Courage Is Calling

This book is the second in this series that I have read, and like his other book, very worth reading. I really enjoy the way he uses the experiences of people from our times to illustrate the Stoic principles, and so proving that they are as applicable to us today was they were in ancient times. It is also comforting to read that they were living in as chaotic times as we are, and this gives me hope for the future.

What do I mean by portable? This book does not require the reader to dedicate hours of contemplation to each chapter or page. I read most of this book in waiting rooms or on breaks at work. It's very digestible like that. Ryan Holiday really did an excellent job pacing the book and breaking up its chapters.

It's not some deep treatise on the philosophical notions of courage. It's an evidence-based, historical approach to the Stoic virtue of courage. Courage is not the absence of fear -- it's moving forward in spite of your fear, or because of it.

Others have been in worse situations than you. Others have done this task before. "What one man can do another can do" is a mantra from one of my favorite movies. You can have courage. You can do the right thing.

Also, I really enjoyed the last chapter. Maybe I've missed it, but I've never heard Holiday go into depth about his life before Daily Stoic. I knew he was a marketing executive at American Apparel, but that was it. I knew there'd been some scandal with the CEO. But that was all I knew and all I cared to know. But Holiday opens up and writes about what happened, his role, and his regrets. He explains where he failed to have courage, and when he began to have it. It was a really honest look back, and one that I truly appreciated because we all have been there -- maybe not at a major company, but certainly all of us have been moral cowards at various points in our lives.

While I've always appreciated Holiday's efforts at bringing Stoicism to modern life, that last chapter really made me love and respect him. It's what led me to write this review, in fact.

Ryan Holiday has been one of my favorite authors since 2018. I’ve written about his books before, and they are consistently in my Best Books lists. In 2019, Holiday released the last of three books written about Stoic philosophy in today’s world, Stillness is the Key. The other two are Ego Is the Enemy and The Obstacle is the Way. I also read a standalone of Holiday’s called Conspiracy: A True Story of Power, Sex, and a Billionaire’s Secret Plot to Destroy a Media Empire, which is still one of the craziest stories. Then, I discovered (well before a formal announcement) that Courage is Calling: Fortune Favors the Brave would be published in September 2021. I immediately ordered it and, once released, read it in one sitting.

Courage is Calling is the first of four books on the four Stoic virtues: Courage, Temperance, Justice, and Wisdom. Holiday shares real stories of courage in it, but not always in the heroic, action-movie way. Holiday goes on to describe the many faces of courage. Yes, sometimes courage is six seconds of bravery from two young Marines giving their lives to stop a truck rigged to blow up the nearby base. However, sometimes courage is quietly pursuing a path and defying convention or your family. Courage is doing the right thing when no one is looking. Courage says, “If not me, then who?”

I found myself highlighting something on nearly every page of this book. There are so many meaningful quotes to help keep you going in the face of tough choices, which is the other facet to this book: choice. Courage is a choice. You will have moments where you didn’t make the courageous choice, but the point of all of this – of life – is choice. Courage takes practice. It’s in the little moments that you think don’t matter, but those little moments train you for the big moments.

Holiday discusses fear, and its relationship to courage, throughout the book. It’s no surprise that fear keeps us from courage. It keeps us in the dead-end job, the relationship you’ve outgrown, the city you don’t love. But, as Holiday discusses, fear isn’t the opposite of courage – it’s apathy. Doing nothing, being cynical, assuming your actions don’t matter – that’s the opposite of courage. Courage is a choice. You might make the right choice. You might make the wrong one. Regardless, choosing something holds power and takes courage. Just like Gandalf says, “All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”

Choose courage. Have hope. Go first. Leave the job. Ask that person on a date. Buy the book. Choose to do something. You’ll be happy you did something, but you’ll regret doing nothing.

Love how Ryan breaks down the different aspects and various perspectives of courage. His writing style is also very dramatic and inspiring, making for a compelling read with lots of practical insights, breaking down courage from a more accessible, human level in our day to day lives. My only gripe with his style is that sometimes it can be difficult to understand the context of his stories, if you're not entirely familiar with the technicalities. Otherwise, it's a fantastic journey

I'm a huge fan of Ryan Holiday's work. In fact, The Obstacle Is the Way is one of my top-10 books of all time. And while Courage was mostly solid and on-point, Ryan's logic in one of the chapters was disturbing. He stated we must be courageous...but not for the wrong causes. And he called out "anti-vaxxers" as a group that has no justification for their stance. He was clearly calling out those who are refusing the covid jab, not necessarily those who are against proven vaccines.

I have a big problem with this logic. First, I do agree that some causes are terrible for humanity, and anyone who stands behind them is not a hero and needs to be called out. The KKK, world leaders and groups promoting genocide, etc.

However, the covid jab example is a terrible one, because this is not settled science. The jury is still out regarding the long-term safety of these treatments. As I write this, the jabs are still technically in phase 3 trials as they're being rolled out to billions. Dozens of highly credentialed scientists from institutions such as Harvard and Stanford are expressing deep concerns over their safety. I respect everyone's decision to take or refuse it, and standing up for what you believe is commendable.

But to say that skeptics of this vax are cowards and are not practicing courage? I'm sorry, but if anyone is practicing courage right now it is the medical professionals, scientists, airline pilots, and everyday workers who are willing to lose their jobs because they are against the government forcing them to get jabbed. It's the parents who refuse to have their young kids jabbed out of societal pressure ... because they've spent hours doing deep research. It's the whistleblowers who come out and expose the lies, fraud and corruption inside Big Pharma.

You can't have it both ways, Ryan. If you want to encourage everyone to be more courageous, you can't also be the arbiter of truth. It's not up to you to decide who's on the right side and who's on the wrong side--especially when it comes to something that's not yet settled. Sure, you can have and offer an opinion. You can tell us what you stand for. But you need to respect the beliefs of others. You really should have picked a different example. Because this particular example made me question your judgement.

Time will tell who was truly on the right side of this issue. And that requires courage from ALL sides, not just your side, amigo.