The Daily Stoic

The real test of philosophy is not what it teaches us in quiet moments, but what it demands from us when power, pressure, and ego enter the room. In today’s episode, Ryan talks with Gavin Newsom, the Governor of California, about Stoicism, leadership, responsibility, and the dangers of power without introspection. They discuss ego, the crisis facing young men, the loss of shared rituals and instit...

Think about what your anxiety costs you. Think about it honestly and painfully.  🪙 We are the creators of our anxiety. Which means we can also be the ones to do something about it. Gain a powerful tool in your fight against anxiety and get the Daily Stoic Anxiety Coin today! https://store.dailystoic.com/ 🎙️ AD-FREE | Support the podcast and go deeper into Stoicism by subscribing to The Daily...

What’s left of Stoicism today is, if anything, more robust than it was in the ancient world. 💡 Modern Stoics are parents, athletes, entrepreneurs, soldiers, artists, students. They are busy, curious, principled people who want to do more than talk about virtue—they want to live it . And they want to do it with others who share that aim. Join The Daily Stoic Life community today: dailystoic.com/li...

General Jim Mattis has spent his life proving that philosophy is not just for the classroom. In today’s episode, Margaret Hoover interviews General Mattis, former U.S. Secretary of Defense, and Ryan about why philosophy matters most when things are difficult. They discuss how leaders fall back on their first principles in a crisis, and what Marcus Aurelius, George Washington, and Abraham Lincoln c...

The four Stoic virtues are not supposed to be pursued in isolation. Instead, they come together under the idea of virtue itself. 📚 Pre-order The Four Virtues Boxed Set : https://dailystoic.com/virtuesboxset 🎙️ AD-FREE | Support the podcast and go deeper into Stoicism by subscribing to The Daily Stoic Premium - unlock ad-free listening, early access, and bonus content: https://dailystoic.supercast...

You thought you were supposed to be doing this. You thought your job was to do that. But then what happened? Life happened. Stuff happened. Other people happened. 📕 Pick up a copy of the 10th Anniversary Edition of The Obstacle Is the Way by Ryan Holiday 🎟️ DAILY STOIC LIVE | Ryan Holiday is coming to a city near you ! Grab tickets here |  https://www.dailystoiclive.com/ 🎙️ AD-FREE | Support...

In a recent interview, Daniel Radcliffe talked about the book " How To Hide an Empire " which has been one of Ryan's favorite reads lately. Here are some of his takeaways. You can grab a copy of How To Hide an Empire at Ryan's bookstore, The Painted Porch : https://www.thepaintedporch.com/ 🎥 Watch the video of this episode here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GXGx2iIlzY 🎟️ DAILY STOIC LIVE | Ry...

Great leaders don’t just build winning teams, they build people who can go on to lead without them. In today’s episode, Ryan talks about the idea of “growing a coaching tree” and what it means to create a culture that outlasts you. Using the San Antonio Spurs as a real-life example, Ryan looks at how the best leaders teach, empower, and develop others, not just for their own success, but for the s...

In honor of Mother’s Day, Ryan talks with Donald Robertson about the powerful influence Marcus Aurelius’ mother had on his life and philosophy. Even though Stoicism is usually talked about as a philosophy shaped by men, Marcus’ mother may have been his first and most important model of Stoic character, shaping the virtues he would spend his life trying to practice. Donald Robertson is a writer, co...

Jon Gustin got sober at the beginning of 2023, but as he explains in today’s episode, getting sober was not the end of the struggle. It was the beginning of finally facing everything he had spent years avoiding. Jon talks with Ryan about his unhealthy relationship with substances, the emotional rock bottom that forced him to change, and the daily practices that helped him stay sober and focus on b...

Cato’s life was his philosophy, and the Stoics never stopped looking to his example. In today’s episode, Ryan explores why Cato the Younger became one of Stoicism’s most admired figures, and what his life can teach us about courage, character, and standing for what’s right.  📚 Learn more about Cato the Younger in Lives of the Stoics by Ryan Holiday 🎟️ DAILY STOIC LIVE | Ryan Holiday is comin...

These are impersonal forces. This is fortune and fate. It’s not targeting you. It’s not favoring or picking on you.  🎟️ DAILY STOIC LIVE | Ryan Holiday is coming to a city near you ! Grab tickets here |  https://www.dailystoiclive.com/ 🎙️ AD-FREE | Support the podcast and go deeper into Stoicism by subscribing to The Daily Stoic Premium - unlock ad-free listening, early access, and bonus...

Arete. To the Greeks, it meant excellence. It was the ultimate expression of human greatness—moral, physical, spiritual. It’s what the Stoics were chasing. It’s what you’re chasing today. But how do we get there? 🎟️   DAILY STOIC LIVE  | Ryan Holiday is coming to a  city near you !  Grab tickets here  |   https://www.dailystoiclive.com/ 🎙️  AD-FREE |  S...

They’re awful. They’re frustrating. They need to be stopped. These are the people who take up so much space in our head. 🎙️ AD-FREE | Support the podcast and go deeper into Stoicism by subscribing to The Daily Stoic Premium - unlock ad-free listening, early access, and bonus content: https://dailystoic.supercast.com/ 🎥 VIDEO EPISODES| Watch the video episodes on The Daily Stoic YouTube channel :...

You think you want more freedom, but too much of it can work against you. In this episode, Ryan talks with David Epstein about why constraints can actually make us better. They discuss how deadlines sharpen focus, why too much autonomy can become a trap, and why “freedom within a framework” may be more useful than total freedom. David Epstein is the author of the #1 New York Times best seller&nbsp...

The terrible diagnosis. The betrayal. The broken heart. Are they Stoics really saying you should love that? Is that what it means to “ amor fati ”—to love your fate? 🎥 Watch this episode on YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QH8HxAZlSfo 🪙 Get your own Amor fati medallion , as a reminder to treat each and every moment—no matter how challenging—as something to be embraced, not avoided. So t...

Recognizing your anger in the moment, feeling it rising before it takes over, means you’ve already started mastering it. 🪙 Carry The Daily Stoic Pause & Reflect Medallion as a reminder to pause. A pause creates space. A pause creates clarity. A pause can change everything. | Grab The Daily Stoic Pause & Reflect Medallion at dailystoic.com/pause 📓 Pick up a signed edition of The Daily Sto...

You think you’ve read Meditations , but the deeper truths in Marcus Aurelius’ private writings often reveal themselves only after years of revisiting them. In this episode, Ryan shares the hidden lessons he missed on his first, second, and even tenth read and why this book keeps giving you new insights even years later. 🎥  WATCH THIS EPISODE |   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJGtygqtA...

What happens after you survive something that should have killed you? After being critically injured in Afghanistan, Kyle Carpenter faced years of surgeries, setbacks, and a future he couldn’t yet see. In Part 2, Ryan and Kyle talk about learning to embrace the struggle, ask for help, and keep going when the path forward is unclear. Kyle Carpenter is a medically retired United States Marine who re...

When we stop resisting and start learning, the obstacle becomes the way. 📕 Grab the 10th Anniversary Edition of The Obstacle Is the Way by Ryan Holiday at dailystoic.com/obstacle 🎙️ AD-FREE | Support the podcast and go deeper into Stoicism by subscribing to The Daily Stoic Premium - unlock ad-free listening, early access, and bonus content: https://dailystoic.supercast.com/ 🎥 VIDEO EPISODES| Wat...

Watch Ryan's response on The Daily Stoic YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1OfTQusvYM 🎙️ AD-FREE | Support the podcast and go deeper into Stoicism by subscribing to The Daily Stoic Premium - unlock ad-free listening, early access, and bonus content: https://dailystoic.supercast.com/ ✉️ FREE STOIC WISDOM | Want Stoic wisdom delivered to your inbox daily? Sign up for the FREE Da...

Dr. Edith Eger faced the worst humanity can do, survived Auschwitz, and went on to build a 98-year life rooted in resilience, forgiveness, and meaning. In this episode, Ryan reflects on her life and lessons as a Holocaust survivor, student of Viktor Frankl, and a powerful voice on resilience and forgiveness. 🎥 Watch Dr. Edith Eger’s interview on The Daily Stoic Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/wa...

The surprising thing about all this is that you were surprised. How could you not have seen this coming? Reading Marcus Aurelius can change your life, but only if you know how to read his work 👉 Head here now to grab your Meditations book and guide bundle | https://store.dailystoic.com/pages/meditations-month-2026 🎙️ AD-FREE | Support the podcast and go deeper into Stoicism by subscribing to The...

To wrap up Meditations Month , today Ryan explores Marcus’s best rules for using the precious time in your life. Reading Marcus Aurelius can change your life, but only if you know how to read his work 👉 Head here now to grab your Meditations book and guide bundle | https://store.dailystoic.com/pages/meditations-month-2026 🎙️ AD-FREE | Support the podcast and go deeper into Stoicism by subscribing...

The Medal of Honor is the highest military award in the United States, given for extraordinary courage in the face of danger. In this episode, Ryan sits down with Kyle Carpenter, the youngest living recipient, to talk about what that kind of courage really looks like and what comes after it. Kyle received the Medal of Honor after throwing himself on a live grenade to save a fellow Marine in Afghan...