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Awhile back, I was about to start another mind-numbing video game session when I noticed I could watch YouTube videos on my TV. There’s an app on the Xbox that lets you scroll through and pick videos using the controller. You can sit there, right in your living room, and watch YouTube videos on your flat screen, instead of playing video games or watching regular TV. Little did I know, this would end up being the best change of habit I have ever made.

Replacing Mindless Entertainment

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Well, don’t smash the damn thing, you can watch YouTube on it now!

As many of us know, modern television is a cesspool of cultural Marxism. It pollutes our brains with foolish ideas, and ruins our motivation with pacification. Video games can have a similar effect. Mindless entertainment is at odds with our primal nature as men.

When I started watching YouTube videos, I went from a passive consumer of garbage, to an active seeker of useful content. Instead of mindlessly taking in whatever the corporate overlords were shitting out, I looked up things that were interesting and challenging to me. It turned me into a hunter.

News and Political Commentary

Instead of watching the fake news and drivel that comes onto TV, I began watching real news. I was amazed at the depth of real, factual coverage that was available. This was what I had been searching for, and rarely found, when I used to turn on the nightly news (propaganda) from a network.

I began watching RT, which has nuanced, truth-telling, investigative reporting on matters all over the world (except for Russia, which pays the bills). I picked up some Alex Jones for conspiracy theory entertainment, and Corbett Report for actual, journalistic coverage of conspiracy theories. I even like to watch the openly left-wing channels like The Young Turks, or Democracy Now, to help combat confirmation bias. A lot of what they say is crap, but sometimes having an opponent’s perspective on things helps us ensure that we are not being lazy in our thinking.

Taking in commentary from different sources has helped me to realize that there are honest leftists out there also fighting the political elites. Ralph Nader has discussed about how both political parties need to unite to dismantle the corporate control of the state. Noam Chomsky has exposed the ways that the media manipulates people for the benefit of the corporate elites. Defeating the elites will be easier if we learn how to bring the classically liberal, pro-free-speech liberal types into our camp (think: John Kennedy).

Learning New Skills

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One of the coolest things about YouTube is that you can use it to learn things. Instead of having to get a book, or ask for help, you can just hop on YouTube and try to learn it. Need to replace a part on your car? Want to learn a new language? Can’t figure out how to smelt aluminum in your backyard? Maybe you want to learn how to build a hut completely from scratch like a caveman? There’s videos on everything!

One of the first skills started working on was shooting. I found Sniper 101, which has over 100 hours of top quality instruction on long-range shooting. Everything from the kinetic energy of different cartridges at different distances, to scopes, rifles, and marksmanship. He spends a lot of time teaching the math required to hit targets at long distance (bullet drop, wind, angle, etc.), and goes into incredible detail on everything he discusses. After watching the videos and practicing for about a year, I can now hit man-sized targets, on my first shot, every time, out to about 500 yards.

Thinking Deeply

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The modern philosophers are doing podcasts

Being a well-rounded man means spending time thinking deeply about the world, and wrestling with philosophy. Frankly, the highest quality modern philosophers I have found are all doing podcasts.

Stefan Molyneux is a libertarian-leaning philosopher that covers politics, news, nonviolent parenting, and other areas. Instead of the short, entertainment-focused drivel available from TV, he has podcasts that run an hour or more, and involve deep, nuanced discussion about the issues from experts. He has discussed topics like the Fall Of Rome and modern parallels, the philosophy of Aristotle, and how to defeat SJWs.

The Joe Rogan Experience is another favorite podcast of mine, and I consider him a modern-day philosopher of the highest caliber. Joe Rogan is a stand-up comedian, actor, and former martial artist who provides commentary for UFC fights. Many of his guests are related to the UFC, but many are just damn interesting people. Recently he interviewed Jordan Peterson, professor from Canada who was nearly fired from his job for refusing to use politically correct gender pronouns. Another interesting interview was “The Ice Man” Wim Hoff, a daredevil who has broken many world records with his scientifically-verified meditative breathing method. Hoff  has climbed Mount Everest and Mount Kilimanjaro wearing only shorts, has run marathons in subzero and hot temperatures without water, and he holds the world records for being submerged in ice.

Conclusion

Mainstream television is mindless junk. Consider replacing it with YouTube videos on your TV set. You’ll get real news, learn new skills, and stimulate your mind with philosophy. You may not be into the same things I’m into. But replace your TV or video game habit with useful entertainment, and perhaps your life will change for better.

Read Next: The Shallow Narcissism Of Female Youtube Entrepreneurs