Man 2.0 Engineering the Alpha

the Alpha, you should always be thinking about solutions, not problems. And in the most extreme cases, this might mean you need to be able to walk away and find a different job.
    Part of being the Alpha is understanding that the toxicity in the world around you can literally make you a less evolved person, making you more unhappy and thereby negatively impacting every related aspect of your life.
    Determine your morals and values. Remind yourself that not every disagreement is a point of contention. But remember that being tolerant is not an excuse to sacrifice the core of who you are. The Alpha inspires the world around him to become better, and that can’t happen if you’re too fearful to voice your opinion and settle for a life where you’re always the bitch.

    ALPHA TRAIT #7
    Dedicated—But Not Obsessed
    We’re all familiar with the image of the workaholic. You know him as the guy who stays late at the office and works himself to the bone. Doesn’t matter if it’s Monday at eleven A.M. or Saturday at two A.M. —the workaholic is a machine designed for one purpose: getting things done.
    On one hand, we admire these people. There’s something to be said about a great work ethic, hustle, and desire to take on seemingly impossible projects. On the other hand, there’s an aspect of the workaholic that we pity. That’s because there’s a fine line between dedication and obsession, and knowing where to draw that line makes all the difference between whether your hustle and grit are virtuous traits or deleterious characteristics that cause you to lose sight of what’s really important in your life.
    The difference between dedication and obsession is that dedicated people work themselves toward a point of achievement. The Alpha outlines goals so there is a quantitative or qualitative way of determining success. This is what keeps him humble and hungry but also prevents him from endlessly chasing more work and spiraling into obsessions. The obsessed are those who can’t pull themselves away from their desks. They focus infinitely on one thing and one thing only, so much so that everything else important in their life becomes blurred or diluted, or at worst disappears. The obsessed oftentimes possess another dangerous trait—being self-loathing.
    In order to draw the line, the Alpha understands that being dedicated means approaching goals like a sprint, in bursts of concentrated effort. Obsession is a marathon, a life spent chained to a treadmill chasing a carrot with no hope of ever feeling satisfied—and that unfulfilled feeling laces the very essence of everything in life.
    The French Renaissance writer Michel de Montaigne once wrote, “Obsession is the wellspring of genius and madness.” While this is true in the sense that the top 1 percent of 1 percent of all achievements might be unlocked by only a single-minded pursuit, madness is the more common consequence of obsession. It leaves you bitter, empty, and alone. Alphas are dedicated to their families, friends, health, and most of all to themselves. They are dedicated to improvement, but they are not tied to a narcissistic view that impairs their ability to create a rich, multifaceted existence.

CHAPTER 2
    Choose Your Own Adventure
    ACCEPTING YOUR ROLE AS THE HERO
    “There is one rule, above all others, for being a man. Whatever comes, face it on your feet.”
    — ROBERT JORDAN , THE GREAT HUNT
    ARIA CASINO, LAS VEGAS
    T he reason every guy struggles with fitness can be explained by Joseph Campbell. Understand that, and the transformation becomes easier.”
    The man across from me glanced down at the cards on the table, his eyes lingering just a second too long on the eight of spades, which was the far right in the line. The eight had come on the turn and had been preceded on the flop by the queen of hearts, ten of diamonds, and ace of diamonds. He reached into his stack and tossed some chips in the middle. I wasn’t sure how much— some chips was the best description, since he didn’t make a verbal declaration, or even take the time to count out a bet. Just grab and bet. In poker, this is generally either a very strong move or a very weak one; it all depends on the man making it.
    I was sitting in the poker room at the Aria Casino, Adam Bornstein on my left. Adam was finally taking a break from questioning me long enough to let me assess my next move. The guy across the table, the one who had made the bet, sat in stony silence as well. I