Focus on the moment, not the monsters that may or may not be up ahead.
Ryan HolidayRead
True will is quiet humility, resilience, and flexibility; the other kind of will is weakness disguised by bluster and ambition.
Interpretation
What this quote means
True will involves humility, resilience, and flexibility, while false will masquerades as ambition and strength.
In this quote, Ryan Holiday suggests that genuine willpower is marked by a quiet strength characterized by humility and adaptability, rather than a loud and aggressive facade that often conceals insecurity. He emphasizes the importance of inner strength and the ability to remain grounded and flexible in the face of challenges, contrasting it with a false display of ambition that can stem from weakness.
Themes
WillStrengthHumilityResilienceFlexibilityAmbition
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech about personal growth, one might say this quote to highlight the importance of inner strength over loud ambitions.
More from Ryan Holiday
All quotes βBeing criticized in the media is a good problem to have - most of the time. It means you're doing something that is at least interesting or cool or crazy enough to be noticed. It might not always feel good, but it's usually better than the alternative of obscurity.
Ryan HolidayRead
The idea that only the swaggering, all-knowing, and ruthlessly ambitious succeed is a lie. One that has discouraged so many people with so much potential - and worse, encouraged many more to crash and burn.
Ryan HolidayRead
Virality, at its core, is asking someone to spend their social capital recommending or linking or posting about you for free.
Ryan HolidayRead
Ordinary people shy away form negative situations, just as they do with failure. They do their best to avoid trouble. What great people do is the opposite. They are their best in these situations. They turn personal tragedy or misfortune - really anything, everything - to their advantage.
Ryan HolidayRead
There is no good or bad without us, there is only perception. There is the event itself and the story we tell ourselves about what it means.
Ryan HolidayRead
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The whole thing resolves itself into our mental ability to control our thought. The man who can do this can have what he wants, can do what he wishes and becomes what he wills.
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