Want to be successful ---> Get rid of your Ego, Be a Student

“Throw out your conceited opinions, for it is impossible for a person to begin to learn what he thinks he already knows.” — Epictetus

One of Epictetus’ biggest frustrations as a teacher was how his students claimed to be want to be taught, but secretly believed that they knew everything.

It’s a pain all teachers know and most of us would recognize. At the heart of it are ego and arrogance. The thought is that we’ve learned enough and are better than our contemporaries.

Nowhere is such thinking more dangerous than today.

The information of today is not only insufficient for solving the problems of tomorrow but can very well be the obstacle for sharper thinking as well.We are in an age where we’re merely one step away from being disrupted in virtually every industry(you are actually experiencing one right now). Even in ancient times, Marcus Aurelius has remarked, “the universe is changing, life is an opinion”.

This is why the most brilliant minds of today spend a good portion of their time reading. They understand that there is always wisdom to be gleaned, whether from the past, present, or future.
We would be wise to do the same. Always be a Student