--- title: Lessons From the Samurai: The Secret to Always Being at Your Best description: Reading a few books by samurai there was one thing I saw repeated again and again and again that surprised me. It has nothing to... canonical: https://time.com/101929/lessons-from-the-samurai-the-secret-to-always-being-at-your-best/ author: Eric Barker article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-05-18T04:01:38.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-04-13T08:54:06.783Z article:section: Ideas og:title: Lessons From the Samurai: The Secret to Always Being at Your Best og:description: Reading a few books by samurai there was one thing I saw repeated again and again and again that surprised me. It has nothing to... og:url: https://time.com/101929/lessons-from-the-samurai-the-secret-to-always-being-at-your-best/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: TIME og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Lessons From the Samurai: The Secret to Always Being at Your Best twitter:description: Reading a few books by samurai there was one thing I saw repeated again and again and again that surprised me. It has nothing to... twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- # Lessons From the Samurai: The Secret to Always Being at Your Best by [Eric Barker](https://time.com/author/eric-barker/) ## Eric Barker May 18, 2014 4:01 AM UTC by [Eric Barker](https://time.com/author/eric-barker/) ## Eric Barker May 18, 2014 4:01 AM UTC Reading a few books by samurai there was one thing I saw repeated again and again and again that surprised me. It has nothing to do with swords, [fighting](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2011/05/what-can-we-learn-from-sun-tzus-art-of-war/) or [strategy](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2012/08/what-three-things-can-we-learn-about-strategy/). Actually, quite the opposite when you think about it. **What did so many of history’s greatest warriors stress as key to success and optimal performance?** **“Being calm.”** And it wasn’t one random samurai mentioning it off the cuff. We’re talking about some of the greatest samurai who ever lived writing about it over and over for _five hundred years_: [Shiba Yoshimasa](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005DXOLVS/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005DXOLVS&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20) (1349-1410): [Suzuki Shosan](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005DXOLVS/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005DXOLVS&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20) (1579-1655): [Kaibara Ekken](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005DXOLVS/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005DXOLVS&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20) (1630-1714): [Adachi Masahiro](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005DXOLVS/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005DXOLVS&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20) (1780-1800): And, of course, the man probably considered the greatest samurai of them all, Miyamoto Musashi, in his classic, [The Book of Five Rings](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BIFLR1W/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00BIFLR1W&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20): Nobody really needs to sell us on the value of staying calm. You know the benefits: you think clearly, you don’t make rash decisions, you don’t get scared. **But** **_how_** **do you get and stay calm?** Our society is energy drinks, 24 hour news cycle, Starbucks on every corner and relentless social media feeds. GO GO GO. And even funnier, **much of what we know about relaxing and being calm** [**is dead wrong**](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2012/05/are-you-doing-all-the-wrong-things-to-relieve/)**.** The samurai had answers. And they line up with the science. Here we go. ## The Scientific Samurai’s Guide To Staying Chill The samurai trained in martial arts a lot and they thought about death a lot. Really, they thought about death _a lot_. Via [Code of the Samurai: A Contemporary Translation of the Bushido Shoshins](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0055PDKZ2/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0055PDKZ2&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20): Hey, you would too. Death was pretty much in their job description, right? **But research shows** [**training very hard**](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/01/ancient-philosophers/) **and** [**imagining the worst that could happen**](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/01/ancient-philosophers/) **are two powerful techniques for promoting calm.** Samurais trained relentlessly. They strongly believed you should always “be prepared” (they were like the deadliest Boy Scouts imaginable.) **Research shows that** [**preparation reduces fear**](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2013/08/fearlessness/) **because when things get tense, you don’t have to think.** Who survives catastrophic scenarios like samurai battles? The people who have prepared. Via David McRaney’s [You Are Not So Smart](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1592406599/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=spacforrent-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1592406599): And how about all that thinking about death? **“Negative Visualization” is one of the main tools of ancient** [**Stoicism**](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/01/ancient-philosophers/) **and** [**science backs it up**](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2012/04/was-steve-jobs-right-can-thinking-about-death/)**.** **Really thinking about just how awful things can be often has the ironic effect of making you realize they’re not that bad.** From my [interview with Oliver Burkeman](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2013/11/the-art-of-negative-thinking/), author of [The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can’t Stand Positive Thinking](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0080K3G4O/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0080K3G4O&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20): **Okay, but you don’t want to spend all day training in swordfighting or thinking about death. I get that. Frankly, neither do I.** **So what’s the key here?** [**Research**](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2012/08/what-can-you-do-to-eliminates-stress/) **shows the most powerful way to combat stress or anxiety — to stay calm — is to have a feeling of control.** For samurai, training tirelessly and visualizing the worst that could happen gave them a feeling of control while in battle. The US military dramatically [increased Navy SEAL passing rates](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2009/11/how-the-navy-seals-increased-passing-rates/) by teaching recruits psychological methods for gaining a feeling of control. Without a feeling of control, when stress gets high we literally can’t think straight. Via [Your Brain at Work: Strategies for Overcoming Distraction, Regaining Focus, and Working Smarter All Day Long](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061771295/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0061771295&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20): **Anything that gives you a** [**feeling of control**](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2011/09/whats-the-key-to-dealing-with-stress/) **over your situation helps you keep your cool.** **So what does it for you?** More information? Practice? Support from others? **That’s the thing that will help you keep your cool like a samurai.** **Note I said “feeling of control” — it doesn’t even have to be legit control, just feeling like you do can work wonders.** Even a good luck charm can help — because [good luck charms really do work](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2013/10/increase-luck/). Good luck charms provide a feeling of control, and that feeling of control actually makes people perform better with them. Via [The Courage Quotient: How Science Can Make You Braver](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0470917423/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0470917423&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20): ## Sum Up I know what some of you are thinking: _Calm? Aren’t samurai the ones always screaming at the top of their lungs while waving a sword?_ Thing is, that was a _deliberate_ tactic to frighten their enemies. [Musashi explains](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BIFLR1W/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00BIFLR1W&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20): Sneaky. These are the kind of smart ideas that come from a cool head. The samurai were great warriors. They fought against their enemies in epic battles. **But as Musashi and the others make clear in their writings about being calm, the most important battle is to overcome yourself.** Via [The Book of Five Rings](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BIFLR1W/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00BIFLR1W&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20): **Join 45K+ readers.** Get a free weekly update via email [here](http://eepurl.com/o6uAD). Related posts: [4 Lifehacks From Ancient Philosophers That Will Make You Happier](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/01/ancient-philosophers/) [What 10 things should you do every day to improve your life?](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2012/05/what-10-things-should-you-do-every-day-to-imp/) [How To Make Your Life Better By Sending Five Simple Emails](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2013/07/make-your-life-better/) _This piece originally appeared on_ [_Barking Up the Wrong Tree_](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/)_._ ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/101929/lessons-from-the-samurai-the-secret-to-always-being-at-your-best/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/101929/lessons-from-the-samurai-the-secret-to-always-being-at-your-best/"},"headline":"Lessons From the Samurai: The Secret to Always Being at Your Best","datePublished":"2014-05-18T04:01:38.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T08:54:06.783Z","description":"Reading a few books by samurai there was one thing I saw repeated again and again and again that surprised me. 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