The Daily Stoic

Look for the Smooth Handle | Balance the Books of Life Daily

30 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In 1811, a 68-year-old Thomas Jefferson sat down to try to put down some advice that he could pass along to his 12-year-old granddaughter Cornelia. Hi...

7 Things the Stoics Can Teach Us in 2020

29 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Ryan discusses 7 lessons we can all learn from the Stoics that are especially pertinent to the trials of 2020.This episode is...

Tech Investor Joe Lonsdale On How Philosophy Makes You Better at Business

28 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Ryan speaks with entrepreneur and investor Joe Lonsdale about the intersections of business and philosophy, what Cicero means to him, why so many peop...

This Is Our Duty

27 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"That nice, warm feeling you have right now? That fullness? From the food you stuffed yourself with, from the wonderful meal you had with your fa...

Now, More Than Ever, You Have To Find This

26 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"On this day of American Thanksgiving, we’re supposed to make time to give thanks, to actively think about that word which has become almost cl...

Filmmaker Daniel Lombroso on How To Stay Sane Amidst Radicalization

25 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Ryan talks to director and journalist Daniel Lombroso about social media and the ways that people can be manipulated and radicalized by it, the Intern...

The Right Amount Is Key

25 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"If you’re not on guard, you’ll find yourself falling victim to the urge for just one more helping, or I’ve earned that treat. But what we ...

Anger Is a Kind of Madness

24 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"They didn’t have the studies to back it up, but they knew.Anger makes you dumber. It makes you a worse leader, a worse decision-maker."Ry...

Love Them as You Love Yourself | Practice Letting Go

23 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"Other people. Ugh.They are all the things Marcus Aurelius said, and more: Dishonest. Arrogant. Envious. Frustrating. Shortsighted. Selfish. And ...

Rich Roll and Ryan Reflect on Stoicism (Live Talks LA)

22 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Today’s episode features an interview of Ryan conducted by yesterday’s guest Rich Roll about Ryan’s latest book, Lives of the Stoics: The Art of...

Rich Roll - Ultra-Endurance Athlete On How to Be Healthy

21 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today’s episode, Ryan talks with athlete and wellness advocate Rich Roll about how our leadership has reacted to the coronavirus pandemic, the mo...

How Will You Account for This Time?

20 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"When Ebola was first spreading, the news would run fascinating stories about the habits of the people who were unknowingly infected. These stori...

This Is What Echoes in Eternity

19 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"It’s ironic that today we celebrate the anniversary of the Gettysburg Address, because the entire conceit of Lincoln’s short, 271-word addre...

Mike Herrera, Punk Rock Stalwart (MxPx, Goldfinger), On 30 Years On and Off the Road

18 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today’s episode, Ryan speaks with singer Mike Herrera, founder of the punk band MxPx. They talk about being a touring musician during COVID, the ...

These Are Habits to Avoid

18 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"Because of how Stoicism survives to us—mostly in the form of scraps and fragments and letters—we don’t exactly have a list of dos and don’...

How To Have a Great Day. Every Day.

17 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"A lot can happen to ruin your day. You could wake up to a freak storm, or roads gnarled with traffic. Your dog could throw up on the carpet. You...

You Can’t Predict the Future, But You Can Predict This | Judge Yourself, Not Others

16 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"Few saw the pandemic coming. But certainly the woefully inadequate response, at all levels, was predicted by many. The same is true for most eve...

The Leadership Secrets of Marcus Aurelius

15 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Ryan talks about the virtues that Marcus Aurelius brought to his position as Emperor of Rome. How did Marcus lead the Roman people...

Matthew McConaughey On Winning the Role of Life

14 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today’s episode, Ryan speaks with Academy Award-winning actor and producer Matthew McConaughey about his approach to the craft of acting, the sim...

What Matters and What Doesn’t

13 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"It’s almost surreal to think about the things we were thinking about not long ago. How could we have been so naive? So entitled? How could we ...

It’s Not Much, But It Adds Up

12 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"Don’t think of wisdom as something you get via epiphany or even a couple years of graduate school. No, it’s something you accumulate day by ...

Converting a Stoicism Skeptic with Novelist Amy Shearn

11 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Ryan talks with author Amy Shearn about her own journey with Stoicism, how she and Ryan both wrestle with the concepts of Stoicism in a modern context...

You Must Meet It All the Same

11 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"We have good days. We have bad days. We will have, as Seneca experiences, moments of heartbreak and bad luck as well as strokes of good fortune ...

Ignore It. It Doesn’t Matter.

10 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"'“A trifle consoles us,' Blaise Pascal wrote, 'because a trifle upsets us.' We get so worked up about things that don’t ...

We Can't Just Do This. (Or Can We?) | The Real Power You Have

09 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"Sometimes it can feel—especially lately—that we are, to use the novelist James Salter’s haunting phrase, just burning the days. We get up....

The Art of Journaling

08 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Ryan goes in-depth into journaling, describing the benefits of journaling, how to get started, and more.***If you enjoyed this wee...

Tank Sinatra - Meme King on how How Comedy Helps You Live

07 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Ryan talks with Instagram star Tank Sinatra about his unique approach to comedy, the best way to use or deal with anger, what philosophy tells us abou...

Here’s How to See Life

06 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"Most people see life as a kind of a race. They want to win. They want to get somewhere. They want to do it better than other people. Certainly, ...

So, It’s Been a Rough Year?

05 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"This has probably not been the year you expected. Few of us went into 2020 expecting an impeachment, a pandemic, murder hornets, earthquakes, fi...

Megha Rajagopalan On Using History to Understand Modern Authoritarianism

04 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Ryan talks with Megha Rajagopalan, a world correspondent for BuzzFeed News, about her reporting in China about human rights and how history informs ou...

The Arc Is Long… But It Bends This Way

04 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"When you look at a map of the world from a distance, everything seems smooth. The more you zoom in, the bumpier it gets. Suddenly, mountain rang...

Life Will Go On. What’s Your Plan?

03 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"Today is a day that Americans, as well as interested observers around the world, have been anticipating for some time. One of the most important...

We Can’t Let Anything Rattle Us/Accepting What Is

02 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Ryan tells the story of Athenodorus versus the ghost, and reads today's weekly meditation about accepting whatever comes your way, on today'...

This Thing Predicts Everything

01 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today’s Sunday edition of the Daily Stoic Podcast, Ryan talks about the one thing that predicts everything—character—and why it’s so import...

Edward Ball, Southern Writer, on the Ghosts of Our Collective Past

31 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Ryan talks with writer Edward Ball about what has animated the racism of the past and present, the distinction between responsibility and accountabili...

Which Kind Will You Be?

30 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"There are two types of people in this world: The kind whose success makes them better and the kind whose success makes them worse. Nero and Marc...

An Honest Dollar Is an Impressive Thing

29 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"It’s not the quantity that we should care about. Something earnestly made and sold for a fair price, whether it’s millions of units or a few...

There’s a Time to Make and a Time to Manage

28 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"There are lots of things you can pay people to do for you. You can pay them to mow your lawn or do your taxes. You can pay them to drive you fro...

Jeni Britton Bauer of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams On Running a Business in Moments of Crisis

28 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Ryan speaks with Jeni Britton Bauer, founder of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams, about finding a diet that works for you, the trials of running a growing...

Will You Do Your Duty?

27 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"In one sense, it’s hard to argue with the statistics that any individual’s vote makes a difference. One person out of so many? When more tha...

BONUS: Ryan Talks with Robert Greene On Today's World

27 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On this special bonus episode of the Daily Stoic Podcast, Ryan speaks with Robert Greene about the irrationality that runs through our society, the in...

Don't Lose Your Connection to the Outdoor/Build Up, Don't Tear Down

26 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This week we launch a new feature—every Monday, Ryan sets an intention for the week based on his book The Daily Stoic Journal. In addition to the we...

Ryan Discusses Lives of the Stoics at 92nd Street Y

25 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today’s Daily Stoic Sunday podcast, Ryan gives a virtual talk at 92nd Street Y in New York City, discussing three of the most important Stoics, a...

How to Bounce Back - Coach Eric Musselman (University of Arkansas)

24 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Ryan speaks with Eric Musselman, head coach of the University of Arkansas men’s basketball team, about building on your mistakes to get better, why ...

All That Shimmers in This World

23 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"Nothing gold can stay. All that shimmers in this world is sure to fade. We know this. We know that glory is fleeting. That even the best and th...

You Control What You Hear, Not What People Say

22 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"The political strategist and pollster Frank Luntz is fond of the expression, 'It’s not what you say, it’s what people hear.' His p...

Danica Patrick - Trailblazing Pro Racer On Pushing Limits Everywhere

21 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Ryan speaks with groundbreaking pro racer Danica Patrick about performing under pressure, life as an athlete before and after retirement, and how to t...

Don’t Listen to the Complicit

21 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"In Cato’s time, Caesar’s partisans wanted to cast his usurpation of the Republic as somebody else’s fault. The system is broken, they said...

If You Want to Feel Better, Do This

20 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"You’re frustrated. You’re scared. You have a million things you have to do. Happiness, hell, even just not feeling bad, seems a million mile...

It’s About Crossing One Thing Off After Another

19 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"One thing addicts trying to get sober quickly discover is just how resilient their addiction is. They quit booze and suddenly find themselves sm...

Ryan Speaks with Kevin Rose at the Commonwealth Club

18 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Today's episode features Ryan's conversation with Digg Founder Kevin Rose at the Commonwealth Club as part of the launch tour for his newest book, Liv...

Ferkat Jawdat - Fighting Against Chinese Repression

17 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Ryan speaks with Uyghur activist Ferkat Jawdat about the repression carried out by the Chinese government in his home province of Xinjiang, Jawdat’s...

How Much White Space Do You Have?

16 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"Most of us internalize the wrong lesson. We think success = busy. We think that being busy is a sign of a good leader, an important person. Of ...

Always Be Humble and Kind

15 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"We hear in Meditations Marcus Aurelius speak of “epithets for the self,” watchwords for his life. From Zeno to Marcus, the works of nearly e...

It All Depends on How You Look at It

14 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Ryan contrasts the experiences of Seneca and Napoleon on the island of Corsica, and why perspective is so important in how we shape our experiences, o...

MLB’s Eric Byrnes - How to Keep Going When Your Body Wants to Quit

14 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today’s Daily Stoic Podcast, Ryan speaks with Eric Byrnes, a former professional baseball player, analyst, and endurance athlete. They talk about...

Don’t Let Anger Make You Mean

13 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"Successful, talented people are often frustrated for a simple reason: The world is constantly disappointing them. They expect everyone to be lik...

How to Make Joy

12 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"Joy is good. Who doesn’t like joy?The question is where does it come from—is it accidental or is it something you pursue? The Stoics would s...

Who Is Seneca?

11 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Ryan tells the tale of Seneca, one of the three most important Stoic philosophers who advised an emperor and authored countless works of fiction and a...

ESPN's Paul Kix - How Anyone Can Change Everything

10 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today’s podcast, Ryan talks with Paul Kix about the French Resistance (the topic of Kix’s first book), what we can learn from historical events...

What Is Your Anxiety Costing You?

09 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"You worry. You get stressed. You want to get there early. You want it to go well. You don’t want anything bad to happen—to your loved ones, ...

Here’s Why We Take Care of Our Own

08 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"Marcus Aurelius reminded himself, and us, two thousand years ago that we are all made for each other. The Stoics talked repeatedly about the ide...

Scott Barry Kaufman - How to Use Psychology to Solve Real-World Problems

07 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today’s podcast, Ryan talks with Scott Barry Kaufman about passion versus purpose, what psychology can tell us about our political leaders, how t...

Life Endures. That’s What It Does.

07 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"Right now, this feels like an unprecedented crisis. Nearly a million people have died worldwide from a virus for which there may or may not be a...

It’s Only After You’ve Lost Everything That You’re Free to Do Anything

06 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"One day late in the fourth century BC, the Phoenician merchant Zeno set sail on the Mediterranean Sea with a cargo full of Tyrian purple dye. Pr...

Patience Will Be Key to Surviving This

05 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"Whether you thought things were about to go back to normal or you’re entering another long month of quarantine or your country is locking down...

It's the Little Moments That Make the Big Lessons

04 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In today's episode, Ryan reads his recent article about the lessons we can learn from the smallest moments in the lives of the philosophers and s...

Ryder Carroll - The Power of Journaling

03 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today’s podcast, Ryan talks with Ryder Carroll, the designer and creator of the Bullet Journal system, about how it feels to release a product in...

And This Too Shall Pass

02 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"In 1859, before he was president, before he suffered through that harrowing train ride to Washington on his way to office where many thought he ...

If Trouble Knocks, Let It Find You Home

01 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"Cato did not want a civil war. Julius Caesar probably thought that if he marched on Rome, Cato’s opposition would evaporate. He was mistaken. ...

Ryan and Stephen Hanselman Talk About Their Newest Book, Lives of the Stoics

30 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today’s podcast, Ryan talks with co-author Stephen Hanselman about their latest book, Lives of the Stoics, and what their experience has been wri...

This Is the Most Impressive Thing

30 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"In Meditations, we have Marcus Aurelius writing notes to himself about who he wanted to be, what he expected of himself. In Book X, he writes ab...

It Doesn’t Matter What You Say. It Matters What You Do.

29 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"In Seneca’s writings, he is almost unbelievably Stoic. He speaks truth to power, he never despairs, he tries his best to be ethical and good. ...

You Don’t Have to Be a Victim

28 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"There’s no questioning that the Stoics were victims of severe injustices.Marcus Aurelius was betrayed by his most trusted general in what amou...

Epictetus’s Five Most Significant Quotes

27 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In today's Sunday Podcast, Ryan talks about Epictetus, who from birth was enslaved yet still managed to become one of the most significant founde...

Manu Ginóbili - NBA Spurs Legend on the Philosophy of Peak Performance

26 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today’s podcast, Ryan talks with NBA legend Manu Ginóbili about how he reads books to help his athletic career, using your emotions to perform b...

It’s OK to Get Mad, Just Don’t Be Angry

25 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"How does a Stoic feel about this global pandemic in which innocent people have been utterly failed by their governments? Leaders who denied that...

You Can’t Carry It With You if You Want to Survive

24 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"Things happened. Bad things. Things you never wanted, that hang over you wherever you go. We close our eyes and we see them. We worry that they’...

Nils Parker, Bestselling Writer and Editor Behind Lives of the Stoics, The Obstacle Is the Way and The Daily Stoic

23 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today’s Daily Stoic Podcast, Ryan talks to his longtime writing partner and friend Nils Parker. They discuss Stoicism, their ongoing collaboratio...

Magical Thinking Is Not Your Friend

23 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"When things are hard, when things are scary, when we’re tired, when we’ve had a run of bad luck, that’s when it happens: Magical thinking ...

There Is No “One Last Job”

22 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"Just a few more years we tell ourselves. Just until I make enough money. After I make rank. Almost there. These are the lies we tell ourselves,...

You Can Use This, You Know.

21 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"No one would have chosen this. No one is that crazy. To have your life disrupted. To be out of work. To lose money or people you love. To see in...

Daily Stoic Sundays: Seven Stoic Ways to Find a Better Life

20 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In today's Sunday Podcast, Ryan goes over seven lessons for life that you can learn from the ancient Stoics (learn more about these philosophers ...

Guy Raz — “How I Built This” and Solving Our Big Problems

19 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today’s Daily Stoic Podcast, Ryan talks with How I Built This creator and host Guy Raz about how we deal with big collective action problems in a...

This Is What Cicero Missed

18 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"On the surface, Cicero appears the perfect Stoic. He studied with all the right teachers. He served in office for decades. He was friends with C...

Some Folks You Just Can’t Reach

17 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"It’d be wonderful if everyone could agree on some very basic things. Like, you can’t use racial slurs. And no, you shouldn’t judge a perso...

You Must Work Your Hardest at This

16 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"There are lots of things you should be doing today. Your journaling. Your reading. Taking care of your work, of your children or family. Followi...

Martellus Bennett - Super Bowl Champion on Finding Success

16 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today’s Daily Stoic Podcast, Ryan talks with author and former NFL player Martellus Bennett about the clarifying effects that the COVID-19 pandem...

This Is How You Learn

15 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"It was Seneca who told us how to learn from history and literature. Ignore the facts and figures, he said, focus on the moral lessons. Focus on ...

You Do Not Need This

14 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"You want it, don’t you?That 'I told you so.' That 'Thank You.' That recognition for being first, or being better, or being...

Daily Stoic Sundays: Five Life-Changing Quotes From Seneca

13 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In today's Sunday Podcast, Ryan talks about five quotes from Seneca, one of the three founding fathers of Stoicism and a famous writer and adviso...

Ask Daily Stoic: Ryan and Lacrosse Legend Paul Rabil On What It Takes to Become the Best

12 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today’s Daily Stoic Podcast, Ryan talks with lacrosse star Paul Rabil about the mental obstacles that come with being a pro athlete, the experien...

Is This Really What’s Important Right Now?

11 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"Never underestimate the ability of human beings to focus on the wrong thing. Think about the number of people this past summer who—as the worl...

It’s a Double Standard, but So What?

10 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"The Stoics were hard on themselves. No question about it. They knew what was right and they insisted on holding themselves to that. They were ab...

Ask Daily Stoic: Ryan and Niki Papadopoulos Go Inside Writing About Stoicism

09 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today’s Daily Stoic Podcast, Ryan talks with his editor Niki Papadopoulous about their long career together, from the origins of The Obstacle Is ...

It’s Good to Be Beaten Up From Time to Time

09 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"You’ve been kicked around by life, that’s true. Where other people had it easy, you’ve had to struggle. You didn’t get into the college ...

You've Been Doing It All Wrong

08 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"For most of history, we’ve gotten it precisely wrong. We have given far too much attention to what philosophers have thought or written, when ...

You Must Let the Mind Go Lax

07 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"People think they are too important, the stakes of their work are too high, that there is not a minute to lose. So they never relax. They never ...

Daily Stoic Sundays: The Stoic Art of Not Caring

06 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In today's Sunday Podcast, Ryan talks about how to apply Stoicism, and the difference between not caring at all and only caring about what's...

Ask Daily Stoic: Ryan and Anne Applebaum Ask How Does a Stoic Resist Tyranny?

05 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today’s Daily Stoic Podcast, Ryan talks with Pulitzer Prize-winning author and journalist Anne Applebaum (Gulag: A History, Red Famine: Stalin’...