“You’re not as good as you think. You don’t have it all figured out. Stay focused. Do better.”
— Ryan Holiday, Ego Is the Enemy
— Ryan Holiday, Ego Is the Enemy
I take philosophical issue with this book's title. And I find the headless statue on the cover unnerving. I don't think ego, the self, is definitionally bad. In fact, I don't even think it's simply neutral. I think ego is good, when properly understood. And I don't think it's an accident that the meme of an egoist is someone who only cares for themselves at the expense of others. It's a cultural bias many people hold. But I also respect why a meme like that is so pervasive. Which is why I knew I could and should look past the title and cover of Ego is the Enemy.
It was in my own interest and the interest of the people in my life to do so. It was important to me because Ryan Holiday has been such an inspiration throughout my twenties, which I'll be exiting later this year. Holiday's thoughtful extraction of principles from ancient philosophy, his incredible guerrilla marketing tactics at American Apparel and subsequent confession, his hobby farm in Austin packed with animals—all the wisdom he's shared with me and the example he's set for me from afar has been a guiding north star.
And one of the worst things I think people can do is discredit others wholesale for partial points of disagreement. How often do we reject a person outright, because we don't like one of their songs or paintings or comments at work or because they hold (un)popular ideas that we don't? I've certainly caught myself reacting that way more than once in thought and action. I probably always will have to check that. I'm glad I did in this case. Ego is the Enemy is an excellent gut-check. The 30 brief, essentialized case studies from history contained inside are instructional to getting out of one's own way. Nourishing one's true self through attitudinal changes can be tough. It's always easier said than done, and even easier to merely read about it. But Holiday's bedside-table-sized meditation, much like it's spiritual older brother, The Obstacle is the Way, is sure to help handle with impulsivity, pandering to others' opinions, status-chasing, and arrogant self-talk. Here's to checking your ego so that it continues to grow bigger, better, and healthier. [JG]
It was in my own interest and the interest of the people in my life to do so. It was important to me because Ryan Holiday has been such an inspiration throughout my twenties, which I'll be exiting later this year. Holiday's thoughtful extraction of principles from ancient philosophy, his incredible guerrilla marketing tactics at American Apparel and subsequent confession, his hobby farm in Austin packed with animals—all the wisdom he's shared with me and the example he's set for me from afar has been a guiding north star.
And one of the worst things I think people can do is discredit others wholesale for partial points of disagreement. How often do we reject a person outright, because we don't like one of their songs or paintings or comments at work or because they hold (un)popular ideas that we don't? I've certainly caught myself reacting that way more than once in thought and action. I probably always will have to check that. I'm glad I did in this case. Ego is the Enemy is an excellent gut-check. The 30 brief, essentialized case studies from history contained inside are instructional to getting out of one's own way. Nourishing one's true self through attitudinal changes can be tough. It's always easier said than done, and even easier to merely read about it. But Holiday's bedside-table-sized meditation, much like it's spiritual older brother, The Obstacle is the Way, is sure to help handle with impulsivity, pandering to others' opinions, status-chasing, and arrogant self-talk. Here's to checking your ego so that it continues to grow bigger, better, and healthier. [JG]
WHO IS RYAN HOLIDAY?
Ryan Holiday is a bestselling author of books on marketing, entrepreneurship, ancient Stoic philosophy, American culture, and the human condition. His work has been translated into twenty languages and appeared in the Columbia Journalism Review, Fast Company, The New York Observer, and others.
I'm also a huge fan of three other books by him: Trust Me, I'm Lying, The Obstacle is the Way, about which I had the privilege of interviewing him in 2016, and Growth Hacker Marketing: A Primer on the Future of PR, Marketing, & Advertising.
I first encountered Ryan by way of the Chase Jarvis Live show in 2012, and since have discovered an incredible amount of books from other authors and creatives, including bestselling author Robert Greene, CEO of Breather Julian Smith, human guinea pig Tim Ferriss, and others.
I'm also a huge fan of three other books by him: Trust Me, I'm Lying, The Obstacle is the Way, about which I had the privilege of interviewing him in 2016, and Growth Hacker Marketing: A Primer on the Future of PR, Marketing, & Advertising.
I first encountered Ryan by way of the Chase Jarvis Live show in 2012, and since have discovered an incredible amount of books from other authors and creatives, including bestselling author Robert Greene, CEO of Breather Julian Smith, human guinea pig Tim Ferriss, and others.
| “As our island of knowledge grows, so does the shore of our ignorance.” ― Ryan Holiday, Ego is the Enemy |
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