Finally reading 33 Strategies of War

Despite Ryan Holiday recommending this so many times… I am so intensely aware of the weakness of my will, my procrastination, inability to follow through, of my humanity, that I put off reading this book indefinitely.

I assumed it will be full of theories and intellectual ideas.

I knew they’d be brilliant, but that I would not be able to put them to use, until I train myself to follow through.

Not true.

From calming our overwhelming emotions to our addiction to comfort to our lack of energy in life… It’s all about ruthlessly looking at reality — at what we actually do instead of what we hope to be doing — and using that knowledge to win at life.

In general, with regards to books on war, my mistake was thinking war people are superior to me. That they were somehow born without my inherent weaknesses as a human… They aren’t.

This book made me realize that in the same way money does not make you a better person, only revealing more of who you already are…

War, desperation, and high stakes do the same.

Here’s an example of what I’m talking about:

Like Cortes, you must locate the root of your problem. It is not the people around you; it is yourself, and the spirit with which you face the world.

It’s full of gems like this. Read it. It’s fantastic.

Definitely reading more war books after The 33 Strategies of War (Joost Elffers Books).