{"id":45303,"date":"2021-08-02T07:56:00","date_gmt":"2021-08-02T11:56:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=45303"},"modified":"2021-08-16T12:08:11","modified_gmt":"2021-08-16T16:08:11","slug":"ego-is-the-enemy-book","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/ego-is-the-enemy-book\/","title":{"rendered":"Ego Is the Enemy: Book Review (Ryan Holiday)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Is Ryan Holiday’s Ego Is the Enemy<\/em> worth reading? Why does Holiday argue that ego kills success notwithstanding the fact that many successful people are famously egotistical? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Ego Is the Enemy<\/em>, Ryan Holiday defines ego as an unhealthy belief in one\u2019s own importance that goes beyond mere confidence He notes that many successful people are famously egotistical, and he contends that as a result, society tends to think that ego is an important ingredient in success as if ego leads to accomplishment. However, Holiday argues that ego leads far more often to failure and that people find success only when they are able to subdue it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This Ego Is the Enemy<\/em> book review takes a look at the book’s inspiration and background, intellectual context, and its key strengths and weaknesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Ego Is the Enemy: The Fight to Master Our Greatest Opponent<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In his book, Ego Is the Enemy<\/em>, bestselling author and marketer Ryan Holiday defines ego as a sense of superiority that makes us see everyone around us as either subservient or oppositional. Further, he discusses the ways an unchecked ego can destroy your success at three different periods: first, as you\u2019re striving for success, second, as you\u2019re trying to maintain the success you\u2019ve achieved, and third, when you\u2019ve lost success and need to recover from failure<\/a>. He offers insights into how to understand<\/a> and counter your ego<\/a> so it doesn\u2019t stop you from living up to your potential.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make his arguments, Holiday draws on the philosophies of Stoic thinkers, advising us to resist the urges of our emotions in order to maintain clarity of thinking. In our guide to his book, we\u2019ll examine his theories through the lens of Stoicism, and we\u2019ll compare them to other management theories that similarly aim to help you find success. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

About the Author<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ryan Holiday is a media strategist and bestselling author. After dropping out of college at age 19, he made a name for himself as a marketer with American Apparel and later founded a marketing agency<\/a> advising corporations like Google and authors like Tony Robbins. During his marketing years, he was known for media stunts that drew attention to his clients in unusual or controversial ways\u2014such as trying to manufacture boycotts of his clients\u2019 products for publicity<\/a>.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He has changed his focus during his career. His first book, Trust Me, I\u2019m Lying<\/em><\/a>, aimed to expose deceitful marketing techniques<\/a>, but with his third book, The Obstacle Is the Way<\/em><\/a>, he started to focus on the philosophies of Stoicism, a school of thought concerned with ethics that he\u2019d been introduced to in college. He\u2019s since released several more books on how to incorporate Stoic philosophies into your life, all of which have become bestsellers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Connect with Ryan Holiday:<\/p>\n\n\n\n