The most important of his edits was small but resounding. He crossed out, using the heavy backslashes that he often employed, the last three words of Jefferson’s phrase “We hold these truths to be sacred and undeniable” and changed them to the words now enshrined in history: “We hold these[…]
All posts under nature
#742 A little bit of reflection
Understanding this difference between under- and mis-regulation, a key coping strategy becomes obvious–at least it has in my own life. Instead of thinking of how awful, weak, or inadequate I am when I feel like “giving in to feel good” by breaking a nutrition plan, skipping a work out or[…]
364/365 Passing the marshmallow test
Every time you sit down to work, remind yourself: I am delaying gratification by doing this. I am passing the marshmallow test. I am earning what my ambition burns for. I am making an investment in myself instead of in my ego. Give yourself a little credit for this choice,[…]
363/365 Prepare for pride and kill it early
We must prepare for pride and kill it early—or it will kill what we aspire to. We must be on guard against that wild self-confidence and self-obsession. “The first product of self-knowledge is humility,” Flannery O’Connor once said. This is how we fight the ego, by really knowing ourselves. From[…]
362/365 You are the best
“It is impossible to learn that which one thinks one already knows,” Epictetus says. You can’t learn if you think you already know. You will not find the answers if you’re too conceited and self-assured to ask the questions. You cannot get better if you’re convinced you are the best.[…]
358/365 Better, lesser, equal
The mixed martial arts pioneer and multi-title champion Frank Shamrock has a system he trains fighters in that he calls plus, minus, and equal. Each fighter, to become great, he said, needs to have someone better that they can learn from, someone lesser who they can teach, and someone equal[…]
357/365 Appearances are deceiving
Appearances are deceiving. Having authority is not the same as being an authority. Having the right and being right are not the same either. Being promoted doesn’t necessarily mean you’re doing good work and it doesn’t mean you are worthy of promotion (they call it failing upward in such bureaucracies).[…]
356/365 Not progress
Research shows that while goal visualization is important, after a certain point our mind begins to confuse it with actual progress. From “Ego is the Enemy: The Fight to Master Our Greatest Opponent” by Ryan Holiday
355/365 Silence
So what is scarce and rare? Silence. The ability to deliberately keep yourself out of the conversation and subsist without its validation. Silence is the respite of the confident and the strong. From “Ego is the Enemy: The Fight to Master Our Greatest Opponent” by Ryan Holiday
352/365 The first principle
The first principle is that you must not fool yourself—and you are the easiest person to fool. — Richard Feynman From “Ego is the Enemy: The Fight to Master Our Greatest Opponent” by Ryan Holiday