Comments on: The Search http://www.ryanholiday.net/the-search/ Meditations on strategy and life Mon, 06 Feb 2012 20:25:46 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: hahah http://www.ryanholiday.net/the-search/#comment-9641 hahah Sun, 09 Mar 2008 14:21:09 +0000 http://dev.ryanholiday.net/the-search/#comment-9641 The amount of bullshit self-fellatio in these comments is astounding. The amount of bullshit self-fellatio in these comments is astounding.

]]> By: John Deere http://www.ryanholiday.net/the-search/#comment-9640 John Deere Fri, 07 Mar 2008 22:20:29 +0000 http://dev.ryanholiday.net/the-search/#comment-9640 I can relate a wittle. For as long as I can remember I haven't been happy unless I was going full speed towards...something. That's good if it's something productive...bad if you're using drugs and drinking yourself into oblivion. I'm much, much happier than I used to be but I catch my self slipping sometimes. Last Wednesday I was in one of those bullshit, existential funks (did I use existential in the right context?). Then I found something to devote every ounce of my energy too, and I was happy again. I can relate a wittle. For as long as I can remember I haven’t been happy unless I was going full speed towards…something. That’s good if it’s something productive…bad if you’re using drugs and drinking yourself into oblivion. I’m much, much happier than I used to be but I catch my self slipping sometimes.

Last Wednesday I was in one of those bullshit, existential funks (did I use existential in the right context?). Then I found something to devote every ounce of my energy too, and I was happy again.

]]> By: amphibian http://www.ryanholiday.net/the-search/#comment-9639 amphibian Fri, 07 Mar 2008 19:18:36 +0000 http://dev.ryanholiday.net/the-search/#comment-9639 Ator: that's what down time is for. In those moments before you go to bed, sit on the shitter, wait for your bus stop, you recall what has gone before and you consider whether or not you've done it well. I do it even after I've done something well and try to think about what exactly worked/didn't work and why it did or didn't. When I can't get a good perspective on things, I either leave it to instinct and the future or get some outside input. Self-examination doesn't have to be a weekend retreat with the quasi-Buddhists or a deep, tortured flagellation of the psyche. Ator: that’s what down time is for. In those moments before you go to bed, sit on the shitter, wait for your bus stop, you recall what has gone before and you consider whether or not you’ve done it well.

I do it even after I’ve done something well and try to think about what exactly worked/didn’t work and why it did or didn’t. When I can’t get a good perspective on things, I either leave it to instinct and the future or get some outside input.

Self-examination doesn’t have to be a weekend retreat with the quasi-Buddhists or a deep, tortured flagellation of the psyche.

]]> By: Ator http://www.ryanholiday.net/the-search/#comment-9638 Ator Fri, 07 Mar 2008 17:06:14 +0000 http://dev.ryanholiday.net/the-search/#comment-9638 My fault, I asked the wrong question. How do you gain and maintain successful momentum, moving forward, while constantly stopping and assessing? It just seems paradoxical, riding successful momentum while needing to stop and analyze the actions that create it in the first place. My fault, I asked the wrong question.

How do you gain and maintain successful momentum, moving forward, while constantly stopping and assessing? It just seems paradoxical, riding successful momentum while needing to stop and analyze the actions that create it in the first place.

]]> By: Ryan Holiday http://www.ryanholiday.net/the-search/#comment-9637 Ryan Holiday Fri, 07 Mar 2008 14:55:47 +0000 http://dev.ryanholiday.net/the-search/#comment-9637 When? Always. When? Always.

]]> By: Ator http://www.ryanholiday.net/the-search/#comment-9636 Ator Fri, 07 Mar 2008 13:16:08 +0000 http://dev.ryanholiday.net/the-search/#comment-9636 I've been thinking about this a lot lately and I think it comes down to momentum and success. Robert Greene addresses this as he states that we must treat each success as a failure if we hope to continue along the right path because we never quite understand how we succeed. Our successes give us just enough hope to make us think we are right in our ways when that is rarely the case. Having the right friends to call us out is pretty much the only way I can see to alleviate this. We fail. They call us out. We grow. On the flip side, we succeed. They don't call us out. We get full of ourselves. We fail, etc, etc. Besides actively failing, how else do we know when to stop and assess ourselves? I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately and I think it comes down to momentum and success. Robert Greene addresses this as he states that we must treat each success as a failure if we hope to continue along the right path because we never quite understand how we succeed.

Our successes give us just enough hope to make us think we are right in our ways when that is rarely the case. Having the right friends to call us out is pretty much the only way I can see to alleviate this. We fail. They call us out. We grow.

On the flip side, we succeed. They don’t call us out. We get full of ourselves. We fail, etc, etc.

Besides actively failing, how else do we know when to stop and assess ourselves?

]]> By: Glenn http://www.ryanholiday.net/the-search/#comment-9635 Glenn Fri, 07 Mar 2008 12:27:11 +0000 http://dev.ryanholiday.net/the-search/#comment-9635 I oftentimes sit in class and worry about the number of my peers who will actively avoid being around folks who will call them out on their ignorance and apathy. I don't believe that there is much to be gained by surrounding one's self with people who delight in tearing others down, but I simply do not understand why anyone would refuse to seek advice from more successful people solely in the interest of protecting one's ego. Criticism can be tough at times, but receiving feedback which leads only to self-improvement sure as hell beats the alternative. I oftentimes sit in class and worry about the number of my peers who will actively avoid being around folks who will call them out on their ignorance and apathy. I don’t believe that there is much to be gained by surrounding one’s self with people who delight in tearing others down, but I simply do not understand why anyone would refuse to seek advice from more successful people solely in the interest of protecting one’s ego. Criticism can be tough at times, but receiving feedback which leads only to self-improvement sure as hell beats the alternative.

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