The Superior Men Podcast Wearesuperiormen.com

Matt and Jay discuss difficult neighbors, how to be a good neighbor, setting good boundaries and what to do when the guy next door turns out to be nuts.



We’re very excited to announce our books “Sexual Magnetism,” “The WASM Dating Handbook” and “Secrets of Sensual Massage” are now available!




Follow these links to get your copies of "Sexual Magnetism," "The WASM Dating Handbook" and "Secrets of Sensual Massage" on Amazon.com.






Intro: Living Near Other People




Hard to do. Many complications.



Everyone has bad neighbor stories




Why is it hard to live near other people?




People do better with space (but there’s not much nowadays)



Not everyone knows how to respect others 



MANY people are bad at conflict…and conflict is a requirement when neighbors have differences of opinion




Are People More Angry These Days? 




Maybe




How to Deal with Difficult Neighbors/co-workers/family members/etc



1. Be a Good Neighbor Yourself




Be polite 



Be respectful



Be positive 



Look for ways to help out 



Occasionally offer gifts (small, thoughtful, inexpensive)



Harbor no ill will



Remember important dates/facts/names that your neighbor cares about



Always be impeccable with your word…aka Don’t lie (show up when you say you will, do the things you commit to, don’t commit if you’re not going to do it, etc.)




2. Set Boundaries When Necessary




Politely but firmly confront them on issues that must be resolved 



Explain your side but listen to their side as well



Spend the time to work to a common goal



Compromise if you can’t agree on a solution (both sides sacrifice something)




3. Determine If You Truly Have Bad Neighbors 




If they’re REALLY difficult:

Go to landlord/HOA



Go to other authorities



Go to a lawyer / court



Consider moving?





If they’re DANGEROUS…

Go to police



Probably moving





If you find you have multiple bad neighbors

Definitely time to move






However…The truth is, you probably don’t want to be friends with your neighbors




Why don’t you want to be friends with your neighbors



Space is good



Like dating a co-worker, if it breaks up then you live next to someone you hate. Not fun.




Summary




Be a Good Neighbor Yourself



Set Boundaries When Necessary



Determine If You Truly Have Bad Neighbors



You probably Don’t Want To Be Friends With Your Neighbors




Conclusion



Your peace of mind is highly dependent on your relationship with your neighbors. Do the necessary work to make sure you can relax, feel safe and enjoy your neighborhood.

What If? Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions (2014) by Randall Munroe



Read and listen to "Mastery" on Amazon!





We’re very excited to announce our books “Sexual Magnetism,” “The WASM Dating Handbook” and “Secrets of Sensual Massage” are now available!




Follow these links to get your copies of "Sexual Magnetism," "The WASM Dating Handbook" and "Secrets of Sensual Massage" on Amazon.com.




Want more great books? Check out our MUST READ LIST!





Overview of “What If?”




A very brief description of “What If?”

Randall Munroe’s webcomic about science, technology, language, and love has a large and passionate following. Every week millions of fans of Munroe’s stick figures visit xkcd.com … and many of them ask him a lot of strange questions. For example, what if you tried to hit a baseball pitched at 90 percent the speed of light? How fast can you hit a speed bump while driving and live? If there was a robot apocalypse, how long would humanity last? This book is a compilation of his most popular questions and answers - complimented by his signature xkcd comics.





What Munroe sets out to do / Purpose of the book

In pursuit of answers to reader’s questions, Munroe runs computer simulations, pores over stacks of declassified military research memos, solves differential equations, and consults with nuclear reactor operators. His responses are masterpieces of clarity and hilarity. They often predict the complete annihilation of humankind, or at least a really big explosion. 





The intended audience of "What If?" / Who will benefit most

People who love science



People who love learning



People who enjoy thinking about how and why the world works



People who want to become better problem solvers



People who love comics



People who want to spend time listening to someone who is really smart and really cool





Who probably WON’T like this book?

People who think hypothetical questions are unnecessary



People who don’t care how or why the world works



People who hate science and math



People who don’t like stick figures





How does this book specifically benefit Men? 

As a man, people are always going to be asking us why things happen the way they do. The world is a complicated and challenging place and much of what is happening is overwhelming to people. Books like ‘What If?’ help Men to hone our problem solving skills and help us to make better choices. Plus Men need a good sense of humor and xkcd and Randall Munroe is hilarious!





Is this book Easy, Average or Difficult to read? / How long is it?

Easy to follow, but the math/physics/chemistry/etc can get very challenging when Munroe breaks down the science behind the answers. Thankfully, you can always skip over the dense math stuff and just read the summaries. And of course there’s always the comics! 



321 pages, Audiobook: 6 hrs, 36mins





What are the overall book reviews? Is the book well-known? Popular? Significant?

Amazon Books: 29,172 Ratings - 4.6 Stars

Kindle Ranking:



#7 in Science & Scientists Humor



#15 in Physics (Kindle Store)



#34 in Trivia (Books)





Audible: 13,396, 4.5 stars

Audible Ranking:



#123 in Physics 



#246 in Trivia



#320 in Biological Sciences







Book-To-Movie Translation 

It's probably a good thing a movie version of "What If?" doesn't exist. In pretty much every scenario the world ends!






Bio of Randall Munroe




Munroe is an American cartoonist, author, and engineer best known as the creator of the webcomic xkcd. 



Munroe was born in Easton, Pennsylvania, and his father has worked as an engineer and marketer.



He was a fan of comic strips in newspapers from an early age, starting off with Calvin and Hobbes (Jay’s personal fav comic)



Graduated in 2006 with a degree in physics.



Worked as a contract programmer and roboticist for NASA at the Langley Research Center, before and after his graduatio

Mastery (2012) by Robert Greene



Read and listen to "Mastery" on Amazon!





We’re very excited to announce our books “Sexual Magnetism,” “The WASM Dating Handbook” and “Secrets of Sensual Massage” are now available!




Follow these links to get your copies of "Sexual Magnetism," "The WASM Dating Handbook" and "Secrets of Sensual Massage" on Amazon.com.




Want more great books? Check out our MUST READ LIST!





Overview of “Mastery”




A very brief description of “Mastery”

Through the stories of dozens of highly successful famous people in many different fields, Greene has put together a powerful program teaching us how to achieve mastery in one's life. Mastery can be thought of as the unique way each of us can fully actualize our potential for greatness and enjoy a fulfilling life.





What Greene sets out to do / Purpose of the book

Greene's overarching thesis is to challenge the conventional notion of "genius" as a genetic gift bestowed upon a handful of individuals. He believes "genius" is acquirable, and all masters, regardless of intrinsic ability, go through roughly the same process on their path towards mastery.





The intended audience of the book / Who will benefit most

People who love history



People who love stories of success and accomplishment



People who enjoy having their ass kicked (in a good way)



People who want to become more powerful, more successful and happier



People who want to hear a self-help book that shares truth - not fluff





Who probably WON’T like this book?

People who need to believe that all the great accomplishments in our history were from superhuman “geniuses”...so they don’t have to take responsibility for their own lives



People who want a easy, feel-good self-help book that won’t require them to make any real changes to their lives



Lazy people (seriously, 7 years to get good at something??? BS!)



Creationists





How does this book specifically benefit Men? 

In the modern era, regular men are at a disadvantage because they’re easy to control. If you don’t set yourself apart it’s easy to become manipulated and jerked around by the powerful influence of culture, industry, political groups, media, our employers, our neighbors and even our friends and family. Mastery provides a road map for men to find their individuality. As leaders in our families and our communities it’s critical for Men to know who we are, what we’re passionate about and where we’re going in our lives!





Is this book Easy, Average or Difficult to read? / How long is it?

Easy to read, but NOT easy to implement! Also it’s going to take some time to digest the material in the book. Think about this more like a textbook for a class and less like the traditional self-help book.



354 pages, Audiobook: 16 hrs, 9mins





What are the overall book reviews?Is the book well-known? Popular? Significant?

Amazon Books: 7385 Ratings - 4.7 Stars

Kindle Ranking:



#23 in Social Psychology & Interactions



#27 in Motivational Business Management



#99 in Motivational Self-Help





Audible: 12,154, 4.7 stars

Ranking:



#8 in Social Psychology



#16 in Business Motivation & Self-Improvement



#493 out of All Audible Books







Book-To-Movie Translation 

N/A






Bio of Robert Greene




Grew up in Los Angeles. Attended UC Berkeley and finished in University of Wisconsin with a degree in Classical Studies (aka Liberal Arts + English). 



He estimates he had “80 jobs before becoming an author,” including construction worker, translator, magazine editor, and Hollywood movie writer.



Influenced to write 48 Laws while working in Hollywood, watching the power plays at work around him every day.



Arguably the single most popular author for Rap Artists. He’s been endorsed by: Jay-Z, Kanye West, Busta Rhymes, Ludacris, Drake and many others. Jay-Z, Kanye and Busta Rhymes have written songs about the 48 Laws. 



Greene can speak

Matt and Jay discuss why learning the wrong lesson - or the right lesson - after we make a mistake will make all the difference between future successes or even greater failures.



We’re very excited to announce our books “Sexual Magnetism,” “The WASM Dating Handbook” and “Secrets of Sensual Massage” are now available!




Follow these links to get your copies of "Sexual Magnetism," "The WASM Dating Handbook" and "Secrets of Sensual Massage" on Amazon.com.






Intro: You’re Going To Lose. Again. And Again. And Again.




We discussed it last time. Yeah it sucks. Yeah it’s a fact. Gotta accept it if we’re going to live in the real world.




What We Tell Ourselves After We Fail




Post-failure self talk determines your direction

Are you a loser? Do you fundamentally not have what it takes? Are you not smart enough, talented enough, strong enough, courageous enough, creative enough - to actually get the W?



Are you really not cut out for this? Maybe you should give up…





Honestly, what shitty things do you tell yourself after you fail?

All the things…the horrible things…we say to ourselves



The wrong lessons






Why We’re So Hard On Ourselves After Failing




Often the wrong lessons come from our childhood

Parents can be harsh, manipulative or just plain mean to us when we fail



Teachers can crush our spirits and limit our belief in ourselves



Classmates can be abusive and bully us



Other family members and community can be snide, callous or even cruel





Can be from adult failures

So we slowly learn, over time, that whenever we fail, it’s really, really BAD.





May be from traumas

Divorce, injury, bad girlfriends, fired at work, 





BUT WE CAN REWRITE OUR SCRIPTS!




Sometimes You Win, Sometimes You Lose Learn 




Question: When a highly successful person fails or makes a mistake, what do they do afterwards? How do they learn the right lesson instead of the wrong lesson?




Examples:




Temple Grandin

Growing up autistic, with overwhelming fear, constant sensory overload and problems interacting with people -> Becoming a world-class animal behaviorist, one of the leading authorities on cattle behavior and helping to create dozens of improvements to humanely raising and slaughtering cattle, and the most famous autistic scientist to study and research autism (that is to say, from “inside” the condition)



How did Grandin turn her failure into success?





Daniel Everett (with the Piraha people in Amazon)

Years spent with a dangerous Amazon tribe trying - and failing - to translate the most difficult language on earth -> Eventual success after transforming himself, his world view, his beliefs about culture (and even his belief in God)



How did Everett turn his failure into success?





Freddie Roach

Failure as a boxer - had some good bouts and a solid performance at the beginning of his career but started to fall apart physically and never became famous -> Tremendous success as one of the most winning boxing trainers in history - training superstars like: Manny Pacquiao (8 World titles), Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, Oscar De La and even Mike Tyson! - Also trained MMA greats Georges St. Pierre, Tito Ortiz and Anderson De Silva (among others)



How did Roach turn his failure into success?






How Do We Stop Learning the WRONG Lessons and Start Learning the RIGHT Lessons?



Step 1. Accept Your Failure (and the pain!)




Yeah you screwed up. It sucks. It hurts. That's okay. It's part of the process.




Step 2. Become Aware of Your Natural Negative Response To Failure




Pay attention to the negative tapes/stories/beliefs playing in your head after you fucked up




Step 3. Figure Out the Truth of the Situation




Don’t lie to yourself or others.




Step 4. Choose a Positive, Productive Response To Failure




Think of some positive, success-oriented tapes you could play instead that will help you to accomplish your goal



For example:

How can

The Sea Wolf (1904) by Jack London



Read and listen to "The Sea Wolf" on Amazon!





We’re very excited to announce our books “Sexual Magnetism,” “The WASM Dating Handbook” and “Secrets of Sensual Massage” are now available!




Follow these links to get your copies of "Sexual Magnetism," "The WASM Dating Handbook" and "Secrets of Sensual Massage" on Amazon.com.




Want more great books? Check out our MUST READ LIST!





Overview of “The Sea Wolf”




A very brief description of “The Sea Wolf”

Gentleman narrator, Humphrey Van Weyden is pitted against amoral sea captain, Wolf Larsen. The novel begins when Van Weyden is swept overboard into San Francisco Bay, and plucked from the sea by Larsen's seal-hunting vessel, the Ghost. Pressed into service as a cabin boy by the ruthless captain, Van Weyden becomes an unwilling participant in a brutal shipboard drama. Larsen's increasingly violent abuse of the crew fuels a mounting tension that ends in a battle to the death between two opposing philosophies: romantic idealism and cold, brutal materialism





What London sets out to do / Purpose of the book

Hailed by critics as one of the greatest sea stories ever written, this rousing adventure offers a fascinating combination of gritty realism and brilliant and beautiful writing. Jack London began his career at sea, and his shipboard experiences give The Sea-Wolf a powerful and magnetic authenticity.





The intended audience of the book / Who will benefit most

People who love adventure stories (esp old-time adventure)



People who love philosophy and intellectual challenge



People who enjoy the ocean and sailing



People who want beautiful writing



People - esp men - who have been raised as weak men and want to become stronger





Who probably WON’T like this book?

Anyone who needs a constant, driving plot (there’s lots of plot breaks for philosophical discussion and argumentation)



Anyone who doesn’t like the dictionary (seriously, you’re going to need to look up a LOT of words, esp maritime language like halyards, poop deck, mainstays, sheets, flying jib, etc, etc)



Anyone who has ADD (going to take some work to read this)



Matt





How does this book specifically benefit Men? 

The Sea Wolf is about how Humphrey Van Weyden, a rich gentleman who lived a life of ease, comfort and luxury, is thrust into the harsh reality of life at sea. Hump quickly learns that for the first time in his life he must develop his strength, skill and wits - or he will not survive.





Is this book Easy, Average or Difficult to read? / How long is it?

The story itself is easy enough to follow but the language is over 100 years old and reads like it. As we mentioned earlier, having a dictionary (and wikipedia) available nearby will be useful.



256 pages, Audiobook: 11 hrs, 21mins





What are the overall book reviews? Is the book well-known? Popular? Significant?

Amazon Books: Unknown ratings (Multiple versions over 100yrs), 4.5 stars avg

Ranking: N/A





Audible: 764, 4.6 stars

Ranking: N/A







Book-To-Movie Translation 

At least a dozen movie or TV versions of "The Sea Wolf" have been produced over the last 100 years.






Bio of Jack London




John Griffith London (1/12/1876 – 11/22/1916)



American novelist, journalist and social activist. 



A pioneer of commercial fiction and American magazines, he was one of the first American authors to become an international celebrity and earn a large fortune from writing.



At 13 years old he worked 12-18 hour days at a cannery. Soon after he left and became on oyster pirate and ended up earning his own boat. After his ship was disabled he signed on a Japanese sealing schooner for the next two years. Then he rode the rails as a hobo for a year and traveled back and forth across the US….All this before he was 20 years old!!



Sailed up to Alaska and worked in the Klondike as a miner where he got inspiration for his novels The Cal

Never Finished: Unshackle Your Mind and Win the War Within (2022) by David Goggins (with Adam Skolnick)



Read and listen to "Never Finished" on Amazon!





We’re very excited to announce our books “Sexual Magnetism,” “The WASM Dating Handbook” and “Secrets of Sensual Massage” are now available!




Follow these links to get your copies of "Sexual Magnetism," "The WASM Dating Handbook" and "Secrets of Sensual Massage" on Amazon.com.




Want more great books? Check out our MUST READ LIST!





Overview of “Never Finished”




A very brief description of “Never Finished”

Can’t Hurt Me, David Goggins’ hit memoir, demonstrated how much untapped ability we all have - but it was merely an introduction to the power of the mind. In Never Finished, Goggins takes you inside his Mental Lab, where he developed the philosophy, psychology, and strategies that enabled him to learn that what he thought was his limit was only his beginning and that the quest for greatness is unending.





What Goggins sets out to do / Purpose of the book

The stories and lessons in this memoir offer the listener a blueprint they can use to climb from the bottom of the barrel into a whole new stratosphere that once seemed unattainable. Whether you feel off-course in life, are looking to maximize your potential, or drain your soul to break through your so-called glass ceiling, this book will help you get there





The intended audience of the book / Who will benefit most

People who love “Can’t Hurt Me”



People who are fascinated with the creation of Navy SEALs



People who want to understand how normal people do “impossible” things



People who want a more humanized, complete version of David Goggins



People who want to turn their dark past into a beautiful future





Who probably WON’T like this book?

Anyone who can’t stand explicit language





How does this book specifically benefit Men? 

In Can’t Hurt Me, Goggins gave men a blueprint on how they can learn to accomplish spectacular things - but it sacrificed many elements of a more well-rounded life. In Never Finished Goggins teaches new lessons on how men can balance epic performance with leadership, family, compassion and inner peace





Is this book Easy, Average or Difficult to read? / How long is it?

The book is easy reading but content-wise it’s brutal and will trigger everyone who reads it (probably in multiple different ways)



299 pages, Audiobook is 11 hours

NOTE: Like ‘Cant Hurt Me,’ the audio version of ‘Never Finished’ adds 3 hours of live Podcast conversation (including an incredibly powerful interview with David and his mother). We HIGHLY recommend you get the audiobook version and then if you love it get the paperback/kindle as an addition so you can look at the photos and get other insider details on Goggin’s life.







What are the overall book reviews?Is the book well-known? Popular? Significant?

All Amazon Books: 2,790 ratings, 4.9 stars

Currently #3 in All Amazon Books



#5 in Motivational Self-Help (Kindle Store)



#5 in Personal Transformation



#12 in Memoirs (Kindle Store)





Audible: 17,533 ratings, 4.9 stars

Currently #4 in All Audible Books 



#1 in Motivational Self-Help (Books)



#2 in Personal Success







Book-To-Movie Translation 

N/A






Bio of David Goggins




David Goggins (born February 17, 1975) is an American ultramarathon runner, ultra-distance cyclist, triathlete, public speaker, and author. He is a retired United States Navy SEAL member who served in the Iraq War as well as an Army Ranger.



Grew up in home with an incredibly abusive father who regularly beat the entire family 



Lost over 100lbs in three months to get accepted into Navy SEAL training



Attempted Navy SEAL ‘Hell Week’ 3 times - first two times he failed before finally succeeding



Has competed in hundreds of ultra-endurance events - including Badwater 135, Moab 240, Furnace Creek 508, Ultraman