17 Dec 2025 · 3 min
Brian Johnson explores euthymia, the Stoic concept of tranquility, using Seneca and Ryan Holiday to argue for knowing yourself and stopping comparisons. The core question: why do you do what you do?
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Hi, this is Brian. Welcome Back to another Optimize Plus One.
First, welcome to our 101.
It's a special milestone and I'm kind.
Of excited about it, so let's celebrate.
It with one of my favorite words ever, Euthymia.
Seneca talks about the power of Euthymia.
In his classic essays.
He tells us that Euthymia is all.
About knowing yourself and having the courage to walk your own authentic path. The English translation of that beautiful word tranquility.
It's the feeling we have when we truly trust ourselves.
When we know we're headed in the.
Right direction and we're able to quit.
Comparing ourselves to everyone else and stop second guessing ourselves every five seconds. Which leads us to today's plus one reflection.
How's your tranquility? Here's one way to energize it.
In Ego Is the Enemy, Ryan Holiday riffs on Seneca's perspective on Euthymia and.
Tells us so why do you do what you do?
That's the question you need to answer.
Stare at it until you can.
Only then will you understand what matters and what doesn't.
Only then can you say no. Can you opt out of stupid races.
That don't matter or even exist.
Only then is it easy to ignore successful people because most of the time.
They aren't at least relative to you and often even to themselves.
Only then can you develop that quiet.
Confidence Seneca talked about.
So why do you do what you do?
That's the question.
Stare at it.
Answer it.
Say yes to your path and say.
No to all the other silly distractions.
Plus one all the way to energized tranquility.
Hey, this is Brian with a quick question for you. Do you know what the word optimize literally means? It's from the Latin optimus, which means the best. In our case, we're talking about helping.
You create the best version of you.
So another quick question.
What's the best version of you look like? How does that version of you show.
Up in the world?
Helping you be that version of yourself.
All day, every day is what our.
Optimize membership program is all about.
Now, we obviously give away a ton.
Of content for free, and we give our 10,000 plus premium members a ton more. Members get hundreds of philosopher's notes, which are 20 minute book summaries that help you apply the best big ideas from the best optimal living books to your.
Life to today plus members get dozens.
Of hour long optimal living 101 masterclasses. More wisdom in less time for your busy life on everything from the science of setting and achieving goals, how to optimize your energy via the fundamentals of nutrition, movement, sleep and meditation, and how to be super productive day in and day out. While of course enjoying the whole process. Every facet of your life optimized equals you at your absolute best.
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