The Big Idea: Do Things That Develop Toughness

• a nation is born stoic and dies epicurean — Will Durant
• stoics say sacrifice today for tomorrow (invest wisely)
• epicureans say live for today (eat drink and be merry, yolo)
• there is truth to both, but stoicism is what I recommend
• Arnold wanted big calves, moved to South Africa to train with Reg Parks, worked out at 5am and did 1000 lb calf raises, calves grew 2 inches in one year
• humans have gotten softer over time
• adversity makes men and prosperity makes monsters — Victor Hugo
• there are three types of people: those who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and people who wonder what happened — farmer’s proverb
• stoics say “toughen up”
• the “hard” is what makes it great — Tom Hanks
• test yourself, push yourself, toughen up,
• spartans trained their children for toughness by feeding enough but not too much
• let me embrace the sour adversity, for wise man say is the wisest course — Shakespeare
• yolo is for suckers
• do hard shit, you’ll be happier and richer
• Sioux children took freezing cold baths to toughen them up
• tremendous respect will come to you in business and life if you are tough
• use it or lose it
• bones grow weak if they are not used but they grow stronger if you stress them
• who do want working/fighting next to you?  someone who’s been tested and survived or someone who’s soft?
• toughness will give you a competitive edge in a world with 7 billion people
• go without your phone for a day
• jeff bezos never uses the elevator
• every once in a while, you can work 24 hours straight
• next time you don’t want to do something, do it anyways to build your discipline muscles
• go camping
• go a month without driving
• lifting weights slows down aging at the cellular level
• go without salt and sugar

Tai Lopez is an entrepreneur, investor, and blogger who runs an awesome online book club. 67 Steps is a lecture series teaching how to be successful in health, wealth, love, and happiness.  I’m a big fan.