The Daily Stoic

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...

It’s Not Over Until It’s Over

30 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"We have fought very hard, together, in an unprecedented display of global and national courage, justice, discipline and wisdom.How many people h...

You Need to Have a Vision

29 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

***If you enjoyed this week’s podcast, we’d love for you to leave a review on Apple Podcasts. It helps with our visibility, and the more people li...

Daily Stoic Sundays: How to Feel Like You Have Enough

28 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In today’s episode, Ryan discusses how to feel satisfied with what life has brought you—whatever that may be—using the wisdom of the Stoics.This...

Ask Daily Stoic: Ryan and Jessica Lahey Talk Parenting, the Process of Writing, and How to Fail Gracefully

27 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In today’s episode, Ryan and author and teacher Jessica Lahey talk about how to teach your kids to fail, the process of putting together a book, and...

They Still Hide Money In Books

26 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"As a young boy, the famed basketball coach George Raveling learned an invaluable lesson about the power of both knowledge and ignorance from his...

It Keeps Coming and Won’t Stop Coming

25 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"In March, Brent Underwood thought he’d found the perfect place to ride out the pandemic: a small California ghost town he’d been slowly reno...

Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop, Should Stop

24 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"If you’ve ever made it to the end of Homer’s Odyssey, you might have noticed a rather strange part of the ending. It’s a part that’s tal...

Ask Daily Stoic: Ryan and Lauryn and Michael Bosstick (The Skinny Confidential) Talk Stoic Morning Routines and How to Manage Your Life in Quarantine

24 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In today’s episode, Ryan speaks with Lauryn and Michael Bosstick of The Skinny Confidential, They talk about how they start their days off strong wi...

This Is Your Fight

23 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"It’s tempting to tell yourself that we don’t have a problem. That you don’t have to get involved. This doesn’t affect your community. It...

Life is Overwhelming. Or Is It?

22 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"It’s incredible to think of what has occurred in the last twenty years. The tech bubble. 9/11. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Great Rec...

Daily Stoic Sundays: This Is Your Most Important Job

21 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

“How do we emulate the great parents of history? How do we work on improving ourselves at this essential job? The one for which we are given next to...

Ask Daily Stoic: Ryan and Brett McKay Talk Parenting, Living Through History, and Modern Manliness

20 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In today’s episode, Ryan and Brett McKay, founder of The Art of Manliness (https://www.artofmanliness.com/), talk about being a parent in the age of...

You Need Less Philosophy

19 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"All this reading, all these quotes. This love of learning, our fascination with books. No one is saying it’s a bad thing. Because it isn’t....

You Must Avoid This Weakness

18 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"We’d like to think that our mind is our friend, but of course it isn’t. The Stoics knew this. The mind wants to jump to conclusions. The min...

The One Purchase That Pays You Back

17 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"Is a Stoic stingy and frugal about everything? Some take it that way, but that’s probably the incorrect view. Instead, a Stoic should think bo...

Ask Daily Stoic: Ryan and Ben Hardy Talk Family, Self-Improvement, and How to Take On a Challenge

17 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In today’s episode, Ryan and Ben Hardy, the author and organizational psychologist, talk about the path of self-improvement, being a parent to foste...

We Have To Try Harder To Get There

16 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"It’s not that our ancestors didn’t know what was right, it was that they had trouble fully getting there. In the opening pages of Meditatio...

Are You Holding Your Shield?

15 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"The world has asked a lot of us over the last few months." Ryan describes the sacrifices we've all had to make and why they were so ne...

Daily Stoic Sundays: It’s Always the Time to Act Bravely

14 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In today’s episode, Ryan reads an excerpt from Stillness Is the Key, describing the importance of actually taking action and living the way that you...

Ask Daily Stoic: Ryan and UT Basketball Coach Shaka Smart Talk Self-Control and Using Your Time Wisely

13 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In today’s episode, Ryan and University of Texas basketball coach Shaka Smart talk about focusing on what you can control, how the COVID-19 pandemic...

This Is the Most Powerful Force on Earth

12 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Over and over again, the Stoics remind us how weak we are compared to the force of nature and the whims of nature. Why get angry at the world, Marcus ...

This Is Why You Have to Slow Down

11 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"There’s no question that we are facing a number of pressing issues as a planet: Public health dangers. Homelessness. The rise of authoritarian...

Ask Daily Stoic: Ryan and Author Tom Mueller Talk Whistleblowers, Courage, and Doing the Right Thing

10 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In today’s episode, Ryan and bestselling author Tom Mueller talk about the history of whistleblowers, the crisis of courage in the world right now, ...

No One Can MAKE You Upset

10 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"These are strange times. We all have entrenched political beliefs, for which the stakes seem dreadfully high. There are trolls everywhere. There...

This Is the Hardest Thing

09 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"So much is happening. At home. Abroad. On the news. At work. You have the things you need to do. And the emails that keep pouring in. You have...

How Can You Lighten the Load for Others?

08 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"When things get hard, a Stoic steps up. We’ve talked about that before. We do this because we know we can carry a heavy load, a load heavier t...

Daily Stoic Sundays: This Is Why You Have to Care

07 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In today’s episode, Ryan reads his latest article, discussing the unfair advantage that privilege gives to certain of us because of the color of our...

Ask Daily Stoic: Ryan and Sunday Night Football’s Michele Tafoya Talk Stoicism and Making the Most of Each Day

06 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In today’s episode, Ryan and Michele Tafoya, NFL sideline reporter and radio host, discuss self-improvement in quarantine, sympatheia, and more.This...

You Have to Fight

05 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"Maybe you don’t have to worry about being pulled over for little reason. Maybe you don’t have to worry about not getting the benefit of the ...

You Should Meditate on Greatness

04 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"The Stoics were some of the keenest admirers of human greatness. Marcus Aurelius opens his Meditations with seventeen entries—nearly ten perce...

Ask Daily Stoic: Ryan and Charlamagne tha God Talk Opening Your Mind and Political Power

03 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In today’s episode, Ryan and Charlamagne tha God, host of The Breakfast Club and author, speak on a number of different topics—from reading and fa...

To Wrong One Is To Wrong All

03 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"It’s easy to forget. It’s easy to think small. But this life is not just about us. Our loyalty and duty is not just to ourselves, to our fa...

This Is a War We Are Fighting

02 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"It would be easy to say that this is someone else’s fight. It is easy to say, as some pundits have said, that this is not a fight at all. You ...

You Always Have The Power To Resist

01 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"When one considers the notion of 'resignation and the principle of 'amor fati,' it might not seem like the Stoics and the idea of...

Daily Stoic Sundays: How Marcus Aurelius Conquered Stress (and the Rest of Us Can Too)

31 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In today’s episode, Ryan reads his latest article describing how Marcus Aurelius fought against the stresses and anxieties that come with running a ...

Ask Daily Stoic: Ryan and Cal Newport Discuss Staying Productive in a Pandemic and How to Maintain Focus

30 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today’s podcast, Ryan talks with author and computer scientist Cal Newport about staying productive during the pandemic, how to maintain your foc...

Remove These Three Words From Your Life

29 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"You’ve said them a thousand times. You said them when you were a kid. You said them last year. You’ve caught yourself saying them recently a...

At Least It’s a Chance to Do This

28 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"It would have been much better if this hadn’t happened. If your employee had listened. If your parents could respect your boundaries. If your ...

Ask Daily Stoic: Ryan and Coach George Raveling Talk Meeting Harry Truman, Reading and the Perils of Ego

28 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today’s podcast, Ryan talks with Coach George Raveling, the longtime college basketball coach and member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall...

Stress Is a Fact Of Life, Being Stressed Is Not

27 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"You think the Stoics didn’t experience stress? Of course they did... Seneca had health problems, was exiled, and then had to show up to work ...

There’s Nothing Better Than A Simple Pleasure

26 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"The Spartans were known for their simple, rustic ways. Unlike the citizens of Athens, who dined on the most gourmet fare, the Spartans ate almos...

This Will Make You Feel Better

25 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"It’s been rough. We’re not meant to be inside this long. We’re not meant to spend this much time with our devices. We’re not meant to hi...

Daily Stoic Sundays: You Must Stare This Scary Fact in the Face

24 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today’s podcast, Ryan discusses the idea of memento mori as depicted in art throughout the centuries, and why it might be such a common motif.Thi...

Ask Daily Stoic: Ryan and Coach Buzz Williams (Texas A&M) Talk Habits, Time Management and the Lessons You Can Learn from the Pandemic

23 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Today Ryan talks with Buzz Williams, head coach of the men’s basketball team at Texas A&M. They discuss the impact of the COVID-19 quarantine on...

There Is Nothing Special About Money

22 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"For all the poverty he practiced and Stoic philosophy he wrote, clearly there was some part of Seneca that was dazzled by money. Even though he ...

Do You Know How To Wait?

21 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"Shakespeare waited out a plague. So did Isaac Newton. The poet John Keats spent 10 days in a harbor, waiting out a typhus epidemic. Think of the...

Ask Daily Stoic: Ryan Talks Freedom and Personal Responsibility with David French

20 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Today Ryan talks with author and reporter David French about the balance between personal and civic responsibility, the ability to take criticism, the...

The Horror of Words Not Turned Into Deeds

20 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"It’s always been tempting to talk a good game. People have been doing it for thousands of years. But today, it’s never been easier to talk a...

Bring On Your Wrecking Ball

19 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"What does a Stoic say to adversity? To recessions? To pandemics? To setbacks and struggles and months stuck inside? To uncertainty and cramped q...

Don’t Learn This Dangerous Lesson

18 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"It’s easy to look at history and learn the wrong lesson. You see Alexander the Great or Julius Caesar and can’t help but connect their enorm...

Daily Stoic Sundays: Ryan Talks with South Carolina Football About How to Practice Stoicism

17 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Today’s podcast features Ryan talking to the University of South Carolina Gamecocks football team, discussing how you can use Stoicism in a practica...

Ask Daily Stoic: Ryan and Historian Andrew Roberts Talk Leadership, Character and How One Person Can Change The World

16 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Today Ryan talks with writer and historian Andrew Roberts about the process of writing about historical figures, the ways that character is tested dur...

Better To Have Than Not To Have

15 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"It’s easy to think—given their spurning of so many of the pleasures that other people chase—that the Stoics didn’t want or like anything...

We Are All Tied Up Together

14 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"These are rough times. Then again, times are always rough for someone. If not for us, then for someone else. And according to the Stoics, that ...

Ask Daily Stoic: Ryan and NBA G League Coach Coby Karl Answer Your Questions About Stoicism and Sports

13 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Today Ryan talks with Coby Karl, a former member of the Los Angeles Lakers and current head coach of the NBA G League’s South Bay Lakers. They take ...

Always Keep A Role Model In Mind

13 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"It’s key then, if you want to be good and do good, that you have a kind of North Star in your life that keeps you centered. A role model who d...

This Is Who To Turn To When You’re Struggling

12 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"For thousands of years people have been turning to Stoicism when they had problems, big and small. Obviously you know that on some level or you ...

Just Do One Thing Every Day

11 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"Seneca wrote a lot of letters to his friend Lucilius. We don’t know a lot about Lucilius, only that he was from Pompeii, he was a Roman knight...

Daily Stoic Sundays: Life Comes at You Fast. So You Better Be Ready.

10 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In today’s episode, Ryan reads his latest article about the unpredictability of life, and how we should always be prepared for the worst and the bes...

Ask Daily Stoic: How Do I Deal With Imposter Syndrome?

09 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In today’s episode, Ryan talks about the new box set (https://geni.us/A6gX) of his first three books on Stoicism. He reads from Seneca’s Letters f...

Can You Help Others First?

08 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"Here we are in tough times. A global pandemic has struck wide swaths of the population. Governments are struggling under the load. Economies are...

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, Marcus struggled with caring too much about what ...

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 with you. Certainly the normal way of doing things h...

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 historical links to today’s pandemic, the 2020 U...

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 disagreement over whether philosophers should have “pre...

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, and they can’t. They’re putting their own live...

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 a little more every day, bit by bit.Building succ...

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 discuss everything from Pau's reading habit to ...

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 the back half of 'the curve.' They are ...