Modern Wisdom #1001 - Ryan Holiday - Stoicism’s Lessons on Becoming Wise
Ryan Holiday, an author and marketing strategist known for his insights on Stoicism and resilience, explores the nuanced difference between intelligence and wisdom. He shares lessons from his near-death experience and how daily habits contribute to acquiring wisdom over time. Ryan discusses the value of humility, the importance of learning from classic stories, and the need for emotional regulation. He emphasizes that true wisdom is gained through lived experiences, urging listeners to invest in wisdom early rather than relying on shortcuts.
01:52:43
00:00 / 00:00
Giving A Talk With No Slides
- Ryan described improvising a 45-minute talk with no slides after travel delays and tech failures.
- He learned that forcing yourself outside comfort reveals new strengths and sometimes yields a better result.
00:00 / 00:00
Naval Academy Invitation Revoked
- Ryan recounted being uninvited from the Naval Academy after refusing to omit criticism about book removals.
- He argued military leaders must challenge orders and engage with difficult ideas rather than censoring them.
00:00 / 00:00
Wisdom Grows Shoreline Of Ignorance
- Wisdom combines experience, knowledge, creativity, and perspective rather than raw intelligence alone.
- The more you learn, the larger the shoreline of ignorance becomes, which humbles you.
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Intro
00:00 • 1min
Handling Technical Difficulties and Speaking Without Slides
01:04 • 4min
Why I Refused to Censor My Naval Academy Talk
05:20 • 12min
Ad break
16:50 • 1min
Why Wisdom Is Elusive and Humbling
18:07 • 2min
What People Get Wrong About Wisdom
19:50 • 2min
Unteachable Lessons and the Role of Experience
22:16 • 5min
Using Short Aphorisms to Recall Bigger Ideas
26:50 • 8min
Ad break
35:07 • 55sec
Literally True, Figuratively False: The Value of Myths
36:02 • 8min
When Outsiders Innovate Wisely (Wright Brothers Example)
43:38 • 7min
Humility, Empathy, and Domain Awareness
50:30 • 2min
Ad break
52:53 • 1min
Why Investing in Wisdom Now Pays Off Later
54:18 • 3min
Appearance vs. Actual Wisdom
57:40 • 3min
Re-reading, Different Vantage Points, and Deep Learning
01:00:42 • 2min
Stoic Advice for Feeling Lost and How Journaling Helps
01:02:19 • 6min
Why the Stockdale Story Matters
01:08:01 • 9min
Responding to Success: Presence Over Celebration
01:17:28 • 6min
Emotional Regulation, Stoicism, and Practice
01:23:41 • 8min
Repair, Resilience, and Relationship Regulation
01:31:26 • 7min
How Smart People Become Stupid: Ego and Blind Spots
01:38:13 • 6min
Avoiding Major Mistakes and Multiplying by Zero
01:43:54 • 6min
Learning from Success Without Becoming Cynical
01:50:09 • 2min
Outro
01:52:10 • 18sec
#51712
the memoirs of Maya Angelou
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou's series of autobiographies, beginning with 'I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,' chronicle her life from childhood to adulthood, exploring themes of racism, identity, and resilience.
Angelou's vivid storytelling and powerful prose bring to life her experiences as a Black woman in America during the 20th century.
Through her memoirs, she offers profound insights into the struggles and triumphs of the human spirit.
The books are celebrated for their literary merit and their contribution to the understanding of American history and culture.
#11094
• Mentioned in 3 episodes
The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling
A Podcast Series
Megan Phelps-Roper
The podcast delves into the ideological conflicts surrounding J.K.
Rowling, examining both her rise to fame and her recent controversies, particularly those related to accusations of transphobia.
It features interviews with Rowling and her critics, aiming to provide a nuanced exploration of the issues.
#89
• Mentioned in 141 episodes
The great Gatsby
F. Scott Fitzgerald
Published in 1925, 'The Great Gatsby' is a tragic love story, a mystery, and a social commentary on American life during the Jazz Age. The novel is narrated by Nick Carraway, who moves to Long Island and becomes entangled in the lives of his wealthy and mysterious neighbor, Jay Gatsby, and Gatsby's obsession to win back his first love, Daisy Buchanan.
The story delves into themes of honesty, the temptations of wealth, and the struggle to escape the past, ultimately reflecting on the disintegration of the American Dream.
#2293
• Mentioned in 14 episodes
The Forgotten Highlander
Nick Mcardle
Alistair Urquhart
This book tells the incredible story of Alistair Urquhart, a soldier in the Gordon Highlanders who was captured by the Japanese in Singapore.
Urquhart survived 750 days in the jungle, including time working on the notorious Burma-Siam Railway.
The book details his harrowing experiences and his journey to survival and eventual return home.
#500
• Mentioned in 44 episodes
Endurance
Shackleton's Incredible Voyage
Alfred Lansing
This book details the almost two-year struggle for survival of the 28-man crew of the Endurance, which was beset and eventually crushed by ice floes in the Weddell Sea during the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1914-1917.
The crew drifted on ice floes, salvaged lifeboats, and eventually reached Elephant Island.
Shackleton then led a perilous journey to South Georgia Island to secure rescue, culminating in one of the most remarkable survival stories in history.
Lansing's narrative is based on extensive research, including interviews with surviving crew members and access to their diaries and personal accounts.
#1338
• Mentioned in 22 episodes
Useful Not True
Derek Sivers
In 'Useful Not True', Derek Sivers challenges readers to question their beliefs and adopt thoughts based on their usefulness rather than their inherent truth.
The book emphasizes the power of reframing perspectives, recognizing that most statements are subjective rather than objective facts.
Sivers argues that beliefs and meanings are tools that should serve us, helping us to take effective actions and navigate life more effectively.
He encourages readers to separate events from their interpretations, question their thoughts and memories, and choose beliefs that lead to positive outcomes.
The book is known for its concise and empowering approach, using practical examples and stories to illustrate its points.
#76
• Mentioned in 154 episodes
The Odyssey
Homer
The Odyssey, attributed to Homer, is an ancient Greek epic poem that tells the story of Odysseus, king of Ithaca, and his ten-year journey home after the Trojan War. The poem explores Odysseus's encounters with various mythical creatures, divine interventions, and natural challenges.
Upon his return to Ithaca, he must confront the suitors who have been vying for his wife Penelope's hand in marriage.
With the help of his son Telemachus and the goddess Athena, Odysseus devises a plan to defeat the suitors and reclaim his throne.
The poem is a reflection on human nature, loyalty, and the consequences of one's actions, and it remains a crucial component of ancient Greek literature and Western cultural heritage.
#1944
• Mentioned in 16 episodes
Unbroken
A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption
Laura Hillenbrand
Unbroken tells the extraordinary life story of Louis Zamperini, who gained national attention as a runner in the 1936 Berlin Olympics.
During World War II, Zamperini survived a plane crash in the Pacific, drifted on a raft for weeks, and endured brutal treatment as a Japanese prisoner of war.
The book chronicles his incredible endurance, inner strength, and eventual redemption after the war, including his struggles with PTSD and his finding solace in religion.
Hillenbrand's narrative is enriched by extensive historical research and interviews with veterans and their families, providing a detailed account of the Pacific front during World War II and the personal experiences of those involved.
#22
• Mentioned in 273 episodes
The Bible
Various Authors
The Bible is a comprehensive collection of texts that form the central religious text of Christianity and Judaism.
It is divided into the Old Testament, which includes books such as Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, and others that narrate the creation of the world, the history of the Israelites, and the prophetic messages.
The New Testament focuses on the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, along with the early Christian church and its spread.
The Bible contains a wide range of genres, including historical narratives, poetry, wisdom literature, prophetic writings, and epistles.
#43
• Mentioned in 186 episodes
Mein Kampf
Adolf Hitler
Mein Kampf, written by Adolf Hitler while he was imprisoned following the failed Beer Hall Putsch in 1923, is a two-volume work that combines autobiography and political treatise.
The book details Hitler's early life, his experiences during World War I, and his increasing antisemitism and militarism.
It outlines his vision for Germany, including the need for Lebensraum (living space) in Eastern Europe, and his racist and anti-Semitic views.
The work became the central text of National Socialism and a blueprint for Hitler's policies, including aggressive foreign policy and the persecution of Jews and other minority groups.
#3
• Mentioned in 870 episodes
Meditations
Marcus Aurelius
Meditations is a series of private writings composed by Marcus Aurelius, one of Rome's greatest emperors, as he struggled to understand himself and make sense of the universe.
Written between 170 and 180 CE while on military campaigns, this work combines Stoic philosophy with personal observations on leadership, duty, mortality, and human nature.
Through twelve books of intimate thoughts never intended for publication, Marcus Aurelius explores themes of self-improvement, resilience in the face of adversity, and living virtuously while accepting what cannot be changed.
Ryan Holiday is a podcaster, marketer and an author. If intelligence were enough, the smartest among us would also be the wisest. Yet time and again, they stumble over life’s simplest lessons. Wisdom isn’t about knowing more; it’s about seeing deeper. So how do we shed the illusion of being ‘smart,’ and actually grow into wisdom? Expect to learn what Ryan learned from his near-death experience, what most people get wrong about wisdom, how daily habits compound into wisdom across a lifetime, what Ryan learned from studying the Wright Brothers, why in a culture of shortcuts and “life hacks,” how Ryan convinces people that wisdom is worth the long, uncomfortable path, what a Stoic would say about when you’ve lost yourself in life, why humility is such a crucial ingredient for wisdom, and much more…
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Timestamps:
(0:00) Why We Need to Push Outside Our Comfort Zone
(5:13) Banning Books Isn't Ethical
(16:41) Does Learning Keeps Us Humble?
(27:48) Why We Learn Lessons from Old Tales
(33:41) Literally True, Figuratively False
(50:33) Do the Work Now to Build Your Wisdom
(57:55) Stoic Advice for When You’re Lost in Life
(01:03:45) How Stockdale Remained Unbroken
Extra Stuff:
Get my free reading list of 100 books to read before you die: https://chriswillx.com/books
Try my productivity energy drink Neutonic: https://neutonic.com/modernwisdom
Episodes You Might Enjoy:
#577 - David Goggins - This Is How To Master Your Life: https://tinyurl.com/43hv6y59
#712 - Dr Jordan Peterson - How To Destroy Your Negative Beliefs: https://tinyurl.com/2rtz7avf
#700 - Dr Andrew Huberman - The Secret Tools To Hack Your Brain: https://tinyurl.com/3ccn5vkp
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