Book · 2002
The War of Art
by Steven Pressfield
Steven Pressfield names the force that keeps you from starting the novel, the workout, or the startup — he calls it Resistance — then tells you how to outlast it.
What does Reddit think of The War of Art?
Resistance is the whole pitch. The ↑659 r/productivity post names it as “that sneaky little force that stops us from doing the stuff we actually care about,” and the rest of the sample treats that framing as settled rather than argued over. r/getdisciplined turns it into tactics: the ↑153 reply suggests baby steps, twenty minutes then ten, and the ↑72 comment argues discipline beats motivation because motivation doesn't last. r/productivity's ↑180 reading list slots it alongside Getting Things Done and 7 Habits as an early pick, not the advanced material. r/selfimprovement mostly just drops the title — ↑41 and ↑39 — next to Four Thousand Weeks and The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck with nothing attached. Nobody in the sample disagrees with the book. It gets recommended. It doesn't get debated.
Community feedback & reader fit
Themes
- · Resistance as the enemy of creative and disciplined work
- · Discipline over motivation
- · Short, blunt self-help with no padding
- · Early-stage entry in productivity reading lists
Common praise
- + The ↑659 r/productivity post says it “hit hard” and made the poster notice how often Resistance was stopping actual work.
- + r/getdisciplined's ↑153 reply pairs it with a concrete tactic: start at twenty minutes, then cut back if you have to.
- + r/getdisciplined's ↑72 comment uses it to argue discipline beats motivation, since motivation doesn't stick around.
Common criticism
- − Half the sample is a bare title-drop — the ↑39 and ↑41 r/selfimprovement comments just list the title with no argument attached.
- − Multiple posts flag it as short, which cuts both ways: quick to finish, thin to argue with.
- − No excerpt in the sample pushes back on it or names a weakness — the data here is a chorus of recommends, not a debate.
Who it's for
Stuck on a creative project and can't explain why you keep avoiding it? r/getdisciplined keeps handing this to people describing exactly that stall. Building a productivity syllabus is another fit — r/productivity's ↑180 list puts it in the same lineup as Getting Things Done and 7 Habits. Want a long argument backed by citations? This isn't it; the recommends here describe something closer to a pep talk than a research book. Pair it with Four Thousand Weeks if the r/selfimprovement lists are any guide.
Mentions over time
Top subreddits
Which Reddit comments matter for The War of Art?
The most relevant excerpts across the subreddits where this book is mentioned — opinionated, argued takes first, then top-upvoted mentions. Click through to read the full thread.
“The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. It’s not super long, and it’s written in this really straightforward, almost no-nonsense way. But it hit hard. The whole idea is about Resistance, that sneaky little force that stops us from doing the stuff we actually care about. It made me realize how often I m…
“This is my productivity reading list: * David Allen, *How to Get Things Done* \-- the classic productivity system. Start here. * Stephen R. Covey, *The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People* \-- self-help classic that should also be early on in your reading. * Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky, *Make Time…
“Read the war of art by Steven pressfield! I was/am dealing with the same thing! It’s a fear there! Once you overcome that, you will be good to go! Also, take baby steps: start studying 20 mins then 10 mins on phone... then increase as you go! You got this
“A few things: 1. There are studies made that demonstrate that announcing our intentions to people / friends / family / strangers / the world is detrimental and people who do and don't say anything have greater chance of success. 2. Friends and family will want you to do well, but not better then th…
“Writer Steven Pressfield has written a book called The War of Art, in which he describes how every one of us has an inclination to fight against becoming or being better versions of ourselves — he names this inclination “Resistance”. He feels th…
“Discipline is doing what you should do even when you don't feel like it. That's why it's so much better than motivation, which is fleeting. Unfortunately this applies to our hobbies and creative pursuits too. There's a book about this in fact, called The War of Art. It's a short read and I recommend…
“The War of Art - Steven Pressfield Four Thousand Weeks - Oliver Burkeman The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck - Mark Manson
“The war of art by Steven pressfield
“Steven Pressfield’s “the war of art: winning the inner creative battle”, has a similar perspective on this. I re-read Part 1 & 2 of “the war of art” once in a while to remind me ‘doing’ and ‘not doing’ is a fight that everyone goes through and it can be won!
“I would recommend reading 'The War of Art' by Steven Pressfield. You'll never watch a motivational video again because you'll realise it's just resistance winning the war in your mind. You could follow it up with 'Thinking, Fast and Slow' by Daniel Kahneman for an in-depth look into your lazy contro…
“The War of Art - Steven Pressfield The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck - Mark Manson Daring Greatly (chapters 1-4) - Brene Brown Atomic Habits - James Clear No More Mr Nice Guy - Robert Glover The Body Keeps The Score - Bessel van der Kolk Four Thousand Weeks - O…
“Read the War of Art. Pressfield calls it "Resistance" which is the enemy of creativity.
“I made some profound changes in my life including losing 130 pounds, then writing and teaching a 9 hour course on it. I never did any of this before. During this time I listened to 3 books. Each had a profound influence on me. I listened to them over and over on my walks: Courage is calling - Rya…
“It's "The War of Art" by Stephen Pressfield. And it's definitely one of the best anti-procrastination books I've read in a long time. Art of War is by Sun Tzu and is quite literally about war and not procrastinating:) although I'm sure there's something in there about "Wait by the river long enou…
“In order of impact: 1 - The War of Art - The most important book I've ever read. If you are pursuing any creative endeavor, I would say this is required readin…
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Readers also mention
Books that share discussion threads with The War of Art — counted from the comments, not curated.
Guides featuring The War of Art
Ranked best-of lists and editorial guides where this book's tracked mentions place it.
The War of Art — frequently asked
Is The War of Art worth reading if I'm not a writer?+
Yes — the concept generalizes past writing. r/getdisciplined's ↑90 comment frames “Resistance” as everyone's inclination to fight becoming a better version of themselves, not a writer's problem specifically. The ↑72 comment applies the same idea to hobbies and creative pursuits generally. Non-writers in the sample use it for gym habits and study schedules, not manuscripts.
What is 'Resistance' in The War of Art?+
Pressfield's name for the force that stops you from doing work you actually care about, per the ↑659 r/productivity post. The ↑90 r/getdisciplined comment describes it as an inclination everyone has to resist becoming a better version of themselves. Neither excerpt treats it as unique to one field — procrastination, avoidance, whatever your flavor is.
Is The War of Art just a pep talk?+
Depends how you weigh “short.” The ↑659 r/productivity post admits it's “not super long” and “no-nonsense,” and the ↑72 r/getdisciplined comment calls it “a short read.” Nothing in the sample argues it has deep evidentiary backing; the recommends are about reframing procrastination, not about rigor.
Should I read The War of Art or The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck first?+
The data doesn't rank them. The ↑41 r/selfimprovement comment just lists The War of Art next to The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck and Four Thousand Weeks with no ordering or argument. Read it if you want the plainer, shorter one; the excerpts describe The War of Art as blunt and quick, not as a rival needing sequencing.