The Daily Stoic
Episodes
Tom Segura On Career, Comedy, And Craziness
11 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ryan speaks with Tom Segura in the second of a two-part conversation about the changing landscape of stand-up comedy, the philosophical mindset that h...
No One Has The Time For This |14 Choices A Stoic Should Make Every Day
10 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
“What would you do if you found out you were diagnosed with a terminal illness?”We’ve all mulled this hypothetical question over at one point or...
It’s Counting Down For Each Of Us | Practice Love
09 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It may have been a hard couple weeks. It may have been a hard couple years. It may have been a tough decade–like the one that Marcus Aurelius had, c...
Embracing Alive Time And Stoic Wisdom with Arnold Schwarzenegger And Robert Greene
08 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this Sunday episode of The Daily Stoic, Ryan Holiday takes us on an exhilarating journey through a weekend filled with preparation, family time and...
Tom Segura On Honing The Craft of Comedy
07 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ryan speaks with Tom Segura in the first of a two-part conversation about the links between writing comedy specials and writing philosophy books, the ...
When You Don’t Like What You See | Looking Out For Each Other
06 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Marcus Aurelius, like all of us, would catch glimpses of himself in the mirror. As we talked about recently, Marcus would have checked himself in the ...
The Beautiful Language Of Marcus’s Philosophy | Ask DS
05 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There are so many beautiful passages in Meditations.“The way loaves of bread split open on top in the oven,” Marcus Aurelius writes in Book 3, “...
Nate Boyer On Developing Perseverance And Asking For Help
04 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ryan speaks with Nate Boyer in the second of a two-part interview about why his new movie is aligned with the Stoic ideal of encouraging people to ask...
Are You Getting The Most Out Of This Gift?
04 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
You’re alive right now or you wouldn’t be reading this. But what proof do you have that you’re really living? Don’t overthink that question. I...
You’re Not Dead Yet… | 9 Stoic Secrets For Self-Mastery (From Experts)
03 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Marcus Aurelius was already quite old while writing Meditations. He was sick and surrounded by plague. Seneca was a marked man from the moment he left...
You Really Can’t Hear This Enough | Practice Silence
02 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
One of the most highlighted passages in the digital version of The Daily Stoic is the December 9th quote from Seneca:“Were all the geniuses of histo...
How To Improve Any Team With Ego Management And Silence
01 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today, Ryan presents a talk he gave to a group of coaches at the Tennessee Athletics Department about the core concepts of Stoicism and how they can a...
Nate Boyer On Striving For Excellence In Everything
30 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ryan speaks with Nate Boyer in the first of a two-part interview about what serving six years and multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan as a Green Be...
You Either Are Or You Aren’t | Your Actual Needs Are Small
29 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It’s impossible not to read Marcus Aurelius or Seneca and sense that they were always working. Not that they were literally always at the office–a...
It’s Ok To Break | Ask DS
28 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When Marcus Aurelius heard that his beloved teacher Fronto had lost a grandchild, he sent him a letter. Perhaps, if you believe in the stereotype of t...
Heather Cox Richardson On What History Teaches Us About Fighting The Dark Energy Of The Human Soul
27 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ryan speaks with Heather Cox Richardson about her new book Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America, her mission to deliver history as a way...
Don’t Be A Snob
27 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Because of the work we’ve done. Because of the study. Because of the experiences. We know. We know what’s right. We know what’s possible. We kno...
You Should Ask Yourself This Question When You Mess Up | 9 Stoic Keys To Building Character That Lasts
26 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Look, we all mess up. We take certain people or clients for granted and a relationship deteriorates. We get distracted and make an unnecessary mistake...
You Either Are Or You Aren’t | Panic Is Self-Inflicted Harm
25 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It’s impossible not to read Marcus Aurelius or Seneca and sense that they were always working. Not that they were literally always at the office–a...
How To Be A Leader (According To Plutarch)
24 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As one of history’s most important biographers and essayists, Plutarch studied deeply the traits of great Greek and Roman leaders to identify just w...
Jake Seliger On Cancer, Acceptance, And The Gift Of Life
23 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ryan speaks with Jake Seliger about how his cancer diagnosis and having his tongue removed have changed his perspective on life, why he is prioritizin...
Consider The Cost Of Those Perks | No Pain, No Gain
22 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
During the American Revolution—as in any war—the British quite rightly targeted the estates and the landholdings of the leadership on the American...
You’ve Just Got To Keep Going Back | Ask DS
21 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It’s impossible not to read Marcus Aurelius or Seneca and sense that they were always working. Not that they were literally always at the office–a...
You Took The Job
20 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Emperor Hadrian’s life sometimes felt, as it does for all leaders, like an endless demand for favors. Letters came from across the empire asking...
Sid Stockdale On The Stoic Legacy Of His Father, Admiral James Stockdale
20 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ryan speaks with Sid Stockdale about his who his new memoir A World Apart: Growing Up Stockdale During Vietnam speaks to, how his family survived his ...
Who Could Have Seen It? | 9 Stoic Lessons From Running Every Single Day
19 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Everything seems fine. Everything seems better than fine. Your life is going great. You’re happy. You’re in love. Your finances are great. Bu...
This Is What Leaders Do | On Handling Haters
18 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
After a long line of incompetence, after a long chain of excuses, after a series of failures, the Union cause finally turned around when General Ulyss...
The Life Of Agrippinus The Different
17 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Agrippinus marched to the beat of his own drum. Today, Ryan reads from his book Lives Of The Stoics to explain just what that meant for one of the mos...
James Outman On Why Baseball Is Stoicism
16 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ryan speaks with James Outman on why he believes that baseball and Stoicism both promote the same practices, why baseball players are uniquely prepare...
This Is a Bad Way To Drive (and Live) | A Garden Is Not For Show
15 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
With the proliferation of dashcams and the spread of social media, we see these clips everywhere. It’s basically its own genre of video at this poin...
How You Endure It Matters Most | Ask DS
14 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
No one knows what the future holds, but if it’s anything like the present or the past, it will not be easy. Things will not go our way. Tragedies wi...
Who Do You See?
13 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We don’t think of the ancient Romans as living just like us, but in many ways they did. A recent archaeological dig in Bulgaria found a Roman estate...
Adrian Grenier On Recovering From Being Famous
13 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ryan speaks with Adrian Grenier in the second of a two-part episode about what it’s really like to be famous, why and how he quit acting, how Adrian...
Good Leaders Give This | 10 Rules For Life From The Stoics
12 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
General Victor Krulak was an exacting Marine. He drove his troops hard. He cared about the tiniest details. He expected perfection. So you might think...
Bring Love To Every Situation You Face | A New Way To Pray
11 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this day 22 years ago, Brian Sweeney was a passenger trapped on hijacked United Airlines Flight 175. He knew something was wrong, but he could not ...
How Stoicism Makes Coaches Better
10 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today, Ryan presents a talk he gave to a group of coaches at the Tennessee Athletics Department about the core concepts of Stoicism and how they can a...
Adrian Grenier On How Turning To Philosophy Saved His Life
09 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ryan speaks with Adrian Grenier in the first of a two-part episode about their parallel career and life trajectories, what it’s really like to be fa...
Where Are You Trying To Get Better? | Do Not Be Deceived By Fortune
08 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Tom Brady has always been relentless about trying to get better. Trying to get his passes out quicker. Trying to get his spirals a little tighter. Try...
Do You Have This Ability? | Ask DS
07 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A leader is a doer…but that doesn’t mean they’re always doing. In fact, if a leader is always doing, chances are they’ll end up doing the wron...
The Only Part Of Your Reputation To Worry About
06 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Stoics were towering figures of their own time. Marcus Aurelius was cheered in the streets. Cato was widely admired. Musonius Rufus was called the...
Brad Stulberg On Mastering Change With Science And Stoicism
06 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ryan speaks with Brad Stulberg about his new book Master of Change: How to Excel When Everything Is Changing – Including You, the scientific basis f...
How Do You Know If You're A Good Leader? | What Marcus Aurelius Learned from His Father About Being a Good Man
05 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
You lead a large team. You are the head of a household. You have millions of followers or thousands of subscribers. And you often wonder,Am I being a ...
Go Out And Live Today | A Hard Winter Training
04 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Labor Day was first proposed by Matthew Maguire, a labor union secretary in 1882 in New York. It is a “tribute to the contributions workers have mad...
What American Legacy Company US Steel Can Learn From Stoicism
03 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When Ryan was asked to give a talk to the leaders of one of the most foundational companies in American history, the United States Steel Corporation, ...
Rainn Wilson On How His Deepest Struggles Led To His Best Roles
02 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ryan speaks with Rainn Wilson in this second of a two-part conversation about the best entry points for the average person into philosophy and spiritu...
In The End It Doesn’t Even Matter | A Strong Soul Is Better Than Good Luck
01 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A couple minutes of traffic on the way to work. The tone that the person was talking to you with. The scratch in your brand new painted wall. The lost...
You Can’t Be Fragile Like This | Ask DS
31 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Cato, one of the most vaunted and towering Stoics, built a reputation and a career out of his refusal to give an inch in the face of pressure. He foug...
We Can Go At Any Moment
30 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It’s easy to nod along with a book (or even this email) when you’re reading it. Or to double-tap the like button when you see an inspiring Instagr...
Rainn Wilson On Stoicism’s Role In The Spiritual Revolution
30 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ryan speaks with Rainn Wilson about his new book Soul Boom: Why We Need a Spiritual Revolution, why the guy who played Dwight Schrute wrote a book on ...
In Spite Of Everything, We Must Do This | How Stoics Find And Build Deep Relationships
29 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Marcus Aurelius must have wondered what he did to deserve all this. First, he lost his father at age three. Then he was pulled from his first love, ph...
What Stoic Rules Make Life Less Erratic? | A Cure For Procrastination
28 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Marcus Aurelius never claimed to be a Stoic.Gregory Hays, one of Marcus Aurelius’s best translators (the one we worked with on our beautiful premium...
Epictetus - Discourses Pt. 3: On Being Sprung From God
27 Aug 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....
Christina Pazsitzky On Appreciating The Miraculousness Of Existence
26 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ryan speaks with Christina Pazsitzky in the second of a two-part interview about what really matters in life, why studying history reveals how strange...
This Timeless Adage Will Determine Your Destiny | Respect The Past, But Be Open To The Future
25 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This is not another note about memento mori.It’s about a different immutable, inescapable law of human existence that comes to us from the Stoi...
Be This Kind Of Person | Ask DS
24 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In matters of law, Cato was a stickler. In matters of principle, Cato was uncompromising. His opponents found him exhausting. Even some of his friends...
This Is Real Power
23 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Seneca, Cato, and Marcus Aurelius operated in the real world. They navigated within and around the halls of power. They had people working above and b...
Christina Pazsitzky On Teaching Comedians Philosophy
23 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ryan speaks with Christina Pazsitzky in the first of a two-part interview about her new Netflix comedy special Mom Genes, why she believes that comedi...
The Biggest Lie In The World | Toxic Habits The Stoics Want You To Stop Doing
22 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
You may well have said it yesterday, or overheard someone else saying it, “Oh, I’ll do it in the morning…I’ll do it after I wake up…I’ll g...
This Is How They Found Peace and Priority | Just Say No To Future Misery
21 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
An explorer at Jamestown in the 17th century.A London gentleman during the Stuart Period.An unidentified person with the initials T.S. who lived durin...
The Life Of Chrysippus "The Fighter" From Lives Of The Stoics
20 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Known as the “Second Founder of Stoicism,” Chrysippus was a philosophical giant as revered as he was controversial. Today, Ryan reads from his boo...
Paul Kix On The Civil Rights Movement And What It Means To Be Courageous
19 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ryan speaks with Paul Kix about his new book You Have to Be Prepared to Die Before You Can Begin to Live: Ten Weeks in Birmingham That Changed America...
You Are Strong. You Just Haven’t Been Tested. | Only Fools Rush In
18 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In August of 1967, Lieutenant Dave Carey was shot out of his A-4 Skyhawk over Vietnam. Soon enough, he found himself a prisoner in Hanoi, where he wou...
All You Can Do Is This | Ask DS
17 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Life is unpredictable. Events are uncertain. What can go wrong will. Nice guys sometimes finish last, bad things happen to good people. So much is out...
Coach Greg Harden On The Mindset Of Champions
16 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ryan speaks with Greg Harden about how Stoicism influenced his new book Stay Sane in an Insane World: How to Control the Controllables and Thrive, the...
Here’s How To Find Tranquility
16 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We all want more peace, right? More stillness. The quiet confidence that comes from being on the right path, as Seneca described it, and not bein...
They Don’t Want You To Know This | The Stoics Guide To Becoming Wealthy
15 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Those shoes you’re wearing were likely made in a sweatshop by a child in horrendous labor conditions. That luxury handbag is a few dollars worth of ...
Turn Down These Voices Inside Your Head | Always Ask Yourself This Question
14 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It is not enough, of course, to simply tune out the noise around you. One can turn off social media. One can cultivate the quiet country life, as the ...
Ryan Holiday And Robert Greene Talk Strategy And Philosophy For Turbulent Times
13 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In anticipation of their upcoming live discussion series, Ryan and Robert sat down to discuss where their ideas and interests converge. This casual co...
Troy Baker, Molly Bloom, Alexander Ludwig, And Camila Cabello Share How They Were Introduced To Stoicism
12 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ryan presents a compilation of highlights from interviews with some of his most high-profile, influential, and interesting guests about how they found...
The Whole Point Is To Not Fit In | No Time For Theories, Just Results
11 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Stoics stood out in Athens. They stood out in Rome. Whether it was Cato walking around barefoot or Cleanthes proudly doing manual labor. Whether i...
It’s Going To Take A While, So You Need To Do This | Ask DS
10 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It takes a lot of flying time to become a certified pilot. It takes years on stage for a comedian to learn how to command an audience. It takes time t...
This Is The Most Dangerous Vice
09 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
“The pretense of knowledge is our most dangerous vice, because it prevents us from getting any better.”Over 10,000 readers have highlighted that p...
Kevin Rose On Staying Healthy With Entrepreneurship, Zen Buddhism, And Being Vulnerable
09 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ryan speaks with Kevin Rose about the pros and cons of his entrepreneurial drive, the calming effects of reducing the amount of stuff that you have, t...
The Secret To Happiness | How To Let Go And Stop Worrying (10 Stoic Tips)
08 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What is the secret to happiness?It’s not an easy question to answer. And it might seem like the Stoics wouldn’t have a good answer either. Because...
We’re Broken…But Not Fixed | What Little Wins Can You Find?
07 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We all have bad habits. Some of us procrastinate. Nearly all of us, as Seneca said, are slaves to something–food or sex or booze or ambition. We don...
How Stoicism, Eastern Philosophy, And Fitness Work Together
06 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In the spirit of sharing ideas and learning from cultures outside of one’s own, Ryan was excited when he was given the opportunity to speak to India...
Leonard Mlodinow On The Poetry, Power, And Beautiful Challenge Of Physics
05 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ryan speaks with Leonard Mlodinow about his book Feynman's Rainbow: A Search for Beauty in Physics and in Life, how physicists deal with imposter synd...
You Have To Know Where You’re Going | No Blame, Just Focus
04 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We know we want to go somewhere. We want to do something. We want to be successful. We want to win. We know we want to start something–a company, a ...
Will You Understand Or Be Understood? | Ask DS
03 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There are very few people who feel completely understood. Starting from a young age, our parents didn’t fully get us. Or maybe it was our teachers. ...
Beware This Madness
02 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What we do while in the sway of anger we almost always come to regret. Whether it was the yelling or the impulsive decision to quit, whether it was th...
Ann Wroe On The Real Story Of Pontius Pilate, And His Connection To Stoicism
02 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ryan speaks with Ann Wroe about her book Pontius Pilate: The Biography of an Invented Man, what she has learned over her long career of writing obitua...
What Is The Function of Worry? | How Stoicism Can Help You Get Sober (And Stay Sober)
01 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
One of the most timeless lines in all of the Stoic writings comes from Epictetus, "What upsets people is not things themselves, but their judgements a...
We Almost Always Regret This | A Week Without Complaining
31 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It’s not that we didn’t have a reason. That we weren’t provoked. Or mistreated. We were. We had legitimate reasons to be upset. We had a legitim...
How Stoicism Can Help Make Health Care Better
30 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As Epictetus said, “the philosopher’s classroom is like a hospital,” so, too, can Stoic philosophy help improve the halls of medicine and the pe...
Lt. David Carey Uncovering Our Own Capacity To Get Through Anything
29 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ryan speaks with Lieutenant David Carey in this second of a two-part interview about the bonds that he and his fellow POWs formed in captivity, why he...
What Matters Is What You Can Do In The Moment | Check Your Privilege
28 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Epictetus didn’t care what you had read. He didn’t care if you had made it through the densest writings of Chryssipus. Marcus Aurelius didn’t ca...
This Is Always There | Ask DS
27 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Every retail business knows about shrinkage–the percentage of goods shoplifted or stolen off the floor. Every manufacturer knows how to calculate th...
They’re Not All Going To Like You
26 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There are so many things you don’t like. Bands you think are overrated. Shows that just didn’t do it for you. Actors who, for some reason, just bo...
Lt. David Carey On Surviving As A POW W/ Admiral James Stockdale (with Stoicism)
26 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ryan speaks with Lieutenant David Carey in the first of a two-part interview about his incredible experiences serving in Vietnam as a fighter pilot an...
Let It Pound Your Head | Stoicism's Secrets To Being More Present (With Your Family)
25 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
For years, you’ve worked. For years, you’ve sacrificed. You’ve risked. You’ve hustled. You’ve made tough calls, maybe even left a few knives...
No One Can Hold Anything Over You | Keeping “The News” In Check
24 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Many of the Stoics were powerful and privileged. Marcus Aurelius was born to a wealthy family and then was given the throne and the empire. Cato came ...
Ryan Speaks To The YMCA About Courage, Perseverance, And Showing Up Every Day
23 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As a fan of the YMCA and avid user of its services, Ryan jumped at the chance when the Pennsylvania YMCA asked if he would like to come to their headq...
Austin Kleon On Maintaining Healthy Habits, Growing As Parents, And Interrogating The Stoic Virtues
22 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ryan speaks with his longtime friend fellow father Austin Kleon during a stop along his book tour for The Daily Dad: 366 Meditations on Parenting, Lov...
How To Create Change | Made For Working Together
21 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Rosa Parks wasn’t just some lady who happened to make a stand on a bus one day. She was trained. She had attended NAACP meetings for years. She had ...
When You’re Tired Of Life… | Ask DS
20 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
He buried too many children. He was betrayed by those closest to him. He dealt with health issues. He was surrounded by the corrupt and inept and endl...
Your Mind Is Not Your Friend
19 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How would you describe someone who lies to you? Who riles you up? Who makes you anxious and afraid? Who questions whether you’re good enough? Who ha...
Professor Martha Nussbaum On Humanity's Obligation To Protect Animal Rights
19 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ryan speaks with Martha Nussbaum about her new book Justice for Animals: Our Collective Responsibility, the problems that can arise with the Stoic foc...
There Is No Race | Transformative Quotes From The Founder Of Stoicism (Zeno)
18 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We know at least one of the Stoics was a runner. Chrysippus ran the dolichos, a grueling three-mile loop consisting of approximately 24 stadium length...
Wait For It To Settle | Practice Gentleness Instead Of Anger
17 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In the demands of daily life, in the immediacy of a heightened moment, in the pincering crush of competing interests—we rarely make good decisions. ...
Epictetus - Discourses Pt. 2: On Preserving Character
16 Jul 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....