Discipline Is Destiny: The Power of Self-Control

By Ryan Holiday

Book Overview

The instant New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestseller!

In his New York Times bestselling book Courage is Calling, author Ryan Holiday made the Stoic case for a bold and brave life. In this much-anticipated second book of his Stoic Virtue series, Holiday celebrates the awesome power of self-discipline and those who have seized it.

To master anything, one must first master themselves-one's emotions, one's thoughts, one's actions. Eisenhower famously said that freedom is really the opportunity to practice self-discipline. Cicero called the virtue of temperance the polish of life. Without boundaries and restraint, we risk not only failing to meet our full potential and jeopardizing what we have achieved, but we ensure misery and shame. In a world of temptation and excess, this ancient idea is more urgent than ever.

In Discipline is Destiny, Holiday draws on the stories of historical figures we can emulate as pillars of self-discipline, including Lou Gehrig, Queen Elizabeth II, boxer Floyd Patterson, Marcus Aurelius and writer Toni Morrison, as well as the cautionary tales of Napoleon, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Babe Ruth. Through these engaging examples, Holiday teaches readers the power of self-discipline and balance, and cautions against the perils of extravagance and hedonism.

At the heart of Stoicism are four simple virtues: courage, temperance, justice, and wisdom. Everything else, the Stoics believed, flows from them. Discipline is Destiny will guide readers down the path to self-mastery, upon which all the other virtues depend. Discipline is predictive. You cannot succeed without it. And if you lose it, you cannot help but bring yourself failure and unhappiness.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0593191692
• ISBN13: 9780593191699
• Release Date: September 2022
• Publisher: Portfolio
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 0.83 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 5.3" x 7.2"

Customer Reviews

Ryan Holiday is a great educator and mentor!

First, I love Ryan Holiday books, and this is the second book in The Stoic Virtues Series: 1.Courage Is Calling (2021) 2.Discipline Is Destiny (2022) 3.Right Thing, Right Now (2024) and 4.Wisdom Takes Work (2025) Ryan has an easy writing style to learn from. He is disciplined himself and a great mentor. Self control is a great virtue to have...I am a work in progress thanks to this book!