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In our next series on Ryan Holiday, we dive back into Ego is the Enemy to answer questions about what to do when the biggest obstacle is internal. Holiday explains how finding early successes led him to the realization that ego can cloud ambition and hinder personal and professional growth, particularly when accomplishments are tied to self-worth. Ego Is the Enemy puts forth the argument that often our biggest problems are not caused by external factors such as other people or circumstances. Instead, our problems stem from our own attitude, selfishness, and self-absorption. In other words, introducing ego into a situation often prevents us from being rational, objective, and clear-headed.
The Moonshots Podcast goes behind the scenes of the world's greatest superstars, thinkers and entrepreneurs to discover the secrets to their success. We deconstruct their success from mindset to daily habits so that we can apply it to our lives. Join us as we 'learn out loud' from Elon Musk, Brene Brown to emerging talents like David Goggins.
Show 112: Ryan Holiday: Ego is the Enemy
Having previously written about external obstacles in his book The Obstacle Is the Way, Holiday sought to answer questions about what to do when the biggest obstacle is internal. Holiday explains how finding early successes led him to the realization that ego can cloud ambition and hinder personal and professional growth, particularly when accomplishments are tied to self-worth
Holiday had the title of his book tattooed on his forearm as a daily reminder of its message.
Ego Is the Enemy puts forth the argument that often our biggest problems are not caused by external factors such as other people or circumstances. Instead, our problems stem from our own attitude, selfishness and self-absorption. In other words, introducing ego into a situation often prevents us from being rational, objective and clear headed
Many of us insist the main impediment to a full, successful life is the outside world. In fact, the most common enemy lies within: our ego. Early in our careers, it impedes learning and the cultivation of talent. With success, it can blind us to our faults and sow future problems. In failure, it magnifies each blow and makes recovery more difficult. At every stage, ego holds us back.
Ego Is the Enemy provides both cautionary tales as well as positive anecdotes about ego, citing numerous historical and contemporary figures including Christopher McCandless, George Marshall, John DeLorean, Larry Page, Paul Graham, Steve Jobs and William Tecumseh Sherman
“While the history books are filled with tales of obsessive, visionary geniuses who remade the world in their image with sheer, almost irrational force, I’ve found that history is also made by individuals who fought their egos at every turn, who eschewed the spotlight, and who put their higher goals above their desire for recognition.” – from the Prologue
“ Success is intoxicating, yet to sustain it requires sobriety.” — Ryan Holiday
INTRO
Clip
0:03 - 1:00
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tjiJgyvV7Q&ab_channel=RyanHoliday
..In almost every philosophical school is a warning against hubris...
So how do we keep this toxic ego and selfishness at bay? How do we prevent ego from “sucking us down like the law of gravity?” The primary answer is simple: awareness. But after that, it’s a matter of hard work.
Three possible phases of our personal and work lives where the ego can spiral out of control and nudge us out of our path. ASPIRE. SUCCESS. FAILURE
1. ASPIRE
Wanting to accomplish bigger and better goals. Start with the ones you are doing today, do them well and be open to learning along the way.
* Adopt the beginners mindset
* Surround yourself with people who challenge you
* Focus on success and not the outcome
* Shun the chatter
CLIP
01:04 - 01: 57
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tjiJgyvV7Q&ab_channel=RyanHoliday
* Work! Do your job. Do it right.
* While aspiring, the most important thing you can do to fight your ego is to focus on creating value.
* Sit down and put in the hours.
* Do the job you are doing right now to the best of your ability.
CLIP
02:09 -03:09
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwvHPiXl41w&ab_channel=RyanHoliday
Clip #2
03:35 - 04:33
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwvHPiXl41w&ab_channel=RyanHoliday
...the lesson i learnt from this is...
2. SUCCESS
“ Success is intoxicating, yet to sustain it requires sobriety.” — Ryan Holiday
As you can already guess, success can be the greatest catalyst for the ego.
Countless are the successful people who worked extremely hard to reach a position of power and influence to later destroy their lives because of their egoistic addiction. It is the reason for many failed businesses, relationships and careers.
* Keep learning. The teacher, the student, the equal.
* In every situation we can learn something.
* With success comes the pressure to pretend we know more than we do. This prevents us from learning and gathering new information, eventually causing our own downfall.
Clip:
0:00 - 1:05
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwvHPiXl41w&ab_channel=RyanHoliday
* Focus on the process. Not the outcome
CLIP
04:37 - 06:33
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwvHPiXl41w&ab_channel=RyanHoliday
* Remember what’s important.
* In the aspiring phase of our lives, we start with a direction and purpose but during the climb it’s easy to get sidetracked and forget
FAILURE
The following advice will make you understand how important it is to maintain your sobriety during turmoil, guaranteeing a safe and quick recovery to aspiration and success.
* Keep the fire going. Keep looking forward.
* The ego assumes defeat easily. Keep active. Keep learning and improving. Never give up.
CLIP
01:05 - 01:40
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwvHPiXl41w&ab_channel=RyanHoliday
* Follow your own standards.
* Don’t hold yourself to other people’s expectations and standards. That mindset will not allow you to grow and improve.
* Create your own version of success and hold yourself against that.
CLIP
01:40 - 02:09
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwvHPiXl41w&ab_channel=RyanHoliday
FINAL
Clip: 03:08 - 03:42
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tjiJgyvV7Q&ab_channel=RyanHoliday
The strategies passed down
OR
06:32 - 07:33
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwvHPiXl41w&ab_channel=RyanHoliday
The steps reconfirmed and quote from Marcus Aurelius