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Ego is the Enemy

by Ryan Holiday

★★★★☆ 4.13 (89 806 ratings)
2016 · 256 pages · ~4h 16m read · Nonfiction

Ryan Holiday draws on Stoic philosophy and historical examples to argue that our biggest obstacle to success is not the outside world, but our own ego. The book is divided into three parts-Aspire, Success, and Failure-offering practical advice on how to remain humble in our ambitions, gracious in our triumphs, and resilient in our setbacks. By subduing the ego, readers can focus on the work that matters and achieve a more enduring and meaningful level of mastery.

A popular book with millions of readers worldwide.

Topic: Self GrowthStyle: Narrative
philosophypsychologyleadership

Notable Quotes

"Your potential, the absolute best you’re capable of—that’s the metric to measure yourself against. Your standards are. Winning is not enough. People can get lucky and win. People can be assholes and win. Anyone can win. But not everyone is the best possible version of themselves."
"Impressing people is utterly different from being truly impressive."
"And that’s what is so insidious about talk. Anyone can talk about himself or herself. Even a child knows how to gossip and chatter. Most people are decent at hype and sales. So what is scarce and rare? Silence. The ability to deliberately keep yourself out of the conversation and subsist without its validation. Silence is the respite of the confident and the strong."

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