pill views, this event strengthens the bonds between us warriors.

"Better to be slapped with the truth than kissed with a lie"

I eventually want to have a family. I want to continue my lineage and leave this world better for my children. Which is why I loved Socrates speech. He covered understanding biological imperatives in men and women to do relationships and family the right way. It was a hell of a speech for the first day of the 21 Convention. He opened the event with a bang. I remember seeing the eyes of the security guard at the event. It was like he saw Jesus, it was that inspiring.

"People rise to the standard you accept"

Speaking of inspiring, I need to talk about Hunter Drew, also known as The Family Alpha. His talk got a standing ovation. Honestly, if he wanted something done that day, all us attendees would have joined forces to get shit done. This is the best way I can describe Hunter Drew's energy. Imagine a small boy who is eager to take on the world. When he says hi to you, you can't help but be happy and excited too. Now imagine if you could mature that boy into a man while maintaining that energy. That would be Hunter. His energy is infectious. His most popular post, Creating Your Slut, covers all you need to be a Red Pill Father, Husband, Man. This man is a role model for all men who would want to get married someday. He knows how to game his wife, he knows how to get shit done, he knows how to be a dad. He may not have all the answers, but he has that irrational confidence to find the answer.

"Ego is your sense of separateness from the universe"

Ivan Throne is also known as Dark Triad Man. He has studied Koryū and understands Eastern philosophy. He understands the Way and the warrior spirit. I think it's another way of saying he understands his body and his instinct, that unconscious part of the brain that is in tune with nature. Being a Dark Triad Man, he understands the darker side of reality. The side we don't really think about because we live in a bubble. Oh, did I mention he is profoundly deaf (90 db hearing loss)? If you want to understand how he dealt with it as a kid, read this post, The Dying Child. It is one of the most powerful openings to a book I have read. In addition, his Nine Laws book is excellent but requires time to digest (I'll get to a book review after I'm done digesting).

"Allow your wounds become your work"

Richard Cooper speech was like his videos (Entrepreneurs in Cars). Short, sweet, and to the point. He has a calm confidence as well that I like. I have a calm personality, so I like seeing similar calm demeanors who are successful. "Allow your wounds become your work" is an empowering message. He suffered burns as a kid and learned how do deal with the self-esteem issues due to the scars. Go ahead and watch this video. Him and Ivan had to deal with shit growing up. Yet here they are today as men.

I will close by talking about what I saw in Anthony. This man was a machine all week. He barely slept. In terms of food, I'm pretty sure it was just beef jerky and adrenaline that got him through. By the end of the event, his eyes were nearly bloodshot and his immune system was done. Can you spend a week of your life devoting yourself to one thing? Do you have it in you to push your body to the limit to get something done? Can you do all this and give a keynote address in front of a hundred people while standing for 3 hours straight? That's why I have no doubt Anthony will be successful in his next venture.

I want to thank Anthony for taking the time to talk with me 1 on 1. I want to thank Socrates for opening up about his father with me and how he learned to reconcile the disappointments he had in his father. I want to thank Rollo for devoting so much time answering questions. I mean this in a playful way, he was surround by orbiters the entire time. He was the hot chick.

I want to thank Hunter for giving me an action plan on having a chat with my own father. I want to thank Ivan for being my wingman. It only looked like Ivan was doing magic because he understands and knows how to use body language. Both Hunter and Ivan were so approachable and generous with their time. Married men role models.

I want to thank Goldmund for the necklace (go check out his stuff Masculine Accessories). Whenever I wear that necklace, I think about getting out of my head, observing the world, and teasing each girl like you would your little sis. And also, thank you Goldmund for demonstrating one of the fastest pulls I have ever seen. I remember seeing him chatting with a girl at the bar (while surrounded by dozens of male attendees). The way the two were chatting, I knew she was putty in his arms. A couple minutes later I'm chatting with him outside about that encounter. Next thing I know she's dragging him away. Bravo sir.

Masculine Accessories

I want to thank Eric Von Sydow for taking time to listen to me during lunch and give me advice. Be playful and find opportunities to stick innuendos (non-sexual) in conversations with women. Women pick up when you've actually mastered this playful art and fully internalize it. I want to thank Tanner Guzy for introducing a whole new wardrobe I never considered before (the world of linen). And to make me aware of what a proper yoke width is. I want to thank George Bruno for finally showing me what a real haircut should be.

I'm also going to give a shoutout to a mentor in my life. He is a boss just like these men. He dresses well. He understands women and relationships. He understands business. My brotha from another motha. I have learned a ton being with him and am beyond grateful he has taken me under his wing. Funny enough, if Trump didn't get elected I never would have met him. So, I also have to thank Trump for helping my life. Guys, find a mentor near you. Remember the importance of the wisdom of the elders.

Finally, all these speakers had a similar message. Men must act. Take ownership of your life and build something that will last. Acta non verba.