Table of Contents

The Book in Three Sentences

In this summary of Right Thing, Right Now, you’ll learn the importance of doing what’s right. For the Stoics, we must be committed to what’s right even when it’s difficult. Although the modern world wants us to believe that acting justly is optional, not having a strong sense of justice will make us unhappy.

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Right Thing, Right Now Summary

Introduction

Some consider justice the most important virtue because, without it, courage, discipline, and wisdom are worthless. When we think of the word “justice”, we probably think about the legal system, but there’s more to it than that. Justice is about honesty, truthfulness, and fairness. Ultimately, justice is something we do, a commitment to do things right in a chaotic world where evil people often get away with things. Justice is the North Star that guides our lives.

Part I: The Me (Personal)

You shouldn’t look for justice in distant lands but inside yourself. Your values, such as integrity, honesty, dignity, and honor, determine your behavior. One of the tenets of Stoicism is to focus on what you can control. Even if evil rules the world, you can still choose to be good.

To Stand Before Kings…

According to the Stoics, a person needs four virtues to live a happy life: moderation, wisdom, justice, and fortitude. If you adopt this idea and turn it into a personal code of sorts, you will develop your character. Values such as punctuality, respect, hard work, commitment, or politeness are their own reward. Unlike possessions, no one can take virtues away from you.

We shouldn’t ask for justice from other people, but we should ask it from ourselves. This isn’t something we talk about, but something that reflects on our habitual actions. Justice is practical, accessible, and personal. It reflects in everything we do: how we treat others, what we care about, or the integrity we show through our words. This won’t always make us popular, but if we keep doing the right thing, the world will notice.

Keep Your Word

Giving your word must mean something. Regardless of your circumstances, you must keep your promises. Keeping your word costs you something, but by doing so, you end up with something better: people’s trust. When you try to live up to your obligations, people will admire you, even if you fail. Keeping your word is a form of justice. Your word is a contract and as such, it must mean something. Otherwise, you’ll regret it.

Tell the Truth

Truth-telling is a simple concept in theory but hard in practice, especially when people around you encourage you to lie. It’s easy to admire whistleblowers and truth-tellers after the fact, but before they’re admired, these people are pressured and attacked. Honesty, in this day and age, is rare, radical, and dangerous. Telling the truth isn’t always pragmatic, but it’s still important. There is such a thing as telling the truth and being humble. The truth might hurt, but never be hurtful on purpose. Regardless of your profession, your job is to tell the truth.

Take Responsibility

Taking responsibility is hard, so we learn to evade it early in life. If everyone took responsibility, the world would be a better place. The moment, you start taking responsibility is the moment you develop character and self-respect. We can’t find responsibility outside but within ourselves. Responsibility isn’t constricting, but liberating. The moment we embrace responsibility, that’s when we find meaning and purpose.

Be Your Own Referee

You know when you give less than your best, even if others can’t tell. We might hold ourselves to a high standard and we must accept the consequences when we fail. Not only is this important to improve yourself, but you become someone that others can look up to. Breaking the rules for your benefit or cheating will take you somewhere you don’t want to be. Victory means nothing unless you win with honor. In some cases, the only one who will know is you, but that’s the only one who counts.

Good, Not Great

Fame and glory are less important than virtue. That’s another way of saying that external achievements are less important than internal ones. As long as you’re a good person, the rest doesn’t matter. Be good, fair, decent, honest, and dependable. Don’t do things to get ahead. Do things because they’re right. Some things in life are easier to quantify than others, but while you can’t measure integrity, everyone knows that it matters. Regardless of what you do for a living, the pain you embrace in the short term will help you become who you want to be in the long term. Like Marcus Aurelius, focus internally to make your mark externally.

Be an Open Book

In a world where corruption and debauchery are commonplace, doing the opposite puts you in a great position. People will notice and they will respect you. What you want is to be transparent when others get away with things. Be a good example when others are not. Transparency is the opposite of corruption, dishonor, and dishonesty. Never do something you will later hide. Lead the kind of life that will make you proud.

Be Decent

Treat everyone around you with respect and decency. How we treat others says a lot about us, especially when we’re tired or frustrated. Whatever you do, think about how your actions will affect others. Under difficult circumstances, the best stand you can adopt is one of decency. Don’t let a disaster take away your values. The world can be awful, unjust, cruel, and corrupted, but if you’re decent, you’ll stand out.

Do Your Job

Whatever it is that you do for a living, you should take the duty of your position seriously, especially when others are pressuring you not to. Your job works as a compass that guides you and tells you how to behave in different situations. What you’re supposed to do won’t always be convenient or easy. The ramifications of doing the right thing can’t be understated, even if no one seems to notice our actions or if we don’t get credit for them. Never consider doing what’s wrong. Make your own code of ethics if your job doesn’t have one and come up with your definition of what doing your job is. When in doubt, be a good person above everything else.

Keep Your Hands Clean

Someone will try to bribe you at some point. The easy way out would be to accept it, but you would get your hands dirty and someone would expect something from you. Corruption comes in subtle ways, not in envelopes of cash or exaggerated threats. See this as a test of your character and don’t go along with it, even if the rewards seem too good to be true. Doing the right thing will make you enemies, but behaving with dignity and self-respect matters. You may not make a fortune in the process, but your reputation and good name are something no one can take away from you.

Integrity is everything

You can’t put a price on integrity in the same way you can’t put a price on one’s soul. Maintaining your integrity is one of the hardest things you’ll do, but it’ll be worth it. Integrity is following your internal moral code despite what everyone else says. Regardless of where you live and what you do, you’ll face ethical dilemmas eventually. When you’re confronted with temptations, you must rely on your integrity to keep on the right track. You may not have anything else, but integrity is a good quality to possess when everything else falls apart. Integrity will answer a question before you have had the time to think about it. It’s the compass that guides you in a complex world that isn’t always kind to you.

Realize Your Potential

We all have our obligations. What we do with our talents is up to us. If no one committed to using their talents, the world would be a dark place. Our job is to give our best because otherwise, we’re cheating ourselves. The ultimate goal shouldn’t be fame and fortune, but to give value to people’s lives.

Be Loyal

By not thinking, we can betray friends and allies. Regardless of how you try to justify this, don’t do it. Be loyal to your friends, family, boss, work, or cause, No one wants to associate themselves with disloyal people. As difficult as it is, we must remain loyal. We can love someone even if their actions leave a lot to be desired. Also, give your loyalty but expect nothing in return. Only do it because it’s the right thing to do.

Choose a North Star

When you have something that guides you and when you’re committed to a cause that’s more important than your self-interest, people will notice and you’ll follow you. As you become successful, don’t deviate from your path or it will all come crashing down and you’ll lose everything you’ve worked for. Your values work as a north star. They will give you clarity. When driven by ego, money, fame, a desire for pleasure, or anything external, you may get to the top, but you’ll be corrupted by the same values that got you there.

Right Thing, Right Now

Knowing what the right thing is isn’t the problem, finding the right moment is. Integrity helps you find the right time and it’s now. When you know what must be done, you feel compelled to act. It’s as if discipline and justice beat procrastination. Virtue, like Aristotle once said, is a daily practice.

Part II: The We (Sociopolitical)

Although discipline is about you, justice is about us. In other words, the virtue of justice is about the common good. We want to be just to make the world we live in a better place.

To You from Failing Hands We Throw the Torch…

We want to think that the right thing will happen eventually, but we have the power to change the world now rather than later. The problem is most people don’t dare to do it. Once the change happens, we don’t question it again, but there has to be someone courageous enough to take the first step. When someone exposes the horror others are subjected to, society can no longer deny or ignore what’s happening. Whenever there’s injustice, someone’s benefitting from it. Fighting for the oppressed is one of the kindest acts one can perform as a human being. It only takes one person to start a movement that can change millions of lives and the course of history. This is what turns someone ordinary into someone extraordinary.

You Just Have to Be Kind

An act of kindness can make all the difference in the world. This is the case because doing something nice is a rare gesture and a way of living that no one should ever forget. According to the Stoics, every person we meet allows us to practice kindness. Even if you’re tired or busy, no one deserves to be treated unkindly. When you say nice words, the person at the other end will appreciate them, and doing that costs us nothing. You don’t have to do grand gestures, just compliment people, notice when they do a good job, or just smile more often.

Small gestures make a big difference and for them to become a habit, you must practice them often. In a world where sometimes it’s easier not to, be kind. Like Marcus Aurelius, you’ll regret when you were unkind and when you lost your temper. You’ll soon forget about the causes, but you’ll never forget about how you reacted. It’s never too late to be kind.

See How the Other Half Lives

Throughout history, there have always been two groups: the poor and the rich. For the longest time, everything was designed so that they never had to interact with each other. As soon as the rich saw how the other half lived, some of them felt compelled to do something. When you see some form of injustice, it’s almost impossible not to ask yourself “What will I do about it?” Not seeing what we don’t want to see is easy. Developing empathy for those who are struggling more than us is the right thing to do, especially when your choices play a role in that. Don’t forget that we can’t solve the problems we’re unwilling to face.

You Have to Help

Even if the problem doesn’t affect you, you must do something. Sometimes the best response is to care. Not just because the problem might spread and affect you as well, but also because showing indifference to other people’s suffering is cruel. Sooner or later, you’ll pay for the mistake of not speaking out. Not doing anything is easier, but we’re betraying others and ourselves in the process.

Start Small

Small changes may lead to big results. As long as you take a step, however small, you’re making progress. It may not look like much, but when you’re helping others, those small steps are huge to them. That said, we tend to think big picture first. Before we can get there though, we must start with tiny steps. You never know where small gestures will take you, but the only way to find out is just to start. If everyone did that, the result would be huge.

Create Alliances

Even skillful people need allies. The right causes don’t succeed just because they’re right, you need people who can help you too. The more allies you make, the better because you’ll be able to advance your cause more easily. If you’re unable to be a team player, you’ll pay for it. According to the Stoics, our job is to collaborate because that’s what makes us human. Working with others can be frustrating, but when you’re part of a team, you get things done.

Become Powerful

When someone has power, they can do whatever they want. As much as we don’t want to believe it, those who have power rule the world. Without it, you can’t do much. Some of the most important figures used their power to get what they wanted. This is how we can explain everything about the world we live in. Without power, there’s no justice. Good ideas and good causes require leverage. Before you can do good, you must study power.

Practice Pragmatism

To get things done, you need pragmatism and idealism. We all want things to be a certain way, but that’s not how they are now. We want facts, not hypotheses. Rigid principles serve you right until they don’t. Leaders must be idealists and realists because they stand for something. When you know what you’re fighting for, making the hard decisions that are expected of you will get easier. A clear objective makes everything else clear as well.

Develop Competence.

Devotion and sacrifice are important, but those qualities alone won’t help you achieve your goals. Wishing can only get you so far, so you need to become someone who knows what they’re doing. Approach justice as a craft you’re constantly improving. Your cause might be right, but it won’t mean anything without aptitude. It doesn’t matter if you have something important to say unless you communicate it clearly. Develop systems, get people to help you, and get things done.

Give, Give, Give

Starting with an act of kindness is something you’ll never regret. We admire generosity, but to get better at it just start. It’s only by doing repeatedly that it becomes part of who we are. Charity is a form of practice and it’s one of the most rewarding experiences you can have. Money isn’t the only way to be generous. You could be generous with your time, access, advice, kindness, or praise.

Grow a Coaching Tree

A coaching tree includes all the coaches, players, and executives, a coach has mentored throughout their career. You enter a career because someone gave you an opportunity, so the nice thing to do is to repay that gesture by giving that opportunity to someone else. To get to the top of a profession, you must help others. How much you help others along the way matters as much as your achievements. Doing so can have great ramifications that expand beyond multiple generations.

Look Out for the Little Guy

Most people will not fight for the little guy, but someone has to do it. If we let them suffer, we’re complicit. Throughout history, there have been countless examples of people who used power against the weakest. The moment something like this happens, you must fight back because tyranny emerges and no one’s safe. When the world is unfair, we have an option: we can contribute to it or we can alleviate it. Everyone should be able to live their lives without fear.

Make Good Trouble

Justice is disruptive and as such, it will upset people. Part of being just involves saying offensive things. When things aren’t right, you must upset the status quo by any means necessary. This is when you get in “good trouble”. We often associate the law with doing the right thing, but the world doesn’t always work that way. Of course, there will be consequences for your actions (such as going to jail), but doing nothing also has consequences.

Just Keep Going Back

When you try to make changes to the status quo, you must keep going back. When you’re fighting for the right cause, your main job is not to quit. One of the things under your control is the fact that no one can force you to give up. They will certainly try, but the decision to walk away is always yours. When you encounter setbacks and enemies, that means you’re on the right track. If you manage to succeed, you must find another cause to fight for.

Something Bigger Than Us…

We come to this world caring about ourselves. Ironically, the first thing we get is the unconditional love of our parents. We become adults because someone took care of us when we were little. Our job is to go from dependable to independent. Not only do our children depend on us, but also our causes. Whether we want to accept it or not, we’re part of a larger family. We must care about others because that’s our job as human beings.

Part III: The All (Is One)

All cultures have saints. This is when someone’s goodness becomes greatness. Their version of “we” is so large that it even includes generations that haven’t been born yet. There’s nothing superhuman about these people, but their commitment to do what’s right has elevated and transformed them.

To So Love the World…

No one’s born a saint. There is a part of our character that we build by making mistakes and learning from them. The more we learn, the more we can seek conflict between justice and injustice. This takes bravery and patience, but by showing dignity, you expose the cruelty of injustice.

Climb Your Second Mountain

When you dedicate yourself to a discipline, you can achieve greatness in it. But it’s impossible to foresee the obstacles you’ll encounter along the way. As difficult as it is to leave your passion behind, you might eventually find another cause. Leaving something you love because you found something profound is what David Brooks calls the Second Mountain. The first mountain is the one we climb when we conquer a business. It may bring us money or fame, but it leaves us somewhat empty. The second mountain is higher, but that’s because we must suppress our ego to climb it. The second mountain is about helping others.

Stop Asking for the Third Thing

When you do something generous, you can’t expect gratitude or recognition. Marcus Aurelius reminded us that when you do something good that helps someone, asking for a third thing (credit for it) would make you look like a fool. It’s human to be frustrated when your hard work isn’t appreciated, but the worst position to be in is one where you have a bad reputation while simultaneously doing something good. Do things because they’re right, not to get something out of it. The only reward is doing the right thing.

Give them Hope

When we’re at our lowest, we need hope. When people trust you and what you have to say, your job is to help them see a better world. You’re only truly defeated when you give up. Despair and cynicism won’t lead the way to a better world or your fight against injustice, so refuse to accept nihilism.

Be an Angel

Acts of grace make all the difference in the world. Being decent isn’t limited to a specific profession, so anyone can become an angel. Every step of the way, you have a choice when it comes to treating others. Whenever possible, be compassionate, patient, loving, and generous.

Forgive

Someone has forgiven us at some point in our lives and we must the the same for others. Life also gives us second chances all the time. By forgiving, we help someone else, but we also help ourselves. This can be a difficult habit to practice regularly, but we must do it nonetheless. Forgiveness is one of the greatest gifts you can give the world and it’s also the path to self-development.

Make Amends

When you make a big mistake, you must make amends, not profit or recover from it. This might mean accepting humble tasks, but whatever it entails, use it as an opportunity to help others. Don’t do this to be recognized, but only do it because it’s right. As a side effect, you might come out a wiser person than you were before. To improve, we must acknowledge past mistakes. There’s no way around that. Denying what happened is a side of weakness.

The Great Oneness

We’re all part of a whole. Everything and everyone we know is connected. Regardless of where you live, what you believe in, or what language you speak, you’re part of something bigger than yourself and we’re all in this together. Holiday refers to this as the great oneness. Instead of worrying about meaningless things, we mustn’t forget we’re one large organism.

Expand the Circle

How we treat others, especially those who have no voice, says a lot about us. If you’re going to build your plans around something, it should be the defenseless. The Stoics were trying to expand the definition of justice and who they owed it to. Every creature deserves good treatment and so does nature in general. To make the world a better place, we must expand the circle.

Find the Good in Everyone

At some point, you’ll encounter someone you strongly disagree with. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try to reach them. Everyone is brought up differently which means they have different values, but as convenient as seeing someone who thinks differently than us as a monster, the most important thing you could do is find good in them.

Give the Full Measure of Devotion

Some people are asked to give everything they have. Doing so is painful, but a strong sense of clarity lessens the pain. Your contemporaries won’t understand your sacrifice, but future generations will. Being selfish also costs us and might leave us empty-handed.

Love Wins

Hate will get you nowhere. This is a trap that’s hard to escape from unless you let love come in. Keep your heart open and give others what you were never given. It’s never too late to change directions and become more accepting of others and their beliefs. Love conquers everything.

Pay It Forward

We owe a lot to past generations. Our ancestors gave a lot and expected nothing in return, but that’s a debt we must still repay. We must pay this forward, not backward. In the same way that our ancestors sacrificed something for us, we must do the same for future generations. Maybe your project won’t be finished in this lifetime, but someone else might carry the torch and complete it for us.