The Daily Stoic
Episodes
If You Want It To Take Hold In Your Mind…
03 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Marcus Aurelius read Epictetus…a lot. We know this because Meditations is proof of it. Almost every page has some direct quote or allusion to Epicte...
Arnold Schwarzenegger's Seven Tools for Life
03 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Arnold Schwarzenegger is an Austrian and American actor, businessman, filmmaker, former politician, and former professional bodybuilder best known for...
Turn The Colors On | These 14 Small Mindset Shifts Will Change Your Life
02 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Like any normal person, part of Marcus Aurelius did not want to wake up, especially early. No, he wanted to “huddle under the blankets and stay warm...
The One Thing All Humans Have In Common | What’s Up To Us, What’s Not Up To Us
01 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It’s January 1st. It snuck up on you, didn’t it? You knew the year was wrapping up, you had resolutions you meant to make, a review you meant to d...
Why They Do This
31 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
They come from all over the world. They have little in common. And, for some reason, instead of beginning the New Year by making resolutions, they beg...
100 Life Lessons From Marcus Aurelius
31 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Meditations is perhaps the only document of its kind ever made. It is the private thoughts of the world’s most powerful man giving advice to himself...
Rob Dyrdek, Rick Rubin, Alexander Ludwig, Whitney Cummings, Nate Boyer, And Arnold Schwarzenegger On The Power Of Discipline And Dealing With Failure
30 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s episode features clips from some of the best interviews in 2023. Ryan talks to reality TV personality, and former professional skateboarder ...
This Is What They Do | Give Thanks
29 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The latter was something that the late Paul Woodruff tried to remind himself, having picked up the insight from Marcus Aurelius. The squirrels were no...
There Is No Better Time Than Now | Ask DS
28 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
At last the day came and you made a New Year’s resolution that would get rid of the whole base evil. And then the next year came around and you were...
Nothing Better Than A Simple Pleasure
27 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Sometimes it’s obvious why certain things are expensive, why people will pay more for it. The feel of a luxury vehicle. The taste of one of those in...
Matthew McConaughey, Greg Harden, Morgan Wade, Casey Neistat & Dr. Samantha Boardman On Creating Better Habits in 2024
27 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s episode features clips from some of the best interviews in 2023. Ryan talks to Academy Award-winning actor and producer Matthew McConaughey,...
Are You Dug In? | 7 Perspective Shifting Stoic Tips From Actors, Writers, and Politicians
26 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What about you? Are you ready for the inevitable, unending challenges that lay ahead? Just think about what 2024 could bring—we’re facing global c...
Will You Receive This Gift? | Turn Words Into Works
25 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This is the story of Jesus, who people all over the world celebrate today on Christmas. But just as well, this is the story of Seneca. Remarkably, Sen...
A New You For a New Year
24 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It’s kind of crazy to think how recent December 2019 feels. Not that long ago, it seems, we were getting ready for what a new decade might bring us....
4 Stoic Quotes On Change To Kick Off The New Year
24 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On today’s special episode of the Daily Stoic podcast, Ryan talks at Dr. Edith Egar's workshop about 4 stoic quotes to get us through the new y...
YouTube Superstar Ali Abdaal on Productivity and Essentialism (PT 2)
23 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of the Daily Stoic Podcast, Ryan talks with YouTube Superstar Ali Abdaal during part 2 of 2 interview on how stoicism influences analy...
This Is Not For The Weak | Stake Your Own Claim
22 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In Meditations, Marcus Aurelius says that what you throw on top of a fire is fuel for the fire. But anyone who has had a little campfire going knows h...
When You Come To The Crossroads… | Ask Ds
21 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
At the founding of Stoicism was a choice. Zeno hears the legend Hercules, a story about a young man who came to a crossroads one day in Greece, where ...
This is the Secret To Getting Better
20 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
“Through philosophy and in the company of philosophy,” Plutarch writes, “it is possible to attain the knowledge of what is honorable and what is...
YouTube Superstar Ali Abdaal on Productivity and Essentialism
20 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of the Daily Stoic Podcast, Ryan talks with YouTube Superstar Ali Abdaal on how stoicism influences analytics, concrete vs. ineffable,...
We’re All Playing a Part | 11 Ways Stoicism Can Improve Your Business
19 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It can be hard to remember this when you see them on the news, lying through their teeth. It can be hard to remember when they cut you off in traffic....
What Are You A Slave To? | Stake Your Claim
18 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Dwight Eisenhower gave himself the order.Quit smoking.It had become a 4-pack-a-day habit. It had been part of his life for nearly 40 years. It was com...
It’s Time To Change
17 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
You could argue that Meditations is Marcus Aurelius’ daily philosophical battle with himself to overcome this natural fear of change, to avoid getti...
Epictetus - Discourses Pt. 5: Against the Sceptics
17 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s audiobook reading, Ryan presents an excerpt from one of the seminal texts of Stoicism, the Discourses of Epictetus, read by Mic...
Dr. Becky Kennedy on the Stoic Art of Emotional Regulation (and Raising Great Kids)
16 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this weekend episode of the Daily Stoic Podcast, Ryan talks with clinical psychologist Dr. Becky Kennedy on how we emotionally vaccinate, the abili...
When Weakness Turns Your Ego Up | A Simple Way To Measure Our Days
15 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
So it goes for ego. To the untrained eye, it can be mistaken for confidence. The person’s self-centeredness, their certainty, their entitlement—th...
You Must Seek This Out | Ask Ds
14 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It’s sad that when we think of a philosopher we don’t think of somebody tough. We don’t think of a soldier or a skilled professional. We don’t...
Do You Have This Ability?
13 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We often think that greatness is a synonym for brilliance. That great leadership is all about magnetism and communication. For which we need vision an...
Shane Parrish on Defining Identity and the Path to Wisdom (PT 2)
13 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of the Daily Stoic Podcast, Ryan talks with entrepreneur and wisdom seeker behind Farnam Street Shane Parrish on Why people ...
It’ll Take Some Time | The Stoic Art Of Not Caring What People Think
12 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In 1922, while an unpublished, struggling writer named Ernest Hemingway was covering events in Switzerland, his wife Hadley came from Paris to see him...
You'll Want To Be Able To Say This Next Year | Keep The Rhythm
11 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In May of 2019, AT&T did something that, at the time, must have seemed a little ridiculous to even some of its own employees. The company, as The ...
Becoming a More Effective Leader and Decision Maker With Stoicism
10 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this weekend episode of the Daily Stoic Podcast, Ryan takes the stage to address 200 senior leaders from Herzog Technologies, Inc., a distinguished...
Shane Parrish on Finding Clarity and Making Better Decisions (Pt 1)
09 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of the Daily Stoic Podcast, Ryan talks with entrepreneur and wisdom seeker behind Farnam Street Shane Parrish on Why people who are po...
This Is A Most Dangerous Attitude | Don’t Hide From Your Feelings
08 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It’s hard to keep a Stoic down or hold them back. They push through. They see obstacles as opportunities. They are not deterred by difficulties or c...
The Most Valuable Real Estate In The World | Ask DS
07 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
People spend a lot of money to buy nice land. They want to be in a good neighborhood with good schools. They want to have a beautiful view. Just look ...
No Matter What, This Is All You Have To Do
06 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We know the world throws a lot at us. We know it’s noisy out there, and there are competing influences. We know we can be pretty forgetful too. How ...
Kate Flannery on the Rise and Fall of American Apparel (PT 2)
06 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On today’s episode of the Daily Stoic podcast Ryan speaks with author Kate Flannery on how having worked for American Apparel gave Kate a bad r...
Are You Willing To Be Taught? | 11 Stoic Books That Will Improve Your Life
05 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Wisdom isn’t just what you seek out. In fact, much of the most important wisdom we learn in life seeks us out. The piece of unsolicited advice from ...
It’s Happening, Page By Page, Day By Day | Be Stingy With Time
04 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It doesn’t feel like much. It’s just a perfunctory part of the morning. A little bit of tidying up, a way to get a little dose of inspiration. A w...
Lives Of The Stoics |Marcus Aurelius The Philosopher King
03 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Marcus Aurelius was chosen by Emporer Hadrian to be his eventual successor. In 161, Aurelius took control of the Roman Empire along with his brother V...
Kate Flannery on the Rise and Fall of American Apparel (PT 1)
02 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On today’s episode of the Daily Stoic podcast Ryan speaks with author Kate Flannery on Dov Charney and their early journey at American Apparel,...
Joy Even So (Part 2) | Pretend Today Is The End
01 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On his way to work each day in Boston, John Adams would hear a man singing. As his great biographer David McCollough writes in John Adams, it was a be...
Don't Let Them Turn You Into This | Ask DS
30 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In Book 7 of Meditations, Marcus writes to himself (as the Gregory Hays translation, which you can grab a special edition of here, has it):"Take care ...
Whitney Cummings on Finding Inspiration and Being Relentlessly Present (Pt 2)
29 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On today’s episode of the Daily Stoic podcast Ryan speaks with Whitney Cummings, comedian, actress, writer, producer, director, entrepreneur, and ho...
Do You Really Like This?
29 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
People say they love learning. And sure, they pick up books and go to museums and watch documentaries, and yes, they sat through their college courses...
The Only Revenge Worth Getting | 25 Essential Rules For Life From Marcus Aurelius
28 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Unfortunately, it’s been happening for a long time: People doing horrible things to each other. Marcus Aurelius was betrayed. Seneca was exiled on t...
Here’s The Deal | Balance The Books Of Life
27 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We got together with family. We reminded ourselves what was important. We enjoyed the bounties of the Earth. Perhaps when we took the rolls out of the...
Overcoming Adversity In Leadership Roles
26 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s audiobook reading, Ryan talks with 150 Local Business Leaders and Marketing Directors who are Twins Brand Partners about Challenges we fa...
Whitney Cummings on Routines, Creating Great Art, and Addiction (Pt 1)
25 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On today’s episode of the Daily Stoic podcast Ryan speaks with Whitney Cummings, comedian, actress, writer, producer, director, entrepreneur, and ho...
You Can Do Something About This | Train To Let Go Of What’s Not Yours
24 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Marcus Aurelius would have recognized the feeling you feel right now. So would Seneca and Cato and many of the other Stoics. The Romans, like American...
It’s All A Gift | Ask Ds
23 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It doesn’t seem that way of course. The economy is a mess, the government is dysfunctional, the virus is still there, screwing up plans and making u...
What Comes Next Matters Less
22 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It’s not that the Stoics didn’t love. It’s not that they didn’t like the nice stuff that they had or the jobs they had worked hard to earn. Of...
Timothy Denevi on the Power of Reading and Learning from the Past (Part 2)
22 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ryan speaks with assistant professor and MFA program at George Mason University, Timothy Denevi The economics of a book being different than the media...
It’s Not Romantic. It’s Just Work. |12 Ways Stoics Build Mental Strength And Resilience
21 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We have a false picture about how success happens. We often only see the results and almost never the process of things, so we tend to think that...
Put All Of Your Energy Into This | Practice Letting Go
20 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Amazon tells us that’s one of the most highlighted passages in the digital version of Stillness is the Key. It’s an idea that’s impossible to di...
Epictetus - Discourses Pt. 4: On Progress
19 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s audiobook reading, Ryan presents an excerpt from one of the seminal texts of Stoicism, the Discourses of Epictetus, read by Michael Reid....
Timothy Denevi on Hunter S Thompson and the Art of Journalism (Part 1)
18 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ryan speaks with assistant professor and MFA program at George Mason University, Timothy Denevi on mastery in learning the entire playbook so that you...
How To Make It Good | Judge Not, Lest…
17 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Oscar Wilde was the victim of a terrible tragedy and a terrible injustice. At the height of his artistic powers, he was thrown in jail–an awful pris...
What Do You See? | Ask Ds
16 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A man walks through a field of flowing grain, the grass bending low under its own weight. The wind blows softly on a cold day. He looks and sees a sma...
This Is What Will Happen To Your Accomplishments
15 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Marcus Aurelius spent 14 years at war with the Marcomanni. It was a brutal, grinding campaign which he eventually won at great cost and risk. His vict...
Steven Pressfield On Work Without Attachments (Part 2)
15 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ryan speaks with book athour & screenwriter Steven Pressfield on fewer possessions, superstition in memorabilia, the impact of working without any...
You Can’t Deny This |10 Stoic Tips For Being A Better Leader
14 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Seneca thought he knew Nero. He was confident in his ability to teach or contain or even control him. Other Stoics knew better. Thrasea (whose story w...
It’s All In How You See It | Judge Yourself Not Others
13 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It’s fascinating to think of all these different translators sitting down and seeing this same bit of writing and having such wildly different inter...
Lives Of The Stoics | Epictetus the Free Man
12 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Epictetus taught that philosophy is a way of life and not simply a theoretical discipline. To Epictetus, all external events are beyond...
Steven Pressfield On Work Without Attachments (Part 1)
11 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ryan speaks with book athour & screenwriter Steven Pressfield on fewer possessions, superstition in memorabilia, the impact of working without any...
All Success Is A Lagging Indicator | Always The Same
10 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
From the outside looking in, author Philipp Meyer had the kind of success that is easy to not just be envious of, but angry about. His first two publi...
This is Why You Can’t Try To Avoid Criticism | Ask DS
09 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Nobody wants to be criticized. It doesn’t feel good when people judge what you’ve done. We want the right people to like us, we want all people to...
Joy Even So (Part 1)
08 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
John Adams' life was not an easy one. First, because it was just hard to be alive in the 18th century. It was hard to make dinner. It was hard to stay...
Adam Kinzinger On Doing The Unexpected And Freeing Ourselves From Fear
08 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ryan speaks with Adam Kinzinger on losing the things in life that become normal to us, freeing ourselves from fear, his new book Renegade: Defending D...
This Is Where You Are | Marcus Aurelius' 12 Fundamentals Of Great Leadership
07 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It would be wonderful to live in a time where people got along. It’d be better if the economy was roaring. It’d be nice if the political landscape...
Which Limits Do You Respect? | The Real Power You Have
06 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When you’re tired, you stop. When you’re not feeling it, you put it off until tomorrow. When it’s hard, you make an excuse. You listen to that l...
Lives Of The Stoics | Cato the Younger, Rome's Iron Man
05 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
also known as Cato the Censor and the Wise, was a Roman soldier, senator, and historian known for his conservatism&...
Morgan Wade On Sticking To The Routine
04 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ryan speaks with American country music singer Morgan Wade on physical and mental benefits to our routine, getting sober, ideas while walking, and kno...
All The Stoics Were Kings | Following The Doctor’s Orders
03 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Marcus Aurelius was a true philosopher king, but he wasn’t the first or the last amongst the Stoics. The first emperor, Octavian, studied under Athe...
This Matters Way More Than The Details | Ask DS
02 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There can be so much about the study of this philosophy that can be overwhelming that’s intimidating. When did Stoicism start? Where did it begin? W...
It's The Dead's Day
01 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Yesterday was Halloween here in America, which is a fun holiday for children. It’s full of masks and candy and staying up late. In Mexico, however, ...
Performance Anxiety & Yips With Eileen Canney Linnehan
01 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ryan Speaks with Eileen Canney Linnehan on Yips, performance anxiety, and mental block on todays episode of the daily stoic podcast. Eileen Canney Lin...
Don’t Be Scared By Things Like This | 10 Stoic Parenting Tips
31 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
You might think that the Stoics were above silly things like superstitions. After all, these were rational folks, serious people. Certainly, they woul...
A Measure Of Greatness | Accepting What Is
30 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Not everyone thinks Marcus Aurelius was so great. And it’s true, his record is not unblemished: He fought in imperial wars. He didn’t stop the per...
The Power Of Purpose
29 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today, Ryan answers questions on purpose and stoic wisdom at Dr. Edith Egar's workshop. Dr. Eger’s story as a Holocaust survivor & work as a ren...
Adam Grant On Hidden Potential And Measuring Yourself Against Yourself
28 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ryan speaks with organizational psychologist and book author Adam Grant on seeing things in the context of where they actually sit, learning to be ple...
Rule The Empire Between Your Ears | We Reap What We Sow
27 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Epictetus, who was a slave, looked around at Nero’s court and saw rich and famous men who were less free than he was. Because they spent all their e...
Try To Surprise People This Way | Ask DS
26 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
He didn’t dress in fancy clothes. He didn’t support a large entourage. He liked to walk the streets of Rome, meeting his fellow citizens, being of...
It’s Not About The One-Liners
25 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A Stoic sense of humor, a tough exterior–these are only the beginning of the process, of processing. Stoicism is a hard slog. It’s a practice. It’...
Dr. Peter Attia On The Philosophy and Quality Of Life (Part 2)
25 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ryan speaks with Dr. Peter Attia on the philosophy and quality aspects of our lives, early morning routines we still practice from the stoics and...
Sometimes Words Are Very Unnecessary | Robert Greene's 10 Stoic Laws For A Better Life
24 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Stoics talk about how events don’t need your opinion, they aren’t asking to be judged or labeled or explained by you. They were saying what De...
This Is What We Use This For | Build Up, Don’t Tear Down
23 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On the surface, there are not many phrases designed to be less appealing. “Stoic philosophy” is like a double whammy of negative for most people, ...
The Kind of Philosophical Life To Aim For
22 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
More than 60 years ago, a young boy in Pittsburgh, PA was curious about philosophy. He went to his high school library and found a book of the writing...
Dr. Peter Attia On The Philosophy and Quality Of Life (Part 1)
21 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ryan speaks with Dr. Peter Attia on the philosophy and quality aspects of our lives, early morning routines we still practice from the stoics and...
There Is Always Both | Marks Of The Good Life
20 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It was an awful period of Roman history. A fifteen year plague that killed millions. Political corruption and deceit. Historic floods. Tragic wars on ...
Don’t Underestimate This | Ask DS
19 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We don’t know a lot about Seneca’s friend Lucilius. From Seneca’s letters though, we get the sense that he, like many of us, was often overwhelm...
We Can Never Not Be All Of Us
18 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In Book Six of Meditations, Marcus Aurelius gives himself (and us) a command to keep an important idea in mind. “Meditate often,” he writes, “on...
Steven Rinella On Rockhounding, Stoic Wisdom & Controlling The Process
18 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ryan talks to Steven Rinella about the sense of wonder, respect & adventure for nature, spending time with family, rockhounding and his new book p...
Your Mind Is A Fighter | Powerful Stoic Quotes That Will Change Your Life
17 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Marcus Aurelius hated the gladiatorial games. He despised the violence and the pointlessness of it. But it was part of his job to attend them, so he d...
Don’t Let This Crush You | Make Honesty Your Only Policy
16 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This life thing: It’s wonderful. We are sentient beings. The apex predators at the top of the food chain. We have brilliant technology, incredible p...
This Is Why You Can't Wait Until Late
15 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today, Ryan reads from an email he received from his mentor Seth Roberts pioneering and peerless scientist. Seth collapsed of a fatal heart attack whi...
Arnold Schwarzenegger On Finding Ways To Be Useful
14 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ryan speaks with Arnold Schwarzenegger on how to be useful while we still have the time, the mental, physical and psychological benefits to nurturing ...
We Are All Unreliable Narrators | Revenge Is A Dish Best Not Served
13 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
All day long, we tell ourselves stories.When something goes wrong—“this is my fault.” We blame ourselves even though the reality might be that w...
Are You Obsessed With Living? | Ask DS
12 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There is a morbid theme running through the music of Johnny Cash. His deep, haunting voice is rarely far from a lyric about death or murder or loss or...
Today Is The Greatest Day You Have Ever Known
11 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As you wrapped yesterday up, you should have said to yourself, as Seneca did each night, “that’s it.” I have lived my life. As you tucked your c...