THE ART OF GROWTH

Presented by Requiem

A small ebook created by underworldsent as a guide for

manipulation, self improvement, philosophy and fitness.

underworldsent
 The Art of Growth
Requiem Production

underworldsent
ALL RIGHTS ARE RESERVED.

Contact Information:

@underworldsent on tiktok
moirai#0444 on discord
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Preface

The Art of Growth

Chapter 1
Awareness
Learn to be aware of your surroundings. Figure out
what those around you think, what are they feeling?
What is the best way to act in this specific
environment? You will be shown methods of reading
others and the room. From this point on, our new
motto is “No days unalert.” (Greene 20)

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 Table of Contents

Chapter 2
Manipulation
It’s a dark game, but it surrounds us constantly so we
must not be outplayed. In this chapter, you will learn
more about manipulation and deception. Essentially
how to naturally guide others in the direction you
want. Manipulation and deception are a developed art
of civilization, and a very strong weapon to hold.

Chapter 3
Warfare & Strategy
By far one of the most underrated concepts to learn.
War has been around since the birth of humans. We are
constantly at conflict, and oftentimes on a global scale.
With the help of ancient warfare strategist Sun Tzu,
and many other strategists/philosophers and wars of
the past, we will take a deep dive into the art of
warfare and strategy and how we can translate this into
our own lives.

Chapter 4
Setting Traps
Somewhat tied to manipulation, setting traps is
essential in everything. You see it all the time, in chess
we set traps to corner our opponent, in social aspects
we may set traps with our words or actions, they could

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 Table of Contents

be visible traps that deter someone from it, or a hidden

trap that keeps your victim unaware until they are
stuck. In this chapter you will learn how to set social
traps with your victims.

Chapter 5
Mindset
Learn how to improve your mindset through taking a
look at famous philosophies such as Stoicism,
Nihilism, and my own personal philosophy I like to
call Atlasism (Atlas – Enduring). Mindset is key.

Chapter 6
Physical Strength
Take a dive into the body. We will look into how to
have better physical health and how to defend
ourselves in physical altercations. Physical strength is
often a very powerful weapon.

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 Preface

When you think of your life, what comes to mind?

Your friends, your family, school, work, maybe even
yourself?

“Man is condemned to be free.”

- Jean-Paul Sartre

In today’s world, we must keep our cards close and have as

many different cards as possible to play at any time. The
Art of Growth is a way of improvement. In order to truly
push for a better life we must decipher the problems in
ourselves and find a solution. This short book can be
interpreted in many ways; as a quick light read, a piece to
study and take notes on, or just for observation

This mini book was separated into 6 sections, the keystones

of life. Assuming it is of interest to the reader, we will be
discussing psychology, philosophy, manipulation, fitness
and strategy. We go through numerous sources and pieces

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of reference such as animes like Classroom of the Elite,
Tomodachi Game and Death Note. Or philosophies like
Stoicism, Nihilism, Cynicism and a new one we are
bringing forward, Atlasism. And notable people such as
Robert Greene, Niccolo Machiavelli, Sun Tzu and more.

This was a mini passion project of mine done for fun. It

took a lot of time and effort to create this work and so I am
very appreciative of all the support I’ve received on this. If
you’d like to say your thanks, or if you have any
inquiries/feedback, feel free to find me in
discord.gg/finalrequiem

underworldsent
Requiem Production

8
The Art of Growth
 Chapter 1

Awareness

The unexamined life is not worth living.

—Socrates

Awareness is by far one of the greatest skills we as human

beings can possess. Being constantly aware can lead to the
ability to read situations better, analyze others, detail
detecting, more efficient learning, prediction of future
events and the chance to undertake more action. A strong
human being possesses immense levels of awareness and it
can be said it is by far the most powerful ability for one to
own.

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In this chapter, we will separate awareness into three
sections: Social awareness, personal awareness, and
organizational awareness.

To start, let’s take a look at social awareness. Social

awareness is the ability to understand others. Essentially
the ability to read the room at a much deeper level. If this
is something new to you, start smaller and work your way
up. Work on analyzing just 1 person at a time. After a
while you can start analyzing a bunch of people.

Now how do we analyze someone?

It’s somewhat complex to get a thorough analysis of

someone as you will need them to verbally open up a lot to
truly understand one. But for now, let's talk about reading
the face & body language.

In his book Telling, Paul Ekman proposed a theory on small

and large expressions. In essence, we can all interpret facial
emotions that last up to four seconds, but there are also
quicker, more fleeting expressions that are so rapid they
may easily be overlooked by the untrained eye. Facial
expressions are actually physiological reactions, claims
Ekman. Even when no one else can see you, you still

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display these expressions. Even when individuals were
trying to hide their feelings or even when they themselves
were ignorant of the emotion, he discovered that people
employed micro-expressions to convey their emotions on
their faces in remarkably predictable ways across cultures.

Micro-expressions are spontaneous, tiny contractions of

certain muscle groups that are predictably related to
emotions and are the same in all people, regardless of
upbringing, background, or cultural expectation.

How do we read them? There are five main steps to

reading them:

1. Learn the 7 universal emotions: happiness, sadness,

anger, surprise, disgust, fear, and contempt.

2. Observe the eyes, eyebrows, mouth, and cheeks for

changes in shape, position, or tension.

3. Look for sudden and brief changes in expression,

lasting only a fraction of a second.

4. Practice with videos and still images of people

displaying micro-expressions.

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5. Remember that context is important and consider
the person's body language and speech patterns.

Now looking below the head, body language has a much

broader range of possible interpretations.

Body language can be interpreted in a much wider variety

of ways. A body that is relaxed expands and wants to
occupy space, whereas a body that is tense wants to
contract and desires to hide. In order to put everything
together, we must interpret the body as a whole and search
for broad behavioral patterns that cooperate to convey a
consistent message. The voice can be viewed as a
component of the body and can be read similarly to other
body language. Look for indications or cues that don't fit in
with the other cues they are offering; if you can spot more
clues that support this conclusion, it may disclose that the
other person is attempting to conceal something. However,
as always, the signals you've detected might not indicate
anything, so be sure you have adequate evidence to back
them up.

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Another method of reading others is through MBTI. It is
not super accurate as it is very one sided – meaning, you
are either introverted or extroverted, no in between. So,
someone who’s 55% introverted may receive the same
MBTI as someone who is 95% introverted, however these 2
people likely will act differently. Now MBTI is something I
suggest studying on your own outside of this course, but
here, I will say that it’s beneficial. You can categorize
everyone you meet into different MBTI which make it a bit
easier to predict them and see why they conducted certain
actions.

Moving on, self awareness.

You must be aware of yourself. What are you doing with

your face? Your body? Your words? How does this affect
the environment and people around you? In this section,
let’s explore our dark side.

So, can we be self aware? We don't like to look at

ourselves, and sometimes these things are buried, so it's not
simple, however yes, we can be and it is very beneficial to

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oneself. We learn to hide our true selves and put on the
most polite, pleasing face we can to the outside world. Our
true selves may be evil ones. Therefore, the individuals in
your immediate vicinity who are all grinning and flaunting
what they want others to see. You are doing the same thing
as them by concealing your own dark side. Now do not
misinterpret this, it’s usually good to hide your dark side, it
usually just causes troubles. However, it is a great idea to
realize how others may truly be different than how they
appear. So be aware of the difference between your true self
and your presented self. To yourself, you remain a mystery.
You assume you know who you are as you move around
the world. You think this is apparent. The majority of your
time is spent alone, lost in your own thoughts. However,
you truly don't understand a lot about yourself. Things from
your early years, scars you carried since you were four or
five years old, and things you didn't inherit from your
parents tend to intensify this dark side. And these are things
that are quite difficult to come by in normal life. To learn
about yourself requires work and a commitment to do so.

You must reflect on your dark side. How? Look at the

moments where something leaked out that seemed unusual

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to your behavior and things that happened that were out of
character. In truth, they were very much in character. These
times that stick out where you feel like you lost control and
it was the exception are actually incredibly telling about
who you are and what's on the inside. So these are some
approaches to evaluate who you are and to identify your
dark side. Being an angel and repressing it won't help.
Nobody is truly an angel in this world. I have a lot of
doubts about those who attempt to portray themselves as
saints. I don't believe it. We all have flaws and a dark side
because we are human. It is not necessary to suppress it.
Knowing it and being conscious will enable you to exert
control over your shadow or dark side and prevent it from
dominating your life. And you might be able to use it
productively. I must therefore learn to use my aggressive
personality for my work rather than hurting others since I
am aware of it.

Next up, organizational awareness. This is more for those

in the workforce, however, this very much can apply to any
sort of group you find yourself in, group project at school,
your class as a whole, friend groups, etc.

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Organizational awareness refers to an individual's
understanding of the dynamics, culture, and politics within
an organization. This includes an understanding of the
organization's goals, policies, procedures, and
decision-making processes, as well as the personalities,
relationships, and power structures within the organization.

Having organizational awareness is important for several

reasons, including:

1. Improved communication: Understanding

organizational dynamics can help individuals communicate
more effectively with colleagues and management.

2. Better decision-making: Awareness of the

organization's priorities and decision-making processes can
help individuals make more informed decisions.

3. Career advancement: Knowing how the

organization operates and who holds influence can help
individuals navigate the workplace and advance their
careers.

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4. Improved relationships: Understanding the
organization's culture and politics can help individuals
build stronger relationships with colleagues and
management.

Organizational awareness can be developed through

observation, conversation with colleagues, and taking part
in training and development programs offered by the
organization.

We discussed the importance of awareness as a skill and

how it can be broken down into three categories: social
awareness, personal awareness, and organizational
awareness. Social awareness is about reading others,
including analyzing facial expressions and body language
to identify emotions. Personal awareness is about
understanding oneself, including acknowledging one's dark
side, reflecting on past behaviors, and working to improve
oneself. Organizational awareness is about understanding
the dynamics and politics within organizations. We looked
into tips on how to develop social awareness by learning

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the seven universal emotions, observing changes in facial
expressions, and studying MBTI personality types. We also
looked into the importance of reflecting on oneself and
being committed to personal growth.

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 Chapter 2

Manipulation

A speech is like a love affair. Any fool can start it, but to end it
requires considerable skill.
— Lord Mancroft

I personally find the debate on the ethics of manipulation

quite interesting. Manipulation could be considered
immoral however in a world surrounded by manipulation,
the least we could do is to be able to pick it out. In this
chapter, we will dive much deeper into methods of
manipulation. These methods will be slightly vague in
hopes you will be able to find moments in your life where
you can use and adapt these methods.

To start, let’s focus on persuasion. Manipulation and

persuasion are quite similar and to keep the chapter
relaxed here at the beginning, let’s master persuasion.

Greek philosopher Aristotle proposed the idea that there

are 3 modes of persuasion, Ethos, Pathos, and Logos

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Essentially it is the 3 main ways of persuasion, and to truly
persuade your audience, you must use all 3 to its fullest
extent.

Let's start with Ethos.

Establishing your authority to talk to the audience on the

given issue is the first step in developing your ethos. It is
the linguistic equivalent of the degrees that are displayed
throughout your doctor's office. Additionally, you must
establish rapport after demonstrating your expertise in the
field. When everything is taken away, ethos is all about
trust.

"Your audience needs to know (or to believe, which in rhetoric

adds up to the same thing) that you are trustworthy, that you
have a locus standi to talk on the subject, and that you speak in
good faith. You need your audience to believe that you are, in the
well-known words, ‘A pretty straight kind of guy.’"

You may occasionally even witness a reverse ethos

appeal—a criticism of an opponent that casts doubt on
their qualifications and dependability and serves to

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alienate the audience. It's vital to define your ethos early
on to prevent that, both to make it harder for your
adversaries to succeed and to offer your logos something
to hang on to.

Pathos.

If you add some strong emotion to your logical case, it will

be even more convincing. It's possible that when you hear
the word "pathos," you're picturing something dramatic
and depressing because of how we use it today. Pathos,
however, is more complex than that; it can also be laughter,
love, patriotism, or any other emotional reaction.

Once again, knowing your audience is the key. You might

not receive the reaction you desire from the bee allergy
support group if you're attempting to arouse feelings of
rage or anguish over humanity's contribution to the
honeybee's demise.

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Even confessing a mistake might be a pathos-invoking
move. (We all make mistakes...) This may be a cunning
strategy to throw your adversary off-balance.

"This is the figure, called paromologia in the Greek, where you

concede, or appear to concede, part of your opponent’s point. It
turns what is often necessary to advantage, because it makes you
look honest and scrupulous, takes the wind out of your
opponent’s sails, and allows you to shift the emphasis of the
argument in a way finally favorable to you. It’s the equivalent of
a tactical retreat, or of the judo fighter using an opponent’s
momentum against him."

Finally, Logos.

"If ethos is the foundation of your argument, logos is the force

that propels it forward. It is the substance of your arguments, the
way one point leads to another, as if to demonstrate that the
conclusion you are aiming for is not only the right one but also
so necessary and reasonable as to be, in many cases, the only
one."

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Consider this to be the reasoning for your claim. Your goal
is to make your arguments seem so obvious and
persuasive that your audience is unable to think of a
counterargument.

The best way to employ logos in this situation, according to

Aristotle, is to nudge your listeners toward your argument's
conclusion shortly before the big disclosure. They will take
pride in having the intelligence to figure it out, making the
disclosure all the more exciting

Looks can be deceiving. This can be interpreted in many

different ways, but let’s take a look into the animes
Classroom of the Elite and Tomodachi Game. I’m sure anyone
reading this is already familiar with at least one of the two
series. Going forth, we will use the two series as examples.
Knowledge on the series is not fully necessary to
understanding this content.

The difference between Kiyotaka Ayanokoji (Classroom of

the Elite) and Yuuichi Katagiri (Tomodachi Game) is how
they appear. Ayanokoji tends to appear more in the dark

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and hides his true strength with a poker face, however
Yuuichi likes to use what is now typically called the con
face.

Let’s start off with the Poker Face.

A strong poker face can be beneficial quite often. This face

will shield us from being read as to use it, we must show
little to no emotion on our face. It’s essentially emotional
control. It’s used often in poker as if you get an
exceptionally good hand, you don’t want anyone else to
know, but if you get a bad hand, you also don’t want
anyone else to know. Using the poker face we can
eliminate others from reading us and using it to win. If
something ticks you off, you may show an angry
expression. We see Ayanokoji using the poker face at all
times. Early on in the series, Horikita confronts him for
lying, but Ayanokoji does not react at all. He plays it
perfectly and shows no sign of shock or stress, remaining
as calm as ever. The poker face keeps you in good looks.
This could be read and used against you in the future as
they may have found a weakness. Using the poker face, we

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can eliminate the possibility of revealing anything
important.

The Con Face,

As mentioned, it is the opposite of the poker face. It is the

art of displaying false emotions. We see Yuuichi Katagiri
use it often to deceive. So why is the con face important?
Because emotions are contagious when they can be seen.
When you look at someone laughing, it tends to make you
feel like laughing a little, huh? Similar to when you see
someone cry. This is why good actors are so highly valued.
The con face is essentially acting, it’s an art. The con face
isn’t typically hard to pull off however knowing what face
to make when is much harder. In the 3rd game of
Tomodachi Game, we see Yuuichi use the con face many
times. The first time is near the start. He stayed with the
other group, aggravating them and mocking them for
multiple days. Later, after Maria betrayed Yuuichi, he
made a huge scene and dropped to his knees screaming
“DAMN IT!”. This convinced the enemy group to leave
him alone as they went to track down Tenji. When Yuuichi

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was left alone, he was able to win the game a few minutes
later. This doesn't entirely mean you need to throw giant
shows like Yuuichi, however appearing weaker to lower
the guards of your enemies is a strong tactic in every
aspect of life. Never let others know how you’re feeling
and throw them off the trail with the con face.

You may mix these 2 faces as you wish. Being realistic here,
a poker face isn’t always the greatest. You will have times
when you need to keep your emotions hidden however,
keep a poker face at all times and those around you will
sense boredom in you. If you look bored in what they say,
it won’t end well. Test the two faces in your daily life,
you’ll begin to see what works and when.

A strong way to be in control is to lure others into your

territory. Essentially, make your opponents come to you.
By having them come to you, they will have to abandon
any plan or strategy already created. When they have to
adapt to you, you’re in control. You must play the long
game; sitting back, staying calm as others get stuck in the

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traps set by you. We will talk more about setting traps in
chapter 4.

As stated in The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene, “A

single honest gesture can help cover the traces of dozens of
dishonest acts”. The best way to control someone is to
disarm them, erase their skepticism. The key here is
distraction. Distract them from your wrongdoings with an
act of generosity. You must learn to give before you take.
Construct a façade of honesty with a series of generous acts
to gain trust

Manipulation is a dangerous game that surrounds us

constantly. We must keep our guard up to defend ourselves
from being manipulated, or we ourselves could employ
such tactics. We must learn to keep ourselves in control and
play the long game of waiting.

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As a summary:

We explored the ethics of manipulation and persuasion, and

how they can be used to influence others. We discussed the
three modes of persuasion - Ethos, Pathos, and Logos - and
how they can be used to persuade an audience effectively.
We also looked into examples from the animes Classroom
of the Elite and Tomodachi Game to discuss the differences
between a poker face and a con face, and how they can be
used to manipulate situations.

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 Chapter 3

Warfare & Strategy

[Strategy] is more than a science: it is the application of

knowledge to practical life, the development of thought capable of
modifying the original guiding idea in the light of ever-changing
situations; it is the art of acting under the pressure of the most
difficult conditions.
— Helmuth Von Moltke

War constantly surrounds us. From human nature, we all

end up in conflict with one another. In a culture that
constantly promotes democratic values of being air to one
and all, emphasizing the value of group cohesiveness, and
encouraging cooperation. Early on, we are taught that
people who are visibly combative and aggressive incur a
social cost in the form of rejection and solitude.

This war I speak of is not necessarily true warfare with

huge armies representing their countries, but rather
politics, business, arts and simply just our day to day lives.

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There are individuals who appear to be on our side, who
act extremely amicably and pleasant, but who secretly
sabotage us and use the group to advance their own goals.
Others, who are more difficult to identify, engage in subtle
forms of passive hostility, promising assistance that never
materializes and using guilt as a covert weapon. On the
surface, everything appears to be calm enough, but
underneath, everyone is out for themselves, and even
families and relationships are affected by this dynamic.

We will examine the many different strategies and tactics

of war:

Declaring War

Life is a never-ending struggle, and you can only fight well

if you know who your foes are. People are deceptive and
evasive, covering up their true motives while seeming as
though they are on your side. You must be clear. Learn to
identify your foes by their telltale behaviors and patterns
of antagonism. Once you have them in your sights, declare
war. Your enemies—your opposites—can give you
purpose and direction, just as the opposite poles of a

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magnet create motion. They provide energy by acting as
obstacles, symbols of your dislike, and targets for your
energy. Be realistic; there are some enemies with whom
you cannot find a middle ground or a compromise.

Keep a clear mind

To me, this is a very huge part of strategy. You cannot come

up with a strategy if you do not have a clear mind. The
mind can become unbalanced in the midst of conflict. You
are being confronted by too many things at once, including
unforeseen setbacks, uncertainties, and criticism from your
own allies. There is then a chance of having an emotional
reaction, such as fear, melancholy, or annoyance. No matter
what the situation, it is imperative to maintain your mental
capacity and presence of mind. You must actively fight
against the emotional pull of the situation, remaining
definite, assured, and assertive regardless of what
happens. Expose the intellect to adversity to make it
stronger. Get the ability to distance oneself from the tumult
of battle. Let others make mistakes; your awareness will
keep you on course and away from their influence.

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Laying Plans

The basis of all conflict is deception. As a result, when we

have the ability to attack, we must appear incapable; when
we use our troops, we must appear passive; when we are
close to the adversary, we must make him believe we are
far away; and vice versa when we are far away. Set out
lures to draw the adversary in. Create a false disorder and
kill him. Be ready for him if he is safe at all times. Avoid
him if he is stronger than you. Try to aggravate your
opponent if he has a choleric temper. pretend to seem
weak so he won't become haughty. Give him no rest if he is
relaxing. Disperse his soldiers if they are gathered as one.
Attack him when he is unprepared and arises in
unexpected places. Before the combat even starts, the
general who prevails in it performs a number of
computations in his temple. The general who loses a fight
doesn't do any planning beforehand.

Looking at Art of War by Sun Tzu, we see the 5 essentials

for victory:

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 ● He will win who knows when to fight and when
not to fight.
● He will win who knows how to handle both
superior and inferior forces.
● He will win whose army is animated by the same
spirit throughout all its ranks.
● He will win who, prepared himself, waits to take
the enemy unprepared.
● He will win who has the military capacity and is
not interfered with by the sovereign.

Usage of Spies

Foreknowledge is what gives the wise king or general the

ability to attack and conquer and do things that are out of
the ordinary for regular people. Converting spies entails
seizing the enemy's spies and using them for our own
ends, such as luring them away from the enemy's service
and persuading them to bring back false information as
well as to spy on their own citizens in return. In the entire
army, only relationships maintained by spies may be
intimate. No other relationship should receive more
generous compensation. More secrecy shouldn't be
maintained in any other relationship. Knowing the

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opponent is the ultimate goal of all five types of spying,
and in the beginning, this information can only come from
a former spy. He not only provides information himself but
also makes it possible to benefit from the other types of
spies. Hence, it is imperative that the former spy be treated
with the greatest generosity. Spies are a crucial component
of combat since they determine an army's mobility.

Create a sense of participation, but not too much

People always have their own agendas, which makes it

difficult to manage any group. They will resist in silence if
you are overly authoritarian with them. If you are too laid
back, they will turn selfish again and you will lose control.
You need to establish a chain of command so that others
can follow your example without feeling restricted by your
influence. Put the proper people in place—people who will
carry out the essence of your suggestions without
becoming robots. . Make people feel included, but avoid
falling victim to groupthink, the irrationality of making
decisions as a group. Create a sense of participation, but do
not fall into Groupthink--the irrationality of collective

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decision making. Create an impression of being the
epitome of fairness, yet maintain unity of command at all
costs.

Have clear knowledge of those around you

The greatest power you may possess in life wouldn't come

from having endless wealth or even from having expert
strategic skills. That would result from having a thorough
understanding of those around you and being able to read
them like a book. With that information, you could spot
snakes in the grass and tell friend from foe. You might
foresee the malice of your adversaries, penetrate their
plans, and take defensive measures. Their openness would
let you see the feelings they were least able to manage.
With that information, you may cause them to stumble into
traps and kill them. Throughout the beginning of time, this
kind of knowledge has been a military objective. Because
of this, intelligence collecting, and espionage techniques
were developed. Yet, spies can be untrustworthy; they
filter information through their own beliefs and prejudices,
and because of the nature of their work, which pushes

27
them to operate independently, spies are famously difficult
to control and may even turn against you. However, their
reports invariably lack the subtleties that identify
people—the tone of a speaker's voice, the look in his or her
eyes. In the end, the spy's information is useless unless you
have a strong understanding of psychology and human
behavior. Without such ability, you will only perceive what
you want to see in it, reinforcing your own biases.
Hannibal, Julius Caesar, Prince Metternich, Winston
Churchill, and Lyndon Johnson during his tenure in the
U.S. Senate were all first-rate scholars of human nature and
exceptional readers of men, making them among the
leaders who made the finest use of knowledge. They
developed their abilities by closely observing individuals.
The use of spies could only be expanded upon with that
foundation.

In Summary:

We discussed how war surrounds us and how people

engage in various forms of conflicts in their day-to-day

28
lives. The strategies and tactics of war are explored,
including the importance of identifying enemies,
maintaining a clear mind, laying plans, using spies, and
creating a sense of participation. The 5 essentials for
victory according to Sun Tzu's "The Art of War" are also
discussed. We also looked into the importance of being
aware of the different forms of hostility, as well as the
importance of maintaining a balance between being too
authoritarian and too laid back when dealing with groups.

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 Chapter 4

Setting Traps

The best way to keep a prisoner from escaping is to make sure he

never knows he’s in a prison.
—Fyodor Dostoevsky

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The art of setting traps is quite similar to manipulation,
however, it’s a lot more complex and takes a much more in
depth look. In this chapter, we will look at various
methods to setting psychological traps.

What are these traps? As an example, in the 2nd round of

the Tomodachi Game, Yuuichi Katagiri did this a lot. For
example, as a very obvious trap, Yuuichi took the name
tags of all of his friends. By doing this, they were unable to
betray him. He basically said “give me your name-tag and in
return you’ll have my trust. If you do not comply, you’ll be a
suspect.” It’s a domino effect as one he forces 1 into his
trap, For more secretive traps, in Classroom of the Elite,
Ayanokoji made it seem as if he didn’t want to be exposed,
he made it seem as if he wanted to remain a mystery, and
as such, Ryuuen and his class were constantly looking for
him. He was able to then create a situation in which
Ryuuen uses Karuizawa to get the identity of the
mastermind, only for Ayanokoji to save her. By doing this,
he gains Karuizawa’s trust and also can shut down
Ryuuen in the only way he can destroy him, with even
greater violence. He even states it was the end result he
wanted all along.

31
The ability to set traps can be quite difficult to obtain.
However most may think due to how hard it sometimes
can be to pull off that all traps are to be complex. That’s not
entirely true, your traps can be quite simple that even a
toddler could read you, however, it’s not a bad thing if
someone knows what you’re up to only if they have
nothing to do but fall for your trap. As an example let's say
you’re dealing with someone who’s very emotionally
driven. They aren’t entirely an idiot so they can see right
through your attempts. Regardless, you bomb her with
immense amounts of love for a certain amount of time.
After constantly complimenting her and making her feel
extremely loved and needed, you just go ghost. After a few
days, you come back and start doing it again. Chances are,
she might know you’re trying to get her attached to her by
giving her all the love and attention in the world then just
leaving her alone and desperate. But due to her being so
immensely driven by her emotions, she can't help but
grow attached to you. Your words and the way you treated
her cornered her into a spot of attachment and even if she
knows your goal, she can't help but follow.

32
Now let's take a look at different methods of setting traps.
You may notice how these traps are essentially just
manipulation and quite similar to chapter 2. However
these 5 methods are ways you can then allow your
victim(s) to comply with you or be forced into feeling a
type of way or doing something specific.

1. Exploiting personal weaknesses: Its key to be

skilled at identifying the weaknesses of anyone. This
knowledge is touched on in chapter 1. You then need to act
on them. As a real world example, you may try to set a
trap on someone who is desperate for money by offering
them a loan with high interest rates, knowing that they
will be unable to repay it and will become beholden to
you.

2. Playing mind games: A strong method is to use

mind games to gain control over others. We constantly
play them with everyone we meet. Often enough, those
that are obvious are usually known as quite toxic behavior
in a human. The importance of following ethics is up to
each individual so you may pick and choose what you

33
follow. But as an example for mind games, you may try to
make someone doubt their own abilities or sanity, which
causes them to become much more vulnerable to your
influence.

3. Creating a sense of dependency: It’s a good idea to

try creating situations where others become dependent on
you for survival or success. As an example you may try to
fabricate a scenario where a group is trapped and needs
guidance for an escape (physically or mentally). He can
string them along and help them, forcing them to view him
as a necessary leader.

4. Using fear and intimidation: This is a common

method you see nearly every single day. Some only need to
use their looks to create fear, but most of us will also
require a verbal aspect. As an example, you may threaten
someone with physical harm or reveal a secret they want
to keep hidden in order to gain control over them. This one
is quite obvious as you directly show them your trap, but
they can't do anything about it.

5. Playing on emotions: Similar to the last one, you

can use guilt, shame, or even love to get someone to do

34
what you want. Typically this works best with those you
think typically relies on their emotions to make decisions.
It's much easier to manipulate those who use their heart
rather than those who think with their head, however it is
much easier to make logical thinkers overthink.

To make things more interesting, how about we analyze

Kiyotaka Ayanokoji and his ability to set traps. This might
make it a bit easier to understand as these methods are
directly shown in action in both the anime and the light
novel.

1. Observing and analyzing his opponents: Ayanokoji

is always observing and analyzing his opponents, looking
for weaknesses that he can exploit. He carefully studies
their behaviors and patterns to gain insights into their
thought processes, which he then uses to set traps that they
are unlikely to anticipate.

2. Using misdirection: Ayanokoji is skilled at using

misdirection to make his opponents believe one thing
while he is actually doing something else. For example, he
might make a show of helping someone who he knows is a

35
distraction, while actually using that distraction to his
advantage.

3. Creating scenarios where his opponents are forced

to reveal their true nature: Ayanokoji is skilled at creating
scenarios where his opponents are forced to reveal their
true nature. For example, he may create a situation where
his opponent has to make a difficult ethical choice,
exposing their true values and motivations.

4. Exploiting social dynamics: Ayanokoji is skilled at

exploiting social dynamics to manipulate situations to his
advantage. He is adept at understanding how people
interact with each other and how to use those interactions
to gain the upper hand.

5. Planning for the long term: Ayanokoji is always

thinking several steps ahead, planning his moves carefully
to achieve his ultimate goals. He is patient and willing to
play the long game, setting traps that may not pay off for
weeks or even months, but that ultimately allow him to
achieve his objectives.

36
Setting traps isn’t entirely something super difficult,
however it takes a lot of work and practice to perfect it.
While looking into different methods we see its best to
plan for the long term, exploit social dynamics, create
scenarios where your opponents are forced to reveal their
true nature, use misdirection, observe and analyze your
opponents, play on emotions, use fear and intimidation,
create a sense of dependency, play mind games, exploit
personal weaknesses.

37
 Chapter 5

Mindset

A man who cannot command himself will always be a slave

— Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Mindset is very key in life. How should we live? Is there a

“best” way to live? When entering philosophy, we are
greeted with many different ideas and arguments on how
we should live our lives and/or changes we should make
in our mindset. As someone who’s a big fan of philosophy,
I thought it’d be interesting to create my own mini
philosophy, Atlasism.

38
What is it? Atlas means enduring. Endurance is a very key
strength in life and one we need to build. It can result from
discipline and a realistic point of view. It’s very much
inspired from other philosophies like Stoicism, Nihilism
and Cynicism and from influential figures such as Niccolò
Machiavelli.

At the heart of Atlasism is the recognition that life is

inherently challenging, and that suffering is an inevitable
part of the human experience. Instead of trying to avoid or
escape this suffering, Atlasism encourages individuals to
embrace it as an opportunity for growth and
self-discovery.

This philosophy borrows heavily from Stoicism, which

emphasizes the importance of living in accordance with
reason and virtue, and accepting the things that are
beyond our control. Similarly, Atlasism emphasizes the
importance of living in accordance with our values, even
in the face of adversity, and accepting the things that are
beyond our control.

However, Atlasism differs from Stoicism in that it also

draws inspiration from Nihilism. Nihilism is the

39
philosophical belief that life is ultimately meaningless and
that there is no inherent purpose or value to existence.
Atlasism embraces this idea, recognizing that our lives
may ultimately be insignificant in the grand scheme of
things. However, it also emphasizes that this does not
mean that our lives cannot have meaning and purpose for
ourselves and those around us.

It also draws inspiration from Niccolò Machiavelli's

pragmatic approach to life. Machiavelli recognized that the
world can be a cruel and ruthless place, and that success
often requires a willingness to do whatever it takes to
achieve one's goals. Atlasism similarly recognizes that life
can be unpredictable, and that success often requires a
willingness to take risks and make difficult choices.

The world has been and forever will continue to be

extremely sugar coated. We are told to always look on the
bright side of things rather than the reality of things.
Atlasism shatters these common perceptions and focuses
solely on reality. Sure, reality may be tough and things
may not be quite going the way we want it to, however
this is not to break down our spirit. You failed a math
exam? You’ve just been fired from your job? You’ve been

40
dumped? Don’t look on the bright side of things or try to
sweep it under the rug. Look at the shitty situation, but
don’t let it crush your spirit. As you observe the
predicament, you figure out your next steps in a
coordinated and calm manner. Atlasism does not support
fantasies. It does not allow for individuals to downplay the
severity of the situation and promotes that pessimistic
outlook on it. You use it to evolve as a human being.

Part of Atlasism’s philosophy is borrowed from Kiyotaka

Ayanokoji as well. That philosophy is winning. An atlas
should be determined to win. The best way to live is to
know you’ll win, yet still make action. You should
constantly strive to win and using Machiavelli’s ideals, use
any means necessary to do so. Lies, deception, force,
whatever it may be, it's all fair game for us to win. This
should be a very strong desire for a true atlas.

The best way for us to live is with strong emotional

control. We cannot allow our emotions to control us and
make the decisions for us. We should be thinking with our
head at all times. As a strictly logical thinker, we must
hone our skills to not overthink, as that can be deemed the
biggest weakness of a logical thinker.

41
 He who has begun is half done; dare to know; begin!
— Quintus Horatius Flaccus

We need goals. We must set many. The only way to live is

to pursue a desire. If your dream is to become the leader of
a country, break this down into smaller, more achievable
goals. Break it down into smaller goals and complete every
single one of these. The idea is that once all of these small
goals have been completed, your main goal will be too.
Create your main goal, choose when you’ll achieve it, then
make a timeline, when will each mini goal be completed
by. Going back to our example of leading a country,
perhaps your goals could be to achieve this within the next
30 years. In the meantime, you’ll study politics and
strategy by reading books, articles, etc for 1 hour every
single day, take courses on such topics, and create
connections. Then for more specific goals, perhaps get a job
in the government in the next 2 years. Break that up into
smaller goals like what you need to be eligible. “From now
on, I will read for 1 hour a day on modern politics, old
politics, military strategy, etc. I will also take political
science courses in school and create connections through
classmates and teachers. For precise timestamps, I will get

42
internships in political fields and fill up my resume with
enough to be eligible to get a job in the government in the
next 2 years. From there I will continue to gain connections
and experience and start to elegize myself as a political
candidate.” And continue from there, etc. etc.

The point is, make a giant goal, break this down into
smaller goals, and even smaller goals. What can I do right
now? In a year? In 5 years? In 50 years? You can make
adjustments in the future but create a rough plan.

In summary, Atlasism is the combination of the ideologies

of the great stoics, nihilists, and of the mind of Niccolò
Machiavelli and other Machiavellians alike. The endurance
of difficult situations while seeming unbothered; the desire
of victory, even with anyone or anything at stake; the cold,
calculated, deceptive and ruthless methods constantly in
consideration. It teaches us to achieve life’s dreams in an
anything-goes scenario and deems ethics as a loose
guideline up to the interpretation and perception of the
individual.

43
 Chapter 6

Physical Strength

Violence must be inflicted once for all; people will then forget
what it tastes like and so be less resentful. Benefits must be
conferred gradually; and in that way they will taste better.
— Niccolo Machiavelli

It's important not only to be healthy in the mind but

healthy with your body. Working out and learning to
defend yourself physically is often an overlooked topic
when it comes to those interested in the contents of this
book.

44
With the help of a friend Mari (mari#6855), we broke down
fitness into 3 levels. Basic, Advanced, and White Room
Level.

Let’s start with The Basic Level:

Basic level consists of strength, endurance, stamina and

overall just basic working out and having a semi-in-shape
body.

Strength is quite straightforward. It’s essentially how much

your body can handle weight. For example, if you could
carry 150LB around and you weigh only 100 LB, that’s
quite good. There’s different kinds of strengths that your
muscles go through other than just lifting a large amount
of weight.

Endurance is an example. It is basically how long your

muscles can hold a certain amount of weight. If you had a
large amount of strength and could bench a quite high
number, but maybe only are able to do a couple reps, you
don't have much endurance to lift that weight.

45
This is essentially what we call relative strength. Strength
that involves metal weights is called absolute strength but
stuff like calisthenics is what we would call relative
strength.

If you weigh 150 LB and you did a pull up which makes

you pull about 90% of your body weight, that would mean
you could pull 135 LB of your body weight – Relative
strength basically uses your body weight.

Now let’s look at cardio. The heart and lungs need to stay
healthy when you’re older. Training your insides may
seem pointless since you can’t really see them but when
you’re doing any sort of cardio activities, you will gain a
huge boost of stamina, power and mental strength. Cardio
is really important to keep your body functioning and less
worn out when exercising; which is why many athletes do
regular cardio.

Stamina is how long you can maintain speed for when

running. Often enough, people tend to mix up endurance
and stamina but let’s look into this so there are no
misunderstandings. Endurance is basically the maximum
amount of distance you could reach and Stamina is how

46
long you can maintain your speed for. If you have a high
stamina and a low endurance, your muscles could give out
after running 1 mile, but since your stamina is so high, you
could likely run at your top speed for about 3 minutes,
making you finish fast. However, if you have low stamina
and high endurance, you may only be able to run fast for
30 seconds, but you could run for 5 miles.

So how do we implement this?

1. Start with basic workouts: If you're new to fitness,

start with basic exercises such as push-ups, squats,
lunges, and planks. These exercises will help you
build overall strength and endurance.
2. Focus on strength training: To improve your
strength, you can start lifting weights or use
resistance bands. Start with a weight that you can
handle and gradually increase the weight as you
become stronger.
3. Incorporate cardio into your routine: To improve
your stamina and cardiovascular health, you can
include cardio activities such as running, cycling, or
swimming in your routine. Aim for at least 150
minutes of moderate-intensity cardio per week.

47
 4. Monitor your progress: Keep track of your progress
by logging your workouts and tracking your
strength gains, endurance, and stamina. This will
help you stay motivated and see the progress
you're making.
5. Stay consistent: Consistency is key when it comes
to achieving fitness goals. Set a routine that works
for you and stick to it, even on days when you
don't feel like working out.

Now let's take a look at the Advanced Level:

This level takes all of the knowledge learned in the

beginner level and adds on some new things.

First, let's take a look at growing muscles. This consists of

the need to intake the correct amount of calories. Figure
out your caloric maintenance. Eating around your caloric
maintenance will help you maintain the weight you are
now. So, if you want to lose weight (Caloric Deficit), then
you must eat 200-400 calories less than what your body
needs. If you want to gain muscle/weight, then you
should eat 200-400 more than your maintenance. However,

48
you can not eat whatever you want. Eating junk food to
reach your calorie goal leads to mostly fat rather than
muscle. Proteins and a clean diet ensure you gain muscles
while dieting.

Meditation is another thing often overlooked. Not only

does it help with mental strength but it can also increase
your endurance exponentially. Mental strength is key as it
will allow you to continue moving forward and to be at
peace with yourself. Possessing mental strength allows
you to keep your emotions in check while working on
your physical body. Some meditate to increase their lung
capacity like Wim Hof who literally meditates in cold air.

A simple meditation exercise that helps increase lung

capacity is to inhale for 6 seconds then exhale for 12. 5
times is sufficient. Often enough, you may not even need
to do these exercises. Most people breathe using their
upper chest and not their diaphragm because we sit down
almost every day for long periods of time. If you take a
breather right now you may realize that your shoulders
move up and that you seem to get taller slightly. Instead,

49
move that air into your diaphragm when inhaling; this will
increase your stamina.

As a final note for the advanced level, be sure to rest your

muscles. After a long workout, you may have overworked
your body, and so it needs reparations. Get at least 8 hours
of sleep every day as your sleeping state is when your
muscles start healing. A lack of sleep can injure your body
since your muscles have not had the proper rest to repair
itself.

And now, The White Room Level:

This one is inspired by the White Room in Classroom of

the Elite. If you are unaware, the White Room was a
fictional educational facility with the goal of creating the
future leaders of japan. They took away components of
education they deemed pointless and instead heavily
relied on intense teachings of nearly every academic
subject. But one of the other parts they taught was fighting.
People like Kiyotaka Ayanokoji were quite skilled in
fighting and were extremely well-built physically. So this
level is all about fighting.

50
Now we won’t be looking into all the fighting styles as this
is something to individually learn and research on.
However, we will look into what to look for in self defense.

First things first, you must pick a martial art that would
help you during a fight. Ideally you should choose a
martial art that is versatile and could end a fight quickly.
Boxing is an option, however, that is more of a sport to be
watched by many. It could still work in a fight and be
effective. Do some of your own research on different styles
of fighting and see what you think is best for both your
own body, but also what’s best to shut down fights.

Secondly, train over and over again until you are battle
ready. Train your body but also your mind. You must learn
how to fight an opponent both big and small. Focus on
growing physically stronger but simultaneously, you must
also learn fighting strategy. On top of your martial art, you
need to choose a fighting style. Will you be extremely
aggressive and make your opponent scramble? Or will you
play defensively and wait for your right moment to strike?
Or, will you try to be an all-arounder?

51
Third, study and research the human body. A quick kick to
the shin might not always be the best option in a fight.
Most strong fighters have knowledge about anatomy and
how the body works. Learning about the body will help
you know where to strike. You need to be strategic with
where you strike and with what part of your own body.
Fighting is very physical, however, there is also a mental
aspect in need of training.

As a review:

We looked into the importance of physical fitness and

self-defense alongside strategy. We broke down fitness into
three levels: Basic, Advanced, and White Room Level. Basic
level focuses on building strength, endurance, stamina,
and overall fitness with exercises like push-ups, squats,
and planks, and cardio activities like running, cycling, or
swimming. Advanced level builds on basic level
knowledge, and includes growing muscles, meditation,
and rest. To grow muscles, one needs to intake the correct
amount of calories and have a clean diet. Meditation can
increase endurance and mental strength, and help increase

52
lung capacity. Rest is essential for muscle repair and
growth. For the White Room level, there are three
important steps to prepare for a fight. Firstly, choosing a
versatile martial art that can end a fight quickly. Secondly,
training both physically and mentally to become
battle-ready and choosing a fighting style that suits you.
Lastly, studying and researching the human body to know
where to strike and be strategic with your moves. We
finally looked into the importance of both physical and
mental preparation for fighting.

53
 Postface

Thank you for reading this tiny passion project of mine.

This is Moirai, otherwise known as Underworldsent. I
really appreciate all the feedback and nice comments I've
received for this. I know some parts of this can be deemed
slightly controversial or even unethical, especially parts
about manipulation. Subjects such as those are to be up to
individual views and values. You may use it as a guide to
manipulating others, or as a guide to protect yourself from
it. This was a short process for writing as it only took
around 10 weeks, but it was still a difficult process to
organize all my ideas correctly. Who knows, maybe one
day this will evolve to a full-length book. Thank you to
Mari for writing well over 80% of Chapter 6, I’m quite new
to fitness and so it made my life a lot easier actually having
someone more knowledgeable to talk on it. Finally, thank
you to you, the reader. It feels nice knowing at least a few
people will read these months of hard work and hopefully
will gain something from it. If you haven’t already, you can
speak to me or participate in my mini-events in my discord
server, discord.gg/finalrequiem. In addition to my discord

54
server, you may also find me on tiktok with the username
@underworldsent. Thank you all.

55
 Works Cited

Boucheron, Patrick. Machiavelli - The Art of Teaching

People What to Fear. Other Press, LLC, 2020.

Ekman, Paul. Telling Lies: Clues to Deceit in the

Marketplace, Politics, and Marriage (Revised Edition). W.
W. Norton & Company, 2009.

Greene, Robert. The 48 Laws of Power. Penguin, 2000.

---. The Laws of Human Nature. Penguin, 2018.

Horace. Horace. 1908.

Kinugasa, Syougo. Classroom of the Elite (Light Novel).

National Geographic Books, 2019.

Machiavelli, Niccolo. The Prince. National Geographic

Books, 2015.

Ohba, Tsugumi, and Taskeshi Obata. Death Note. VIZ

Media LLC, 2007.

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Street, Farnam. “Ethos, Logos and Pathos: The Structure of
a Great Speech.” Farnam Street,
https://www.facebook.com/FarnamStreet, 22 Nov. 2016,
https://fs.blog/ethos-logos-pathos/.

Yamaguchi, Mikoto, and Yuki Sato. Tomodachi Game.

Kodansha, 2017.

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