Philosophy Archives

The Obstacle Is the Way: Review & Critical Reception

What is Ryan Holiday’s The Obstacle Is the Way about? What is the Stoic secret to staying calm and unperturbed in the face of adversity? The Obstacle Is the Way is an instruction manual on how to solve life’s toughest problems, based on the teachings of the Stoics of Ancient Greece. Ryan Holiday argues that by adopting the Stoics’ historically proven formula for success, you can redirect the forces that typically work against you and will them to push you toward your goals. The following The Obstacle Is the Way review covers the book’s context, background, and critical reception by

The Virtue of Helping Others in Need

Why is it important to help others in need? How can helping others solve their problems ease your own suffering? According to Ryan Holiday, the author of The Obstacle Is the Way, working to solve the problems of others is one of the most effective ways to solve your own problems. However, many people narrowly focus on themselves and their problems, which clouds their perspective and makes it difficult to see things as they are. Here is what Holiday has to say about the virtue of helping others in need.

Emotional Stoicism: How to Become Unperturbed

What is the Stoic view of emotions? How do Stoics remain unperturbed in the face of difficult emotions? Stoic philosophers emphasize the importance of emotional regulation—intentionally deciding which emotions you allow to influence your behavior. In his book The Obstacle Is the Way, Ryan Holiday argues that emotional stoicism is a practical skill that everyone can (and must) learn. To this end, he offers several strategies for keeping unhelpful emotions at bay. Let’s investigate each of these strategies in turn.

Ryan Holiday: The Art of Stoic Acceptance

How do you practice Stoic acceptance? How does cultivating total acceptance of the things that are beyond your control help you move forward in life? Acceptance is one of the key tenets of Stoic philosophy. Once you’ve learned to face life with stoic acceptance and peacefully accept whatever is beyond your control, you can channel all your energy into achieving your goals—instead of ruminating about your powerlessness. Keep reading to learn about the art of Stoic acceptance and how to put it into practice.

How to Solve Problems the Stoic Way

What does Stoicism have to say about problem-solving? What would a true Stoic do when faced with a problem in life? The cornerstone of the Stoics’ problem-solving philosophy is that you can find a silver lining in any circumstance in your life, no matter how dire it seems. Even if the only benefit you can find in an obstacle is an opportunity to practice acting virtuously, for instance, by restraining your anger or forgiving a misdeed, you’ve gained something of value. With this in mind, here’s how to solve problems the Stoic way, according to Ryan Holiday.

Faith and Obedience Are Simultaneous and Inseparable

What is the relationship between faith and obedience? Can you have one without the other? Dietrich Bonhoeffer argues that faith and obedience are completely bound together. Each one feeds the other, and they can’t be separated. However, this theological view isn’t shared by all Christian belief systems. Keep reading to learn more about the relationship between faith and obedience.

What Is the Cause of Unhappiness? It May Be Evolution

What is the root cause of human unhappiness? Are humans even meant to be happy? We regard happiness as the most desirable human state. However, as we all know, happiness is fleeting and fragile. Our minds are not wired to be consistently happy. They are wired for survival. Here is why evolution didn’t mean for us to be happy.

Christian Pacifism and Contrasting Perspectives

Should Christians practice pacifism? What exactly does pacifism mean? Dietrich Bonhoeffer, in his book The Cost of Discipleship, argues that Christians should practice pacifism to follow Christ’s example. Other Christians—and other religions—handle the matter of pacifism in a variety of ways. Keep reading to learn about Christian pacifism and other perspectives.

Do Humans Have Free Will? To an Extent …

Do humans have free will? Or is human behavior simply a product of genetics and conditioning? Society and popular culture often tell us that we are the products of our conditions and conditioning—our upbringing, environment, era, culture, and other external influences. Whether we act of our own accord or out of conditioning is a contentious question. Philosophers and scientists argue about this to this day. Keep reading to learn about the free will conundrum and how you can choose to act freely (at least, to an extent).

The 2 Self-Limiting Beliefs to Shake: A Toltec Viewpoint

What do the Toltec believe about reality and your perception of it? How does it relate to your suffering and happiness? In The Fifth Agreement, don Miguel Ruiz and don Jose Ruiz (also known as the naguals) assert that we believe we perceive reality, but the “real world” we think we live in is only a mirage. The Toltec teach that our belief in the mirage contains two primary self-limiting beliefs: that we must always be improving ourselves and that we are individual, physical beings, rather than part of a greater system. These beliefs, they argue, cause us to suffer.