This is the second part of a two part series
where I am sharing Ryan Holiday’s reading list of 35 books about humility.
The first in the series with advice on how to stay humble, can be found, here.
Holiday has written several books in which he uses the ancient philosophy of Stoicism to guide modern life, including the concepts of staying humble and humility. They include Ego is the Enemy, which would be a good place to start, even if it is to simply read the bibliography that features many books on this topic.
Holiday has found that books on this topic fall into a few distinct categories: Advice, Cautionary Tales and Inspiration.
The next [second] are what might be called cautionary tales—biographies that chart the fall of egomaniacs or stories from history about the costs of letting things go to your head.
The struggle against ego is existential and ubiquitous across religions, countries and generations. Frankly, it would be difficult to seek out any sage person who did not warn against ego.
If you can’t swallow your pride, you can’t lead
– Genghis Khan
Ego sucks us down like the law of gravity
– Cyril Connolly
Your ego can become an obstacle to your work. If you start believing in your greatness, it is the death of your creativity
– Marina Abramovic
So rebel against ego. Much depends on whether you win the war. Maybe Holiday’s books can help.
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Cautionary Tales:
What Makes Sammy Run by Budd Schulberg — Sammy is the all-American heel. He’s your Ari Gold without the slightest bit of human decency. He rises through the ranks of Hollywood without ever writing a word. He is shadows and illusions, and the ultimate power-player. Sadly, as Schulberg mentions in his introduction, the message has been perverted.
Our society tends to see Sammy as a hero instead of a villain—or at least someone to pity. What Makes Sammy Run? is a novel that reminds us that even with egotists “win,” they lose.