Comments on: Tracing the Ideachain http://www.ryanholiday.net/tracing-the-ideachain/ Meditations on strategy and life Tue, 07 Feb 2012 22:06:24 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Anonymous http://www.ryanholiday.net/tracing-the-ideachain/#comment-9506 Anonymous Tue, 12 Feb 2008 21:14:02 +0000 http://dev.ryanholiday.net/tracing-the-ideachain/#comment-9506 So this is the Freudian brain-child of Tucker? A causal flow of thought through his library, representing the foundation of his own? I always wondered how insane I'd become if I were to receive an incessant flow of mail from people totally misinterpreting my words... Seriously though, this sounds like an amazing project to approach and actually categorize. I wish you patience. So this is the Freudian brain-child of Tucker? A causal flow of thought through his library, representing the foundation of his own? I always wondered how insane I’d become if I were to receive an incessant flow of mail from people totally misinterpreting my words…

Seriously though, this sounds like an amazing project to approach and actually categorize. I wish you patience.

]]> By: amphibian http://www.ryanholiday.net/tracing-the-ideachain/#comment-9505 amphibian Mon, 11 Feb 2008 22:17:53 +0000 http://dev.ryanholiday.net/tracing-the-ideachain/#comment-9505 In college, when I found an author I liked, I pretty much went through his entire canon in about two weeks. I looked up biographies, looked at related works and even poked through a couple of literary analysis books if they were out there (ie. McCarthy or Walker Percy). Thing is that these days, I don't often have the time to go do that vertical integration-type thing. What I've learned to do is to either scrounge what I can from the Innernets, compose an e-mail and send it to three or four smart people and senior-citizens I'm in constant touch with, or put it up on a list of "Things to be done when free time opens up". The second option is simultaneously the most and least useful - because I may get a response that's right on target or something with several tangents and interesting points that lead me down multiple other trails and away from what I originally wanted to know. In college, when I found an author I liked, I pretty much went through his entire canon in about two weeks. I looked up biographies, looked at related works and even poked through a couple of literary analysis books if they were out there (ie. McCarthy or Walker Percy).

Thing is that these days, I don’t often have the time to go do that vertical integration-type thing. What I’ve learned to do is to either scrounge what I can from the Innernets, compose an e-mail and send it to three or four smart people and senior-citizens I’m in constant touch with, or put it up on a list of “Things to be done when free time opens up”.

The second option is simultaneously the most and least useful – because I may get a response that’s right on target or something with several tangents and interesting points that lead me down multiple other trails and away from what I originally wanted to know.

]]> By: Ilan Bouchard http://www.ryanholiday.net/tracing-the-ideachain/#comment-9504 Ilan Bouchard Mon, 11 Feb 2008 16:11:42 +0000 http://dev.ryanholiday.net/tracing-the-ideachain/#comment-9504 Do you think this is the best approach for someone who does not have a good "overall" knowledge of philosophy, history, economics, etc? That is to say, if I have only so much time to read 20 books, would I be better off reading 20 books on a similar subject, to have a deeper understanding of the subject matter, or 20 books on less related subjects, to gain a broader perspective? Based on my experience, I'm inclined to say the former, but then I start to think of all the areas of knowledge that I know nothing about and I wonder otherwise... Do you think this is the best approach for someone who does not have a good “overall” knowledge of philosophy, history, economics, etc?

That is to say, if I have only so much time to read 20 books, would I be better off reading 20 books on a similar subject, to have a deeper understanding of the subject matter, or 20 books on less related subjects, to gain a broader perspective?

Based on my experience, I’m inclined to say the former, but then I start to think of all the areas of knowledge that I know nothing about and I wonder otherwise…

]]> By: Ryan Holiday http://www.ryanholiday.net/tracing-the-ideachain/#comment-9503 Ryan Holiday Mon, 11 Feb 2008 15:26:40 +0000 http://dev.ryanholiday.net/tracing-the-ideachain/#comment-9503 Of course. But think about it this way: Tim Ferriss gives all sorts of advice about your career, office politics, life and travel. What if you found out he was miserable, poor and obnoxious? Wouldn't that invalidate his advice? (Of course he none of those things and the whole reason his advice is solid is because you can look at the results)_ Hypocrisy is one thing. But that's not what I'm talking about. In the cases where the authors lived by their ideals, you should check to see if they WORKED. Btw, my conclusion about Marcus is the same. Now it is backed by fact and perspective. Of course. But think about it this way: Tim Ferriss gives all sorts of advice about your career, office politics, life and travel. What if you found out he was miserable, poor and obnoxious? Wouldn’t that invalidate his advice? (Of course he none of those things and the whole reason his advice is solid is because you can look at the results)_

Hypocrisy is one thing. But that’s not what I’m talking about. In the cases where the authors lived by their ideals, you should check to see if they WORKED.

Btw, my conclusion about Marcus is the same. Now it is backed by fact and perspective.

]]> By: Alex http://www.ryanholiday.net/tracing-the-ideachain/#comment-9502 Alex Mon, 11 Feb 2008 13:57:14 +0000 http://dev.ryanholiday.net/tracing-the-ideachain/#comment-9502 I may not get this 100%, but assume for the sake of argument that Aurelius was a shitty person. I haven't read any of the books analyzing his life, I don't know. But that doesn't necessarily negate the ideas that he presents. Tucker has a point, and yeah, I can definitely see how further insight into a person's life would give you a better understanding of the ideas they're presenting, but it doesn't negate them, it only enhances them. I mean, isn't it just as important to think for yourself and take what you can from their ideas as opposed to blindly following them? This may be the same thing you're saying, the only difference being you're showing the method of doing this. The ideals that Aurelius lives by aren't the easiest to follow. Yet he still knows that's how he wants to live his life, and he still presents those ideas, even if he doesn't hypothetically follow them. I may not get this 100%, but assume for the sake of argument that Aurelius was a shitty person. I haven’t read any of the books analyzing his life, I don’t know. But that doesn’t necessarily negate the ideas that he presents.

Tucker has a point, and yeah, I can definitely see how further insight into a person’s life would give you a better understanding of the ideas they’re presenting, but it doesn’t negate them, it only enhances them.

I mean, isn’t it just as important to think for yourself and take what you can from their ideas as opposed to blindly following them? This may be the same thing you’re saying, the only difference being you’re showing the method of doing this.

The ideals that Aurelius lives by aren’t the easiest to follow. Yet he still knows that’s how he wants to live his life, and he still presents those ideas, even if he doesn’t hypothetically follow them.

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