"The Ego Is the Enemy of the Aspiring" <ul><li>Ego prevents us from starting any journey. It is through ego that we often become too confident and fail to see the opportunities for learning.</li></ul>

Aspiration

<ul><li>When failure comes, the ego prevents us from understanding what went wrong. Ego makes us unable to accept criticism and we treat it as an attack.</li></ul>

"The Ego Keeps Us from Accepting Criticism"

<ul><li>In the face of failure, it is important not to give in to the ego, but to show resilience and learn from mistakes.</li></ul>

"Become Resilient"

„Failure is an opportunity to learn, if only you can be humble enough to take it.”

Holiday repeatedly emphasizes the importance of humility on the road to success. Only when we skillfully manage our ego can we learn something new, grow and maintain success.

Humility:

„Ego is the reason we cannot learn from failure, for ego keeps us from hearing anything that contradicts our version of reality.”

<ul><li>Every stage in our lives - from aspiration to success to failure - can be ruined by our ego. The ego makes us unable to accept constructive criticism and change our approach.</li></ul>

The ego is the enemy of development:

„Ego is the enemy of what you want most.”

<ul><li>Ego makes us afraid to leave our comfort zone. It is because of them that we do not take up challenges, because we are afraid of failure.</li></ul>

"The First Step Is the Hardest"

„The goal is not to be perfect by the end. The goal is to be better today.”

In any situation, adopt the attitude of a student, ready to learn.

"Be a Student"

„You must be a student. Always. There is no finish line, no perfect moment. You will always have something to learn.”

"Success Is a Bad Teacher"<ul><li>When we succeed, our ego can make us forget what led us to that success.</li></ul>

Success

„Success is the enemy of the long-term goal. It's easy to get lost in short-term wins.”

<ul><li>Ego leads to pride, and pride can prevent further development. The goal is to avoid confusion around you, not to seek recognition.</li></ul>

"Keep Your Head Down"

„Keep your head down and work. The ego wants you to be noticed, but what you really want is to do the work.”

<ul><li>Ego does not like failures and will try to turn them in his favor.</li></ul>

"Beware of the Ego’s Greatest Enemy"

„Success is the greatest enemy of progress.”

"Ego is the Reason We Lose"<ul><li>Ego makes us not want to take responsibility for our mistakes, which leads to failures</li></ul>

Failure

„Failure is not the end. Ego is.”

How excessive ego can sabotage our aspirations, successes, and reactions to failure, and teaches that taming it allows us to grow in humility and perseverance.

The instant Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and international bestseller “While the history books are filled with tales of obsessive visionary geniuses who remade the world in their image with sheer, almost irrational force, I’ve found that history is also made by individuals who fought their egos at every turn, who eschewed the spotlight, and who put their higher goals above their desire for recognition.” —from the prologue   Many of us insist the main impediment to a full, successful life is the outside world. In fact, the most common enemy lies within: our ego. Early in our careers, it impedes learning and the cultivation of talent. With success, it can blind us to our faults and sow future problems. In failure, it magnifies each blow and makes recovery more difficult. At every stage, ego holds us back.   Ego Is the Enemy draws on a vast array of stories and examples, from literature to philosophy to his­tory. We meet fascinating figures such as George Marshall, Jackie Robinson, Katharine Graham, Bill Belichick, and Eleanor Roosevelt, who all reached the highest levels of power and success by con­quering their own egos. Their strategies and tactics can be ours as well.   In an era that glorifies social media, reality TV, and other forms of shameless self-promotion, the battle against ego must be fought on many fronts. Armed with the lessons in this book, as Holiday writes, “you will be less invested in the story you tell about your own specialness, and as a result, you will be liberated to accomplish the world-changing work you’ve set out to achieve.”

Understand yourself and those around you.

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Psychology

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Philosophy

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Motivation & Inspiration

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Mental Health

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Books

Ryan Holiday is media strategist for notorious clients like Tucker Max and Dov Charney. After dropping out of college at 19 to apprentice under the strategist Robert Greene, he went on to advise many bestselling authors and multi-platinum musicians. He is the Director of Marketing at American Apparel, where his work in advertising was internationally known. His strategies are used as case studies by Twitter, YouTube, and Google, and have been written about in AdAge, the New York Times, Gawker, and Fast Company. He is the author is *Trust Me, I'm Lying: Confessions of a Media Manipulator*, which is due out in July. He currently lives in New Orleans, with his rebellious puppy, Hanno.

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