The Daily Stoic

This Is Why We Do It

27 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

When we do good, we don’t need to ask for more, because practicing virtue is its own profound return.📿 Get your own Four Virtues Pendant to wear ...

Stoic Reminders for Thanksgiving | Gratitude, Forgiveness, and Amor Fati

27 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Every year instead of contributing to the corporate indulgence of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, we encourage our listeners to make a donation. Every ...

So It’s Weird, Now Deal With It | Time-Tested Stoic Truths For Life

26 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It’s weird. It’s unnatural. It’s not how you’d like things to be. But so what? Welcome to life. ✉️ Want Stoic wisdom delivered to you...

The Who’s Who of Who’s That | Balance The Books Of Life Daily

25 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Eternal fame doesn’t even last. So what should we prize instead? 📕 Pick up your own Premium Leather Edition of Meditations - Marcus Aurelius (Gre...

This Is Why I Don’t Have Goals (And What To Do Instead)

24 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Forget goals. Be Every Day.🎥 Watch Coach Buzz Williams' interview on YouTube✉️ Want Stoic wisdom delivered to your inbox daily? Sign up for the...

Donald Robertson on What Ancient Philosophy Teaches Us About Facing Uncertainty

23 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Stoicism is no different than working out or journaling—it is a daily practice that we lean on to overcome the obstacles we face every day. As a cog...

We Must Think The Unthinkable | The Glass Is Already Broken

22 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The point of contemplating this unthinkable reality isn’t morbid, it’s purposeful.🎙️ Listen to Martha Nussbaum's interview on the Daily Stoic...

Real Power Can't Be Taken Away | Ask DS

21 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

They can hate you, they can send you away, they can mock you or even kill you, but no one can take away those principles.Ask DS:Is Stoicism considered...

The East Side of Sorrow

20 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Pain and suffering and loss are a part of life. It was a part of life for the rich and powerful Stoics like Marcus and Seneca, it was a part of life f...

Donald Robertson on the Life of Socrates and His Impact on Stoicism

20 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It’s easy to forget that the Stoics, Socrates, and other ancient philosophers were just like us—human and therefore imperfect. But in his new book...

Have You Read These? | The Brutal Truth About Ego (The Stoics Warn About)

19 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

You can’t be a student of the Stoics without reading the Stoics.Books mentioned: Letters From A Stoic by SenecaHardship and Happiness (The Complete ...

It’s A Bad Use Of Your Creativity | Practice Letting Go

18 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

You have been given an incredibly powerful too—this brain and imagination of yours. We have to direct these resources properly.🪙 Gain a powerful ...

Ryan Holiday's MasterClass | Using Ancient Wisdom to Solve Modern Problems

17 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Tune in for an exclusive sneak peak into what Ryan talks about in his MasterClass, Using Ancient Wisdom to Solve Modern Problems. The first course was...

Ken Burns on Bringing History’s Greatest Stories Back to Life (And Why Doing So Matters)

16 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

With over 40 documentaries under his belt, Ken Burns is one of the most iconic filmmakers of our time. His newest documentary, which features a brand-...

Split It In Two — It’ll Have To Do | Everything Is Change

15 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Life doesn’t go easy on any of us. It splits us in two…and half will have to do.📓 Grab your own leather bound signed edition of The Daily Stoic...

Live Like This To Handle Anything | Ask DS

14 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

By living philosophically, we can learn to handle anything. This isn’t easy. But this is also a foundation for true well-being, happiness, and, as s...

They Can Help You With Your Most Important Job

13 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The more you study philosophy the more you realize that parenting is a topic almost every tradition has spoken about. The Daily Dad is built around a...

Dr. Jennifer Baker on Teaching Stoicism and Virtue Ethics to the Next Generation

13 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

How can Stoicism be applicable for Gen Z and generations to come? As a Professor of Philosophy, Dr. Jennifer Baker has an insider's look into what res...

Each One Tells You This | Financial Freedom Won't Set You Free

12 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Each yesterday is gone, dead. While there is a little grief, it also presents you an opportunity. a chance to begin afresh. 🗓️ The Daily Stoic Pa...

So What’s Your Plan? | Judge Yourself, Not Others

11 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Whether you’re excited about the direction of the country or not, you still have to focus on what’s in your control (which is you).📓 Pick up a ...

Seneca On The Reasons For Withdrawing From The World

10 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Seneca lived in a chaotic, dangerous, and unpredictable time. Listen in to this letter he wrote about how to stay sane in a crazy world and his advice...

Mt. Joy’s Matt Quinn on Consistent Growth Vs. Overnight Success (And Which Is Sweeter)

09 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In the age of virality and trending TikTok songs, Mt. Joy rose to fame through the band’s authentic storytelling and community building within the i...

Don’t Follow His Example (For Once) | Actors In A Play

08 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Don’t follow Cato’s example. Keep fighting for virtue and the common good.🎥 Watch Patrick Dempsey’s interview on YouTube 🎥 Watch Matthew M...

Could You Survive This? | Ask DS

07 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

To survive success and fame and power, to be virtuous in such a situation, one must make it the work of their life.Ask DS: How does Ryan approach inst...

Your Duty Remains The Same

06 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As a Stoic, nothing in an election changes what is asked or obligated of you. You are still expected to be a person of virtue. 📕 Pick up a copy of ...

Dan Jones on Why History Is Our Greatest Teacher And Henry V’s Legacy

06 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We’ve all heard of Marcus Aurelius, Alexander the Great, Napoleon, but what about Henry V? British historian Dan Jones joins Ryan today to talk abou...

Don’t Let Bad Times Make You A Bad Person | Underrated Stoic Advice For A Better Life (From Seneca)

05 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As individuals what is up to us is whether these bad times make us a bad person, whether hard events harden our hearts, whether the wrongs of the worl...

This Is Your Main Job | The Real Power You Have

04 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We must remain good. We must remain sane. This is our job.📓 Pick up a signed edition of The Daily Stoic Journal: 366 Days of Writing and Reflection...

Navigating Success and Adversity | Stoic Lessons on Wealth and Fortune

03 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Of all the schools of philosophy, none give us a more practical framework for becoming rich, free, and happy than Stoicism. Today, Ryan is speaki...

Why Narcissistic Leaders Always Fail (In The End)

03 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We can't accept, we cannot tolerate, we cannot rationalize narcissistic leaders. We have to aspire to be real leaders, servant leaders, leaders of cou...

Sharon McMahon on How We Can All Be Change-Makers

02 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

If we don’t take action to help just one person, how can we expect to help them all? Ryan and Sharon McMahon, author of The Small and the Mighty,&nb...

This Is The Dead’s Day | Accepting What Is

01 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

There is great value in rituals that allow us to confront and even dance with the reality of death. Taking time to process, grieve, and accept this in...

Let Go To Get This | Ask DS

31 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Having goals and desires in life is fine but needing things to go a certain way to be happy? These pained, intense, anxious moments reveal the mo...

This Is Why We Do Our Part

30 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Being virtuous, like voting, is within our power. Whether it visibly changes the world is not. But we act because it is our duty, and that alone is re...

Sharon McMahon on The Unsung Americans Who Altered the Course of History

30 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

“The people that history smiles most kindly upon, are the ones who just kept doing the next needed thing.” These words from Sharon McMahon remind ...

Into The Flood Again | How Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations Transformed My Life

29 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Calm isn’t something we get by managing our external environment or by hoping that we luck out. This is something we create.📕 Pick up your own Pr...

This Is How You Stay Intact | Accepting What Is

28 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Maintaining healthy boundaries in your life requires discipline. And only through self-discipline and self-control are we capable of achieving the gre...

Who Would Marcus Aurelius Vote For?

27 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Register to vote at https://vote.gov🎟 Ryan Holiday is going on tour! Grab tickets for London, Rotterdam, Dublin, Vancouver, and Toronto at ryanholi...

Adam Kinzinger on The Future of American Leadership

26 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In just a couple of weeks, Vice President Kamala Harris or former President Donald Trump will be named the next President of the United States of Amer...

Take Back Control With This | Two Tasks

25 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Imagine if you had the tools to be less angry, less distracted, less impulsive. Imagine if the news and social media didn’t make your blood boil, yo...

Just Get It Done | Ask DS

24 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Not everyone is going to appreciate your perspective or your beliefs. By the same token, you’re not going to agree with everyone else—in your indu...

Take This Seriously

23 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Stoicism is not a philosophy for the classroom, but a philosophy for life. You use it and it makes you better. That is, if you take it seriously. If y...

Adam Kinzinger on Standing Up For The Truth

23 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Adam Kinzinger was 1 of 10 Republicans who voted to impeach former President Donald Trump back in 2021 following the January 6th attack on the U.S. Ca...

It Can Make You Great | The Hidden Power Of Compassion

22 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Can we really call Marcus Aurelius a “philosopher king?” How great a Stoic was he actually?💡 We set up Stoicism 101: Ancient Philosophy For You...

Let This Wash Over You | Build Up, Don't Tear Down

21 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It doesn’t matter what’s happening in the world. Golden hour is there. It’s there more than once a day, weather permitting.💡 We designed The ...

Letters of Stoic Wisdom | Marcus Aurelius and Fronto

20 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Marcus Aurelius' letters to his rhetoric teacher, Fronto, give us a unique look into his life and relationships. As Brigid Delaney said in her recent ...

Julia Baird on Accepting Responsibility and the Strength of Forgiveness

19 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

While we aren’t the ones to blame for the mistakes of our ancestors' pasts, we are responsible for what we do today to combat the repercussions of t...

Let It Be And Let It Go | Frenemies

18 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Life is hard. People are not perfect. If we cannot cultivate the ability to let things be and to let them go, we’ll never get anything done. 🎟 Ry...

This Is Why We Study | Ask DS

17 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

To be a Stoic is to be a lifelong student. You don’t read the Stoics, you study them.Ask DS: What mentorship lessons did Ryan learn from Robert Gree...

Your Effort Today Can Change Tomorrow

16 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

If you convince yourself that nothing can be changed, that your actions don’t matter, you’re right—but you’ve also surrendered. Time and time ...

Julia Baird on Building Resilience and How Grace Can Change Everything

16 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The fundamental idea of Stoicism is that we cannot control what happens to us (or the ones we love), we can only control how we respond. Julia Baird k...

You’re Afraid of Death Because of This? | 12 Stoic Rules For Life

15 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

By thinking, by imagining that we’ve just been given a few months to live, we too can see immediately what we should stop doing. We realize we don’...

Here’s What Not To Do | Make Honesty Your Only Policy

14 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Though Cicero wrote histories that praised the ethics and virtues of the Stoics, his ego and his expensive tastes got in the way of actually practicin...

The Worst Advice On The Internet

13 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The great thing about the internet is that no one is excluded from building a platform, connecting with a community, and sharing their opinions and pe...

Chase Jarvis on Why Embracing Risks is Necessary for Creative Success

12 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Risk-taking means diving into the unknown, which is scary because anything could happen, but not taking risks is the only guarantee that nothing will ...

We Have To Help Each Other | Honesty As Our Default

11 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

There are so many things outside our control. We can’t stop a hurricane, or prevent an earthquake. But we can help our fellow citizens and fellow hu...

Use This To Slay Stress | Ask DS

10 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

How do we get outside our heads when our stomach is twisting in knots and our heart is pumping out of our chests?We create mementos, as the Stoics did...

Turn the Tables | Ryan Holiday Reflects on 10 Years of The Obstacle Is the Way

09 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, the tables have turned as Ryan Holiday is interviewed by his research assistant, Billy Oppenheimer, to talk about the 10th Anniversary Edition ...

The Winds May Howl But…

09 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As history repeats itself in new and unfamiliar forms, we will once again choose to stand firm, knowing that while the storm may be relentless, our re...

What A Thing To Have Done! | How To Keep Calm In A Chaotic World

08 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Most of our problems are not so urgent. The stakes are not so high. Yet we rush, we react emotionally. But how much more magnanimous and wise it would...

In The Midst of Life We Are In Death | Practice Love

07 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

During the month of October in America, images of death are all around us as we celebrate Halloween—and while it’s a playful time of year, it’s ...

The Obstacle Is the Way, 10 Years Later

06 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A lot can change in 10 years, yet The Obstacle Is the Way remains the timeless formula for turning our toughest trials into our greatest triumphs...

David Kessler on Finding Meaning in Grief and Practicing the Art of Memento Mori

05 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In Meditations, Marcus Aurelius wrote “You could leave life right now. Let that determine what you do and say and think.” Death is inevitable for ...

It’s Tempting To Tell Yourself This | All For One, One For All

04 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We can flatter ourselves that we’re essential, that we’re one of the good guys, that we’re preventing things from being worse. But are we? Or is...

Will You Meet Your Moment? | Ask DS

03 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Destiny taps each of us on the shoulder, will we be able to answer? Will we have cultivated the skills and virtues necessary to answer well? That’s ...

You Can Live Well Anywhere

02 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

If you need money and success to live well, then you’re vulnerable to things not going well.💡 The Wealthy Stoic: A Daily Stoic Guide to Being Ric...

Brigid Delaney’s Life Changing Year of Living Like a Stoic

02 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Brigid Delaney was at a unique point in her life and found herself looking for answers around life’s deepest questions: What does it mean to be a go...

This Doesn’t Change But You Do | The Daily Routine That Built Marcus Aurelius

01 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

So much has changed over the course of a decade…so little as well. The 10th anniversary edition of The Obstacle Is the Way has relevant and insightf...

The Most Disciplined Side Wins | Practice Silence

30 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Stoics—just like activists—didn’t always win but they showed themselves always as worthy of winning. They showed themselves to be the most d...

The Hobby That Changed Ryan Holiday's Life

29 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Some people travel for the food. Others for the nightlife. Some travel for work. Others travel to get away. Ryan travels for the swimming.🎙️ List...

Wright Thompson on Untangling Myth from History in America

28 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Wright Thompson grew up in the Mississippi Delta, unaware that his family farm was just 23 miles away from the barn where 14 year old Emmett Till was ...

This Is What You Do | What Will Prosperity Reveal?

27 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We don’t have the power to bring the people we love back, but by choosing to embody the virtues of loved ones we have lost, we not only carry forwar...

This Is The Most Common Obstacle | How Can We Balance Confidence and Humility?

26 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The annoying coworker, the unreasonable client, the demanding coach, the selfish teammate, the family member who pushes all your buttons—these are c...

Wright Thompson on Reckoning with the South’s Buried Secrets

25 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Anne Frank and Martin Luther King Junior were born in the same year. The last known widow of a Civil War veteran lived to see Barack Obama become the ...

Be Brave Enough To Do This

25 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We carry our own weight in this world, we blow our own nose, as Epictetus says. It’s what’s right, it’s what’s fair, it’s our job.💡 We de...

It’s All About How You Close | Timeless (Stoic) Habits To Transform Your Future

24 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What matters is how we bring the show to a close, what matters is the ending we give each scene. 📕 Pick up a copy of Lives of the Stoics by Ryan Ho...

It’s How It Makes You Heal | Pain Is Self-Inflicted Harm

23 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It wasn’t fun that it went sideways. It hurt that they hurt you. It took something that you can never get back. That’s life. That’s resiliency. ...

Temper Your Ambition | A Cautionary Tale From Napoleon Bonaparte

22 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We don't need accomplishments to feel good or be good enough. If only Napoleon had listened to his own advice. 📕 Discipline is Destiny by Ryan Holi...

Scott Galloway on Intergenerational Theft and Why Stoicism is Important for Young Men

21 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Scott Galloway joins Ryan to talk about what “The Intergenerational Theft” is, why it is creating a massive problem for this next generation, and ...

You’re Only Loaning This | Life Isn't A Dance

20 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

None of us own anything. Everything is constantly in flux. What we have today may be gone tomorrow. 📓 Grab your own leather bound signed edition of...

Can You Pull Off This Move? | How Can You Maintain Justice Without Self-Sacrificing?

19 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A lot has happened in the 10 years since The Obstacle Is the Way came out. Ryan is a different person, a different writer, than he was back in 2014 an...

You Can Never Undo This

18 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The truth is, nothing can undo what we do out of anger. We can’t take back what we’ve said. We can’t turn back the clock on harm we’ve inflict...

Timm Chiusano on Courage, Creativity, and Finding Your Purpose in the Corporate World

18 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Timm Chiusano was working as a creative executive at a Fortune 100 company in New York City when he decided to start posting daily videos on TikTok, d...

Nothing Can Stop You From This | This Is The (Stoic) Secret To Sanity And Success

17 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What the Stoics meant when they said there was an opportunity in every obstacle is that in every obstacle lies the opportunity to practice virtue. “...

You Don’t Get Credit For This | On Handling Haters

16 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We do what’s right because it’s right. We don’t do what’s wrong because it’s wrong.📕Grab a signed copy of Right Thing, Right Now by Ryan ...

The Stoic Athlete | Ryan Holiday Speaks to the University of Kentucky Football Team

15 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In today's episode, Ryan talks with the University of Kentucky football team about how Stoicism can help them overcome adversity, the importance of di...

Francis Ford Coppola Opens Up About How Philosophy Has Inspired His Life and Career

14 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In his first ever podcast interview, Francis Ford Coppola joins Ryan to talk about how Marcus Aurelius, Stoicism, and Epicureanism have impacted his l...

They’re Difficult But They Can Make You Better | Protecting Our Inner Fortress From Fear

13 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Just like the great philosophers (and patient siblings and children and parents) throughout history, we can find wisdom in our difficult relationships...

No One Can Put This On You | What is Stoic Advice for Entrepreneurs?

12 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

They can love you or hate you. But really, the only thing that matters is who you are to yourself. What matters is whether you are living up to your s...

Today, Let This Be The Answer

11 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, on the 23rd anniversary of 9/11, let us be full of love. Let us tell those we love that we absolutely and totally love them.✉️ Wa...

How High Risk-Takers Are Shaping Our World | Nate Silver

11 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Nate Silver is an American statistician, poker player, and New York Times bestselling author of The Signal and the Noise: Why So Many Predictions Fail...

Don’t Boo, Do This | How To Overcome Your Depression (Marcus Aurelius' Morning Motivation)

10 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Go read up on the candidates. Check them for the virtues necessary in a leader. Understand no one will check every box, but pick the one you can best ...

They’re Going To Do You Wrong | A New Way To Pray

09 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Life is too short to be bitter, too short for feuds, too short to be driven to madness by someone else’s bad deeds.📕 Pick up your own Premium Lea...

Always Try To Do It The Hard Way

08 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Not everything that’s hard is good of course, but almost everything good (and worth it) is hard.🎟 Ryan Holiday is going on tour! Grab tickets for...

Turn The Tables | Billy Oppenheimer Asks Ryan Holiday About His Writing Evolution and Creative Fulfillment

07 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Why did Robert Greene advise Ryan to turn down his first book offer? How does Ryan balance writing about his personal interests and what his audience ...

This Is A Debt To Be Proud Of | They Can Throw You In Chains, But...

06 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

While it may seem like a “waste of time” today, you’re paying that debt for a better version of your future self tomorrow.🎙️ Listen to Lt. ...

It Was Ancient To The Ancients, Too | Ask DS

05 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Stoicism was ancient to the ancients too. It’d been old for a long time. Ask DS: What are the Stoics teachings about “know thyself”? What a...

It’ll Keep You Waiting

04 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Wisdom tells us that things are as they always have been…and always will be. So don’t take it all so personally.🎟 Ryan Holiday is going on tour...

Richard Dawkins’ Perspective on Faith, Philosophy, and the Layers of Human Existence

04 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Commonly known as the most famous atheist in the world, Richard Dawkins is a British evolutionary biologist, zoologist, and author of The Selfish Gene...

You Must Go Toward The Oxygen | 10 Stoic Stories That Will Leave You Speechless

03 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

When we say Amor Fati, when we say The Obstacle is the Way, we’re not talking about just sitting there, being provided with fuel. We’re talking ab...