Ego Is the Enemy

by Ryan Holiday

The first principle is that you must not fool yourself—and you are the easiest person to fool. —RICHARD FEYNMAN

Humble in our aspirations Gracious in our success Resilient in our failures

One might say that the ability to evaluate one’s own ability is the most important skill of all. Without it, improvement is impossible. And certainly ego makes it difficult every step of the way. It is certainly more pleasurable to focus on our talents and strengths, but where does that get us?

I can’t really remember anything else I did in 2010. I tumbld, I tweeted, and I scrolled. This didn’t earn me any money but it felt like work. I justified my habits to myself in various ways. I was building my brand. Blogging was a creative act—even “curating” by reblogging someone else’s post was a creative act, if you squinted. It was also the only creative thing I was doing.

The pretense of knowledge is our most dangerous vice, because it prevents us from getting any better. Studious self-assessment is the antidote.

Today, books are cheaper than ever. Courses are free. Access to teachers is no longer a barrier—technology has done away with that. There is no excuse for not getting your education, and because the information we have before us is so vast, there is no excuse for ever ending that process either.

old proverb says, “When student is ready, the teacher appears.”

purpose deemphasizes the I. Purpose is about pursuing something outside yourself as opposed to pleasuring yourself.