![]() Hell, I found my agent through the acknowledgements of a book by Andrew Keen. They are both about citing sources of value-and often doing so is of great use to the reader. To me, there’s also not a big difference between a bibliography and an Acknowledgements section either. What did the author like about the book? What didn’t they like about it? How did they find it? What other interesting things had they wished they’d been able to include but couldn’t? What was their favorite part? I want to know everything. When I look at most bibliographies, I am usually left wanting to know more. This philosophy took me down countless rabbit holes and introduced me to fascinating topics and people. For a long time, my rule as a young reader was: Try to read one book mentioned in every book that you read. I also know that my own life would be radically different if it wasn’t for authors taking the time to recommend and acknowledge their sources. In fact, I think a lot of them are better than anything I ever have or ever will write. I took the time to do that instead of just listing my sources because I loved all the books that went into making Ego is the Enemy. I wrote a note ( literally, a notecard) to myself that said “Do this on your next book” and then, when I came to the end of writing Ego, I did. Ronson took the time to explain what he liked about each source and how he used it. My favorite part wasn’t the book (though the book is great), I loved the book’s annotated bibliography. Egoless, open, positive, vulnerable, peaceful and productive.During the writing of Ego is the Enemy, I happened to read Jon Ronson’s amazing book So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed. I sat down with Ryan to discuss this book on my podcast: #76 EGO IS THE ENEMY WITH RYAN HOLIDAY This book would have saved me a lot of money and a lot of torture if I had read it earlier in my life, and I highly recommend you get a jumpstart, no matter what your profession or passion may be. Moments like when the great Persian king Xerxes ordered the water that demolished his bridges to be punished by lashings of the whip, or Hearst declined an invitation from Orson Welles to view Citizen Kane because he was obsessed with the idea that the story was about him. The book is filled with unforgettable stories and moments in history that will serve as guide rails to help us when we invariably fall off course. The book was a great compliment to my own personal exploration of the subject, which tends to focus on the experiential and core philosophical issues surrounding the ego. ![]() Illustrating actionable philosophical concepts by using concrete examples from history, we arrive at a broad understanding of the deleterious effects of an unchecked ego. Ryan Holiday stays true to the style that made his previous book Obstacle is the Way so successful. Read If: You want strategies to identify and overcome the greatest obstacle in our psyche: Ego.ĭo Not Read If: Your ego can’t handle it. Egoless, open, positive, vulnerable, peaceful and productive." Ego is the Enemy It accomplishes almost exactly the opposite of what we hope to do… Attempting to destroy something out of hate or ego often ensures that it will be preserved and disseminated forever." "Thus the paradox of hate and bitterness. But not everyone can be the best they can be." "Your potential, the absolute best you’re capable of-that’s the metric to measure yourself against. Alter that: He who will do anything not to fail will almost certainly do something worthy of a failure." "“He who fears death will never do anything worthy of a living man,” Seneca once said. This is the ego in its purest and most toxic form." Sometimes because we can’t face what’s been said or what’s been done, we do the unthinkable in response to the unbearable: we escalate. "Ego, it seems, is a precursor not just to miserable failure, but to being miserable when we inevitably do fail. Every moment of failure, every moment or situation that we did not deliberately choose or control, presents this choice: Alive time. ![]() "According to Robert Greene, there are two types of time in our lives: Dead time, when people are passive and waiting, and alive time, when people are learning and acting and utilizing every second. "Behind every goal is the drive to be happy and fulfilled-but when egotism takes hold, we lose track of our goal and end up somewhere we never intended." This cannot happen if you’re convinced the world revolves around you." "Creativity is a matter of receptiveness and recognition. "(Genghis Khan) was the greatest conqueror the world ever knew because he was more open to learning than any other conqueror has been." "Plug that hole-that one, right in the middle of your face-that drains you of your vital life force.
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