Ego Is the Enemy

This is an interesting look at ego and how too much of it can be a bad thing. This is a podcast from The Art of Manliness.

Listen to the podcast here.

In the quest to become the men we want to be, we’re often our own worst enemies, especially when it comes to our egos. Ego is what prevents us from being humble and teachable when we’re first starting out in an endeavor. It blinds us to our own weaknesses during success, and it can cause us to wallow in self-pity when we fail. My guest today on the podcast has recently published a book filled with insights from history on how ego can get in the way of our success and what we can do to mitigate its downsides.

His name is Ryan Holiday and his book is Ego Is the Enemy. Today on the show, we look at examples from history of eminent men whose hubris caused their downfall, and others who were able to successfully harness their ego to attain greatness. We also discuss steps that you can take to prevent ego from causing you to stumble.

Show Highlights

• What is ego [02:00]
• How ego is related to hubris and what the Ancient Greeks did to help them keep their hubris in check [04:00]
• How our modern culture of self-esteem and self-promotion is actually hurting our individual and societal progress [05:00]
• Why most people think outside forces are thwarting their progress when it’s actually their own ego [07:00]
• The three phases in any endeavor where you need to check your ego [11:30]
• Why people who’ve been successful are often the most susceptible to failure [15:00]
• What General Sherman can teach you about staying humble when you’re first starting your career and once you’ve gained success [17:00]
• How General Grant’s success as a Civil War commander caused him to bite off more than he could chew by running for president [21:30]
• What John Boyd can teach us about not letting our ego get in the way when we begin an endeavor [26:30]
• Why passion is overrated and you should focus on purpose [31:30]
• Why success can lead to your downfall [36:30]
• What you can learn from Genghis Khan about staying humble in victory [37:00]
• Why routine, planning, and discipline become more important after you’ve gained success [38:30]
• How not being able to delegate is a sign of ego [44:30]
• How ego is your enemy when you fail [47:00]
• Can ego be your friend? [52:00]

Resources/Studies/People Mentioned in Podcast

• My first interview with Ryan Holiday about The Obstacle Is the Way
• Freud’s idea of the ego
• Hubris
• Greek tragedy
• The Importance of Paying Your Dues
• General Sherman
• B. H. Liddell Hart’s biography of Sherman
• Ulysses S. Grant
• The halo effect
• John Boyd: To Be or To Do
• My podcast interview with John Boyd biographer Robert Coram
• My podcast interview with Cal Newport about the myth of passion
• The Law of Sacrifice
• My podcast interview with Angela Duckworth about grit
• Christopher McCandless
• Genghis Khan
• Eisenhower’s Priority Matrix
• The survivorship bias

Ego is the Enemy is filled with great insights and lessons from history on how to stay humble and hungry. No matter what line of work you find yourself in, you’ll find some useful, thought-provoking nuggets in this book.

Connect With Ryan

Tell Ryan “Thanks” for being on the podcast via Twitter
Ryan’s website
Ryan on Twitter

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