Ego Is the Enemy

This book by Ryan Holiday has been genuinely recommended 2 times across 2 different shows: Lex Fridman, Tim Ferriss. The people who vouched for it on air: Manolis Kellis, Michael Phelps. It comes up in conversations about addiction & recovery, consciousness, depression & mood, exercise & strength, relationships. The earliest recommendation we indexed is from Jan 2021 and the most recent from Apr 2023. Every quote below is verbatim, attributed, and linked to the exact second it was said. Sourced expert opinion, not medical advice.

Many of us insist the main impediment to a full, successful life is the outside world. In fact, the most common enemy lies within: our ego. Early in our careers, it impedes learning and the cultivation of talent. With success, it can blind us to our faults and sow future problems. In failure, it magnifies each blow and makes recovery more difficult. At every stage, ego holds us back. Ego Is the Enemy draws on a vast array of stories and examples, from literature to philosophy to history.

• “one of the books that I reprogram my brain with at night was called uh ego is the enemy”

  Why it counts as a recommendation: “one of the books that I reprogram my brain with at night”
  Manolis Kellis · Lex Fridman Podcast · Apr 202301:29:29

  Said during "Manolis Kellis: Evolution of Human Civilization and Superintelligent AI | Lex Fridman Podcast #373". The episode features Manolis Kellis: Professor at MIT and head of the MIT Computational Biology Group, a leading scientist in genomics and the genetic basis of disease. This is his fifth appearance on the Lex Fridman Podcast. MIT computational biologist Manolis Kellis and Lex Fridman explore what makes humans irreplaceable, AI as the next stage of evolution, digital twins, love, and curing disease.

• “Ego is the Enemy is one that I go back to a lot. Um The Subtle Art of Not Giving a [ __ ] is a great one”

  Why it counts as a recommendation: “Ego is the Enemy is one that I go back to a lot”
  Michael Phelps · The Tim Ferriss Show · Jan 202100:57:11

  Said during "Michael Phelps and Grant Hackett, Two Legends on Competing and Much More | The Tim Ferriss Show". The episode features Michael Phelps and Grant Hackett: Michael Phelps is the most decorated Olympian ever, with 28 medals (23 gold) and 39 world records. Grant Hackett is an Australian distance-freestyle champion who went unbeaten in the 1500m for 11 years, won 26 golds across major championships, and is now CEO of an Australian investment firm. Swimming legends Michael Phelps and Grant Hackett on elite training, competitive drive, and their raw, mutual journey through depression and mental health.