In the 2010s, Ryan Holiday was the head of marketing for the controversial clothing brand American Apparel, and the sought-after media strategist for people like the womanizing blogger Tucker Max. Then he wrote an exposé called Trust Me, I’m Lying, which lifted the veil on his world of media manipulation.
I thought this interview was boring. Not much about stoicism. Too much about how disgusting is Donald Trump for betraying his wife. Has he ever heard of Bill Clinton or JFK?
Stoicism can be summated: "Lord, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the strength and courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."
First I am a conservative Catholic Republican but have previously been impressed by the level of discussion and moderate tone. I am very interested in Stoicism and really looked forward to listening to this podcast.
Between the every other word is an Fbomb or a vulgarity and the clear disgust for Donald Trump I gave up after about 15 minutes.
Really? The level of discussion should be a little higher.
I love Ryan Holiday's books but I have a hard time dealing with his Trump Derangement Syndrome. Like Sam Harris, it befuddles me how someone who truly understands how important it is to recognize that we have so much control of our lives can frankly lose their minds when Donald Trump is brought up.
A couple of years ago, Holiday published a letter he wrote to his father, admonishing him for his support of Trump. That lack of respect seems to be (and I know I'm generalizing) consistent amongst those left-leaning people that think they know all the answers and anyone conservative is fundamentally a savage.
Stoicism has had a big impact on how I live my life and I do appreciate the work Holiday has done to bring stoicism to more people. And just like Trump, I can put aside his unseemly parts recognizing the tremendous benefits of him bringing this country back to some sense of normality.
It was startling to hear Holiday, and the interviewer, explain Trump voters as basically good people who were angry, and that the anger was presumably misplaced, as well as the anger being a destructive force.
Holiday also spoke of "context", that people get too caught up in the political moment and fail to understand context. It seems like he's really missing "context" here if he imagines that Trump's voters were merely angry. I'll admit to being pissed off at the deviousness and dishonesty of the Biden administration, but my vote for Trump was a very optimistic act.
I think the giant "vibe shift" is a hugely positive force. It's pretty simple; it's the acronym on the hat.
A Stoic, Seneca for example, would never support a vain, venal man like Trump. Seneca worked for Nero because he had too then ended up dying for it. (Being forced to kill himself.)
TDS is a thing. Andrew Sullivan suffers from it as well. TDS sufferers see something singularly horrifying in Trump, and this absolutely rules him ineligible for public office. As a consequence of that, owing to our 2-party politics, whoever opposes Trump gets the benefit of the doubt from a TDS sufferer. That person could, for example, be a senile, venal, petty corruptocrat who isn't even really acting as chief executive, while unelected advisers make the president's executive decisions. But hey, at least Trump's not in charge!
With TDS, politics in the usual sense—as competing ideas—ceases to operate; only one party may win. Critical thinking dissolves.
A clear and consistent symptom of TDS is when someone makes assumptions about Trump that are proven wrong. Again and again and again. Or if someone is so single-minded that they cannot imagine the possibility of them ever being wrong.
A fundamental tenet of Stoicism is the recognition that people can focus on what they can control in life and accept what is beyond their control. It has nothing to do with the perception of a person's character. You either accept the current reality or you do not. If you do not, you've just discovered TDS! :)
Wait! Hang on! He’s a Stoic with TDS? Then he’s only pretending to be a Stoic. The whole point is to do the right thing even when its hard. I really don’t like Trump but I try to listen & give the benefit of doubt whenever he speaks. After all, its up to me to choose what I hear, how I hear it, and what I do about it.
Thank you! I thought this is so odd. I was expecting a high level discussion so Stoicism and planned to buy the book. I gave up after about 15 minutes and took the book off my list.
Not related to this story....but did I catch Michael Moynihan on TMZ the other night.....while I was JUST scrolling TV of course.....
I thought this interview was boring. Not much about stoicism. Too much about how disgusting is Donald Trump for betraying his wife. Has he ever heard of Bill Clinton or JFK?
Being loyal to Alger Hiss?
Interviewer needs lessons from Bari.
Stoicism can be summated: "Lord, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the strength and courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."
First I am a conservative Catholic Republican but have previously been impressed by the level of discussion and moderate tone. I am very interested in Stoicism and really looked forward to listening to this podcast.
Between the every other word is an Fbomb or a vulgarity and the clear disgust for Donald Trump I gave up after about 15 minutes.
Really? The level of discussion should be a little higher.
I love Ryan Holiday's books but I have a hard time dealing with his Trump Derangement Syndrome. Like Sam Harris, it befuddles me how someone who truly understands how important it is to recognize that we have so much control of our lives can frankly lose their minds when Donald Trump is brought up.
A couple of years ago, Holiday published a letter he wrote to his father, admonishing him for his support of Trump. That lack of respect seems to be (and I know I'm generalizing) consistent amongst those left-leaning people that think they know all the answers and anyone conservative is fundamentally a savage.
Stoicism has had a big impact on how I live my life and I do appreciate the work Holiday has done to bring stoicism to more people. And just like Trump, I can put aside his unseemly parts recognizing the tremendous benefits of him bringing this country back to some sense of normality.
It was startling to hear Holiday, and the interviewer, explain Trump voters as basically good people who were angry, and that the anger was presumably misplaced, as well as the anger being a destructive force.
Holiday also spoke of "context", that people get too caught up in the political moment and fail to understand context. It seems like he's really missing "context" here if he imagines that Trump's voters were merely angry. I'll admit to being pissed off at the deviousness and dishonesty of the Biden administration, but my vote for Trump was a very optimistic act.
I think the giant "vibe shift" is a hugely positive force. It's pretty simple; it's the acronym on the hat.
A Stoic, Seneca for example, would never support a vain, venal man like Trump. Seneca worked for Nero because he had too then ended up dying for it. (Being forced to kill himself.)
It is impossible to take anyone who uses "TDS" in their language seriously. Ever.
TDS is a thing. Andrew Sullivan suffers from it as well. TDS sufferers see something singularly horrifying in Trump, and this absolutely rules him ineligible for public office. As a consequence of that, owing to our 2-party politics, whoever opposes Trump gets the benefit of the doubt from a TDS sufferer. That person could, for example, be a senile, venal, petty corruptocrat who isn't even really acting as chief executive, while unelected advisers make the president's executive decisions. But hey, at least Trump's not in charge!
With TDS, politics in the usual sense—as competing ideas—ceases to operate; only one party may win. Critical thinking dissolves.
A clear and consistent symptom of TDS is when someone makes assumptions about Trump that are proven wrong. Again and again and again. Or if someone is so single-minded that they cannot imagine the possibility of them ever being wrong.
A fundamental tenet of Stoicism is the recognition that people can focus on what they can control in life and accept what is beyond their control. It has nothing to do with the perception of a person's character. You either accept the current reality or you do not. If you do not, you've just discovered TDS! :)
Wait! Hang on! He’s a Stoic with TDS? Then he’s only pretending to be a Stoic. The whole point is to do the right thing even when its hard. I really don’t like Trump but I try to listen & give the benefit of doubt whenever he speaks. After all, its up to me to choose what I hear, how I hear it, and what I do about it.
Same here. I heard of him about five years ago and started to listen to him..and then the TDS...hard stop.
Thank you! I thought this is so odd. I was expecting a high level discussion so Stoicism and planned to buy the book. I gave up after about 15 minutes and took the book off my list.
Thank you Mr. Moynihan for exposing him.
Thank you Free Press for this much needed conversation.
Bari, if your kid ever needs a nerdy white midwestern redneck uncle...I'm here in Indiana, available to help out.
Aren’t Nerdy and Redneck antonyms?