The Obstacle is the Way
by Ryan Holiday · first published 2013
76% recommend18% neutral6% critical
Why HN recommends it
Short, easy introduction to Stoicism that turns setbacks into opportunities, using modern examples. Suits people in a rough patch, software engineers, or newcomers before moving on to Marcus Aurelius and Seneca.
Common criticism: Some find it more motivational self-help than substantive Stoic philosophy
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
#1 Wall Street Journal Bestseller The Obstacle is the Way has become a cult classic, beloved by men and women around the world who apply its wisdom to become more successful at whatever they do. Its many fans include a former governor and movie star (Arnold Schwarzenegger), a hip hop icon (LL Cool J), an Irish tennis pro (James McGee), an NBC sportscaster (Michele Tafoya), and the coaches and players of winning teams like the New England Patriots, Seattle Seahawks, Chicago Cubs, and University of Texas men’s basketball team. The book draws its inspiration from stoicism, the ancient
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…the terrible oil pens) and I've had some of the best sleep of my entire life. I don't remember a time when I've ever actually felt good waking up until now. The other key (for me) was the book, "The Obstacle is the Way" by Ryan Holiday. This helped me dramatically reduce the nonsense and worries that would crowd my mind as I tried to fall asleep. Obviously YMMV, but these two things together have helped far more and…
on “Dealing with Insomnia” ↗…of Passion and Perseverance 4. Steve Jobs: The Exclusive Biography 5. What Got You Here Won't Get You There 6. The Power of Vulnerability: Teachings of Authenticity, Connection, and Courage 7. The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph 8. The Like Switch: An Ex-FBI Agent's Guide to Influencing, Attracting, and Winning People Over 9. Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion 10. Pre-Suasion:…
on “Ask HN: Which non-programming books are a beneficial read for programmers?” ↗…start with Seneca's letters and Marcus Aurelius' Meditations before you jump into Guide to the Good Life (which I do not recommend, despite Derek's praise of it) Also, check out the upcoming book 'The Obstacle is the Way' by Ryan Holiday - http://www.amazon.com/The-Obstacle-Is-Way-Timeless/dp/159184...
on “What if you didn't need money or attention?” ↗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 Epictetus into actionable advice.
on “What the Stoics did for us” ↗…negotiation forever. It will definitely impact your life positively. 2) The Lean Startup A classic, but worth re-reading. Everytime I read the book, it leaves a greater imprint on how I think. 3) The Obstacle is the Way How to turn obstacles into solutions. This book is a great treatise on Stoicism via examples. I read the book at the start of the year which to mentally set the right tone for the months to follow. The…
on “Ask HN: What books do you recommend reading once a year?” ↗…mindfulness approach. A Guide to the Good Life [1] is a great book on the subject, and in the past has helped me be more effective in life, while also being happier. I've also heard good things about The Obstacle Is the Way [2]. [1]: http://www.amazon.com/Guide-Good-Life-Ancient-Stoic/dp/01953... [2]: http://www.amazon.com/Obstacle-Way-Timeless-Turning-Triumph/...
on “How Meditation Changes the Brain and Body” ↗Self-help/personal development/philosophy: - The obstacle is the way (Ryan Holiday) - Meditations (Marcus Aurelius) - Level up your life: how to unlock adventure and happiness by becoming the hero of your own story - the six pillars of self-esteem - so good they can’t…
on “Ask HN: Book Recommendations?” ↗Depends on what you're after. If you like the 4 hour work week and want to change your lifestyle then I'd read inspiration for the four hour work week; vagabonding by Ralf Potts and more recently the obstacle is the way by Ryan Holiday. At the end of this month I'll be heading off on a round the world trip with no return ticket starting in india. I have the four hour work week to thank for that, I changed my job to one…
on “Ask HN: Non-tech books that have helped you grow professionally?” ↗…instincts kicked in at some point and were all that prompted me to feed once in a while each week for a couple months; it took half a year before I even wanted to get better, to cope). Then I read "The Obstacle Is The Way" by Ryan Holiday. This book pretty much changed my life. I guess it came at just the right time. I underwent a sort of 'quantum change' as some psychologists call it: a profound, meaningful, lasting…
on “The Depression Thing” ↗In no particular order: * Siddhartha, Herman Hesse * Man's Search for Meaning, Viktor Frankl * The Obstacle is the Way, Ryan Holiday * The Daily Stoic, Ryan Holiday * The Effective Engineer, Edmund Lau * The Lean Startup, Eric Ries * The Personal MBA, Josh Kaufman * Certain to Win, Chet Richards * Left of Bang,…
on “What are the best books you read in 2017?” ↗The Ego is the Enemy is not a good book IMHO. It is a blog post repeated to fit into a book. The Obstacle is the Way is Ryan Holiday's good work. Try to read "A Guide to the Good Life" or Epictetus's Enchiredion. Good stuff.
on “Ask HN: What books do you recommend reading once a year?” ↗…two are not mutually exclusive. Fix what you can fix, endure and persevere through things that you can't(because you have no choice), find as much joy as you can in the good things. ---- Also read "Obstacle is the Way" by Ryan Holiday - extremely well writen summary of stoic philosophy, I'm sure you will find it very useful and interesting.
on “Ask HN: How to accept that life is unfair?” ↗…startup advice. - "Atomic Habits" - by far the best book on developing habits. Thought it was just another one of those self-help books, but turned out to be very insightful and well written. - "The Obstacle Is the Way" - amazing introduction into stoic philosophy, by Ryan Holiday (author of Trust me I'm lying). He summarized everything I wanted to learn about the subject, and explained it extremely well. Absolute best…
on “Ask HN: Favorite nonfiction books of 2018?” ↗Books on interacting with people. How to Win Friends and Influence People. - Dale Carnegie Influence - Robert Cialdini Books on understanding how to push through adversity The Obstacle Is The Way - Ryan Holiday Man's Search For Meaning - Victor Frankly Books on process improvement The Phoenix Project The Four Hour Work Week - Tim Ferriss (ignore the outsourcing bit, listen to his podcast)…
on “Ask HN: Recommend one book I need to read this summer?” ↗…Power by Robert Greene 5. The Way of the Superior Man by David Deida 6. Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl 7. Mastery by George Leonard 8. Mindfulness for Beginners by Jon Kabat-Zinn 9. The Obstacle is the Way by Ryan Holiday
on “9 Books That Changed My Life – FightMediocrity Beginner’s Reading List” ↗