The Daily Stoic
Episodes
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’...
How You Can Change the World
04 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"It’s increasingly hard to deny that we’re facing indisputably massive problems with ever growing threats to planetary health. Scientists, co...
Every Single Day Is the Same
03 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"As the pandemic has dragged on, you’ve probably found yourself asking one question, over and over again, to anyone who will listen—even to y...
Ask Daily Stoic: Ryan and Jocko Willink On How to Thrive in Challenging Times
02 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
On today’s Daily Stoic Podcast, Ryan and author (Extreme Ownership, Discipline Equals Freedom) and podcaster Jocko Willink talk about maintaining a ...
Think About How Lucky You Are
02 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"Marcus Aurelius was wealthy on a scale you cannot even imagine. Seneca too. These were men with enormous fortunes… and control of imperial pow...
Use It. That’s What It’s There For.
01 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"There’s no question that the Stoics accustomed themselves to hard living. For many people, this is the image we have of them: Cato walking bar...
No, It’s Good This Happened to You
31 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"The divorce. The bankruptcy. The car accident. The night you’re having to spend at the airport. The business you poured your savings into that...
Daily Stoic Sundays: 10 of the Most Stoic Moments in History
30 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In today's podcast, Ryan discusses 10 moments in history where the power of Stoicism became apparent, from Adm. James Stockdale's time in a ...
Ask Daily Stoic: Ryan and Mark Manson Discuss What You Should Actually Give a F*** About
29 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
On today’s Daily Stoic Podcast, Ryan and Mark Manson (author of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck) talk about working to figure out your true prio...
Here’s How To “Not Be All About Business”
28 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"Marcus Aurelius had workaholic tendencies. Even if he hadn’t had the most important job in the world, we get the sense that he would have trea...
Why You Must Return Again and Again
27 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"You were in high school when you read The Great Gatsby for the first time. You were just a kid when you read The Count of Monte Cristo or had so...
Ask Daily Stoic: Ryan and Dominique Dawes on Olympic Gold and Pursuing Excellence
26 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
On today’s Daily Stoic Podcast, Ryan and Olympic gymnast Dominique Dawes talk about the difficulty of striving for an extraordinary goal during a pa...
Is This Teaching You To Appreciate Things?
26 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"How suddenly life can take from us all the things we took for granted. Whether it’s a global pandemic that locks you in your house or one of ...
You Must Challenge Yourself
25 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"After returning from particularly notable campaigns, the commanders of Roman legions would distribute small coins to their men as rewards for th...
You Should Know This Before You Get Angry
24 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"People will piss you off in this life. That’s a given. You’ll get cut off on the highway. You’ll be spoken to rudely. You’ll get blown o...
Daily Stoic Sundays: 5 Life Changing Quotes from Marcus Aurelius
23 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
On today's Daily Stoic Sunday episode, Ryan goes over five of Marcus Aurelius' best quotes and describes how you can live up to his words.Th...
Ask Daily Stoic: Ryan and Robert Greene Discuss the Laws of Human Nature
22 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Today's episode features a 2018 interview in which Ryan talks with author and strategist Robert Greene. They discuss the core message of Robert’...
We Have to Be Smart
21 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"Dr. William Osler was a giant of the medical field in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was also a fan of the Stoics. He was a deep rea...
You Must Burn the White Flag
20 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"The odds are looking bad. They are asking you to compromise. They want you to betray what you believe in. It would be so easy to take your buyou...
Ask Daily Stoic: Ryan and Angel Parham On Why Studying the Classics Is So Important
19 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
On today’s Daily Stoic Podcast, Ryan and Angel Parham of Loyola University New Orleans talk about the classics: how she first fell in love with them...
Why We Admire Socrates
19 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"Socrates was smart. He was clever and funny. He was, as we can tell from just two of his students, Xenophon and Plato, clearly a great teacher. ...
No One Can Trigger You
18 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"There are things that just set you off. There are things that happened to you that you prefer not to think about. There are the things you asked...
This Is the Perfect Time to Ask This Question
17 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"Now, unlike any other moment in recent memory, we are being forced to reevaluate things. We’re looking at our jobs, at our finances, at the pl...
Daily Stoic Sundays: The Daily Stoic, August 16 - How to Turn Your Trials Into Triumphs
16 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
On today's podcast, Ryan discusses today's reading from The Daily Stoic, about how to overcome your challenges through the Stoic mindset. We...
Ask Daily Stoic: Ryan and Donald Robertson On the Brilliance and Insights of Marcus Aurelius
15 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
On today’s Daily Stoic Podcast, Ryan and author and therapist Donald Robertson talk about the history behind Stoicism, including how the historical ...
Start Each Day With This Habit
14 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"Marcus Aurelius said we should get up early. But what should we do then? Seneca agreed, saying that it was important to start the day at a good ...
This Will Come and Go
13 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"It seems terrible now. It does, of course. How could it not? Each day the number of new reported cases comes in. Each day the reports of overloa...
Ask Daily Stoic: Ryan and Author Rich Cohen On How to Succeed When Everyone’s Against You
12 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
On today’s Daily Stoic Podcast, Ryan and author Rich Cohen talk about the ever-changing lens through which we judge historical figures, how the subj...
This Is Not a Drill
12 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"Many of us can be forgiven for having thought that this life thing was pretty easy. The last few decades have been pretty good to us. Booming ec...
This Is How It Will Feel
11 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"Zeno dreamed of following in his father’s footsteps, into the family business. Panaetius did the same, becoming a famous diplomat, just as he ...
You Must Run War Games
10 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"In Rome, as today, things went wrong all the time. Wars broke out. Earthquakes struck. Pandemics infected populations. In Rome, as in our time, ...
Daily Stoic Sundays: The Daily Stoic, August 9
09 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In today's episode, Ryan describes the new leather-bound edition of The Daily Stoic and reads today's entry.Get your copy of the limited lea...
Ask Daily Stoic: Ryan and Writer S.C. Gwynne Discuss the Great Stories and Leaders of the American Civil War
08 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
On today’s Daily Stoic Podcast, Ryan takes a deep dive into the American Civil War with author and journalist S.C. Gwynne. They discuss the immense ...
You Should Understand This by Now
07 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"The iron law of history is that people do dumb things. They behave this way for many reasons: Ignorance. Fear. Bad habits. Because they’ve be...
There’s Always Been a Darkness on the Edge of Town
06 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"It feels a little bit like things suddenly got really bad. Like the political order is not working. Like government agencies are failing. The st...
Will You Be Proud of This?
05 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"Marcus had no interest in posthumous fame. He was a private man. It’s a historical irony that today he is famous for a work of art he desperat...
Ask Daily Stoic: Ryan and Sportswriter Kate Fagan Talk About Stoicism in Sports
05 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Ryan speaks with sportswriter Kate Fagan about the issues surrounding physical and mental health in sports, how our society promotes sports to childre...
This Is How Reading Is Supposed to Go
04 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"We Stoics don’t just get a book and put it up on our shelf. We devour it. We take notes. We fold pages. We throw it in our backpacks and suitc...
We Must Be Antifragile
03 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"As Hemingway writes in one of the most beautiful passages in A Farewell to Arms, the world eventually breaks all of us. 'Afterward,' h...
Daily Stoic Sundays: Ryan Talks Stoicism with the Cleveland Browns
02 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s Daily Stoic Sunday episode features Ryan’s talk to the NFL’s Cleveland Browns from 2019. In it, he gives the team a breakdown of Stoicis...
Ask Daily Stoic: Ryan and David Epstein Talk Range & Resilience
01 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
On today’s Daily Stoic Podcast, Ryan talks with author and journalist David Epstein about the power of range, how to get the right kind of experienc...
People Are People and Places Are Places
31 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"With all the change of history, with all the progress we’ve made, we’re still people. Places are still places, cultures still cultures—wit...
You Have to Dye This With Your Own Color
30 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"What has happened here is objective. A virus spread from China to countries all over the world. First to the Philippines, then to Italy and Iran...
Ask Daily Stoic: Ryan and Wellness Expert Kimberly Snyder Talk Stillness, Yoga, and the Beauty of Daily Life
29 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Ryan speaks with wellness and natural beauty expert Kimberly Snyder about the intersection of Stoicism and Eastern practices, the pursuit of simplicit...
How to Be Born Again
29 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"One day, some 2000 years ago, Marcus Aurelius put up his stylus and jotted down six epithets for himself, values he said that should not be “t...
Don’t Ignore the Smell
28 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"From 165 to 180 AD, Rome was hit by a plague. The “Antonine Plague,” also known as the Plague of Galen, would kill literally millions of peo...
Congratulations, You Get to Start Over
27 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"It’s fitting that the story of Stoicism began with a catastrophe. On a merchant voyage between Phoenicia and Piraeus in the 3rd century BC, Ze...
Daily Stoic Sundays: How Seneca Overcame Stress
26 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In today's Daily Stoic Sunday episode, Ryan talks about Seneca, author, playwright, and advisor to the emperor Nero, how he faced the multiple st...
Ryan and Comic Pete Holmes Talk Work-Life Balance and Why Joy Matters
25 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
On today’s Daily Stoic Podcast, Ryan talks with comedian and writer Pete Holmes about understanding your own brain, finding personal fulfillment whe...
Now’s the Time to Sharpen Your Sword
24 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"It’s when you actually need something that it’s too late to get it ready. It’s in times of peace that nations must sharpen their swords. I...
You Decide the End of This Story
23 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"I never lost faith in the end of the story, I never doubted not only that I would get out, but also that I would prevail in the end and turn the...
What Else Can You Do?
22 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"When all this began, folks were excitedly using this time at home to tackle projects they’d long been putting off. They were focused on being ...
Ask Daily Stoic: Ryan and James Romm Talk Seneca, Nero and Dying Every Day
22 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Ryan speaks with James Romm, an author and professor of Classics, about Seneca, one of the three key figures of Stoicism who later in life became an a...
This Is Why You Can’t Care What People Think
21 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"It seems silly: Cato, one of Rome’s most courageous and steadfast leaders, had to practice wearing ratty clothes and walking barefooted and ba...
The Good News About Wisdom
20 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"The bad news is that wisdom doesn’t come easily. The good news is that it is cheap. Or at least, cheaper than it has ever been before."Ry...
Daily Stoic Sundays: If You’re Not Seeking Out Challenges, How Are You Going to Get Better?
19 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In today's Daily Stoic Sunday episode, Ryan talks about the importance of taking on new challenges so that you are pushed to greater and greater ...
Ask Daily Stoic: Ryan and Dr. Harvey Karp Talk Preparation, Patience, and How to Be a Great Parent
18 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Ryan speaks with Dr. Harvey Karp, a parenting expert and inventor of the SNOO Sleep System, about how people prepare for parenthood, the benefits of s...
Are You Ready To Ration?
17 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"It might have seemed crazy to read that, all those years ago, Seneca practiced a day of poverty each month. He fasted or he ate sparingly. He wo...
Slow Is Smooth, Smooth Is Fast
16 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"When you are talented and smart, you know what you want and you know when you want it done. You want it done now, that is. So you work fast. So ...
Ask Daily Stoic: Ryan and Maria Konnikova Talk Poker, Psychology, and Focusing on What You Can Control
15 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Ryan speaks with writer, psychologist, and poker champion Maria Konnikova about how she uses Stoicism to win big at Texas hold’em, and how you can u...
Not What, But Who?
15 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"We’ve spoken about the commencement address that Arnold Schwarzenegger made to the Class of 2020. In it, he makes an important distinction tha...
Always Think About What Is Above You
14 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"It’s easy for power to go to your head. You see all the people that work for you and think you’re important. You fill out that online survey...
There’s a Bad Moon Rising
13 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"The global economy was strong for over a decade. All sorts of wondrous new technology is cheaper than ever before. You might think this is cause...
Daily Stoic Sundays: Find Contentment Where You Are NOW With Stoicism and Stillness
12 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In today's Daily Stoic Sunday episode, Ryan talks about how the pursuit of stillness and inner calm can be found, how he finds it in his own life...
Ask Daily Stoic: Ryan and Congressman Dan Crenshaw Talk Fortitude, Outrage, and How to Be Inspired By History
11 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s episode, Ryan and Congressman Dan Crewnshaw talk about personal accountability, who if anyone we should commemorate as heroic figures, ho...
Don’t Let Them Steal What Can’t Be Replaced
10 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"In early January, Kobe Bryant got a note from a reporter at ESPN. She was working on a story about a moment in Lakers’ history and she wanted ...
This Is What Living Through History Looks Like
09 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"Perhaps you’re alarmed about the state of the world. Perhaps you’re horrified at the risks and dangers that lurk about. Pandemics, political...
It’s Time for Class
08 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"No one is saying you’re not smart. No one is saying that you aren’t pretty well-versed in philosophy. You might even be the most informed ou...
Ask Daily Stoic: Ryan and Writer David Frum Discuss Political Courage and Standing Up For Your Beliefs
08 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s episode, Ryan and conservative pundit David Frum talk about how it feels to be a conservative who opposes Donald Trump, the limitations t...
Keep Your Eye on the Big Picture
07 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"It’s so easy to be reactive these days. We are drowning in information from unlimited sources. Much of it is inaccurate, most of it is sensati...
It’s Never A Straight Line
06 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"You had plans for how this year was going to go. You had plans for your business, for your relationships, plans for your house or your finances....
Ask Daily Stoic: Ryan and Billy Bush Discuss the Stoic Reaction to Public Shaming and How to Grow Beyond It
05 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s episode, Ryan and TV news anchor Billy Bush discuss how to deal with being publicly shamed, the practical use of premeditatio malorum, an...
This Work Must Continue
04 Jul 2020
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...
This Is the Challenge We’re Rising To
03 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"There’s almost nothing more difficult than other people. They’re just tough. They fall short. They get in our way. They do hurtful things. T...
So What Do We Do?
02 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"It’s hard to argue that we are not beset by many problems as a society. Depending on where you sit, those problems might be different, and tha...
We Are Who We Honor
01 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"It was Malraux who said that we judge a society by the monuments it puts up. So imagine a society that puts up statues to tyrants, to someone w...
Ask Daily Stoic: Ryan and E.S. Schubert Talk the Purpose of Monuments and Why Statues Matter
01 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s episode, Ryan and sculptor E.S. Schubert discuss the purpose of monumental statues and the complex issues surrounding who society venerat...