Founders #232 Alexander the Great
Extreme Traits
- Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar were both brilliant and ambitious, but also selfish and cruel.
- Their extreme traits led to both great achievements and significant downfalls.
Extreme Revenge
- At 19, Alexander sought revenge for a 150-year-old grievance against Persia.
- This demonstrates his extreme nature and thirst for glory.
Learn From Mistakes
- Learn from others' mistakes, including brilliant figures like Alexander.
- Avoid destructive habits, like excessive drinking, to prevent derailing success.
What I learned from reading Alexander the Great: The Brief Life and Towering Exploits of History's Greatest Conqueror--As Told By His Original Biographers by Arrian, Plutarch, and Quintus Curtius Rufus.
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[1:28] Heroes: From Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar to Churchill and de Gaulleby Paul Johnson (Founders #226)
[2:16] Each was brave, highly intelligent, almost horrifically self-assured, whose ambitions knew no bounds.
[2:46] He was a man of formidable achievements. He was highly creative. He woke up early. His diet was spare. He was skilled with the sword and the spear and an expert at all forms of arms drills. He dressed to be seen.
[3:50] He had supernatural self confidence and persistence. There is no substitute for will.
[4:26] Churchill by Paul Johnson (Founders #225)
[5:50] Addiontal research: Dan Carlin's Hardcore History Addenum Glimpses of Olympias
[6:03] The Macedonians were a rugged people.
[7:23] Think about this— At 19 years old you think it is your place in history to take revenge on something that happened 150 years previous. That is unapologetically extreme.
[9:42] There’s a rule they don’t teach you at Harvard Business School. It is: If anything is worth doing, it’s worth doing to excess.” —Edwin Land
[12:11] Alexander had excessive tolerance of fatigue
[13:14] Combine an excessive tolerance of fatigue with an intolerance of slowness.
[14:06] Four Seasons: The Story of a Business Philosophy by Isadore Sharp (Founders #184) "Excellence is the capacity to take pain."
[14:17] All the things you want in life are on the other side of difficulty and discomfort.
[17:12] The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey (Founders #175)
[21:59] He considered that the task of training and educating his son was too important to be true and trusted to the ordinary run of teachers.
[22:14] Knowledge Project: Inside the Mind of A Famous Investor | Marc Andreessen
[25:03] Becoming Dr. Seuss: Theodor Geisel and the Making of an American Imagination by Brian Jay Jones (Founders #161)
Mind Your Own Business: A Maverick's Guide to Business, Leadership and Life by Sidney Harman (Founders #229)
Bloomberg by Michael Bloomberg. (Founders #228)
[27:40] Learning is nonlinear.
[31:38] I meant to say Alexander, not Aristotle. Alexander is the one writing the letter to Aristotle.
[33:49] Alexander was a lover of books.
[38:55] George Lucas: A Life by Brian Jay Jones (Founders #35)
[44:51] Time to Make the Donuts: The Founder of Dunkin Donuts Shares an American Journey by William Rosenberg (Founders #231)
[49:16] Big Brown: The Untold Story of UPS by Greg Niemann (Founders #192)
[51:24] Fortune generally makes those whom she has compelled to put their trust in her alone more thirsty for glory than capable of coping with it.
[54:11] What folly forced you, knowing as you did the fame of my achievements, to try the fortunes of war?
[58:05] No trait of Alexander's was more firmly held or enduring than his admiration for genuine excellence and brilliant achievement.
[58:30] Winners don't go around leaving negative comments about other people winning.
[1:01:59] Stand firm, for it is toil and danger that lead to glorious achievements.
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“I have listened to every episode released and look forward to every episode that comes out. The only criticism I would have is that after each podcast I usually want to buy the book because I am interested so my poor wallet suffers. ” — Gareth
Be like Gareth. Buy a book: All the books featured on Founders Podcast