There Is Only One Person to Listen To
07 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"Like any person in power, any person in the public spotlight, any person striving to be great,...
Now Is The Time For Structure
06 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"Maybe right now you’re stuck at home, maybe you’re not working. Your kids might be home wi...
Ask Daily Stoic: Ryan and Robert Greene Talk Plagues, Politics, and Polarization
06 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s episode, Ryan talks with his mentor, author and strategist Robert Greene. They discuss ...
It’s Important to Have Reminders
05 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"It seems crazy now, but amongst the Stoics in the ancient world there was once intense disagre...
Yours Is Not to Reason Why
04 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"It just doesn’t make sense, does it?They have every incentive in the world to get it right, ...
Daily Stoic Sundays: All You Need Are a Few Small Wins Every Day
03 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s episode, Ryan describes how success rarely comes in one fell swoop, but rather is built...
Ask Daily Stoic: Ryan and NBA Legend Pau Gasol Talk Books, Basketball, and Stoicism
02 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s episode, Ryan talks with NBA All-Star, Laker legend and humanitarian Pau Gasol. They di...
You Do the Math
01 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"At least 200,000 people are marked for death worldwide and they don’t even know it. They are...
In the End, It’s Nothing
30 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"From the outside, it can all seem very impressive. Think of Marcus Aurelius, marching into Rom...
You Will Not Be Made Whole
29 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"This was not your fault. You work hard. You pay your taxes and your insurance premiums. You fo...
This Is a Critical Strength to Cultivate
28 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"Whatever you decide to do with your life, whatever path you decide to walk, people are going t...
You Have to Care About the Most Vulnerable
27 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"By now, you’ve probably seen the viral CNN clip of the woman heading to church in Ohio. Aren...
Daily Stoic Sundays: What Marcus Aurelius Can Teach Frontline Responders During COVID-19
26 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This past January, Ryan spoke with the USAF’s 31st Fighter Wing, stationed in Aviano, Italy. Later...
Ask Daily Stoic: Ryan Talks Social Media, Social Distancing, and Stoicism with Congressman Mike Gallagher
25 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Ryan speaks with US Representative Mike Gallagher from the 8th District of Wisconsi...
This Is a Game of Inches
24 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"Zeno lost everything in a shipwreck in the 3rd century BC. A family fortune. His occupation. E...
We All Fall Short
23 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
By now, you may have seen the video. A devout religious woman grabs the hand of Pope Francis as he g...
Rage, Rage Against the Dying of the Light
22 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"In April 46 BCE, 1,974 years ago, Cato the Younger died. In one sense, you might say he died w...
Ryan Interviews Brent Underwood, Ghost Town Proprietor
22 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
On this special bonus episode of the Daily Stoic podcast, Ryan interviews Brent Underwood, a partner...
We Are What We Repeatedly Do
21 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Arete.That’s a powerful word. To the Greeks, it meant excellence. It was the ultimate expression ...
Keep Calm and Carry On
20 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"Things are rough out there, it’s hard to argue with that. The stock market. Quarantines. Hos...
Daily Stoic Sundays: Using Stoicism To Become Unbeatable
19 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s episode, Ryan talks to the University of Alabama football team and discusses how to use...
Ask Daily Stoic: Ryan and John Brownstein Discuss the Science Behind the Pandemic
18 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Ryan speaks with John Brownstein about the COVID-19 pandemic and what we all should...
How Will You Remember This?
17 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Right now, we’re looking at this all up close. It’s in our face. Being stuck at home. Watching b...
We Cannot Be Servants To Our Stuff
16 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
There is a story about King Philip, the father of Alexander the Great. He was leading a massive army...
We Always Lose When We Lose Our Tempers
15 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Something happened. You got pissed. Now two bad things have happened. That’s just a fact. Because...
Your Job is to Get The Best Out of People
14 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
One of the trickiest parts of holding yourself to a high standard in life is that it’s only natura...
You Have A Gun To Your Head
13 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It’s one of the most surprising scenes in literature and film. In Fight Club, Tyler Durden walks i...
Daily Stoic Sundays: The Important Thing is to Not Be Afraid
12 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
On today’s episode, Ryan talks about the importance of courage in the face of great peril—and th...
Ask Daily Stoic: Ryan Holiday & Tim Ferriss Discuss "Alive Time vs Dead Time"
11 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Ryan speaks with Tim Ferriss, the author, podcaster, and investor. Tim has written five New York Tim...
It’s Okay To Ask For Help
10 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It’s the strongest and the most helpful among us that often have the most trouble asking for help....
In Any Event, Do Your Best
09 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Look: none of us are truly self-sufficient. The success of a salesman depends on whether they’ve b...
You Don’t Control When, You Do Control How
08 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
As we’ve discussed, one could look out at the world right now and see a lot of negative. Or you co...
When You’re Going Through Hell, Do This…
07 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
When Seneca was exiled, he wanted to give up, but he didn’t. He wrote. He prepared for the opportu...
Now Is The Time For Heroes
06 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It was a decade or so ago, in the depth of the global financial crisis, that the musician and writer...
Daily Stoic Sundays: The Four Stoic Virtues
05 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
On today's episode, Ryan discusses the Four Stoic Virtues: Courage, Justice, Moderation, and Wi...
Ask Daily Stoic: Chris Guillebeau
04 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this super-sized edition of Ask Daily Stoic, Ryan talks about his visit to a mastermind event in ...
We’re Part of This Beautiful Tradition
03 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Do you remember the first time you heard about the Stoics? Maybe you read about them in another book...
The Way, The Enemy and The Key
02 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We should always be looking for mantras and epigrams. Ideas that are true and applicable in every si...
From The Past, We Are Able To Tell The Future
01 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Let’s imagine a scenario in which almost all our modern scholarship was lost. Imagine if some grea...
How a Few Can Help The Many
31 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Perhaps you know the story of the 300 Spartans. It was first immortalized by Herodotus, and then has...
These Are The Three Most Important Words of Wisdom
30 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Almost 50 years ago, the Beatles whispered to us some words of wisdom: Let it be, let it be, let it ...
Daily Stoic Sundays: Should I Watch The News
29 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Ryan discusses the merits of watching the news, and how to tune out distractions, with Steven Pressf...
Alive Time or Dead Time. What Will It Be?
28 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Here you are, stuck indoors, stuck somewhere you don’t want to be. Maybe also you’re stuck becau...
Ask Daily Stoic - How Do I Use Stoicism To Fend Off Negativity?
28 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Ryan talks about the Edmund Morrison biography of Thomas Edison, reads a passage from The Obstacle i...
When Things Are Tough, Remember This
27 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Most languages have some expression to the effect of “When it rains, it pours.” For instance, in...
No One Escapes This Law
26 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This is not another note about memento mori.It’s about a different immutable, inescapable law of h...
We All Have Flaws… What Matters is What We Do With Them
25 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Jeannie Gaffigan is a control freak. She takes charge. She cares about the little things and getting...
You Can Seize This Moment
24 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This is an email we weren’t expecting to send, but sometimes sudden events call for sudden respons...
The World Is Trying To Teach You
23 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This was all pretty sudden, wasn’t it? The economy was chugging along. Life was going well. We had...
Daily Stoic Sundays: You Don’t Control What Happens, You Control How You Respond
22 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In today's episode, Ryan reads his piece from March 12, "Remember: You Don’t Control Wha...
Ask Daily Stoic: Keeping Calm About Coronavirus
21 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this week's Saturday episode, Ryan discusses the coronavirus pandemic and how to deal with i...
You Should Always Find Something to Learn
20 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We all have our way of doing things. We have what we were directly taught. We have the values that o...
This Is One Thing You Must Not Do
19 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It’s possible, Marcus Aurelius said, to not have an opinion. You don’t have to turn this into so...
When the System Breaks Down, Leaders Stand Up
18 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It began in the East. At least, that’s what the experts think. Maybe it came from animals. Maybe i...
Your Obstacles Are Trying To Teach You Something
17 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
One way to go through life is to turn away from the things that are hard. You can close your eyes an...
We Need You To Be Bold
16 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
On the Roman calendar, March 15th was known as the Ides of March—once most notable as the year’s...
Daily Stoic Sundays: Four Strategies for Reading Better
15 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Ryan talks about how you can improve your reading skill and get more from the books you love.See Pri...
Ask Daily Stoic: Austin Kleon
14 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Ryan chats with Austin Kleon, author of great books like Steal Like An Artist.See Privacy Policy at...
You Must Be a Good Example
13 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Think of the pressure Marcus Aurelius must have been under. Not just of the temptations and the corr...
How Prepared Are You To Start Over?
12 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The Austrian writer Stefan Zweig experienced both incredible good fortune and misfortune in his life...
You Should Always Find Something To Do
11 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
There was time to kill in Rome, just as there is today. A dinner started late. A meeting got cancell...
You Might Never Be Famous — And That’s O.K.
10 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Marcus Aurelius talked a lot about fame. He called it a worthless clacking of tongues and liked to p...
Why Anger Might Be The Worst Vice
09 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
There are many different vices out there. It’s long been a debate amongst priests and philosophers...
Daily Stoic Sundays: How a Stoic Deals with Bad News
08 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Ryan describes how a Stoic can deal with bad news—and not just move past it, but use it to fuel th...
Ask Daily Stoic: How Does a Stoic Deal with Aggressive People?
07 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Ryan talks about the new Daily Stoic offices, reads a selection from The Obstacle is the Way, and an...
Wisdom is the Most Important Virtue
06 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Courage. Temperance. Justice. These are the critical virtues of life. But what situations call for c...
Justice: The Most Important Virtue
05 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Being brave. Finding the right balance. These are core Stoic virtues, but in their seriousness, they...
Temperance is the Most Important Virtue
04 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Yesterday we discussed the Four Virtues, and talked about the primacy of courage. Of course, life is...
Courage is the Most Important Virtue
03 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The Stoics believed that a life well lived was one which always countered adversity with virtue. And...
You Can Make This A Game...and Win
02 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The Stoics said it over and over: the most important thing to remember about pain and suffering is t...
Daily Stoic Sundays: How to Have Your Best Week Yet
01 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Ryan uses eight Stoic lessons to teach us how to have the best week ever.See Privacy Policy at https...
Ask Daily Stoic: Guest Starring Steven Pressfield
29 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week's extra-long Saturday episode of Ask Daily Stoic features Ryan talking about, and spe...
You Must Wash Away This Dust
28 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Life is a dirty, dusty affair. It was that way in Rome and it’s that way today. The puddle in the ...
You Are A God
27 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The Stoic writings alternate between reminding us of our humility and our power. For humility, we ha...
Repeat These Three Words To Yourself Constantly
26 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
“Facts are stubborn things,” John Adams once said, “and whatever may be our wishes, our inclin...
You Must Read… and Re-Read
25 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It’s no secret that John Adams is one of history’s brilliant minds. He was widely respected as a...
Don’t Be Zero-Sum
24 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Steven Pressfield, whose historically-driven novels about ancient Greece have sold millions of copie...
Ask Daily Stoic: How Do You Recognize What's in Your Control?
22 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Ryan talks about speaking to service members at Aviano Air Base in Italy. Ryan reads a passage from ...
Do What’s Right, Not What’s Easy
21 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It was a somber scene as the pallbearers marched down Pine Street carrying the coffin of General Wil...
Who Can You Adopt?
20 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
One of the most remarkable traditions of ancient Rome—and one for which we have no real modern ana...
Why Be Angry About Something That’s Already Gone?
19 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It’s another mess. It’s not your fault, but you’re dealing with it. It’s another rude person...
How To Be Proven Wrong
18 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Imagine writing a book that sells millions of copies over the course of nearly a decade, and then, o...
Don’t Take the Money. Don’t Take the Money.
17 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Cicero and Cato both refused to take bribes, despite how widespread the practice was for politicians...
Ask Daily Stoic: Who Are Some Famous Figure Influenced By Stoicism?
15 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Ryan talks about putting the finishing touches on his upcoming book, Lives of the Stoics. Featuring...
This Is a Command, Not a Mere Reminder
14 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Like most solo pursuits, the artist’s life is one that ceaselessly tests one's mental fortitu...
You Must Think For Yourself
13 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It’s never been easier to get information than it is today. You have access to Wikipedia, to podca...
Can You Be Still?
12 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
There is probably no piece of literature that the Stoics were more familiar with than the Odyssey. S...
Here’s How To Become an Informed Citizen
11 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
When people hear Epictetus quoted to justify not watching the news—“If you wish to improve, be c...
It Takes What It Takes
10 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Watching a master do their work is always impressive. Whether it’s an orator working a crowd or an...
Ask Daily Stoic: Can You Be Informed Without Cable News?
08 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Ryan talks about his upcoming talk in Italy and about James Stockdale, and answers questions from fa...
You Still Have Time. You Have So Much Time.
07 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Seneca’s life is worth looking at for anyone who thinks they missed their shot, who thinks it migh...
You Must Look Beneath The Surface
06 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, and Epictetus, like all Romans, seemed to have loved the theatre. Seneca, ...
If Everyone Is Woke, Then No One is Awake
05 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It’s unquestionably a good thing that the world is waking up to the idea of social justice. For to...
It’s Better To Share
04 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
For Julius Caesar’s grip on power to be complete, he had to eliminate his rivals. So too did Octav...
You Must Win The Morning!
03 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
One of the most relatable moments in Marcus Aurelius’s Meditations is the argument Marcus Aurelius...
Ask Daily Stoic: How Do I Deal With Long Term Problems?
01 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
**Now featuring twice as much content per episode**In each of the Ask Daily Stoic Q&A episodes, ...
Shine On, You Crazy Diamond
31 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
There has always been an odd streak in the Stoics. Zeno used to practice begging people for money, e...
If You Don’t Read, You’re Functionally Illiterate
30 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
General James Mattis is part of a long line of tradition of Stoic warriors. Just as Frederick the Gr...
How You Look At Things Matters
29 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
If you’ve ever been stuck in Los Angeles traffic at night, you know it’s miserable. But if you’...
You Have To Be Kind To Yourself
28 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
There’s no question that much of what we talk about in this philosophy is hard. Specifically, it’...