Ryan Holiday: "The One Stoic Practice That Changed My Life" | Ancient Wisdom for Modern Success

About this Video

• Video Title: Ryan Holiday: "The One Stoic Practice That Changed My Life" | Ancient Wisdom for Modern Success
• Channel: The Knowledge Project Podcast
• Speakers: Ryan Holiday, Shane Parrish
• Duration: 01:39:05

Introduction

This podcast episode features Ryan Holiday discussing Stoicism, focusing on practical applications for modern success. The conversation explores various aspects of Stoic philosophy, including emotional regulation, discipline, the importance of reflection, and navigating challenges in professional and personal life. Holiday uses examples from various fields, including entrepreneurship and athletics, to illustrate key Stoic principles.

Key Takeaways

• The Importance of Selective Listening: Success often involves ignoring external noise and focusing on one's chosen path, but discerning helpful feedback from noise is crucial. Elon Musk's career is presented as an example of this.
• The Power of Reflection and Journaling: Journaling is highlighted as a key Stoic practice for self-reflection and understanding one's thoughts, beliefs, and actions, mirroring the practice of meditation in Buddhism.
• Stoicism as a Framework for Response, Not Emotion Suppression: Stoicism isn't about eliminating emotions but about controlling one's response to events, regardless of whether those events are self-inflicted or external.
• Discipline as a Verb, Not a Noun: The discussion emphasizes the importance of consistently practicing virtuous actions to develop character, rather than simply aiming for a state of being disciplined.
• Navigating Opportunity Costs and Saying No: Success requires a strategic approach to opportunity costs, involving learning to say "no" to some opportunities to better focus on others that are more aligned with personal goals.