The Heroic and Exceptional Minority: A Guide to Mythological Self-Awareness and Growth

By: Gregory Diehl

Narrated by: Gregory V. Diehl

Length: 5 hrs and 26 mins

Publisher's summary

Many people struggle throughout their lives, unable to identify the source of great inner existential discontent. No matter their material comfort or good fortune, they cannot escape the idea that they do not live the lives they ought to. They are not in environments that support their deepest personal growth and development. They are not the people they feel they are meant to be, and the world never works the way they know it could.

Every day, exceptional minds like these begin to suspect that the way they operate is different than the norm. They realize early on that they have profound capacities for original insight, feeling, action, choice, and meaning. But without mentoring guidance or a sense of social belonging, they feel lost - alone and alienated in their individuality.

What can we do to better understand the hidden parts of ourselves, to prevent our uncommon personal growth and development from becoming bridled by pressures toward the conventional? How can we learn to identify and embody the heroic values that matter most to us? The answer lies in deep personal inquiry about the shared existential strengths and limitations that define us, including how to apply them to our self-improvement in our incompatible world.

The Heroic and Exceptional Minority is an audacious call to self-development for men, women, and teens plagued by mythological doubt, who feel stuck in a mediocre environment and an unheroic era. Its premise is timeless, clear, and simple: The only way to understand oneself, realize our potential, and change the world for the better is to embrace who and what we really are.

©2021 Gregory V. Diehl (P)2021 Gregory V. Diehl

Real depth and guidance

This book offers a very direct and maybe difficult for some people message about finding your place in the world by developing yourself. I think it intentionally goes places that self-help or personal development books meant for broader audiences won't. It knows what kind of person it is meant for. Readers will either find that a strength or a weakness, depending on if they fit into that group. If you self-identify as an exceptional person with aspirations of heroism, you will probably find the brutal honesty and no-nonsense tone of the author to be exactly the kind of kick in the pants you needed to change your philosophy about life and who you are. Well done.

Unexpectedly philosophically rich

There’s a lot of deep insight here presented in many short chapters. Diehl covers 36 aspects of life as what he calls a “heroic and exceptional” person.

What’s interesting and unique about his approach is that he doesn’t tie these principles to real life as much as he talks about them in a broad universal way. I believe this book is meant to be used in a way that the reader can reflect on how each one applies in their own life and to their own journey. It’s not the kind of self-help book that tells you what to do or specific steps to take to improve your life. It merely invites introspection and inquiry, but the way it does so is quite powerful. I don’t imagine many young gifted people coming out of these thinking exactly the same way about their lives as when they went in.

Diehl’s style and content here are comparable to other moral philosophers like Susan Neiman or Jordan Peterson but more direct. Ultimately, it’s a book about embracing the responsibility that comes with being different from others and finding a meaningful way to live that improves the world.

Be the Hero of your own story

Have you ever felt that you don't fit in? That the 'norms' other push just are not right? This book is for you.

As you should be the CEO of your own destiny, you should also be the hero of your own story. But before you become a hero, you need to know just who you really are.

Join Mr. Diehl in an exploration of self that is very likely unlike any you have taken before.

It won't be an easy journey, but it will be worth it.

Exceptional book about real heroism

This book offers a very direct and maybe difficult for some people message about finding your place in the world by developing yourself. I think it intentionally goes places that self-help or personal development books meant for broader audiences won't. It knows what kind of person it is meant for. Readers will either find that a strength or a weakness, depending on if they fit into that group. If you self-identify as an exceptional person with aspirations of heroism, you will probably find the brutal honesty and no-nonsense tone of the author to be exactly the kind of kick in the pants you needed to change your philosophy about life and who you are. Well done.

Extraordinary, very well done. I loved it!

I don’t believe I can possibly say enough good things about this book. I consider it one of the best books I’ve ever read. I listened to the audible version and later bought the Kindle version, just so I could read it again and be able to highlight sections. There are wonderful insights and bits of knowledge on nearly every page. My only regret is that it was not around for me to have read 40 years ago. It should be required reading for every young person in preparation for their journey through life.

There is so much affirmation in this powerful little book. And so much practical application. It’s just a beautiful book. I wish every child could have someone like Mr. Diehl in their life while they are growing up. What a wonderful difference it would make.

I know I’m not being very detailed in my review of the book, but there is so much good in it that I feel I can’t even begin to touch on the impact it carries. Although I have, over the years, put into practice many of the insights presented in this book, I would have done so much sooner in life had this book been available when I was young.

I don’t know much about Mr. Diehl’s upbringing and/or educational background, but he is very wise for one so young. I highly recommend this book to everyone young and old.

Personal Insite To Being Your Best Self

The title alone of this book spoke to me. Seeing as I have always found myself to feel a little different than those around me. I am always out to find and be the best version of myself. What things can I do help society and give back to others. this book helps you think of things in your life and examine where you are. I found myself having to read things a few times and just let them sit with me for a thought. I love learning and reading about self awareness and personal growth. I really enjoyed this!

You NEED to read/listen to this book

Remember when you were a youthful challenger to the world?

Remember when you took on a dare?

If so, I dare you to listen to this book.

In the same manner in which all of the “classics” are rich with complexity, depth, enrichment, and true enlightenment, this book is a very special and unique conversation that is as likely to be understood as it is to be misunderstood.

The above statement may seem paradoxical. However, for an exceptional sector of the world’s population who truly seek (the Capital-T) Truth, this book is a godsend; a validation that you are not alone, despite the seeming insignificance of your significance.

The author has a unique way of accurately articulating what many “gifted and talented” people have thought, felt, or otherwise lived at various points in their yearning lives. For example, in the chapter on “Priority and Discretion,” Mr. Diehl states, “There exists a narrow band of comfortable experience that defines the ways that we can function in the world.”

This statement, in and of itself, may seem innocuous, if not vague. Yet, it is a powerful Truth that, when fully ingested by the reader, we further understand the author’s associated corollary which states, “If we step outside that range a little, the outcome is discomfort. If we step too far, the outcome is destructive.” Think about the manner in which you have been raised; how far from your previous (youthful) life is your current (adult) life? The author helps us understand the powerful linkages to our past… and the extraordinary strength we may need to fully strike out on our own unbeaten path.

Indeed… the book is densely packed with Truisms that inspired me to read and re-read the book twice more. Yes, I read it three times, learning something new during each successive read.

I call this book a very special and unique “conversation” not only because the audiobook is truly captivating as it is read by the author, but also because the word “conversation” has a parallel literary definition that speaks to the manner in which we carry ourselves. Likewise, this work of art nudges, pushes, and pulls the reader along a path of a (much) greater understanding of the full self; the good, the bad, and the potentially ugly.

I note that some reviewers have taken issue with the overarching tone of sincere confidence implied and imparted within the pages. However, I believe this misplaced slight is more about those readers who have unfortunately rejected the idea that we are absolutely, unequivocally, and wonderfully responsible for the choices we make in life… including the choice to believe that we are capable of far more than what others believe about us.

In the final analysis, the engineer will engineer; the painter will paint; the father will father; and the mother will mother.

But there are endless other ways in which we infinitely affect this wonderful world and concurrently effect our powerful presence on this planet. Most people don’t understand the one simple concept that we change the world everywhere we go. This book eloquently wakes us up to that fact.

Moreover, Mr. Diehl has ultimately provided a superlative guide on how to optimize the gifts we have been given.

I found the book validating in a way that cannot be expressed in words.

At the risk of being trite, perhaps a good synopsis ends with this: “If ya know, ya know.”

Hard to follow but such paradigm shifting notes!

so it's very broad and abstract story, I had a hard time following bcz I needed examples but it didn't really give any. profound message though. I will be listening to it more than one time.
this was my favorite quote from the book: "if you keep your heart open to all the difficult and terrifying, discomfort will become a dear mentor to you, you will seek it and out because Comfort has nothing else to teach you.". LOVED the idea of the book. the title made SO MUCH sense to me I feel like I'm meant for something Great and legendary. I have not seen another book w.a similar title.<3

Philosophically rich, mentally stimulating

I enjoyed everything about this book. This is one I’ll be highly recommending to my closest people who I know will read, appreciate, and apply it. This book is rich with thought-provoking and introspective concepts. It’s like gourmet food for both the mind and the soul.

More pretentious than revelational.

This book is fine, but just fine. The author’s is wordy, long-winded and overly verbose. The language choice is not conversational and it makes the audio book painful. It requires the reader to have to unpack sentence after sentence in his mind.

This writing style undermines the message. The unnecessary vocabulary and pious sentence structure makes the content inaccessible at best. He loses credibility because his writing is pedantic. Modern books written in pompous language tend to indicate that the author is compensating. Either he feels that he has a lack of knowledge or an insecure need to be perceived as an intellectual. It’s a real shame, too, because I think he probably does have a good base of knowledge on this subject.

In any case, I don’t have the energy to unpack every sentence in this book.

The juice isn’t worth the squeeze, as they say.