The Daily Stoic

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 stories in his Stoic Virtues series , a research skill he learned while working for Robert Greene, and what most writers get wrong. James opens up about his renewed obsession with an old passion and the painful truth of chasing a past version of yourself. J...

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 most practical and accessible playbook in Stoic philosophy. 💡 We designed our How To Read Epictetus (A Daily Stoic Guide) as a personal field guide —part book club, part masterclass, part daily practice. It’s designed to help you not just read the words o...

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 reminder of the transient nature of possession.  💡 We designed our How To Read Epictetus (A Daily Stoic Guide) as a personal field guide —part book club, part masterclass, part daily practice. It’s designed to help you not just read the words of Epicte...

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 podcasting might be doing more harm than good, what makes a medium “healthy” for creativity, why some stories survive history and others disappear, and how the algorithm subtly rewires creators’ minds. James Altucher is the podcast host of The James Altu...

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 Guide) as a personal field guide —part book club, part masterclass, part daily practice. It’s designed to help you not just read the words of Epictetus, but live them—to turn his timeless wisdom into real change in your own life and the lives of those arou...

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 Stoics were unfeeling? 📓 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/ 📖 Preorder the final book in Ryan Holiday's The Stoic Virtues Series: "Wisdom Takes Wor...

Most people are enslaved and controlled and directed by their ignorance. Their impulses. Their temper. Their desires and delusions. 📚 The Four Stoic Virtues: Justice, Temperance, Wisdom, Courage, are timeless keys to living your best life. The Daily Stoic is releasing a limited collector’s edition set of all four books signed and numbered, with a title page identifying these books as part of the...

In this letter, Seneca critiques sophistical argumentation, highlighting how it exercises wit without purpose and distracts from the essentials of living a good life.  Today’s episode is an excerpt from The Tao Of Seneca produced by Tim Ferriss’ Audio. Get the free PDF at tim.blog/seneca 🎙️ Listen to other letters from Seneca: Seneca on Despising Death Seneca on Conquering the Conqueror Senec...

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 share the research behind why thinking about your mortality is proven to increase happiness. Dr. Laurie shares how to balance negative and positive visualizations for a fulfilling life, the Stoic practices that she swears by, and practical applicat...

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 Stoic Guide) as a personal field guide —part book club, part masterclass, part daily practice. It’s designed to help you not just read the words of Epictetus, but live them—to turn his timeless wisdom into real change in your own life and the lives of tho...

It’s rather sad—almost sacriligeous—that more people don’t know who shaped Marcus’s philosophical worldview.  💡 We designed our How To Read Epictetus (A Daily Stoic Guide) as a personal field guide —part book club, part masterclass, part daily practice. It’s designed to help you not just read the words of Epictetus, but live them—to turn his timeless wisdom into real change in your own life...

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 Daytripper , to explore how traveling, even just one town over, can completely change the way you see the world. They talk about why you don’t need to leave the country (or even your own state) to gain a new perspective, how the Stoics thought about travel in the...

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 the final book in Ryan Holiday's The Stoic Virtues Series: "Wisdom Takes Work": https://store.dailystoic.com/pages/wisdom-takes-work 🎙️ Follow The Daily Stoic Podcast on Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/dailystoicpodcast 🎥 Watch top moments from The...

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 countless others over the centuries. 💡 We designed our How To Read Epictetus (A Daily Stoic Guide) as a personal field guide —part book club, part masterclass, part daily practice. It’s designed to help you not just read the words of Epictetus, but live...

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 you had the fate you had. 💡 We designed our How To Read Epictetus (A Daily Stoic Guide) as a personal field guide —part book club, part masterclass, part daily practice. It’s designed to help you not just read the words of Epictetus, but live them—to...

Looking for practical strategies to deal with difficult people? In today’s episode, communication expert Jefferson Fisher shares a 3-step process for navigating conflict, especially when kindness and empathy no longer work. Jefferson Fisher is one of the most respected voices on communication and arguments in the world. He is a Texas board certified personal injury attorney and law firm owner of F...

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 Ryan for a deep dive into what a meaningful life actually looks like and why so many people end up wasting their one shot at it. They talk about how easy it is to chase the wrong goals, why real impact often goes unnoticed, and how to realign your work...

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 government, they understood, still needed to be checked by their own morality, philosophy and religion. 📖 Preorder the final book in Ryan Holiday's The Stoic Virtues Series: "Wisdom Takes Work": https://store.dailystoic.com/pages/wisdom-takes-work 🎙️ Fol...

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 book in Ryan Holiday's The Stoic Virtues Series: "Wisdom Takes Work": https://store.dailystoic.com/pages/wisdom-takes-work 🎙️ Follow The Daily Stoic Podcast on Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/dailystoicpodcast 🎥 Watch top moments from The Daily...

You could be doing anything with your life…so why are you choosing this? Historian and bestselling author Rutger Bregman joins Ryan to question everything we tend to believe about success, work, and impact. They discuss why many “prestigious” careers might actually be pointless, how a few regular people pulled off one of the biggest moral wins in history, and why meaningful work rarely looks like...

What Epictetus learned in his fascinating life—beginning in slavery and culminating in a legacy as one of the most influential philosophers of all time—was simple, profound, and enduring.  It’s why countless Roman families sent their children to learn from Epictetus at his school in Nicopolis. And that’s why we’re spending this month doing a deep dive into Epictetus—because if reading him cha...

Seneca practiced poverty. Marcus Aurelius mentally rehearsed being criticized and misunderstood. Why did they put themselves in these uncomfortable positions? 📓 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/ 📖 Preorder the final book in Ryan Holiday's The Stoic Virtues Series: "Wisdom Takes Work": https...

Our lives are unpredictable. We are at the mercy of so many forces.  📚 Books Mentioned: The Inner Citadel by Pierre Hadot The Obstacle Is the Way by Ryan Holiday 📖 Preorder the final book in Ryan Holiday's The Stoic Virtues Series: "Wisdom Takes Work": https://store.dailystoic.com/pages/wisdom-takes-work 🎙️ Follow The Daily Stoic Podcast on Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/dailystoicpo...

When we think of great Stoic figures like Marcus Aurelius, Cato, and Epictetus, we tend to focus solely on the individual, their perspective, their observations. But how did these brilliant thinkers treat those around them? Read this article here : https://dailystoic.com/6-stoic-tips-to-being-a-great-friend/ 📖 Preorder the final book in Ryan Holiday's The Stoic Virtues Series: "Wisdom Takes Work"...

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 reshaping creativity and why the real art still lies in the choices we make. They discuss the beauty of unexpected results, the difference between AI generating and iterating, timeless wisdom of the Tao Te Ching , and much more.  Rick Rubin is a renow...