Ryan Holiday Quotes

Think progress, not perfection.

discipline means being disciplined in all things, especially little things.

History, you must understand, is not about the past. It’s a lens for understanding the present (that’s why we fight over what gets taught). It’s way of predicting, even determining the future.

Be the person who surprises others with your genuine interest in them, the respect you extend, and your disregard for unnecessary formalities or status symbols.

It’s very rare that someone does not become better by surrounding themselves by great people. Socially. Professionally. Spiritually. It’s very common that a potentially great person is ruined by not-so-great influences.

What we desire makes us vulnerable.

Greatness comes from humble beginnings; it comes from grunt work. It means you’re the least important person in the room — until you change that with results.

Too much study and not enough doing creates a paucity of knowledge, a shelter of naïveté, no matter how smart you are.

The mind must be given relaxation — it will rise improved and sharper after a good break. Just as rich fields must not be forced — for they will quickly lose their fertility if never given a break — so constant work on the anvil will fracture the force of the mind. But it regains its powers if it is set free and relaxed for a while. Constant work gives rise to a certain kind of dullness and feebleness in the rational soul.” — SENECA, ON TRANQUILITY OF MIND,

Failure shows us the way — by showing us what isn’t the way.

"Persist and resist". Persist in your efforts. Resist giving into distraction, discouragement, and disorder. - Epictetus

You’re not as good as you think. You don’t have it all figured out. Stay focused. Do better.

You have to go deep. If your goal is to get not just smarter or more knowledgeable, but wiser, you cannot be content to learn in half measures.

Every obstacle is an opportunity to get better.

The reason the knives are so sharp online is because the pie is so small.