A Review of Ego is the Enemy Publication

A Review of Ego is the Enemy Publication Student’s Name Institutional Affiliation A Review of Ego is the Enemy Publication The book Ego is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday contains various cautionary tales of people, who let their egos get out of control. Notably, it is one of the antidotes to the unraveling that occurs if people lose sight of reality. Ryan Holiday draws on a vast array of narratives and examples ranging from history to philosophy. Although most history books are filled with narratives of different visionary geniuses, some of the publications are based on stories of people, who recognized higher goals above the desire for recognition. The publication is structured in the form of short essays that are split into success, aspire, and failure as the major parts. Arguably, it is imperative for people to aspire for success and overcome ego in life as opposed to passion towards the accomplishment of relevant life goals. Take Away and Lessons from the Book One of the important lessons from the book is the need to nurture humility. For instance, students have to be keen on their entire life as wise thinkers and great leaders. In most instances, learners maintain and practice discipline with the intent of learning new concepts in life. However, some of them become more confident in one perspective and forget that they know little about other things. As a result, they end up identifying themselves with success, thus withholding them from acquiring new facets of knowledge. According to Holiday (2016), students should realize that they might not be as good as they think they are in everything. Therefore, it would be important to readjust their attitude towards learning and acquiring relevant knowledge. If people are embarking on a specific task, willingness to listen to feedback from others is a major factor that determines their success. Holiday reveals that an amateur is defensive to critical feedback from others. On the contrary, a professional accepts challenges and recognizes it as a learning opportunity. For instance, Kirk Hammett, one of the leading guitarists in heavy metal band Metallica was able to perfect his skills through learning (Holiday, 2016). After being recruited at metal band Metallica, Hammett looked for a teacher, who would help him perfect his skills. Although Metallica became one of the successful bands globally, Kirk remained humble and continued to learn to meet his quest for knowledge. According to Holiday, it is of great importance to maintain a student mindset and have a quest for knowledge. Moreover, it is apparent that every aspect of life has a unique lesson. However, the ego can affect the opportunities that people exploit. On the contrary, focused individuals recognize the need to nurture humility and pursue continuous studies. One of the most effective ways of acquiring humility is contemplating life on a bigger perspective. The author emphasizes the need to become a lifelong learner even after having major accomplishments. Therefore, people should ensure that they are open-minded and live on purpose. Besides, the author enlightens the readers on the need to ensure that their actions supersede words. Arguably, people’s ego begins to lessen if they live with purpose rather than passion. In such a case, it is important for them to overcome all forms of distraction that might hinder them from accomplishing the set objectives. Talking is always an easy task for everyone about different life aspects, but it should never succeed in executing dreams. On the contrary, silence is a rare concept in the current world. However, the ego can influence people to focus more on having recognition from others. Arguably, focused individuals ignore an impulse of recognition before they act. Reactions and Personal Connections to the Book People should learn to manage their ego to live a comfortable life and accomplish their set objectives. For instance, Coach Bill Walsh focused on perfecting his basic skills and winning the Super Bowl. According to Holiday (2016), people should be attentive just like Kirk Hammett to absorb every relevant information that could be of the essence in their life. Additionally, it would be important to live with purpose and focus on working towards life goals rather than seeking recognition from others. Holiday accentuates that people should always ask themselves on what they do and why they do it. Arguably, most people are unable to overcome their ego and instead seek for recognition. After reading the book, I recalled my past experiences that had a connection to the content of the book. My performance was relatively excellent while studying the undergraduate course. Although I was unfamiliar with the subject of one of the projects, I managed to familiarize myself with it in a short period and scored an excellent grade. In fact, I scored a first runners-up position on a national level. Consequently, my ego was inflated w...