The Limits: What are They?

Once in a while in any skill building or training pursuit, you ask yourself the question, "what are my limits" in that particular endeavor. Often, we assume a limit that is set by our own assumptions and the perceived evidence up at present time. My assumption is that the world records in the Olympics, and human performances such as a world-class ballet, are about where the near-peak of human capabilities reside. I do not believe that the best performance possible necessarily is what is portrayed in the highest recorded IQ scores, or the highest rated opera acts, but I think it is safe to assume that if one is tying to become a kind of universal man, capable in various areas, physically and mentally, morally and in the mastery of crafts, then the current records that exist are an excellent guideline for what is possible and what is not possible for one to achieve. The records may be striven to be broken if one has the greatest passion or specializes in that specific area, so the idea to be the absolute best in every area is in the realm of fantasy.

Another interesting point is that sometimes we are limited by the social system we grew up in. Sometimes, cultural practices and ways of living can hinder us. There are modes of thinking and doing that are not the best way. One can imagine a superior system almost always, by other nations' examples or by our own reasoning and creativity. Do not allow yourself to be limited by the social system you are used to, as much as you may be aware of it anyway.

It has been proven that one can become a Heisman Trophy winner and Rhodes Scholar (Peter Miller Dawkins). It has been proven that one can pursue a career as a medical doctor and attain the olympic gold medal twice (Sammy Lee). There are examples of men who have achieved incredible things throughout the course of their lives, and of men who have experienced the human existence to the fullest. It seems to be about attitude and dedication.

How much can you bench? How fast can you run? How many sit-ups can you do in one sitting? What is your IQ score? Which games can you achieve expert level of mastery in? How many books can you read in a month? Which social, political, and economic achievements can you attain? How many skills can you master, which morals can you perfect? There is a plethora of such questions that faces the Metiston, but the key is finding the right approach for each individual. Balance out where you feel you should, specialize where you have great talent, and maximize the value of the whole package.

Naming the Movement

I have been considering the term Metiston or Meticist, to describe the samurai of the tetrahedron. The movement could be called Meticism. In Esperanto, you would need to add some o's. The name is from ancient mythology of course, of Zeus's first consort, mother of Athena. I find it an apt source for a name, since she was supposed to represent wisdom, skill, craft, a kind of great cunning and power. A new form of science could be Metistology, the use of scientific method and effective approaches to problem solving and various other efficiencies in terms of gathering knowledge, employing information gained properly, techniques of reasoning, planning, systematic approaches to employ that finds the most successful method of doing something, etc. The order could be called the Order of the Metiston, or the Metistonic Order. Members follow the Mestistonic Path.

In terms of Metistology, some examples of this subject area could include concepts such as options space, which is the universe of possible options that one can act upon in a particular situation, game, or circumstance, also defining the natures of open structure vs fine structure problems (no set solutions vs observably clear logically deducible solutions), the algorithmic vs heuristic approaches to solution attaining, common irrational fallacies and tendencies to watch out for, and so on.

Best Sports & Physical Activities

In terms of universal transferable application level, what are the best exercises and sports to train in? I suspect that weightlifting is one of them, because it involves mainly strength but also other elements which can carry over easily into many other areas. So I am really looking for those activities to train in which can be transferred to yet more physical areas, universal physical attributes.

I think the Octathlon for men should be: 100 meter sprint, 5 km run, long jump, javelin, 400 meter swim freestyle, weightlifting, table tennis, wrestling freestyle. For women: 100 meter sprint, 5 km run, high jump, discuss, 400 meter swim freestyle, archery, tennis, judo. Perhaps a couple sports can be worth double points.

In regards to general physical activities, perhaps various forms of ninja-style climbing and gymnastics training may be very beneficial.