The Daily Stoic

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...

Come Back To This Later

02 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Take your much deserved break today. We are human beings after all, not human doings. So go out and live today. Rest from your labor. Come back better...

Marcus Aurelius' Letters to Fronto

01 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Get an inside look at the relationship between Marcus Aurelius and his rhetoric teacher, Fronto, through this narration of their letters. Fronto was f...

The New Age of Media Manipulation | Renée DiResta

31 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

How information (and misinformation) spreads online continues to change with the media landscape. Renée DiResta and Ryan continue their conversation ...

You Meet Them Where They Are | When You Feel Lazy

30 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Don't forge ahead hoping that someone will come along and relieve you of this task you don't want to do. Don't be the person who says yes with their m...

This Isn’t How You’ll Be Measured | Ask DS

29 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We know that ultimately lives are not measured by superficial or materialistic things…yet we spend so much of our lives focused solely on that. Ask ...

It’s Tragic But Helpful

28 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Stoics were not so insensitive as to believe that it was good that someone died. That’s not what they meant by “opportunity”—what they mea...

Attention Wars: How Lies Spread Online Have Real-World Consequences | Renée DiResta

28 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

“If you make it trend, you make it true” is a terrifyingly real quote across the cover of Renée DiResta’s book, Invisible Rulers: The People Wh...

You Gotta Start Sometime | What Young Men Get Wrong About Stoicism

27 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Do it now. Get started. Begun is half done. Do it now.🪙 Designed with the intention of carrying them in your pocket, our Memento Mori Medallion is ...

It’s A Very Timeless Thing | A Cure For Procrastination

26 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Marcus Aurelius was not like you at all. Yet…we can tell from Meditations that Marcus Aurelius was also just like us.🎙️ Listen to David Hernán...

50 Harsh Stoic Truths That Will Improve Your Life

25 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Stoics believed that Stoicism was a cure for our ills. Epictetus would talk about how like the philosopher's school is like a hospital. Not all tr...

Political Leadership Lessons From Mayor G.T. Bynum & Rusty Bailey

24 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

One of the problems with politics today is we tend to only focus on what is happening on a national level, which is currently quite dramatic, dysfunct...

A Sign You’re Making Progress | It's In Your Self-Interest

23 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

“The beautiful and good person neither fights with anyone…” Epictetus says in Discourses. This isn’t to say that agreeableness is the goal of ...

You Can’t Get Your Dawns Back | Ask DS

22 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Once a dawn happens, it is gone to you forever. Once a day ends, it’s done for you for all time. Act accordingly. Protect your time accordingly.Ask ...

It’s About What You Make Happen

21 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We don’t live in Ancient Rome. We are not emperors or senators. We are not professional philosophers. We are regular people. This doesn’t mean we ...

Why Amanda Knox Turned To Stoicism After Being Wrongfully Convicted of Murder

21 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In November, 2007, Amanda Knox was 20 years old and had been studying abroad in Italy when her roommate, Meredith Kercher, was brutally murdered. Arou...

Their Hearts Were Touched By Fire | 12 Valuable Stoic Truths

20 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Stoics were touched by the power of philosophy at an early age. It inspired them, charged them, challenged them. Whatever your age, you too have b...

There Are Some Things Only Adversity Unlocks | Just Say No To Future Misery

19 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The obstacles are not impediments, they are opportunities. They are not holding us back, they are fueling us. 📚 Pick up a copy of The Tiger: A...

Philosophical Antagonists? The Real Story of Stoicism and Epicureanism

18 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The stereotypes of Stoics as emotionless brutes and Epicureans as self-indulgent pleasure-seekers is not just misleading, but is an injustice to the t...

Be An Everyday Person | Coach Buzz Williams

17 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Being consistent creates real, lasting change. It is the compound interest towards our future accomplishments and who we want to be. This is what Texa...

Can You Do It With A Broken Heart? | Anything Can Be An Advantage

16 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Stoics were people that felt, but they also understood that life, especially leadership, requires being able to balance these emotions with the re...

What Has It Stolen From You? | Ask DS

15 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We are the creators of our anxiety. Which means we can also be the ones to do something about it. In Meditations, Marcus Aurelius put it like this: “...

Coach Buzz Williams’ Playbook for Mentorship and Motivation

14 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As the Head Coach of Texas A&M Men’s Basketball team, Coach Buzz Williams is dedicated to setting his players up for success not only on the cou...

This is What To Do With Joy

14 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It’s because life is unpredictable, it’s because nothing is certain that we must find joy and happiness where we can.🎟 Ryan Holiday is going on...

You Can’t Be Afraid To Get Up There | Marcus Aurelius' Life Story

13 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

There’s a reason the Stoics held up courage as a key virtue. Because they believed that we were obligated to participate in public life and that thi...

We Have To Give It Back | Always Ask Yourself This Question

12 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We’ve already lost many of our favorite guests and influences. Today, we must add another to that list, Jake Seliger. Jake was diagnosed with termin...

What Jimmy Carter Can Teach Us About Justice | Ryan Holiday Speaks at the Naval Academy

11 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Back in April, Ryan went to the United States Naval Academy and spoke to over 1,000 Sophomore Cadets about Stoicism, the virtue of Justice, and the le...

Chasing Olympic Gold with Stoic Virtues | Greg Harden, Kate Courtney, & Chris Bosh

10 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris are coming to a close and it’s been incredible watching the world’s top athletes compete for gold. Today, R...

Don’t Say You’re One Of These | Stick With Just The Facts

09 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

You don’t call yourself a Stoic. You must act like a Stoic.💡 We set up Stoicism 101: Ancient Philosophy For Your Actual Life to give you the abso...

This is Our Great Fortune | Ask DS

08 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Would you rather be poor today or wealthy in Rome two thousand years ago? You have access and knowledge that Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, and the most bri...

Don’t Put Yourself in This Position

07 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A leader stands up, steps up…or in other cases, walks away.🎙️ Listen to Ann Wroe On The Real Story Of Pontius Pilate, And His Connection To Sto...

The History of American Bookshops (From Benjamin Franklin to The Painted Porch) | Evan Friss

07 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Behind every great man and woman of history, there's usually a library or a bookstore that has been formative in their life. Not only have bookstores ...

Let This Be Our Legacy | Robert Greene's Stoic Lessons (That Changed Ryan Holiday's Life)

06 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Whenever the Olympics come around, we tend to place a big emphasis on winning and individual glory. But as the Stoics would remind us, it’s not winn...

It’s Always Happening | What Little Wins Can You Find

05 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We’re all marked souls, living on borrowed time. Let’s not waste what time we have left. Memento Mori.🪙 Designed with the intention of carrying...

Going Beyond The Call

04 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Having the courage to make the ultimate sacrifice. Going beyond the call. This is the story of the Battle of Thermopylae. 📕 Grab a signed copy of C...

Unlocking Self-Discovery Through Shadow Work Journaling | Keila Shaheen

03 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Journaling allows us to release our thoughts and feelings, but shadow work journaling takes it to a much deeper level. Shadow work is based on Carl Ju...

It’s A Very Special Thing | We Can Work Any Way

02 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What we see in Meditations is not the finished product of a philosopher but the process of philosophy—we are watching Marcus philosophize to himself...

Can You Build a Castle? | Ask DS

01 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

You could build castles out of the bricks they threw at Cato. But Cato didn’t need to build castles with those bricks because he had something bette...

This Ain’t No Sin

31 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It doesn’t matter that times are dark or violent or uncertain. We must be grateful, we must seize this gift we’ve been given while we have it.&nbs...

Patrick Dempsey on Ethical Dilemmas, Being of Service, and Embracing Stoicism

31 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Patrick Dempsey and Ryan’s conversation continues in today’s episode, talking about the ethical decisions made each day, how the entertainment wor...

How Much Sad Do You Think You Have? | 10 Stoic Tips For Handling Rude People

30 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

There are going to be moments of life that make you question just how much a person can possibly take. But there is that inner-citadel within you as w...

We Really Screwed This Up, Didn’t We? | A Week Without Complaining

29 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We need to make the virtues commonplace again—they are, as Marcus Aurelius said, “touchstones of goodness.” And we must start with the only thin...

Seneca on Practicing What You Preach

28 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today's episode is an excerpt from The Tao Of Seneca produced by Tim Ferriss’ Audio. In this letter, Seneca writes about how true philosophy require...

Olympic Kickoff | Gold Medalist Dominique Dawes, Michael Phelps' Coach Bob Bowman, and Basketball Icon George Raveling

27 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris are officially here! To kick off the Olympics, Ryan talks to gold medalist Dominique Dawes, Michael Phelps...

No One Escapes This | When Good Men Do Nothing

26 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

You’ll never be happy or feel good if your sense of worth is tied up in always being well-received, if you can’t handle the injustice of being mis...

Everyone (And Everything) Is Like A River | Ask DS

25 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Marcus Aurelius put his words down in Greek over 1,850 years ago. They have not changed. But each time a new translator has looked at them, they’ve ...

Are You Allowed To Cry?

24 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A Stoic is invulnerable. A Stoic is tough. A Stoic is emotionless. A Stoic can't cry...right?You’re only human. So be human and let yourself feel.💡...

Stoicism for Turbulent Times (and Divisive Politics) | History of Rome Podcaster Mike Duncan on Political Parallels

24 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

After the recent assassination attempt of former President Trump and the heightening political divide, it’s important to learn from history and turn...

How To Stand Before Kings | Everything You Need To Know About Marcus Aurelius' Meditations

23 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Stoics didn’t just stand before kings, they came to them as equals and in some cases, towered over them, their virtue putting them above any kin...

Waste No More Time Doing This | Keeping "The News" In Check

22 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

“Waste no more time arguing what a good man should be,” Marcus Aurelius says. “Be one.”Don't follow breaking news. Don't let it change who you...

Taming the Ego | Overcoming the Enemy Within

21 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

When you feel that voice inside you creeping up, the one that makes you feel entitled, the one that makes you feel superior, the one that makes you ag...

How Patrick Dempsey Applies Stoicism in Acting and Race Car Driving

20 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

You may know Patrick Dempsey as “McDreamy” from Grey’s Anatomy or from one of his many leading roles in films like Enchanted, Sweet Home Alabama...

Embrace Your Weirdness | Forgive Them Because They Don't Know

19 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Embrace who you really are. Embrace what makes you unique. Embrace your weirdness. Because chances are it’s special.🎙️ Listen to Rainn Wilson’...

This Will Help You Calm Down | Ask DS

18 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

If you read the news, it feels like the world is falling apart. Zoom out. Take a sideways glance. Get the outside of the issue, the problem, the day’...

This Is What Is Making You So Stressed

17 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Falling short today does not have to mean that everything is falling apart. Stop torturing yourself! Be present. Focus primarily on what is front of y...

The Key Media Strategies for Maximum Impact | Gary Vaynerchuck

17 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Gary Vaynerchuck, better known as Gary Vee, has always had his finger on the pulse of digital media. His content pyramid is the secret behind how some...

Who Possesses You? | 12 Must-Read Stoic Books To Get You Started

16 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We must retain possession of ourselves. We must get a hold of ourselves. No matter what they do to us. No matter how unfair or frustrating life (and b...

How To Live in an Imperfect World | Practice Gentleness Instead of Anger

15 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We are in an imperfect world populated with flawed people. We ourselves are flawed. We can’t afford to feel or act superior. We have too much work t...

9 Stoic Strategies to Overcome Procrastination

14 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Twenty centuries ago, the Roman era Stoic philosopher Seneca joked that the one thing fools all have in common is that they are always ...

The Price of Integrity | Jordan Harbinger

13 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Having interviewed over 1,000 people, how does Jordan Harbinger decide who he brings on his wildly successful podcast, The Jordan Harbinger Show? What...

The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived… | Some Simple Rules

12 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We’re in an election year here, not just in America but across the world. Let us learn from Seneca.📓 Grab your own leather bound signed edition o...

Nobody Won Afraid Of Losing | Ask DS

11 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Courage is the mother of all virtues, Aristotle said, because in a world that’s not virtuous, it’s a brave thing to go out there and do what needs...

You Know You’re Good When…

10 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

You keep going. You do your best. Even if life has kicked the crap out of you.🎟 Ryan Holiday is going on tour! Grab tickets at ryanholiday.net/tour...

What We Can Learn From The Rich And Famous | Jordan Harbinger

10 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

At the time of this recording, Jordan Harbinger had just published over 1,000 episodes of his podcast, The Jordan Harbinger Show. Throughout the years...

It Helps To Write It Down | How To Journal Like The Stoics

09 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Journaling is one of the most essential exercises in Stoic philosophy. You find your own way. You find your own style. You get your own benefits. But ...

You Don’t Get To Do This Anymore | Don’t Look For The Third Thing

08 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Marcus Aurelius wrote Meditations to himself, yet he only speaks positively of people he knows in those pages. This is the price of success, of a...

Stop Asking For The Third Thing | Right Thing, Right Now Excerpt

07 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

📕 Right Thing, Right Now is out! To purchase your own copy and get exclusive bonuses, head here: https://store.dailystoic.com/✉️ Want Stoic wis...

Living With Justice: Will Guidara Interviews Ryan Holiday

06 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

📕 Right Thing, Right Now is out! To purchase your own copy and get exclusive bonuses, head here: https://store.dailystoic.com/Grab a copy of Unreas...

What Do You Commemorate? | No One Said It'd Be Easy

05 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

“As a historian, we have to look unflinchingly at the past, looking at the record of events as they happened. But commemoration—what we choose to ...

This Is What Freedom Requires | Ask DS

04 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Happy Fourth of July! While you are grilling and relaxing with friends, remember that the comfort you enjoy now grew out of a philosophy that was made...

Beware This Heavy Burden

03 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

There is a hidden cost to everything you own. Things don’t just cost you monetarily. They cost you mentally, too. 🎙️Listen to Kevin Rose’s fu...

Discovering The Formula For True Happiness | Max Joseph (Pt. 2)

03 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Tune in to hear part 2 of Ryan’s conversation with Max Joseph, the creator behind the new docuseries HAPPINESS on YouTube. Max talks with Ryan about...

How To Be A King | What Stoicism Gets Wrong

02 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

🎥 Watch the YouTube video of What Stoicism Gets Wrong✉️ Want Stoic wisdom delivered to your inbox daily? Sign up for the FREE Daily Stoic email...

The Earth Is A Boneyard (But Pretty in Sunlight) | Protect Your Own Good

01 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

📓 Pick up a signed edition of The Daily Stoic Journal: 366 Days of Writing and Reflection on The Art of Living: https://store.dailystoic.com/📚 P...

Becoming A Professional | The War of Art Excerpt

30 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

📚 Grab a copy of The War of Art by Steven Pressfield at The Painted Porch: https://www.thepaintedporch.com/🎙️Listen to Steven Pressfield’s i...

Storytelling In A Competitive Content World | Max Joseph (Pt. 1)

29 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

You may know Max Joseph from MTV’s show Catfish, which he co-hosted for 7 seasons, or from his movie We Are Your Friends which starred Zac Efron. Ma...

Don’t Wake Up and Choose Violence | No Self-Flagellation Needed

28 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

📓 Grab your own leather bound signed edition of The Daily Stoic! Check it out at the Daily Stoic Store: https://store.dailystoic.com/📚 Pick up a...

It’s Good If It Makes You Good | Ask DS

27 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

🪙 To get your own The Obstacle Is The Way medallion, head to https://store.dailystoic.com/✉️ Want Stoic wisdom delivered to your inbox daily? S...

It’s Impossible, You Know

26 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

🎙️Listen to Tim Ferriss’ full interview on The Daily Stoic✉️ Want Stoic wisdom delivered to your inbox daily? Sign up for the FREE Daily St...