Titles That Stand on Their Own

My brother and I were talking about Ryan Holiday’s book Ego is the Enemy when our Dad joined the conversation. 

Dad: What are you guys talking about?
Me: Ryan Holiday’s book Ego is the Enemy.
Dad: The title says it all – ego is the enemy – there is nothing more to be said.
My exasperated brother: Dad, there is a lot more to be said, the book covers several topics in depth.

But my Dad’s words got me thinking. The title may not say it all – but it could stand on its own. But what does it mean to say that at title stands on its own? In Rhonda Byrne’s Hero, one of her heroes Mastin Kipp says:

There’s a great book called Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway. I read the title, and that’s all I read. I didn’t need to read the rest of the book. I got it. 

Based on the words of Mastin Kipp above, I came up with the following definition for a book title to stand on its own – the title should be sufficient enough to give out massive wisdom as a takeaway. 

Here are some titles that stand on their own:

The Obstacle is the Way – The very obstacle that lies before us, can be transformed into a solution that serves us.

Ego is the Enemy – Enough said 🙂

Stillness is the Key – This should be self-evident to os.me readers.

Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway – It is not that successful people don’t feel fear – the verily feel the fear, but they go ahead and do it anyway.

Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff (and it’s All Small Stuff) – Take it easy. Take a chill pill. 

What Got You Here Won’t Get You There – To get “there” you may need a different set of skills, approaches.

So Good They Can’t Ignore You – When you become so good, so skilful, the world cannot ignore you.

Ignore Everybody – And carve your own path, lead your own life the way you want to.

Talent is Overrated – Indeed, effort is the primary contributor to success. Effort without talent can lead to success, but not vice versa.

Image Credit: Min An from Pexels