The Daily Stoic

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In 1922, while an unpublished, struggling writer named Ernest Hemingway was covering events in Switzerland, his wife Hadley came from Paris to see him...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...

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...