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The Fourth Pillar: Modern Stoicism and the Philosophy of High Performance
Something is missing in our lives.
Australian Special Forces veteran and corporate psychologist Harry Moffitt has trained and worked with the best in the military, sport and corporate realms. He has seen up close what makes a champion tick, and what makes another squander the gifts they've been given.
It comes down to purpose, self-awareness and the quality of our lived experience - it comes down to philosophy.
In a world saturated by self-help, we all know the importance of the physical, psychological and social pillars of human performance. But as a society, we have forgotten the crucial fourth pillar - our philosophical self.
The Fourth Pillar resurrects this critical ingredient of a life well lived, providing us with the tools to help navigate our anxious and uncertain world. By unpacking the ancient wisdom of the Stoics, the Spartans and beyond, coupled with hard-earned lessons from the battlefield and boardroom to sporting greats and NASA trailblazers, Moffitt reveals the path to true high performance, wisdom and fulfilment.
Harness your potential and take back control.
PLEASE When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
Australian Special Forces veteran and corporate psychologist Harry Moffitt has trained and worked with the best in the military, sport and corporate realms. He has seen up close what makes a champion tick, and what makes another squander the gifts they've been given.
It comes down to purpose, self-awareness and the quality of our lived experience - it comes down to philosophy.
In a world saturated by self-help, we all know the importance of the physical, psychological and social pillars of human performance. But as a society, we have forgotten the crucial fourth pillar - our philosophical self.
The Fourth Pillar resurrects this critical ingredient of a life well lived, providing us with the tools to help navigate our anxious and uncertain world. By unpacking the ancient wisdom of the Stoics, the Spartans and beyond, coupled with hard-earned lessons from the battlefield and boardroom to sporting greats and NASA trailblazers, Moffitt reveals the path to true high performance, wisdom and fulfilment.
Harness your potential and take back control.
PLEASE When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
- GenresPhilosophy
Audible Audio
Published July 29, 2025
17 people are currently reading
60 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 18, 2025
I read the book and then asked, "So what are the four pillars?" ChatGPT helped me pull it together a bit, but it seems like the fourth pillar (philosophical) is about the same as the second pillar (psychological). Mindset, mental resilience, emotional regulation, self-awareness, purpose, and meaning all help us to navigate uncertainty, align actions with values, and gain fulfillment. Also, there were too many sidebar vignettes and quotes that didn't add to the thesis. While the sidebars weren't compelling, the quotes were, but often they were irrelevant to the topic at hand.
October 3, 2025
The Fourth Pillar contains a valid and important thesis—that philosophical coherence is the missing foundation beneath physical, psychological, and social performance—but drowns it in military bravado, sports clichés, and an egocentric delivery that undermines its own wisdom.
For readers already committed to inner development, the book offers useful language for existing practices but little genuine revelation. It's a missed opportunity: a genuinely valuable framework buried under repetitive structure and superficial philosophical name-dropping.
It feels bloated as it circles the same points without adding depth, using sports anecdotes and military war stories as filler when sharper philosophical analysis was needed.
Moffitt references Stoicism constantly but often superficially. The philosophical name-dropping feels decorative and performative, citing Marcus Aurelius and Epictetus without the depth that suggests he's genuinely wrestled with their work.
The delivery undermines the message, and the military machismo alienates rather than invites. The sports references feel lazy—clichéd examples that neither illuminate nor inspire. The egocentric tone contradicts the very Stoic humility the book purports to teach.
Read it if you haven't yet built a philosophical foundation (it provides useful scaffolding and language), in a high-performance environment, relate to Moffitt's context and won't be put off by the machismo or if you need permission to prioritise inner development over endless tactical optimisation.
Skip it if you are already committed to philosophical practice (you'll find validation but little new insight), allergic to military-corporate hero narratives or seeking deep philosophical instruction (the references are too shallow).
The fourth pillar concept deserves to be widely adopted. For well-rounded self-development, extract the framework and skip the filler. If you're genuinely interested in Stoicism, read Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus, and Seneca directly rather than through Moffitt's lens.
For readers already committed to inner development, the book offers useful language for existing practices but little genuine revelation. It's a missed opportunity: a genuinely valuable framework buried under repetitive structure and superficial philosophical name-dropping.
It feels bloated as it circles the same points without adding depth, using sports anecdotes and military war stories as filler when sharper philosophical analysis was needed.
Moffitt references Stoicism constantly but often superficially. The philosophical name-dropping feels decorative and performative, citing Marcus Aurelius and Epictetus without the depth that suggests he's genuinely wrestled with their work.
The delivery undermines the message, and the military machismo alienates rather than invites. The sports references feel lazy—clichéd examples that neither illuminate nor inspire. The egocentric tone contradicts the very Stoic humility the book purports to teach.
Read it if you haven't yet built a philosophical foundation (it provides useful scaffolding and language), in a high-performance environment, relate to Moffitt's context and won't be put off by the machismo or if you need permission to prioritise inner development over endless tactical optimisation.
Skip it if you are already committed to philosophical practice (you'll find validation but little new insight), allergic to military-corporate hero narratives or seeking deep philosophical instruction (the references are too shallow).
The fourth pillar concept deserves to be widely adopted. For well-rounded self-development, extract the framework and skip the filler. If you're genuinely interested in Stoicism, read Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus, and Seneca directly rather than through Moffitt's lens.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews