Ego is the Enemy
by Ryan Holiday · first published 2016
67% recommend22% neutral11% critical
Why HN recommends it
Easy, Stoic-flavored read with actionable advice and stories on how ego gets in your way; helps readers spot their own blind spots and suits people early in a career or facing burnout.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
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 draws on a vast array of stories and examples, from literature to philosophy to history. We meet fascinating figures such as George Marshall, Jackie Robinson, Katharine Graham, Bill Belichick, and
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1. Ego Is the Enemy - Ryan Holiday 2. sidebar from /r/theredpill 3. The Millionaire Fastlane: Crack the Code to Wealth and Live Rich for a Lifetime Book number 3 has probably the most 'click baity' and the most douchey…
on “Ask HN: What three books impacted your career the most?” ↗It feels like an older version of "sheeple". In terms of modern Stoic writing, I find Ryan Holiday's "The Ego is The Enemy" and "The Obstacle is the Way" (as well as his "Daily Stoic", although that's more of a daily devotional) to be very enjoyable and help to reframe the often hard-to-read writings of Aurelius, Seneca and…
on “What the Stoics did for us” ↗…recommend this authors with all my heart to anyone: - Thich Nhat Hanh ("You are here") - Alan Watts - Eckhart Tolle ("Stillness Speaks") - Shunryū Suzuki ("Zen mind beginner's mind") - Ryan Holiday ("Ego is the enemy") Piano helped me quite a lot. First my teacher, I could even say my piano teacher played a more important role in helping me, more than my family ever could. Musically I felt in love with Chopin and…
on “The Depression Thing” ↗…Mans Search for Meaning on here for another year in a row. It is a short read with a very powerful message. A few others I would really like to see on this list would be: - Principles by Ray Dalio - Ego Is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday - Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth
on “YC’s 2018 Summer Reading List” ↗…happy and fulfilled reading them. I will be digging deeper and doing a retrospective, and write a blog post by early 2021. - Cant't hurt me by David Goggins. - Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport. - Ego is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday. (Re-read) - Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford. A very un-assuming book that taught me lot about leadership. - How to influence and win friends (re-read…
on “Good Books for a Lousy Year” ↗…That Gain from Disorder by Nassim Nicholas Taleb - Leonardo da Vinci by Walter Isaacson - The Innovators: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution by Walter Isaacson - Ego is the Enemy, Stillness Is the Key, and The Obstacle Is the Way; all 3 books by Ryan Holiday - Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls by Mary Pipher[2] 1. https://brajeshwar.com/2021/books-of-2021/…
on “Ask HN: What's the best book you read in 2021?” ↗I have a lot of the classics on my list, but a new one that I've found extremely growth spurring was "Ego is the Enemy" by Ryan Holiday. I never really considered myself an egotists; confident perhaps, but something I never struggled with. This book showed me that I indeed did have more ego than necessary and gave me…
on “Ask HN: Non-tech books that have helped you grow professionally?” ↗…Becomes Air. -by Paul Kalanithi. Arkwright. -by Allen Steele. The God's Eye View. -by Barry Eisler. Chaos Monkeys: Obscene Fortune and Random Failure in Silicon Valley. -by Antonio Garcia Martinez. Ego Is the Enemy. -by Ryan Holiday.
on “YC's Winter Reading List” ↗His latest book, Ego Is the Enemy, and his more recent blog posts and interviews, all indicate that he's of very sound character.
on “I Helped Create the Milo Trolling Playbook” ↗Ego is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday. The book tells you all there is to know about ego and will change the way you see yourself.
on “Ask HN: What books have made the biggest impact on your mental models?” ↗Zero to One by Peter Thiel and The Obstacle is the Way, Ego is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday
on “Ask HN: What books do you keep on your desk?” ↗As mentioned earlier How to Win Friends and Influence People will take you far for the rest of your life. Meditations will never fail you. Ego is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday has actionable tips with stories on how to not get in your own way- perfect for someone just starting their career. Also highly recommend Seeking Wisdom: From Darwin to Munger by Peter…
on “Ask HN: What books should you read to improve your daily life?” ↗"Ego is the Enemy: The Fight to Master Our Greatest Opponent", by Ryan Holiday. I really enjoyed this one and I will read it again. IMHO, it helped me understand people better and especially myself. It changed a lot of…
on “Ask HN: 2018 Summer Reading List?” ↗Meditations by Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius is a must read as well. Another addition to your modern approach recommendation of the stoicism theme is Ryan Holiday's Ego is the Enemy. PS - There's a really captivating lecture on stoicism in the context of the life of Marcus Aurelius https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5897dMWJiSM
on “Ask HN: How do you guys develop mental toughness?” ↗I guess you are referring to the book from Ryan Holiday: "Ego is the Enemy". Definitely a good read, highly recommend for the start. https://www.amazon.com/dp/1591847818/
on “Ask HN: How did you fix your narcissism?” ↗