How to punish yourself - 7 proven ways

 

Cellular jail, Andaman islands

Whoever said life is meant to be enjoyed was wrong. Consider the goal is to be unhappy and miserable. Lots of times, circumstances and people around aid in a big way to achieve this goal. However this post is about self-reliance. Ask not what others can do to you. Instead ask what you can do to punish yourself. What others can do is very small in comparison to what you can do to yourself.

The seven techniques which follow are very powerful and guaranteed to work. These golden nuggets have never been disclosed the way I’m going to do in this post. Each point is powerful in itself and can produce results, but when you apply a combination it is matchless in effect. In other words, innermost recesses of unhappiness and misery are easily accessible to the true practitioner of these profound principles.

The 7 ways to punish yourself

1. STOP LEARNING

Stop learning as early as you can. Believe that you have all the knowledge in the world and try no further to learn. Since humility aids learning, it needs to be shunned. Be arrogant and assuming. Avoid observing and listening to others because that makes you open to learning. You are good at this if you can argue loudly for minutes and hours without pausing to hear the other person’s point of view. It is important to believe that everyone other than you is wrong. When one stops learning, it ensures the stagnation of one’s mind and view of life. Learning is like a lamp. Walking in a dark room (no light) full of obstacles helps in getting injuries which simply is not possible if there was light. Additionally light is essential to view and therefore enjoy the scenery around. Switch off the light or close your eyes.

2. SUPPRESS YOURSELF

Expressing yourself gives joy and satisfaction. Therefore don’t do it. Don’t ever let what is in you come out because who knows something magical and beautiful may come out if you let it? Try hard to push it deeper inside to punish yourself. One of the best ways to self-suppress is to constantly judge yourself and put yourself down. If you judge and criticize yourself, others will do the same. This structure will ensure no self-expression happens. Even-though nature created each one of us as unique beings with music inside to share with the world, our job is to defeat nature. This sharing music business creates and spreads happiness. It is best avoided.

3. DON’T HELP OTHERS

In addition be selfish and don’t help anyone. Not even by mistake. Always think what is in it for me and what I can gain. Helping others makes you grow as a human being and experience life more fully. The more you help others, the more you will realize that we are all connected as one being and get deeper into the experience of life. The inner realms of life are very gratifying and joyous. Whereas the illusion of disconnect on the surface is painful. So stay on the surface and make pain your gain.

4. LET FEAR STOP YOU

Remember that every act (committed/omitted) comes out of either fear or love. Let fear govern your life. Always think what can go wrong and what will not work out. Everything born out of fear will have minimal, zero or negative impact on the world and it has the bonus advantage of making you feel that you are good for nothing. That's a very valuable sentiment to have. Fear is the best handbrake you can apply as you drive through life and punish yourself. Soak in fear and live in fear. Doing things you love can turn your life around. You have been warned.

5. UNHAPPINESS BY DEFAULT

Similarly the default experience of life should be unhappiness. You will get a lot of help from circumstances and people in achieving this. Your main job is to let it be that way. Never ever try to come out of it. Complain but don’t act. Believe that unhappiness is your destiny and not your choice. There are too many examples of people who came out of unhappiness through sheer effort and created a life they love. Losers. Don’t be like them. Unhappiness is a cultivated taste. It took hard work to get it. Why try harder to give it up?

6. KEEP RUNNING THE RAT RACE

Ensure that not only you sign-up for the rat race but also to keep running mindlessly till you drop dead. Don't make the mistake of slowing down, stopping, stepping aside, seeing around and most importantly thinking why are you running. Occasionally, while running, you may see insights about the pointlessness of the whole exercise or about imminent risk to your health and well-being and possibly life. Train to numb yourself to these thoughts and feelings and ignore them. The most important thing is that you are ahead of the other mindless people running in parallel tracks. No one has ever won this endless and pointless race but you will certainly win it i.e. if you keep running. Be sure that there will be no regrets waiting for you on the finishing line called death. Keep running to punish yourself.

7. LIFE OF NO PURPOSE

Above all having a life purpose gives meaning and direction to life. It gives a larger context to make the everyday smaller choices. Without purpose, life becomes a random array of unrelated events. Lack of purpose and direction causes stress, un-fulfillment, and disenchantment - a nutritious mix to feed on. If we remember that we are visitors on the planet, who are here for a finite time, we would probably prioritize things differently and lead a meaningful life. Thinking that we are here forever helps make all the wrong choices which can be deeply regretted on the deathbed. What can be a better way to exit life than knowing that one messed it all up?

PS. I didn’t write this to preach but to remind myself that I have the choice in the matter of - Life of Punishment vs Life of Fulfillment. And so do you.

Originally published on March 30, 2017 on LinkedIn.