Ryan Holiday

Principles are our summary of their public statements.

• Use Objective Distance

  Brand

  Evaluate your public descriptions and actions by imagining how an objective observer or a close friend would perceive them.

  3 more supporting quotes are in the member records.

  Source Self-Absorption - RyanHoliday.net, 2009  (opens in a new tab)

• Cultivate Truth Telling Friends

  Leadership

  Surround yourself with people who will call you out when you become overwrought or self-absorbed in your public persona.

  3 more supporting quotes are in the member records.

  Source Self-Absorption - RyanHoliday.net, 2009  (opens in a new tab)

• Practice the Long Yes

  Focus

  Before committing to a major project, sleep on it for two weeks with the intent to say no; only proceed if the need to do it persists.

  Supporting quotes

  • “having a podcast is pretty magical because you get (for free) something that no amount of money in the world could buy: Access to some of the smartest and most interesting people in the world.”

  2 more supporting quotes are in the member records.

• Audit Your Day Nightly

  Learning

  He reviews his actions every evening to identify bad habits, resisted temptations, and lessons learned to improve for the following day.

  3 more supporting quotes are in the member records.

  Source The 16 Perfectly Reachable Habits That Made Me Who I Am, 2026  (opens in a new tab)

• Focus on Original Production

  Content

  Avoid being just a portal or aggregator; true value lies in being the primary producer of deep, original content.

  Supporting quotes

  • “First, good content is INCREDIBLY rare. Think of all the sites you read, how many of them actually produce what you read? Most of them are just portals to the people who are the real producers.”

    “The latent demand for quality is there but the people who can satiate it have fallen down on the job.”

• Reject Rules That Hinder Potential

  Mindset

  Avoid conflating the following of banal rules with moral righteousness, as these rules often steal time and prevent meaningful change.

  3 more supporting quotes are in the member records.

  Source Rules As Excuses, 2011  (opens in a new tab)

• Avoid Contagious Mediocrity

  Leadership

  One should not only strive for excellence but also ensure they are not actively hindering the progress or speed of those around them.

  Supporting quotes

  • “It comes from not being able to understand how someone can be so devoid of purpose or direction that they not only lack urgency in their own life, but they actively impede others who know where they want to go.”

  2 more supporting quotes are in the member records.

• Prioritize Truth Over Consistency

  Mindset

  A leader should be willing to contradict their past statements if new evidence proves them wrong. Intellectual growth requires abandoning old opinions to remain accurate.

  2 more supporting quotes are in the member records.

  Source To Remember What Kind Of Consistency Is Important, 2009  (opens in a new tab)

• Own the Narrative First

  Marketing

  The first story told is the one that takes hold in the audience's mind. Trying to disprove an existing story is often a doomed effort because people rarely admit they were wrong.

  3 more supporting quotes are in the member records.

  Source Attacking Strategy Pt 2, 2007  (opens in a new tab)

• Use Physical Reminders

  Mindset

  Carry a physical object like a coin or medallion to serve as a touchstone for your values during moments of stress or temptation.

  Supporting quotes

  • “That's how I think of journaling : it's me actively fighting to be the person that philosophy wants me to be. So each morning, usually after a long walk , I go to my office and pull out three small notebooks.”

  2 more supporting quotes are in the member records.

• Study history to predict future

  Strategy

  Human nature and events follow a repetitive rhythm, so studying the distant past provides better insights than chasing news.

  3 more supporting quotes are in the member records.

  Source How To Read More, 2021  (opens in a new tab)

• Adopt Objective Detachment

  Resilience

  Remove the emotional panic from a crisis to see the tactical solutions and weaknesses within the problem itself.

  Supporting quotes

  • “The mind adapts and converts to its own purposes the obstacle to our acting. And then he concluded with powerful words destined for a maxim. "The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way."”

  2 more supporting quotes are in the member records.

• Practice Tactical Retreats

  Decisions

  Just as generals withdraw to gain a better position, businesses must be willing to turn down opportunities that do not serve long-term goals.

  1 more supporting quote is in the member records.

  Source Teaching Yourself To Think, 2008  (opens in a new tab)

• Respect deep-seated design

  Strategy

  One should not assume that a system or entity's core purpose, shaped by long-term selection, will vanish just because the environment changes slightly.

  2 more supporting quotes are in the member records.

  Source The Awesome History Of Bizarre Animals And Other Ancient Oddities, 2008  (opens in a new tab)

• Use the System Against Itself

  Negotiation

  A pragmatist works through existing systems to achieve goals, often using the system's own rules and structures to gain leverage.

  Supporting quotes

  • “We tend to wrongly think that strategy is about coming up with a genius plan and then committing to it. In fact, this is often a recipe for disaster, particularly in business.”

  2 more supporting quotes are in the member records.

• Value the Garbage Time

  Productivity

  Instead of waiting for idealized quality time, one should find value in mundane, ordinary moments like commuting or waiting.

  3 more supporting quotes are in the member records.

  Source Quality Time, 2020  (opens in a new tab)

• Barter for Knowledge

  Learning

  Offer personal assets or products as payment to experts who can teach you difficult concepts.

  Supporting quotes

  • “So if someone knows the subject a little, I'd genuinely appreciate being taught or discussing it.”

• Admit Intellectual Gaps Publicly

  Mindset

  Be transparent about what you do not understand to attract the right mentors and resources.

  Supporting quotes

  • “So if someone knows the subject a little, I'd genuinely appreciate being taught or discussing it.”

• Seek Objective Perspective

  Mindset

  Internal self-worth should be balanced with external reality to avoid delusions and maintain a clear sense of professional standing.

  2 more supporting quotes are in the member records.

  Source The Rolodex, 2008  (opens in a new tab)

• Define Your Nightmares

  Mindset

  Vague fears hold more power than defined ones; founders should articulate exactly what they are afraid of to reduce its influence.

  Supporting quotes

  • “We must break fear down logically. Go to the root of it. Explain it. Tell yourself: It's just money. It's just a bad article. It's just a meeting with people yelling at one another.”

  2 more supporting quotes are in the member records.