@moonlake@hexbear.net’s great commrequest to create this comm was here, and the improover thread that inspired it is here. Hopefully, we can make this space a place for comrades to talk about their efforts to improve oneself.

This community’s purpose is to gather ways for us leftists to become more effective and self-disciplined, forging healthy habits and setting goals. It is undoubtably true that most problems that we experience are due to systemic issues. We do, however, possess some degree of individual agency that we can exert.

We explicitly reject the narratives of “grindset” and “increasing productivity” which are usually associated with “self improvement” among grifter circles, especially in the context of working for capitalists to earn a wage and giving them even more of your surplus value. If you’re in a position to slack off at work and still receive a wage that can support you, then don’t work any harder than necessary for those bougie motherfuckers. This is a community that is focussed on self-improvement in every other way, allowing us to become happier, healthier, and more knowledgable communists. I believe that we should, as much as possible and when it is safe to do so without being assaulted by chuds, be role models for communism - compassionate, caring, and hard-working (as said before, outside of the workplace). We should be, as much as possible, friendly and reliable to those around us - somebody other people go to when they need support or are confused about the world. After all:

As revolutionaries, we don’t have the right to say we are tired of explaining. We must never stop explaining. We know that when the people understand, they cannot help but follow us.

While revolutionary scenarios in the imperial core are very rare right now, we are entering an incredibly tumultuous global situation in the coming years and decades as American quasi-hegemony is threatened. We must be prepared, and cultivate discipline and revolutionary optimism now, so that we can take advantage of all opportunities that come our way. As our comrades in Palestine and elsewhere are fighting imperialism on the front lines, spilling their blood for a better world, we must not fall into resignation and doomerism. We must not cede the concept of improving oneself and becoming a better person to right-wingers and self-help guru grifters.

We naturally have a lot of overlap with c/fitness and c/theory, as well as other communities. Again, this is self-improvement in virtually every way - whether you want to eat healthier (and ideally go im-vegan), improve fitness (whether that’s to be big and muscular, or more thin and lithe), transition successfully via HRT and voice training, stopping doomscrolling on Twitter or Reddit so much in your spare time, stopping smoking/drinking/etc, learning a language - and a dozen other ways that you can improve yourself.

Comrades over at Unity Struggle Unity have put together a list recently on how to become a stronger comrade, including:

  1. Learning a new language, especially that of the largest minority in your country (such as Spanish in the US).
  2. Learn first aid and CPR, as well as how to administer and receive narcan.
  3. Meet your neighbours - either introduce yourself in person, or, if you’re shy, write a polite note and leave a small gift. Obviously, sometimes your neighbours are hostile chuds and so shouldn’t be engaged with if possible.
  4. Join or start a reading group. Note that @Vampire@hexbear.net and many others have been discussing getting these back on track.
  5. Know where your community resources are, if applicable - such as the closest food pantry, warming shelter, free clinic, libraries, etc.
  6. Brush up on how to protest safely, including from a legal perspective.
  7. Pay attention to local boycotts, as well as larger ones like BDS. Don’t cross picket lines.
  8. If you have the time and energy, volunteering in your community is a good way to contribute and socialize with others in your community and build organizational and life skills.
  9. Read theory, and also the history of communist organizing.
  10. Take care of yourself. Eat as well as you can on your budget. Get enough sleep. Go outside, even if just for a walk around the block every day (remember to mask when needed!) Be social, if that helps you.