The Daily Stoic

Author Tom Nichols on the Assault on Modern Thinking | The Story We Tell Is Powerful

08 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Ryan reads today’s daily meditation and talks to Tom Nichols about his new book Our Own Worst Enemy: The Assault from within on Modern Democracy, ho...

How Are You Using Your Platform?

07 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Ryan challenges you to think about how you are using the voice that you were given, on today’s Daily Stoic Podcast.Pre-orders are available for Ryan...

Nothing Is Possible Without This | A Hard Winter Training

06 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Ryan explains why the virtue of courage is essential no matter what you do, and reads this week’s meditation from The Daily Stoic Journal, on today’...

50 (Short) Rules For Life From The Stoics

05 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Ryan Holiday defines 50 rules for life from the Stoics, gathered from their immense body of work across two thousand years. These rules functioned, th...

Little Rock Nine Member Ernest Green on Creating an Atmosphere of Change

04 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On today’s podcast Ryan talks to Ernest Green about his experience as one of the first African-American students to integrate at Little Rock Central...

These Are The People Watching Out For You

03 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Ryan explains why we should thank the people who put their lives on the line for our freedom, on today’s Daily Stoic Podcast.Sign up for the Daily S...

This Is Worse Than Death | The Philosopher’s School Is A Hospital

02 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Ryan explains why the Stoics have always given their lives for what they believe in, and reads The Daily Stoic’s entry of the day, on today’s Dail...

Brad Stulberg on the Practice of Groundedness | They Are Us And We Are Them

01 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Ryan reads today’s meditation and talks to author Brad Stulberg about his new book The Practice of Groundedness which you can pre-order at https://w...

Nothing Is Unusual

31 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Ryan explains why nothing should surprise a Stoic, on today's Daily Stoic Podcast.Sign up for the Daily Stoic email: https://DailyStoic.com/emailFollo...

This Choice Is Everything | A Cure For Procrastination

30 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Ryan explains discusses the choice that will decide your fate, and reads this week’s meditation from The Daily Stoic Journal, on today’s Daily Sto...

Time Management Strategies From the Stoics

29 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On today’s episode of the podcast Ryan talks about the different time management strategies that come to us from the Stoics. LMNT is the maker ...

Sharon Lebell on Epictetus and Rescuing Philosophy from the Philosophers

28 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On today’s episode of the podcast Ryan talks to Sharon Lebell about her translation of Epictetus – The Art Of Living, the imbalance in the Stoic w...

You May Have To Do This

27 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Ryan explains the resistance that you are likely to face during your life.Sign up for the Daily Stoic email: http://DailyStoic.com/emailFollow us: Ins...

Compete With Yourself And Root For Everybody Else | Seeking Out Shipwrecks

26 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Ryan explains how you turn the words and phrases you come across into actions, and reads this week’s meditation from The Daily Stoic Journal, on tod...

MLB Pitcher Scott Oberg on Overcoming Adversity with Stoicism | Will You Answer the Call?

25 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Ryan reads today’s daily meditation and launches the pre-order for his new book Courage Is Calling: Fortune Favors The Brave which you can check out...

You Have Not Been Harmed

24 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

“The last year has been rough. It’s not how any of us would have chosen for things to go. Working from home. Cancelled trips. No unnecessary trips...

Make Sure You Write Down Everything Interesting That You Find | Just Say No to Future Misery

23 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

“When he was young, James Mattis hitchhiked to San Francisco to meet Eric Hoffer, the philosopher most famous for his book, The True Believer, and a...

Ryan Holiday on America’s missing Statue of Responsibility

22 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

“​​THE STATUE OF LIBERTY was a gift from France to America, commemorating the two nations’ friendship and shared love of freedom. Completed in...

Megan Phelps-Roper on Radicalization and Redemption

21 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On today’s episode of the podcast, Ryan talks to former Westboro Baptist Church member Megan Phelps-Roper about her experiences growing up in the ch...

These Conversations Are How You Learn

20 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

“In times of clickbait and divisiveness, of the filter bubble and superficiality, one medium of communication has continued to grow exponentially: p...

It's Not Unfair, It Just Is | Corralling The Unnecessary

19 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

“It’s amazing how often we find ourselves using these words. Words like “unfair,” “unlucky,” “frustrating,” “unfortunate,” “...

Dr. William Stixrud and Ned Johnson on Building Resilience and Communicating Effectively | It's About What You Make of It

18 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Ryan reads today’s meditation and has another conversation with Dr. William Stixrud and Ned Johnson about their new book What Do You Say?: How to Ta...

How To Teach and How to Learn

17 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

“Tim Duncan is likely the great power forward in the history of the NBA. Five titles. Three NBA Finals MVPs. Fifteen All-star appearances. Fifteen A...

Notice The Reminders | Always Ask Yourself This Question

16 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

“Everytime you cut your hair. Every time you trim your nails. Every time you have to replace an old shirt or a worn out pair of running shoes, take ...

The Lancer Brigade’s Leadership Experience - Ryan Holiday in Conversation with Col. Jonathan Chung

15 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Today’s episode of the podcast is a conversation with Lancer Brigade’s Col. Jonathan Chung and Ryan Holiday which originally aired on The Leadersh...

NASCAR Champion Brad Keselowski on Reaching Your Maximum Potential

14 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On today’s episode of the podcast, Ryan talks to NASCAR driver Brad Keselowski about the intricacies of stock car racing, how to build endurance and...

This is Where You’re Supposed To Be

13 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

“We all feel pulled. To do more. To go more places. To make more progress. We are dogged by the constant worry we’re in the wrong place, doing the...

What Are You Doing? | Make The Words Your Own

12 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

“We find ourselves baffled by our politicians. By our bosses. By our leaders. Why don’t they do something? Why can’t they just do the right thin...

Venture Capitalist Brad Feld on How Nietzsche Empowers the Entrepreneur | This Must Be Done Daily

11 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Ryan reads today’s daily meditation and talks to Venture Capitalist and Author Brad Feld about his new book The Entrepreneur’s Weekly Nietzsche: A...

Labels Make You Worse

10 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

“It’s an interesting fact. Not once in any of his writings or speeches, let alone Meditations, does Marcus Aurelius call himself a Stoic. Other pe...

Why Are You Surprised? | What Little Wins Can You Find

09 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

“In June of 2001, Paul Wolfowitz, then U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense, addressed the cadets at West Point. While the speech he gave was not itself...

Seneca on Being

08 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Today’s episode is an excerpt from The Tao Of Seneca produced by Tim Ferriss’ Audio. In this letter Seneca writes about the ethereal nature of hum...

Journalist Oliver Burkeman on Making the Most of the Time That We Have

07 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On today’s episode of the podcast, Ryan talks to journalist and author Oliver Burkeman about his new book Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for M...

You Have To Be Able To See Both Ways

06 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

“There’s no question Marcus Aurelius had a cynical eye. This was deliberate. He looked out over a feast and ignored the culinary temptations to no...

You Need To Police Your Side of the Street | Silence Is Strength

05 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

“There’s no question that there are extremists on both sides of any meaningful divide. That there are liars and frauds on both sides. That there a...

Los Angeles Rams GM Les Snead on Keeping the Main Thing the Main Thing | Think About This

04 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Ryan reads today’s daily meditation and talks to Los Angeles Rams GM Les Snead about the cultural pillars of the Rams organization, making tough dec...

If You Can Do This, Every Moment Will Be Wonderful

03 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Ryan explains why you should meditate on your mortality.Sign up for the Daily Stoic email: http://DailyStoic.com/signupFollow us: Instagram, Twitter, ...

Important Things Are Simple | A Week Without Complaining

02 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

“It’s hard to be an academic who specializes in Stoicism. Because the philosophy is so complex? On the contrary. Stoicism is a difficult choice fo...

7 Life Changing Stoic Ideas That You Can Practice Daily

01 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Stoicism is a practical philosophy, which means it is made to be PRACTICED. In this podcast, Ryan discusses 7 key ideas of Stoicism that will help you...

Author Clint Smith and the History We Decide to See

31 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On today’s episode of the podcast, Ryan talks to author and poet Clint Smith about his new book How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History...

Not All Leaders Are Stoics, But All Stoics Are Leaders

30 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

“There was a famous exchange between the Stoic philosopher Musonius Rufus and the King of Syria. The king traveled to ask Musonius, ‘Is it appropr...

Now Is The Time To Be Kind | A Cure For The Self

29 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

“The thing about stress and stuggle is that it hardens us. It makes us turn inward. With more than expected on our plate we have less time, less pat...

Chris Bosh on the Pursuit of Greatness | Do You Make Others Better?

28 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Ryan reads today’s meditation and talks to Chris Bosh about his new book Letters To A Young Athlete, how you never really “make it” in life, the...

Advice Without This is Worthless

27 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

“Why is stoicism worth listening to? Because it's battle tested. What good are theories about the world that are just that, theories. Philosophy fro...

Leaders Are Made Not Born | Keeping “The News” In Check

26 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

“Marcus Aurelius did not come out of the womb a leader. Nor was he an emperor ‘by blood.’ In fact, when first told he was to be king, he wept--t...

Finding Calm – Chapter 3 from Nancy Sherman’s “Stoic Wisdom”

25 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Today’s episode of the podcast features an excerpt from Nancy Sherman’s Stoic Wisdom: Ancient Lessons for Modern Resilience. Stoic Wisdom presents...

Journalist Edward-Isaac Dovere on the Soul of America

24 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On today’s episode of the podcast, Ryan talks to journalist and author Edward-Isaac Dovere about his new book Battle for the Soul: Inside the Democr...

Don't Stuff Emotions Down

23 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

“The popular image of the Stoic is of the unfeeling beast. The tough person, gritting, gutting, it out. But this is wrong.”Ryan explains why you m...

Perfect Is Not The Goal | No One Has A Gun To Your Head

22 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

“In martial arts, the black belt is the highest level of the master. In religion, perhaps it’s the priest or even the saint. You can get a doctora...

Author Phillip Barlag on Roman History’s Lessons for Modern Life | This is Where Your Temper Will Take You

21 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Ryan reads today’s meditation and talks to author Phillip Barlag about the life and reign of the Roman Emperor Nero, the lessons that we can learn f...

Keep Returning Home

20 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

“You’ve experienced it. Maybe it was after your first semester away at college. Maybe it was after a long trip or a year-long tour of duty. Maybe ...

You Don’t Need To Be So Reachable | Practice Gentleness Instead of Anger

19 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

“Before telephones, before email, before the constant and instant forms of communication we all take for granted, mail was the lifeline of the world...

10 Pieces of Life Changing Wisdom From the Stoics

18 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On today’s episode, Ryan breaks down 10 pieces of life changing wisdom from the Stoics. Stoicism has never been a philosophy for school. It's b...

NFL Cornerback Jeff Okudah on Achieving Greatness

17 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On today’s episode of the podcast Ryan talks to NFL cornerback Jeff Okudah about how to manage high expectations and criticism, how to recover from ...

Can You Handle This?

16 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

“You did the right thing. You said what you thought. You produced something valuable. Yet here you are, a day, a month, a decade later, somehow havi...

There's Two Ways To Go | Doing The Right Thing Is Enough

15 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

“As Caesar overwhelmed and destroyed the Roman Republic, the Romans had a choice. Neither choice was good, but it was all they had. They could allow...

Dave Asprey on Fasting and Optimizing Your Life | You Just Had A Scare

14 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Ryan reads today’s meditation and talks to Dave Asprey about his new book Fast This Way, the benefits of intermittent fasting, how to optimize your ...

Criticism is Loud, Respect is Quiet

13 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

“It can be easy to think you’re going down the wrong path, that you’re making a huge mistake, that nobody gets it, that you’re the only one. T...

Do You Have A Heart for Any Fate? | Don’t Look For The Third Thing

12 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

“Yesterday is done, so there’s no worry there. But today? What will it bring? No one can say. Certainly no one can honestly promise you that it wi...

4 Strategies For Achieving Calm In Troubled Times

11 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On today’s episode, Ryan talks about four strategies he has for finding stillness in his life. Now, more than ever, we are being forced to recognize...

Brad Stone on the Rise of Amazon and Leading With Empathy

10 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On today’s episode, Ryan talks to journalist and author Brad Stone about his new book Amazon Unbound: Jeff Bezos and the Invention of a Global Empir...

How To Think About Money

09 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

“It’s interesting how infrequently money comes up in Meditations. Here was a guy who had incredible wealth, whose predecessors obsessed over it an...

Not Just To Read, But To Read Critically | Stop Monkeying Around

08 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

“An illiterate world is not a good one, but a world where people unthinkingly believe and accept everything they read is not that much better. So it...

Paul Skallas on the Lindy Effect and Standing the Test of Time | 'Normal' is the Enemy

07 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Ryan reads today’s daily meditation and talks to Paul Skallas about the Lindy Effect, why certain works stand the test of time and how to replicate ...

Here's How To Be Right

06 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

“It must have been hard to be as smart as someone like Marcus Aurelius or Seneca. They had the best tutors. They had quick minds. And then, as now, ...

Freedom to Do What? | Protect Your Own Good

05 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

“Yesterday was July 4th, which as most of you know, is a day that marks the celebration of the declaration of independence for the newly formed Unit...

This Work Must Continue

04 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

“Today is the 4th of July. It’s the celebration of the American Declaration of independence, which was signed on this date in 1776. There’s no q...

Classics Scholar Dr. Anika Prather on Healing the Present by Studying the Past

03 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On today’s episode, Ryan talks to Classics Scholar Dr. Anika Prather about the bridge that books can create between diverse cultures, why it’s so ...

Existence is What You Choose To See

02 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

“What is the human condition? Marcus Aurelius says that life is just ‘marrying, raising children, getting sick, dying, waging war, throwing partie...

The Old Way Is Not Always Better | Do Your Job

01 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

“People are frustrating. They fall short. They fail us. They do something that surprises or disappoints you. But before you get angry, you have to r...

Dr. William Stixrud and Ned Johnson on Developing Confidence and Finding Purpose | You Never Know What Someone is Going Through

30 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Ryan reads today’s meditation and speaks with Dr. William Stixrud and Ned Johnson about their book The Self-Driven Child which they wrote to help pa...

Try To Stay in the Bubble

29 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

“To fight the pandemic, we engaged in what you might call the largest forced lifestyle experiment in human history. We traveled less. We ate out les...

This Will Be Your Undoing… If You Can’t Stop | What’s In Your Way Is the Way

28 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

“There is one thing at the root of the downfall of so many powerful people. There was Xerxes, enraged at the imprudence of the Greeks, whose anger d...

7 Stoic Productivity Strategies That Will Change Your Life

27 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

If you'd like to learn Stoic inspired, proven strategies for forming and breaking habits that will help you be more productive check out: https:/...

Kate Fagan on the Perspective Shifting Reality of Death

26 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On today’s podcast, Ryan talks to author Kate Fagan about her new book All the Colors Came Out: A Father, a Daughter, and a Lifetime of Lessons, her...

What's The Alternative?

25 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

“All around you see things you don’t like. Bad people getting away with stuff. The wrong incentives being offered, sending trends off in an alarmi...

The Present Is All There Is | The Truly Educated Aren’t Quarrelsome

24 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

“There’s a constant internal tension within Meditations—between urgency and patience, contemplation and action, focusing in and zooming out. Mar...

Classics Scholar Shadi Bartsch on What Ancient Texts Reveal About Modern Life | This Is Making You Who You Are

23 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Ryan read today’s meditation and talks to Classics scholar and professor Shadi Bartsch about Seneca’s contradictory service to the emperor Nero, w...

Don't Complain, Respond!

22 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

“We live in a time when people who hear opinions they dislike think they can demand those opinions be unsaid or never repeated. How dare you critici...

You Can’t Let People Puff You Up | Take A Walk

21 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

“As it is today, so it was in Rome. People have always tried to tell other people what they want to hear. Yeah, you’re doing great. Have you lost ...

Marcus Aurelius' Most Important Education Came From This Man

20 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Want more Stoic inspired parenting wisdom? Subscribe to the Daily Dad Podcast, read each morning by Ryan on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, and all...

Malcolm Gladwell on Running, Writing, and Storytelling

19 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On today’s episode of the podcast, Ryan talks to Malcolm Gladwell about his new book The Bomber Mafia which is an exploration of how technology and ...

What Did You Learn?

18 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

“There’s no question that the last year and a half has been tragic. Millions of people have perished in a merciless pandemic, millions more are st...

Your Perspective Is Everything | Offense or Defense?

17 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

“Is your house dirty or just well-played in? Are you struggling or growing stronger through resistance training? Are you poor or unburdened? Are you...

Ultramarathon Runner Dean Karnazes on the Virtue of Self-Discipline | And Now We Do What Is Necessary

16 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Ryan reads today’s meditation and talks to Ultramarathon runner and author Dean Karnazes about his new book A Runner's High: My Life in Motion,...

You Just Have To Accept It

15 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

“When the pandemic hit—as with all sudden or unexpected life events—people responded in myriad different ways. Some people denied it. Some peopl...

There’s Only One Path To Greatness | Try the Other Handle

14 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

“Thirteen years before Marcus Aurelius would be old enough to legally hold any public post, Hadrian decided something extraordinary: he was going to...

10 Pieces of Life Changing Wisdom From the Stoics

13 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Follow us on TikTok at https://www.tiktok.com/@daily_stoic for more life changing wisdom.Stoicism has never been a philosophy for school. It's be...

Holocaust Survivor Dr. Edith Eger on the Gift of Forgiveness

12 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On today’s special episode of the podcast, Ryan talks to Dr. Edith Eger about her book The Choice: Embrace the Possible  which details her time at ...

Don't Escape It. Create It.

11 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

“Escapism is tempting...but dangerous. We think, when frenzied or fraught, an exotic getaway will be the cure. But inevitably, the rush of travel we...

There Is Always Something Else Going On | You Can Do It

10 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

“One of the things you figure out quickly with kids, and as we’ve talked about a bunch over on our Daily Dad email and podcast, is that there is a...

A.J. Daulerio on Recovery and Finding Peace With Stoicism | What Can You Get For Free?

09 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Ryan reads today’s daily meditation and talks to writer and blogger A.J. Daulerio about his involvement in the famous Hulk Hogan and Gawker lawsuit,...

Avoid This Sickness | Role Models

08 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

“Nobody wants to get sick. We don’t want food poisoning. We don’t want the flu. We don’t want COVID-19. This is why we protect our immune syst...

If You’re Going To Make Something, Make It Beautiful

07 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

“Fifty years after he helped his father build a fence around their house in Mountain View, Steve Jobs took his biographer Walter Isaacson to see it....

Rome's Last Citizen: The Life and Legacy of Cato - Ch. 1

06 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Today’s episode is an excerpt from Rome's Last Citizen: The Life and Legacy of Cato by Rob Goodman and Jimmy Soni. This chapter deals with the ...

Luke Burgis on Mimetic Desire and Getting What You Want in Life

05 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On today’s episode Ryan talks to author Luke Burgis about his new book Wanting: The Power of Mimetic Desire in Everyday Life, the philosophy of Fren...

These Things Don’t Care

04 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

“The virus doesn’t care. It doesn’t care that you were just about to open your first retail shop. It doesn’t care that you love visiting your ...

This Is What You Replace Anger With | It Is Well to Be Flexible

03 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

“The Stoics weren’t robots. It wasn’t that they stuffed things down, or that they didn’t feel anything. How could that have been true? They we...

Chris Bosh on Embracing the Process and Staying Present | This Cannot Be Allowed To Happen

02 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Ryan reads today’s meditation and talks to Chris Bosh about his new book Letters To A Young Athlete, what he learned winning multiple NBA Championsh...

Take The Interior Voyage

01 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

“Have you ever noticed that we often refer to Marcus Aurelius just as Marcus? You likely read those references without breaking stride. Because you,...