This 5 min. read saves you up to 42 hours
For your knowledge advantage, we put together the most actionable insights from 10 getAbstract summaries (10 books with a total of 2087 pages) on this topic. If you did this work yourself, you would be busy for at least 2500 minutes (about 42 hours). Learn more.

Foregoing Comfort for Adventure

Homer’s Iliad
Or: On Embracing Fate and Pursuing Immortality

For millions of people in the developed world today, it’s quite possible to live a life of comfort and ease: Work a job, pay the bills, raise the kids, plan for your retirement. But deep down, there’s this itch: the realization that there is more to life than pursuing an average existence. Facing challenges, pushing personal boundaries, taking a stand for what you believe in – that’s what ultimately makes you feel alive.

This yearning for meaning and adventure is encapsulated in the Iliad, an action-packed adventure story that continues to enthrall readers up to this day.

What It’s About

The Iliad is one of the oldest works of Western literature. The epic poem covers a 52-day period in the 10-year-long Trojan War – a very important event in Greek mythology. Aside from courage and bravery in war, the Iliad extols moderation and self-restraint as virtuous human behavior. It glorifies aristocratic values such as honor, fame, bravery and loyalty and builds on the idea that most men come close to those aristocratic and even divine ideals. Rather than trying to evade their mortal fate, the human protagonists embrace it, knowing that they will become immortal in heroic songs.

Image of: Iliad
Book Summary

Iliad

Alexander the Great wouldn’t go anywhere without his copy of the Iliad. Should you?

Homer
Read Summary

Three Life Lessons

1. You Are Not in Control of Your Fate – And Never Will Be

The Iliad is a story about war – a hallmark of which is drastic reversals of fortune. It destroys lives and livelihoods but can also bring renown to young fighters committing acts of bravery and heroism. The Iliad depicts a world of randomness and unfairness, where bad things happen to good people and vice versa. Hector, the most noble warrior in the tale, puts his own selfish interests behind those of family and homeland – only to end up dying a brutal death without receiving much recognition for his sacrifice. The Gods’ frequent interventions in human affairs, as well as their internal rivalries, appear random – a way for Homer to portray the vicissitudes of life.

And fate? No one alive has ever escaped it, neither brave man nor coward, I tell you – it’s born with us the day that we are born.

Hector,Iliad

Letting go of what you can’t control is a cornerstone of building resilience. Adverse life events will feel less unsettling if you accept the premise that uncertainty and change are intrinsic to human life. What matters is how you cope with your circumstances. As Viktor E. Frankl explains in his moving memoir of spending three horrific years in Nazi death and labor camps: What happens to you – including suffering – is secondary to your response to it.  How you cope with your fate adds or subtracts meaning from your existence.  

In the secular West, some have found solace in the ancient Buddhist teachings of accepting life as a constant process of change. Navigating uncertainty will become much easier once you stop resisting the fact that nothing is permanent and often beyond your control.  

Related Summaries in getAbstract’s Library
Image of: Man’s Search for Meaning
Book Summary

Man’s Search for Meaning

Viktor E. Frankl survived Nazi death camps and learned a lot about the meaning of life. He teaches that lesson in this classic text.

Viktor E. Frankl Beacon Press Read Summary
Image of: The Little Book of Stoicism
Book Summary

The Little Book of Stoicism

Classic Stoicism offers timeless lessons and practical tips on mindfulness, detachment and integrity.

Jonas Salzgeber Jonas Salzgeber Read Summary
Image of: Change Proof
Book Summary

Change Proof

No matter how well you plan, things change. Adjust your approach to change by building resilience.

Adam Markel McGraw-Hill Education Read Summary
Image of: Advice Not Given
Book Summary

Advice Not Given

Buddhism’s Eightfold Path can help you manage your ego and see yourself and your life more realistically.

Mark Epstein Penguin Press Read Summary

2. Leading a Life of Meaning Requires Courage

The chief protagonist of the Iliad, Achilles, faces a choice: to return to Phthia and live a safe, unremarkable life, or to stay on and fight at Troy to pursue glory. Obviously, Achilles opted for the latter – otherwise, we wouldn’t be reading the Iliad today. But the crossroads Achilles faces reveals something universal about the human condition: the perennial choice between safety and risk, comfort and adventure, trivial pursuits and meaningful endeavors.

Choosing adventure does not need to involve quitting your job and traveling the world, or taking up skydiving. Rather, it means doing things that are hard; being willing to endure discomfort; and refusing to give in to fear.

Courage, Franziska Iseli explains in The Courage Map, is not the opposite of fear. Rather, courage allows you to face your fears while pursuing something that gives your life meaning. Courage, she posits, means taking worthy risks – risks with a purpose. Building your capacity for courage will help you stay true to yourself and stand up for your convictions, even when doing so is uncomfortable.

Are you tired of doing things in a small way? Are you fed up with proceeding down the same worn path? Does your internal accounting ever total up the high costs of selling yourself short? These are some of the questions elite ultramarathon runner Kay Bretz encourages you to ponder as you go about your big adventure called life.

Related Summaries in getAbstract’s Library
Image of: The Courage Map
Book Summary

The Courage Map

Are you ready to unlock the courage within you and embrace a life of meaning and adventure?

Franziska Iseli TCK Read Summary
Image of: Turning Right
Book Summary

Turning Right

Ultramarathon runner Kay Bretz says the best way to control your life is to abandon control. And run.

Kay Bretz Major Street Publishing Read Summary

3. Never Give Up on What Is Important to You

Throughout the Iliad, protagonists show extraordinary perseverance in the pursuit of goals they deem worthy. The tale also gives an example of how wrong things can go when you ditch your calling. When Paris withdraws instead of facing Menelaus in one-on-one combat, he is cast as a coward for failing to end the war without causing further bloodshed.

No matter what talents you are born with, what matters most is continual effort. You must persevere – whether you are building new skills, pursuing a personal goal or fighting for a cause. Those who excel in a given field work hard, sustain their unwavering passion over many years and persist when obstacles emerge. Life demands nonstop effort, which both requires and nourishes grit. As psychologist Angela Duckworth explains, you need grit to keep going; and keeping going grants you more grit.

Find inspiration from leaders who turned obstacles into opportunities and everyday heroes who mustered the fortitude to overcome crushing adversity. Learn how to fight your biggest fears, discover your highest goal and follow a path of meaning. What adventure is yours to choose?

Related Summaries in getAbstract’s Library
Image of: The Obstacle Is the Way
Book Summary

The Obstacle Is the Way

Embrace the powerful philosophy of Stoicism to turn any obstacle to your advantage.

Ryan Holiday Profile Books Read Summary
Image of: The Stuff
Book Summary

The Stuff

Life is tough. But if you have “the stuff,” you can overcome any challenge.

Sampson Davis and Sharlee Jeter Gallery Books Read Summary
Image of: Grit
Book Summary

Grit

To develop your “grit,” combine passion and perseverance over time.

Angela Duckworth Scribner Read Summary

How the Journal Saves You Time
Reading Time
5 min.
Reading time for this article is about 5 minutes.
Saved Time
42 h
This article saves you up to 42 hours of research and reading time.
Researched Abstracts
10 We have curated the most actionable insights from 10 summaries for this feature.
10 We read and summarized 10 books with 2087 pages for this article.
Share this Story