The Daily Stoic

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 your philosophy would direct you to act. This episode is brought to you by Athletic Greens. Athletic Greens is a custom formulation of 75 vitamins, minerals, and other whole-food sourced ingredients that make it easier for you to maintain nutrition in jus...

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 has affected college basketball, and more. Coach Shaka Smart has been involved with college basketball since 1995 and has been a head coach since 2009. In 2011, he led the VCU Rams to a historic Final Four finish at the NCAA Tournament. Since then, he...

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 asks —quoting Euripedes— as if the world would notice? Seneca pokes fun at Claudius and his absurd delusion to immortalize himself. His impotent declaration of war against the sea and command to his soldiers to attack the waves with their swords.  *...

"There’s no question that we are facing a number of pressing issues as a planet: Public health dangers. Homelessness. The rise of authoritarian China . Police brutality. Failures of the regulatory state.  It’s an interesting question: Are these crises suddenly coming to a head now? Or is it that we’re just finally noticing them?" Ryan describes the importance of slowing down, so that we...

" These are strange times . We all have entrenched political beliefs, for which the stakes seem dreadfully high. There are trolls everywhere. There are stupid people everywhere. Both the trolls and the ignorant seem to revel in saying things designed to piss us off. And if that weren’t enough, most of us are spending extended and unprecedented amounts of time trapped inside with people whom w...

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, how Stoicism helps us cultivate our conscience so we can do the right thing and why societies punish people who do. Get Tom’s latest book, Crisis of Conscience: https://geni.us/AjG8 This episode is brought to you by Leesa, the online mattress company....

"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 the distractions that your own head creates. You have the criticisms and actions of the mob outside. There are a million different options, different opinions, different orders that things can be done." What should you do in moments like these?...

" 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 than most people.  That’s what Marcus Aurelius was saying when he said it doesn’t matter whether something is fortunate or unfortunate. What’s fortunate, he said, is that it happened to you." Ryan discusses the benefits that abound when you help...

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 skin, and how it is incumbent on us to fight back against it. This episode is also brought to you by Leesa, the online mattress company. Each of their mattresses is made to order and shipped for free right to your door. All mattresses come with a 100-...

In today’s episode, Ryan and Michele Tafoya, NFL sideline reporter and radio host, discuss self-improvement in quarantine, sympatheia, and more. This episode is brought to you by WHOOP . WHOOP is a fitness wearable that provides personalized insights on how well you’re sleeping, how much you’ve recovered from your workouts, and how much you’re stressed out from each day. It’s the ultimate whole-bo...

"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 doubt. Maybe you’ve never been in trouble. Maybe you know how to de-escalate tense situations, maybe you can afford a good lawyer. Maybe you’ve never been in the wrong place at the wrong time." So why is racial justice still a you problem? Ryan expl...

"The Stoics were some of the keenest admirers of human greatness. Marcus Aurelius opens his Meditations with seventeen entries—nearly ten percent of the book—reflecting upon the various influential individuals in his life. Nearly every other page thereafter has at least one quote or one story or one mention of a story about his heroes: Socrates, Plato, Epictetus , Hadrian, Augustus, Heraclitu...

"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 family, or to our immediate neighbors.  The Stoics believed that we were all one." *** 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 listen to the podcast,...

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 fatherhood to Charlamagne’s always-present interest in politics. This episode is brought to you by WHOOP . WHOOP is a fitness wearable that provides personalized insights on how well you’re sleeping, how much you’ve recovered from your workouts, and how mu...

"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 don’t go to war with a virus. That’s not how it works.  But according to Andrew Roberts, the great biographer of Churchill and Napoleon, that is exactly what is happening and exactly how this works." Hear more from Andrew Roberts, and listen to Ry...

"When one considers the notion of 'resignation and the principle of 'amor fati ,' it might not seem like the Stoics and the idea of political resistance would go together. But this modern misconception would come as a surprise to the many tyrants and oppressors that found themselves in conflict with the Stoics over the centuries." Learn how a Stoic handles the presence of...

In today’s episode, Ryan reads his latest article describing how Marcus Aurelius fought against the stresses and anxieties that come with running a continent-spanning empire. He draws actionable insights and tactics from Marcus Aurelius’s practices during his reign. This episode is brought to you by WHOOP . WHOOP is a fitness wearable that provides personalized insights on how well you’re sleeping...

On today’s podcast, Ryan talks with author and computer scientist Cal Newport about staying productive during the pandemic, how to maintain your focus on what's most important to you, and more.  Get your copy of Cal Newport’s Digital Minimalism: https://geni.us/Eh4IX2  .  This episode is also brought to you by Athletic Greens. Athletic Greens is a custom formulation of 75 vitamins, minerals,...

"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 as you watched the world tear apart your carefully made plans. It’s not fair." Find out how to get "it's not fair" out of your system on today's Daily Stoic Podcast. *** If you enjoyed this week’s podcast, we’d love for you to lea...

On today’s podcast, Ryan talks with Coach George Raveling, the longtime college basketball coach and member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. They talk about Coach Raveling’s encounters with historical figures like Martin Luther King, Jr. and President Harry Truman, the benefits of reading, and much more.  This episode is brought to you by Future . Future pairs you up with a remote...

"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 neighbor wasn’t so rude. If people hadn’t been reckless. If your kids had passed their math test. If nobody had taken offense to your joke... But that’s not how it shook out ." So how do you deal with it? Find out on today's Daily Stoic Podca...

"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 for years in Nero’s court—walking on eggshells around an unstable man with a penchant for bloodlust. Epictetus survived thirty years of exile. Marcus Aurelius’s reign included a plague , health problems, wars, flooding, bankruptcy, and family issues.....

"The Spartans were known for their simple, rustic ways. Unlike the citizens of Athens, who dined on the most gourmet fare, the Spartans ate almost nothing but “gruel,” a kind of broth or blood pudding. Visitors noted just how unappetizing this soup was, but to the Spartans, who were constantly training and working, it was delicious. Why? Because they said that hunger was the best flavoring.&q...

" 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 hit pause like this on our jobs, on our businesses, on whatever projects we have been working on. How long will this continue? No one can say.  But there is something you can do to maintain your mental and physical health..." Find out what that is on to...

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. This episode is brought to you by Future . Future pairs you up with a remote personal trainer that you can get in touch with from your home. Your trainer will give you a full exercise regimen that works for your specific fitness goals, using the equipmen...