Review: Right Thing, Right Now by Ryan Holiday

The Roadmap to Virtuous Existence: "Right Thing, Right Now" by Ryan Holiday

Sudhirendar Sharma reviews the book "Right Thing, Right Now" by Ryan Holiday. 

There has never been as much fear and stress in human life as today. The fear of having less and the greed for more have put most of our lives on edge. Medicines do help in addressing exigencies, but stress continues to brew insidiously. Rarely has any age in recent times escaped it as stress has become more of a norm than the exception in modern living.

Consequently, emotional bandwidth has shrunk, with people trying different mechanisms to expand it. In a world with an uncertain future, coping with stress has gained currency. Stress manifests in material gains but doesn’t guarantee contentment and peace.  Happiness without ‘desire’, and having without ‘want’ are hard to achieve, but remain quintessential elements for a stress-free existence. 

For this reason, the age-old Stoicism doctrine has regained popularity. It calls for accepting things as they are, without attempting to change them. In doing so, Epictetus (55-135 BC) is credited with making humans more resilient and more virtuous. Born a slave, he philosophized the concept of stoicism that was started in 300 BC by Zeno. In recent times, however, Ryan Holiday has made it relevant by giving the concept a local flavor by giving it a contemporary relevance.

We may have forgotten Harry Truman, the US President during the Second World War, but his words of wisdom continue to resonate: ‘The man who is capable to cultivate moderation, wisdom, justice and fortitude will remain happy’. Holiday draws upon the lives of contemporary heroes for reigniting stoicism. In his latest treatise ‘Right Thing, Right Now’ (Profile Books), Holiday pulls real-life nuggets from the lives of activists, athletes, and diplomats to illustrate how life can be made more virtuous. 

Be it the lived experiences of the likes of tennis legend Arthur Ashe and investor Buckminster Fuller, Holiday makes the 2000-year-old philosophy come alive for the reader to draw a framework for living a content life. Short episodes from the lives of contemporaries provide what the reader must do in personal, communal, and social spheres. Becoming thoughtful observers is critical to identifying and locating the sources of distress and worries. The episodes are far from aspirational as Holiday adds value by analyzing them from a stoic lens.

As stoicism is about taking control of one’s thoughts and emotions, Holiday helps the reader for inspiration and the power that comes along as one is able to transform oneself. The book is about the ‘right things to be done right now’.

Right Thing, Right Now

by Ryan Holiday

Profile Books, UK 

Extent: 338 pages; Price: Rs. 699