Mental Models: Abundance vs. Scarcity – Illimitable Men

Red Pill Theory, Self-Improvement

# Mental Models: Abundance vs. Scarcity

March 30, 2014February 11, 2016by IM

“If you can imagine yourself being happy in spite of rejection, then “the power of no” becomes moot and you achieve outcome independence.”

Due to the formation of the system we live in and how it’s set up (predominantly, social inequality and counter-productive institutionalised ideology) the energy that people tend to exude is negative. Negative energy acts as a repellent, if others are chronically negative, you will want to avoid them and likewise if you are poignantly negative then others will do their utmost to avoid you. Negativity is synonymous with powerlessness and powerlessness is the ultimate form of scarcity. Scarcity is never attractive, neither socially nor sexually.

If you encounter a positive person they are either: aware of the game and have a reasonable amount of control over their own life (privileged and/or intelligent enough to be free), too stupid to understand their own powerlessness, or actively rejecting reality and superimposing projections of fantasy in its place. Many people, mostly beta men and women, opt to hold the idea of fantasy as a preferred reality, they are good at rationalising desire and idealisation as fact regardless of if such ideas have actually been experienced or proven.

People for the most part tend to be negative because without delusion and escapism to keep them preoccupied they find themselves existing in a state of scarcity, these are the people who live their lives feeling powerlessness, when one feels so powerless that their ambition for power is lacking, they avoid reality by hiding in fantasy, they avoid reality rather than accepting it and using the awareness from said acceptance to build a foundational power base. These are the types of people who always feel like they are the effect of things rather than the cause of things, this is a mode of thought which is inherently beta, it is self-defeating and avoidant rather than pursuant in improvement. A rejection of the truth is the quickest path to weakness.

In the working classes people often don’t have enough money to pay their bills, they don’t have enough money to pay their rent and yadda yadda, this is the reason why a great number of the overall population is negative, for it is the working class which is the biggest social group, by the very nature of its own powerlessness, the pyramid is always widest at the bottom. In the lowest social groups basic needs cannot be met and the inability to fulfil these needs results in morbid frustration which translates into parasitically contagious negativity. This is the most concentrated form of scarcity in modern society and thus is where negative energy particularly thrives, the working class view the world through a filter of scarcity materially and this seeps into their social interactions causing them to perceive people from a position of inferiority.

Move up to the middle class and the problems of material scarcity are no longer such an issue, basics are afforded, as are things considered luxuries to the working class but essentials to the middle class, such as a “nice car”, a “decent smartphone” and a trip abroad at least once a year, however even with basic needs met and disposable income at the ready, the middle class have been sold a much more opulently luxurious lifestyle than the one that they live, for it is the very nature of consumerism to create an insatiable appetite to desire luxury goods, the middle class suffer from “luxury scarcity” which is essentially working class “material scarcity” on steroids.

You can blame MTV music videos and aggressive advertising for the middle classes’ “luxury scarcity” and thus their powerlessness is not based upon scarcity in and of itself but ultimately their negativity stems from jealousy, a desire to have only the very best society has to offer married to an inability to possess that certain Bugatti Veyron or condo with a sea view. They envy the rich, they ignore the poor and legitimately “feel poor” because by ignoring the “real poor” and focusing all their jealousy on the rich, within their own world they are by contrast of the subjectivity of their own perception, the least wealthy. The irony is that these people have far more than at least half the population who live in working poverty do. The scarcity mindset has a proclivity to permeate the middle, although it is not based on rationalism like it is with the working class but rather, jealousy.

Move up to the rich/upper class and of course you find an abundance of resources, yet still very many of these people live in a mindset of scarcity. They have so much wealth that they have neither material nor luxury poverty, they have “love poverty” they’re not sure who to trust, they’re often paranoid, cynical and sceptical because they have a lot to lose. The insecurity of the rich also manifests as comparing themselves to the super rich, 5 million doesn’t seem much to a guy who has a friend with 50 million, although 5 million is enough to not have to ever work again and still live good.

Whilst a middle class individual compares themselves to a millionaire, a millionaire compares himself to a multi-millionaire and a multi-millionaire compares himself to a billionaire. Who does a billionaire compare himself to? A god, a mega celebrity or an esteemed historical figure. There is an insatiable appetite for glory manifesting as scarcity among most of humanity, even among the wealthy. Scarcity within the rich manifests as insecurity, there is always someone richer or more powerful and if they aren’t focussing on those better than them, they’re focused on those slightly less powerful than them posing a threat to their position and possessions. Being rich is stressful, but for different reasons, and the scarcity is emotional, not material. The scarcity of human connectivity is what the rich tend to suffer from as by merit of being so materially rich, trust becomes an issue (are they only interested in me because of my money?) and isolation thus tends to become a part of life, even in matters of family.

The truth is, no matter what position you hold in society, the de facto energy that people tend to carry is negative in its nature. Negative energy is everywhere which is why a positively charged person is a beacon of light in a sea of darkness, people will be attracted to the positivity you choose to exude whilst in an abundance mindset, however that attraction will not always be welcome.

Some will want to befriend you and spend time languishing in your aura exchanging jokes and good feelings, others will be outraged you’re so happy and will try to pollute your energy with negativity. Many times in my own life I’ve been accused of being “too energetic” or “so lively” or questioned pretentiously “are you high?” or “why are you so happy?” by people who were attracted to my positive mind state for the wrong reasons rather than the right, with jealousy rather than enthusiasm. There is a sizeable demographic of society permeating class boundaries who have become perfectly comfortable with misery and they perpetuate it, often, unknowingly, as a matter of habit. They are payday loan borrowers, college teachers and yacht owners. Avoid these people at all costs and more importantly, avoid being that person yourself.

The quantity of people in your life is irrelevant to the energy you carry. The quality of people in your life is what is relevant to whether you possess a positive or negative aura about yourself. Every person should have a purpose and they should all add something. The no gooders have no place in the lives of great people, they are a faceless audience, hating and criticising, they’re spectators unworthy of companionship, they are neither supporters, nor players.

It is far better to have an absence of negative people in your life whilst concentrating on harnessing your own energy into a default positive state rather than endure the demeaning negativity of the helpless, the dysfunctional, the irritating and the spiteful. There are many types of toxic people out there and they are all too easy to encounter.

These are the kind of people who dwell in the recesses of hopelessness, moaning about shit they can’t change, criticising things, taking offence to harmless conversational topics, an inhibition and reticence to laugh, they’re sometimes unmotivated, often directionless, usually always critical and almost always easily irritated whilst simultaneously incredibly irritating. These people are toxic people, walking danger signs.

You should be the centre point of your universe, you must be “me-centric” this doesn’t mean you have to be a shameless narcissist empathically pronouncing your individuality obnoxiously for the world to admire, but you should be self-centred with a stringent criteria for who you allow into your life. If you want to make a quality person out of yourself, naturally you want to associate with other quality people too. Avoid low quality individuals who add very little distinctiveness to your life, when interacting with the rabble keep your interactions brief and succinct. The average person tends to live in scarcity, whilst building an abundance mindset you don’t need the construction of your perception being co-opted by those who live in a psychic prison. Ultimately the difference between those who view the world through scarcity and those who view it through abundance is liberation. Those who view the world through scarcity are mentally imprisoned, often oppressing themselves with thought patterns that lead to negative feedback cycles, whilst those with an abundance mindset are doing well to improve their situation.

People with a scarcity mentality tend to exhibit:

- An exudence of desperation resulting in the pursuit of social dead-ends. Chase women.
- They cannot hold frame.
- Spend a lot of their time living mentally in the past. Going over and over things they cannot change.
- Have profound regrets which shake their confidence.
- Are averse to taking risks, they hold themselves back. Low T.
- Do not believe in their ability to succeed which presents itself as reticence, procrastination and a lack of confidence.
- Fear rejection from people.
- Require external validation from the group to feel content, they’re insecure and lean on others.
- Ultimately perceive themselves and the world around them as lacking where it matters, happiness and opportunity.

People with an abundance mentality tend to exhibit:

- Nonchalance and indifference, sometimes they’re arrogant, typically uncaring of small matters. Replace women.
- They hold frame well under pressure.
- Spend a lot of their time living mentally in the future, only coming into the present for breaks.
- Have profound ambitions which fan the flames of confidence and acts as motivation for action.
- Tend to be adrenaline junkies who get off on high risk, dangerous behaviour. High T.
- Are obsessive about success and confidently bold.
- Expect rejection from people.
- Validate themselves through their self-improvement, as long as they keep momentum they’re secure with themselves.
- Ultimately perceive the world around them as rigorous, but conquerable.

The scarcity mindset is the beta mental model; the abundance mindset is the alpha one. Ultimately, the only person you have is yourself and if your mind is co-opted by scarcity, you are compromised and in need of fixing. When the good times roll remember that good friends and good women are bonuses, if you become reliant upon such fancies you will grow weak in character, don’t rely on these people – choose these people to come along for the ride but don’t rely on them to give you a ride. Self-reliance is a key component of abundance.

Although some of this may sound frighteningly morbid to many at first glance, it can be incredibly therapeutic when one considers just how toxic a huge swath of society really is. Interact on your own terms, cultivate positive energy within yourself and avoid the negative that presents itself in others. If you’re not in control of who you interact with and how, the negative energy of others will infect you from the inside out and your mind will become an enemy of your desire, you will sabotage yourself. Being a lone wolf is simple, it’s a clean slate. There should be no room for men and women in your life who don’t contribute value to you. Be ruthless with your selectivity, success is of more paramountcy than popularity.

Relevant Reading:

How To Be Happy
Monk Mode

If you have a problem you wish to discuss with IM, you can [seek a consultation here]

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## 23 thoughts on “Mental Models: Abundance vs. Scarcity”

1. Brilliant

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2. Hahaha!

   “… some of this may sound frighteningly morbid”

   Yes, it did. It’s also a brilliant read. Thank you.

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3. How does one get or accumulate the abundance mentality?

   I am in a personal rut, lacking confidence in virtually all aspects of life. I find myself thinking I am better than the company I keep, but still keep on going back to it any. I feel mired in my own thoughts and unable to break free of certain past circumstances.

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   1. Hey Harry,

      I can identify with everything you stated above. It’s a pretty awful state to be in and it creates a cycle that thrives off of self-defeating thought loops. For a solid year I too felt mired in my own thoughts and unable to break free of past events/feelings/experiences.

      2 weeks ago, I started shaking free of it. The key for me? Exercising. Tennis, hiking, weights, anything that gets me out of my apartment after work. It beats getting home, taking my shoes off and just getting high all night and not doing much.

      I truly think (I have no background in psychology or anything remotely close to it, so take this with a grain of salt or two) that sometimes you just have to relive feelings again and again to process them. Your brain just plays things back like a broken record, while you subconsciously prepare to move past that feeling. You’ll finally have that Eureka! moment where things become easier and you don’t feel so trapped. Anytime I’ve been in a rut, I almost view it as a blessing; it seems like the mind is just processing things, resting, and waiting to jump ahead to the next level when all of the nonsense has been sorted through.

      Going back to the company you keep is only natural; it’s familiar and non-threatening. Try some new stuff. It sounds cliché, but it can work. You might meet new people who can bring value to your life while you participate in activities that interest you. It takes balls, but not doing anything GUARANTEES that you won’t improve your state.

      Let’s see if we can really get the ball rolling here, so to speak. Once we build that confidence back up and start doing more instead of just thinking, then the abundance mentality can fall into place and almost becomes part of who you are. Start small and build from there. Best of luck to you as you continue the journey.

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      1. My comment on Mike’s support to Harry: I do not know whether Harry read your words or not, but I certainly found your write-up very insightful and helpful (and thousands of other readers must have, too). Thanks Mike.

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      2. Wise words Mike 🙌

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4. Stanza 3, line 3 ‘powerlessness’ typo.
   Article was spot on, you have an extremely analytical mind, I find that most people are oblivious to anything beneath the surface. I am surprised as to how on the ball you are in every one of your articles that I’ve read thus far; respect bro.
   Any particular resources or books you would recommend? Name a few if possible.
   Thanks a lot.

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   1. I read a lot of books but I think the most relevant to what you’re asking would have to be The 48 Laws of Power. Other than that, nothing else really strikes me as being particularly beneficial to one’s analytical capacity. That books helpful on a psychological level, but it won’t make an idiot an analytical genius. You need some raw talent to work with to begin with, then you have to apply that to the book. Likewise it helps if you’ve lived some fucked up situations that you can retrospectively analyse with your newly acquired subtlety of mind.

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5. This is another well written article. A few of the points in it touch on the crab mentality. Now where I live this problem (crab mentality) is not unique to women and I’m finding that more and more men are becoming exceedingly crab minded

   I swallowed the red pill…and I am just barely getting over the bitter taste of it…there are still a few more aspects that I need to fully internalize but let me ask you this…

   From your perspective what would be the red pill response to male ‘crabs’? If your environment is populated with these types and some of them are even people close to you, how would one respond?

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   1. I would tell you to reorganise your social circle. Nothing good ever came from fraternising with a crab.

      Remember the fable of the Scorpion and the Frog: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Scorpion_and_the_Frog

      It’s the Scorpion’s nature to sting you. You can’t rely on them. Crab-bucket is a bitch trait, but a lot of guys have taken on bitch traits nowadays with all this rampant cultural emasculation going on.

      I know it’s not the answer you want to hear, but there’s no rehabilitation for the crab bucket mentality other than “sort your life out, work on what you want and be happy for your brothers that do well.”

      And you can’t do that for your friends. They have to fix themselves. You know we all lose friends in this life. That’s how it is. People split apart. If you go one way and they go another, then that’s where the divergence begins. You may think “daaaaaaamn” but trust me don’t welcome toxicity into your life like that man. You spot a snake in your garden, you kill the snake. You find a snake infestation in your garden, you move house.

      You want people who compare themselves to their older selves. Not people who compare themselves to yourself. Because then if you’re doing better, the natural aversion is to get wildly jealous and potentially even sabotage you. That’s not what friends are for. Healthy competition is very rare. Honestly, if you get even a whiff of jealousy consider that a red flag for a friendship. Those guys are a betrayal waiting to happen.

      People who love you, even if they do feel a pang of jealousy; will work through it and not let you see it. They’re in a weak place to feel that, but they love you enough not to fuck you up over it.

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6. Interesting and insightful article, man. I just spotted another typo, in this paragraph:

   “You should be the centre point of your universe, you must be “me-centric” this doesn’t mean you have to be a shameless narcissist empathically pronouncing your individuality obnoxiously for the world to admire, but you should be self-centred with a stringent criteria…”

   ‘Criteria’ (plural) should be ‘criterion’ (singular). In an article that was less tight in all other respects it wouldn’t matter, but in this case it’s kinda like seeing a painting hung very slightly off horizontal in a gallery filled with interesting pictures.

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   1. A better fix would be ‘with stringent criteria’, since there is more than one criterion.

      Reply
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9. Brilliantly written, just like the rest of your site. Keep up the great work! I suppose you mentioned it many times in comments, but have you studied psychology?

   Reply
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12. I am impressed with your sharpness and the ability to observe, decifer, and communicate the socio-psychological phenomena around you.

    It’s incredible, I am reading some of my own thoughts that you managed to put into a beautiful, cohesive form. There are several ideas/concepts that I have developed and integrated into my philosophy of life, I just did not have a name for them. Now I do.

    As a reader with a distinctly analytical mind, I wholeheartly applaud you for your proufound work, and I look forward to reading the rest of your pieces.

    Reply

13. Excellent. A nice distillation of a large number of complicated topics, especially toxic people and their effect, and far more thorough than the trite mantra ‘don’t worry, be happy’. With specific do and don’t actions. This is the best of your best pieces I have read so far, and a must-read for many.

    Consider writing another article, expanding on your reply to FranchiseWealth’s comment. ‘Crab’ men are everywhere these days, and simply ‘reorganizing your social circle’ is not enough to keep them from damaging your life. Especially for those that are just waking up, early on the road to outcome independence, or having had some success and not yet aware of the pitfalls, or how to handle them. Something more thorough than ‘how to not give a f*ck’. Early identification and proper handling (scalpel) are key.

    Thanks for sharing.

    Reply

14. What if I am half broke and compare myself only to the likes of Napoleon and Caesar? Is it scarcity or I need to go to a mental hospital already? lol.

    Reply

    1. Then you are like Napoleon or Caesar, depending on the nature of your comparison. If you have goals you actually want to achieve, despite the lulls and sacrifices that come with them, you’re fine if you are making steps towards them.

       However, most people who feel dissonant can’t resolve the problem of planning in realistic, unglamorous terms a path to their goals with the ideal future they see. Some people just want recognition but don’t want most of the particulars that come with their goals. They want fame but can’t deal with lack of privacy, know nothings shit talking you and using your name to accomplish their own petty goals.

       Best bet is to look at what you actually want and plan around that.

       Reply
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16. I really liked your post but I felt personally attacked –

    There is a sizeable demographic of society permeating class boundaries who have become perfectly comfortable with misery and they perpetuate it, often, unknowingly, as a matter of habit. They are payday loan borrowers, college teachers and yacht owners. Avoid these people at all costs and more importantly, avoid being that person yourself.

    Why were you attacking college teachers? I know many of them to be really happy and full of energy. Especially the younger ones.

    Reply

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