According to modern author Ryan Holiday, who is well-known for his works on stoicism and making wise decisions, philosophy is more than just an academic endeavor that belongs in classrooms or scholarly discussions. Rather, he contends that throughout history, pragmatic thinkers have employed philosophical concepts as instruments to deal with practical problems.

Think of philosophy as a toolbox full of different tools, each one intended to deal with a particular problem in life. Practical thinkers throughout history have applied philosophical concepts outside of lecture halls and libraries, much like a carpenter would not only use a hammer in a workshop but would also take it outside to fix a broken fence.

Holiday notes that thinkers like Sun Tzu and Marcus Aurelius actively engaged with their surroundings rather than merely theorizing. For example, during turbulent times, Marcus Aurelius, the Roman emperor, governed a vast empire by applying his Stoic principles. In a similar vein, Sun Tzu used his tactics to outsmart opponents on the battlefield rather than just in scholarly debates.

According to Holiday, philosophy is only as good as how it is used. Philosophical concepts are guiding principles that assist people in making sense of and successfully navigating through complex situations, whether they are being discussed in public forums, used in political arenas, or even used in combat.

Holiday urges readers to view philosophy as a useful framework for comprehending and bettering the world rather than merely as an abstract field by emphasizing these historical instances. This viewpoint challenges us to think about how we might more successfully apply timeless wisdom to our everyday lives in order to overcome obstacles.