JC Palmer reviewed Courage Is Calling by Ryan Holiday
It will call you out
4 stars
Courage Is Calling seems innocent enough. It is author Ryan Holiday showing you applicable examples of what the Stoic virtue of courage means. The book is split into three parts, going over what courage looks like based on real-world examples from history. Some stories will resonate with you, some will go over your head, and others won't affect you at all.
The beauty of philosophy is that we all get something different out of the things we read. This book called me out in several places, enlightening me to the fact that I lack for courage in most areas of my life. By the end where Holiday discusses heroism, you will likely have also felt called out in some regard.
Do I recommend this instead of the original Stoic texts? No. Read those first. Read what Epictetus has to say on resistance, what Marcus Aurelius says about pressing on, and …
Courage Is Calling seems innocent enough. It is author Ryan Holiday showing you applicable examples of what the Stoic virtue of courage means. The book is split into three parts, going over what courage looks like based on real-world examples from history. Some stories will resonate with you, some will go over your head, and others won't affect you at all.
The beauty of philosophy is that we all get something different out of the things we read. This book called me out in several places, enlightening me to the fact that I lack for courage in most areas of my life. By the end where Holiday discusses heroism, you will likely have also felt called out in some regard.
Do I recommend this instead of the original Stoic texts? No. Read those first. Read what Epictetus has to say on resistance, what Marcus Aurelius says about pressing on, and what Seneca notes about the human capacity for courage. But if you're looking for more on what courage actually means, and how the other three virtues require it, then this book can help contextualize it for you.
