Stillness Is the Key by Ryan Holiday

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My Notes

Slow Down, Think Deeply

What’s essential is invisible to the eye.

That is: Appearances are misleading. First impressions are too.

We are disturbed and deceived by what’s on the surface, by what others see.

Then we make bad decisions, miss opportunities or feel scared or upset.

Particularly when we don’t slow down and take the time to really look.

Epictetus talked about how the job of a philosopher is to take our impressions – what we see, hear, and think – and put them to the test.

He said we need to hold up our thoughts and examine them, to make sure we weren’t being led astray by appearances or missing what couldn’t be seen by the naked eye.

We can’t be disturbed by initial appearances, and if we are patient and still, the truth will be revealed to us.