A Plan for Action

Epictetus once said that we ought to stand up to our equals, defer to our superiors and act with moderation towards our inferiors. I’m not sure I agree with that.

In fact, I think I’d change it to learn from your inferiors, ignore your equals and spar with you superiors — parry but be ok with losing. It’s certainly harder and will tie your stomach in knots but the best part of waking up sore and stiff, I’ve found, is knowing that the quickest way to loosen up is to do it some more.

Written by Ryan Holiday
Ryan Holiday is the bestselling author of Trust Me, I’m Lying, The Obstacle Is The Way, Ego Is The Enemy, and other books about marketing, culture, and the human condition. His work has been translated into thirty languages and has appeared everywhere from the Columbia Journalism Review to Fast Company. His company, Brass Check, has advised companies such as Google, TASER, and Complex, as well as Grammy Award winning musicians and some of the biggest authors in the world. He lives in Austin, Texas.