The Daily Stoic
Episodes
Your Character Defines Your Life | General Stanley McChrystal (PT. 2)
23 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The test of character is simple: what do you do when you have nothing to lose… or everything? Ryan and General Stanley McChrystal continue their con...
It’ll Come For You Eventually | How To Read Better (10 Rules From Ryan Holiday)
22 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Sooner or later, it catches up with you. When you compromise with bad people, their consequences become yours. 📚 Sign up for Ryan’s free mon...
These Are Three Ancient Stoic Secrets | Ask Daily Stoic
21 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Without wisdom, the other virtues cannot truly flourish—it is wisdom that guides our courage, moderates our discipline, and directs our sense of jus...
Is This Really Worth The Cost?
20 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We can’t let our accomplishments fool us into thinking that we are immortal, that we can outthink, outrun, outwork death. 📚 The ebook editio...
The Hard Truth About Character | General Stanley McChrystal (PT. 1)
20 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We control who we are. We control what we do. We control the standards we hold ourselves to. Ryan sits down with retired four-star General Stanley McC...
Why Are You Going Through Life This Way? | Just Say No To Future Misery
19 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A pause creates space. A pause creates clarity. A pause can change everything.🪙 Carry The Daily Stoic Pause & Reflect Medallion as a reminder t...
Can You Believe We Can Do This? | Only Fools Rush In
18 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’re doing better than it sometimes feels. Let us marvel at the cooperation that is possible—considering the flawed and petty humans it depends o...
Maybe You CAN Make More Time
17 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Stoics remind us that time, especially the time we’re healthy and able to actually enjoy life, is our most valuable resource. But knowing that i...
When Good People Lose Themselves to Tyrants | James Romm (PT. 2)
16 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
History has a way of looking calmer than it really was. In this PT. 2 episode, Ryan sits down with historian and author James Romm to talk about the m...
The Choice Is Clear (But That Doesn’t Mean It’s Easy) | Ryan Holiday Ran The ORIGINAL Marathon
15 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When it comes to doing what’s right, the timing is rarely perfect.🎥 Watch the video of Ryan running the ORIGINAL Marathon on The Daily Stoic YouT...
This Is The Only Place To Look For Approval | Ask Daily Stoic
14 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We want the stamp of approval—from the critics, from the crowd, from the market. This makes sense...except it doesn’t.📖 Preorder the final book...
It’s Always Been Like This (But Worse)
13 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The point is: It’s always been rough. The point is: It always will be rough. 📖 Preorder the final book in Ryan Holiday's The Stoic Virtues S...
When Good People Lose Themselves to Tyrants | James Romm (PT. 1)
13 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What makes smart, principled people work for the worst leaders? In this conversation, historian and author James Romm and Ryan dig into the timeless t...
This Is The Secret To Success (And A Happy Life) | Always Ask Yourself This Question
12 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's only fools who fly off the handle, it's the immature who say the first thought that pops into their head, it's the irresponsible who act without ...
This Is What To Surprise Them With | No Time For Theories, Just Results
11 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ask yourself today: Where can you be less possessive? Where can you share the load, elevate someone else, or choose principle over pride?📔 Pick up ...
Stoic Lessons From The Worst Day In The World
10 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Everything went wrong. But Ryan stayed calm. A real-time Stoic stress test, and a reminder that philosophy is for days just like this.📖 Preorder th...
Are We In A Post-Shame Society? | Elliot Ackerman (PT. 2)
09 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What happens when politics becomes performance and politicians become influencers? In today’s Part 2 episode, former Marine and NYT bestselling auth...
It’s Always The Right Time To Do The Right Thing | Epictetus' Guide To A Better Life
08 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The right time to do the hard thing, the courageous thing, the right thing? It’s right now. 📖 Preorder the final book in Ryan Holiday's The ...
Now You Know Better, Do This | Ask Daily Stoic
07 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Guilt is about the past and the past is the one thing we cannot change. All we can do is do better now. 📖 Preorder the final book in Ryan Holi...
The One Thing In Your Life You Can Control
06 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Our lives are unpredictable. We are at the mercy of so many forces.📖 Preorder the final book in Ryan Holiday's The Stoic Virtues Series: "Wisdom Ta...
The #1 Gift You Can Give Your Future Self | Former Marine Elliot Ackerman
06 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Former Marine turned novelist Elliot Ackerman sits down with Ryan to talk about what discipline really looks like in everyday life. From 100-degree ru...
Where Would We Be Without Them? | What Little Wins Can You Find
05 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Education takes time. It takes work. It takes patience. 📖 Preorder the final book in Ryan Holiday's The Stoic Virtues Series: "Wisdom Takes Wo...
We Are Better Than Before | No Blame, Just Focus
04 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Before, you were scared. Before, you were soft. Before, you were dependent. Before, you were so many things.📔 Pick up your own leather bound signed...
See How The Other Half Lives
03 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
True curiosity demands action. It challenges your assumptions, expands your worldview, and pushes you to do something with what you learn.📚 The Fou...
Winning Is A Muscle. Build It. | WNBA Legend Candace Parker
02 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
If there’s one thing Candace Parker does best, it’s winning. In today’s episode, Ryan sits down with basketball legend Candace Parker to talk ab...
Why Would It Go Differently For You? | 9 Life-Changing Books
01 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When people show us who they are, we need to believe them.👉 Find all of the books mentioned in today's episode here: https://www.thepaintedporch.co...
There Is Hope Within Despair | Ask Daily Stoic
31 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Despair is so easy, even reasonable in moments like this. The Stoics knew that feeling well. 📖 Preorder the final book in Ryan Holiday's The Stoic ...
BONUS | Matthew McConaughey’s Advice on Handling Difficult People
31 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When Marcus Aurelius wrote 'the obstacle is the way,' he was talking about difficult people. Tune in to hear Matthew McConaughey’s advice on how to ...
This Is How To Direct Your Life
30 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What good is courage if not in pursuit of justice? And how can we know what is just and right without wisdom? And without temperance and self-discipli...
Feelings Are Valid, Reacting To Them Is Not | Dr. Aliza Pressman
30 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Self-regulation is the single most important skill for life. In today’s episode, developmental psychologist and parenting expert Dr. Aliza Pressman ...
Can You Subject Yourself To This? | A Week Without Complaining
29 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
You have to interrogate the thoughts, views, and understanding of the facts. You do this not to prove you're right, but to ensure you’re not wrong—...
No One Can Give You This | Check Your Privilege
28 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
“Why do you wait?” Seneca asks us. “Wisdom comes haphazard to no man.”📚 The Four Stoic Virtues: Justice, Temperance, Wisdom, Courage, are t...
100 (Stoic) Lessons From Marcus Aurelius
27 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Marcus Aurelius didn't read a book once and think that he got it. He read it over and over and over again. In today's video, Ryan shares 100 lessons t...
Live from the Birthplace of Stoicism (PT. 2) | Ryan Holiday and Donald Robertson (in Greece)
26 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s Part 2 episode, Ryan visits the birthplace of Stoicism in Athens and sits down for lunch with writer and cognitive-behavioral psychothera...
BONUS | Jefferson Fisher's Reading List (From Ryan Holiday)
26 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
After their conversation for The Daily Stoic Podcast, Ryan gives communication expert and The Next Conversation author Jefferson Fisher book recommend...
This Is How To Change Your Life | 25 Brutally Honest Stoic Reminders From Marcus Aurelius
25 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How can we make a great fortune out of misfortune? Reverse our circumstances, as Epictetus did?💡 We designed our How To Read Epictetus (A Daily Sto...
This Doesn’t Make You Weak | Ask Daily Stoic
24 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Stoics were human. Most great men and women were. If they were made of stone, what would there be to admire?📖 Preorder the final book in Ryan H...
Don’t Deprive Yourself This Fortune
23 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
If enslavement—the horrible torture that Epictetus experienced, the lifelong disability that followed it—didn’t touch his power over himself, wh...
Live from the Birthplace of Stoicism | Ryan Holiday and Donald Robertson (in Greece)
23 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Follow along as Ryan visits the birthplace of Stoicism in Athens—where Zeno once taught beneath the legendary Stoa Poikile. Joined by writer and cog...
This Is The Most Valuable Real Estate In The World | Keeping "The News" In Check
22 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We study philosophy to learn how to protect this real estate between our ears—and you could argue there's no better teacher than Epictetus.💡 We d...
Are Your Excuses Any Better? | Made For Working Together
21 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Let’s call out the cowards and the corrupt—but let’s also hold up the mirror. 📔 Pick up your own leather bound signed edition of The Dai...
The Stoic Formula For Timeless Success | Ryan Holiday
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What separates the work that fades from the work that endures? In this episode, Ryan explores the Stoic wisdom behind lasting success and how to turn ...
This Conversation Will Make You Rethink Everything You Create | James Altucher (PT. 2)
19 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
James Altucher and Ryan return for Part 2 to talk about creativity, aging, and why most ideas don’t last. Ryan explains why he avoids personal stori...
Are You Bringing The Words To Life? | This Is Why You're Anxious.
18 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Epictetus didn't just theorize about resilience—he lived it. It’s why his powerful lessons have endured for nearly two millennia as perhaps the mo...
We Can Be Hurt…Or We Can Do This Instead | Ask Daily Stoic
17 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
People will betray us in life. They will take from us. We can be hurt and broken and angry about this, or we can use it as Epictetus did—as a remind...
This Conversation Will Make You Rethink Everything You Create | James Altucher (PT. 1)
16 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The greatest work isn’t what goes viral, it’s what endures. Podcaster, writer, and venture capitalist James Altucher joins Ryan to talk about why ...
Will You See What Everyone Else Missed?
16 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's unfortunate Epictetus isn't more widely read—because when he is, he changes lives.💡 We designed our How To Read Epictetus (A Daily Stoic Gui...
Do You Have This Too? | Practice Gentleness Instead of Anger
15 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
There was gruffness to the Stoics. A wariness of getting too close or too attached, lest your heart be broken by fortune. But does that mean the Stoic...
Only The Wise Are Free | A Little Knowledge Is Dangerous
14 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Most people are enslaved and controlled and directed by their ignorance. Their impulses. Their temper. Their desires and delusions.📚 The Four Stoic...
Seneca Explains The Art of Argument
13 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this letter, Seneca critiques sophistical argumentation, highlighting how it exercises wit without purpose and distracts from the essentials of liv...
Think About Death. Science Says You’ll Be Happier. | Dr. Laurie Santos
12 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The most misunderstood Stoic practice is Memento Mori - remember you will die. Dr. Laurie Santos, an expert on the science of happiness, joins Ryan to...
Can You Play Ball Like This? | Stoic Tips For Navigating Change & Disruption
11 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Win or lose, what matters, the Stoics believed, was that we tried. That we did our best. 💡 We designed our How To Read Epictetus (A Daily Stoi...
Do You Know The Favorite Of Your Favorite? | Ask Daily Stoic
10 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It’s rather sad—almost sacriligeous—that more people don’t know who shaped Marcus’s philosophical worldview. 💡 We designed our How T...
It Does Make Sense
09 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It drives you nuts—the things some people believe and do and say. But here’s the thing: It does make sense. It makes sense to them.📖 Preorder t...
Your Worldview Is Only as Wide as Your Curiosity | Chet Garner
09 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
You can’t expand your perspective if you never step out of your bubble. In today’s episode, Ryan sits down with Chet Garner, host of The Daytrippe...
How The Powerless Become Powerful | Don't Look For The Third Thing
08 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Why is self-command and self-knowledge so elusive? How can we find it? Well, Epictetus can show us the way, as he did for Marcus and Hadrian and count...
Forget Your Dreams. Do This Instead. | Our Duty To Learn
07 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The key to life, Epictetus said, was not to dream for things to be a certain way but to dream for them to be the way they were. To be grateful that yo...
The 3-Step Formula for Difficult Conversations
06 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Looking for practical strategies to deal with difficult people? In today’s episode, communication expert Jefferson Fisher shares a 3-step process fo...
You’re Not Wasting Time, You’re Wasting Your Life | Rutger Bregman (PT. 2)
05 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
You’re not here to impress, you're here to make a difference. In this PT. 2 episode, historian and bestselling author Rutger Bregman sits down with ...
There Is No Freedom Without This (or Rather, Without These) | 8 Stoic Strategies To Beat Procrastination
04 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The American experiment—based as it was on individual liberty—was built on the necessity of virtue and honor. A people freed from the tyranny of g...
This Too Is Always Yours (And Can’t Be Taken) | Ask Daily Stoic
03 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
There is something that can’t be taken from us by even the strongest strong man or the most unlucky of external events. 📖 Preorder the final...
This Is How The Impossible Became Possible
02 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What Epictetus learned in his fascinating life—beginning in slavery and culminating in a legacy as one of the most influential philosophers of all t...
You’re Not Wasting Time, You’re Wasting Your Life | Rutger Bregman (PT. 1)
02 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
You could be doing anything with your life…so why are you choosing this? Historian and bestselling author Rutger Bregman joins Ryan to question ever...
Do You Have This? | Protect Your Own Good
01 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Seneca practiced poverty. Marcus Aurelius mentally rehearsed being criticized and misunderstood. Why did they put themselves in these uncomfortable po...
The One Thing In Your Life You Can Control | The Obstacle Is The Way
30 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Our lives are unpredictable. We are at the mercy of so many forces. 📚 Books Mentioned:The Inner Citadel by Pierre HadotThe Obstacle Is the Way...
6 Stoic Tips to Being a Great Friend
29 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When we think of great Stoic figures like Marcus Aurelius, Cato, and Epictetus, we tend to focus solely on the individual, their perspective, their ob...
AI Isn't Stealing Creativity, It's Supercharging It | Rick Rubin (PT. 2)
28 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Is AI the end of creativity, or the beginning of a new artistic era? Rick Rubin returns for PT. 2 of his conversation with Ryan about how AI is reshap...
Look Around, How Lucky We Are To Be Alive Right Now | 10 Quotes To Improve Your Life
27 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For all the stupidity, for all the disasters, for all the noise and uncertainty, this is actually one of the least bad moments to ever exist.📖 Preo...
This Also Cannot Be Taken (Only Given Up) | Ask Daily Stoic
26 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Why should a Stoic let the awfulness of the world make them feel awful? Why would we let someone else’s darkness cast a shadow on our own life?📕 ...
Stop Turning Challenges Into Catastrophes
25 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Stress, anxiety, and concern don’t exist outside us but within us—which means we have the power to do something about it, too. 🪙 We are th...
AI Isn't Stealing Creativity, It's Supercharging It | Rick Rubin (PT. 1)
25 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What if AI isn’t replacing creativity, but expanding it in ways we’ve never seen before? Rick Rubin joins Ryan to discuss the mysterious nature of...
Who Can Tell You You’re Wrong? | What's In Your Way Is The Way
24 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The thing about power is not so much that it changes you but that it changes the people around you. It changes what they’re willing to say to y...
Letting Go Is Not Giving Up | The Long Way Around
23 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Coming to terms with pain and setbacks and unfairness is critical to moving forward, to affecting change, to being a leader, to basic happiness. 📔 ...
The Virtue That Makes All The Others Worth Having
22 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
“Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest.” - Mark TwainIn this powerful talk, Ryan explains why justice is the true m...
The UNTOLD Emotional Struggles of History’s Most Powerful Men | Ron Chernow (PT. 2)
21 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Mark Twain didn’t just write American classics, he lived one of the most powerful personal transformations in history. In Part 2 of this conversatio...
You Must Avoid These Stains Too | How To Make The Right Decision (Even When It Will Cost You)
20 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
There are forces out there, just as tempting as power, that can cut us off from our values, from truth, from other people, from what matters. It takes...
You Can’t Be Afraid To Lose It | Ask Daily Stoic
19 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Stoics remind you that the point of financial security is to feel secure. The point of plenty is to realize that you have enough. You can’t fear...
This Cannot Be Taken (Only Given)
18 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Powerful people can take from you. Yet the Stoics remind us: our character is our own.📖 Preorder the final book in Ryan Holiday's The Stoic Virtues...
The UNTOLD Emotional Struggles of History’s Most Powerful Men | Ron Chernow (PT. 1)
18 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Brilliance without emotional control is often a recipe for destruction. In this episode, Ryan sits down with Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer Ron Che...
Forgiveness, Can You Imagine? | Take A Walk
17 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We will be wronged—by friends, by colleagues, by life itself. When that happens, we have a choice: to be consumed by bitterness or to rise above it....
How Astonished Would They Be? | No Shame In Needing Help
16 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It is astonishing, this world we live in. And it is a gift, this philosophical tradition we carry forward.📔 Pick up your own leather bound signed e...
You're Wasting The One Thing You Can’t Get Back
15 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What if the most valuable thing you’ll ever own is already slipping through your fingers?🎥 Watch Robert and Ryan's conversation here: https://www...
How To Survive In A World Of Assholes | Melinda Wenner Moyer
14 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What does it take to stay good when the world feels like it’s falling apart? And how do we prepare the next generation to do the same? Science journ...
It’s About How You Respond | 7 Habits To Have The Most Productive Week Of Your Life
13 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Nobody likes being criticized. Nobody likes it when someone highlights your mistakes. In Meditations, Marcus Aurelius tries to remind himself that he ...
We Can’t Let Them Stop Us | Ask Daily Stoic
12 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We cannot let them sully us—although we have to accept that they are going to do their best.📚 Books mentioned: Ego is the Enemy by Ryan Holi...
It Asks This Of You
11 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
No one ever became excellent by chance, the Stoics said…so if you want to be courageous and disciplined and ethical, you gotta do the work.📖 Preo...
The Deadly Cost of Honor in The Wild West | Bryan Burrough
11 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Wild West is full of myths, but behind the gunfights and honor codes is a deeper story about virtue and civilization. In today’s episode, bestse...
Put The Suitcase Away | Try The Other Handle
10 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We travel for work. We travel to see family. We travel to learn. As always, re-entry into our regular life, sleeping in our own bed, can require some ...
We Must Battle These Two Vices | Solve Problems Early
09 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We have these desires and aversions, these habits we indulge, these things we let ourselves get away with.💡 We designed The Daily Stoic Leadership ...
One Day Can Be A Whole Life | Ryan Holiday
08 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Sometimes the best days don’t start out that way. In this episode, Ryan Holiday shares a personal story about how a seemingly ordinary, maybe even c...
If They Control Your Attention, They Control YOU | Chris Hayes (PT. 2)
07 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In a world obsessed with attention, are we rewarding the worst in us? In today’s PT. 2 episode, Chris Hayes and Ryan dive deep into how virtue signa...
Why Are You Surprised? | 12 Stoic Strategies on How To Stop Caring What People Think
06 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We have to be prepared for what people will do. That isn’t to say we need to become cynical, but it is to say that we have stop fooling ourselves.&n...
Do Not Let This Miracle Go To Waste | Ask Daily Stoic
05 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The whole future is uncertain, Seneca reminds us. Live virtuously, of course, but also live immediately.🪙 We have a collection of items in the Dail...
This Is Why We Do It
04 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Cleanthes and Socrates exposed themselves to cold. Marcus Aurelius slept on a hard mattress. Seneca practiced poverty on a regular basis. Why did they...
If They Control Your Attention, They Control YOU | Chris Hayes (PT. 1)
04 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What if the real problem isn’t politics, the economy, or technology, but where you’re directing your attention? Emmy-winning journalist Chris Haye...
Who Was The Tough One? | Role Models
03 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
There is no mention of what became of the Stoics' wives. We don’t talk about the slights and the condescension they would have put up with as the ‘...
This Is How You Become Well-Read | Plato's View
02 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As Marcus would say, we can't be satisfied with merely "getting the gist" of what we read. "Read attentively," he advised. Read deeply. Aim for qualit...
When Everything Feels Unpredictable, Hold Onto This
01 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In moments of chaos, let Stoicism be your guide. In today’s episode, Ryan dives into how to tackle both small and big obstacles by harnessing your i...
The Stoic’s Playbook For INSTANT Charisma | Vanessa Van Edwards (PT. 2)
31 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Stoics knew something we often forget: influence starts before you speak. It's in your energy, your posture, your presence. In today’s PT. 2 epi...
It’s Not Something You’ve Done. It’s Something You’re Doing. | 9 Stoic Keys To Building Character That Lasts
30 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The world is constantly changing. We are constantly changing. Therefore what we get out of these books changes, too. 📓 The Daily Stoic eBook is $1....