Ryan Holiday: Cynic in the Streets, Stoic in the Sheets

Oct 6, 2022

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ANECDOTE

Bookstore as Passion and Workspace

Ryan Holiday opened a bookstore primarily for a physical workspace and personal satisfaction rather than profit.
He curated a small selection of books that he and his wife loved, creating a unique customer experience.

INSIGHT

Profit Motive Improves Bookstores

Many bookstores ignore the profit motive, leading to poor stock decisions and missed sales.
Carrying fewer, curated books that sell well benefits both the store and customers' discovery experience.

INSIGHT

Hierarchy and Caste Systems

Status hierarchies are natural for humans but become harmful when fluidity and meritocracy are absent.
America's denial of its caste system creates dishonesty and social unrest linked to perceived inferiority.

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"The negative actually gives us information, the positive never gives us information"On the heels of his most recent book's release, author, entrepreneur, and (most recently) independent bookstore operator Ryan Holiday returns to the podcast. Discipline Is Destiny: The Power of Self-Control is the second book in Ryan's 4-book series on The Stoic Virtues, and this book "draws on the stories of historical figures we can emulate as pillars of self-discipline, including Lou Gehrig, Queen Elizabeth II, boxer Floyd Patterson, Marcus Aurelius and writer Toni Morrison"*Additional Topics Include:Book Soup owner's 3 keys to owning a bookshop. (04:27)Bookstores have been immune from the profit motive. (10:37)The social caste system in America. (13:22)"Freedom is the opportunity for self-discipline" (21:04)Jimmy Carter's moral dilemma: "Did you always do your best?" (26:57)"The negative actually gives us information, the positive never gives us information" (31:53)The Cynics vs the Stoics (41:18)The psychology of managing your goals through difficult public reactions. (58:38)Queen Elizabeth's magnanimous restraint (70:05)Editor's note: Topic times don't account for sponsor ads and may appear a few minutes later in the episode on your podcast player)------------Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!My new book Skip the Line is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltucher.com/podcast.------------Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" wherever you get your podcasts: Apple PodcastsStitcheriHeart RadioSpotifyFollow me on Social Media:YouTubeTwitterFacebook ------------What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!------------Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltuchershow.com------------Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" wherever you get your podcasts: Apple PodcastsiHeart RadioSpotifyFollow me on social media:YouTubeTwitterFacebookLinkedIn See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.