The Daily Stoic

“In times of clickbait and divisiveness, of the filter bubble and superficiality, one medium of communication has continued to grow exponentially: podcasts. On the one hand, this is a new technology. Recording equipment, bandwidth, the ubiquity of smartphones has made the proliferation of these longform conversations possible.” Ryan explains why you must spend time doing this in order to truly gai...

“It’s amazing how often we find ourselves using these words. Words like “unfair,” “unlucky,” “frustrating,” “unfortunate,” “annoying,” “inconvenient” Ryan explains the fundamental Stoic practice of recognizing events as indifferent, not just talk about it, and reads The Daily Stoic ’s entry of the day, on today’s Daily Stoic Podcast. Blinkist is the app that gets you fifteen-minute summaries...

Ryan reads today’s meditation and has another conversation with Dr. William Stixrud and Ned Johnson about their new book What Do You Say?: How to Talk with Kids to Build Motivation, Stress Tolerance, and a Happy Home , experiencing adversity and developing resilience, why we should look at the last year as a gift that can improve our lives rather than a burden, how to teach kids to find purpose an...

“Tim Duncan is likely the great power forward in the history of the NBA. Five titles. Three NBA Finals MVPs. Fifteen All-star appearances. Fifteen All-NBA Team selections. Fifteen NBA All-Defensive Team selections. And he did it with a selflessness and poise that is almost unmatched.” Ryan explains why living your philosophy is so important. Sign up for the Daily Stoic email: http://DailyStoic.com...

“Everytime you cut your hair. Every time you trim your nails. Every time you have to replace an old shirt or a worn out pair of running shoes, take note. Take note of what they symbolize.” Ryan explains why you should embrace the reality of your mortality, and reads this week’s meditation from The Daily Stoic Journal , on today’s Daily Stoic Podcast. Blinkist is the app that gets you fifteen-minut...

Today’s episode of the podcast is a conversation with Lancer Brigade’s Col. Jonathan Chung and Ryan Holiday which originally aired on The Leadership Experience Podcast. They talk about the Stoic concept of alive time vs. dead time that was originally introduced to Ryan from his mentor Robert Greene, what it means to see obstacles as opportunities, why things shouldn't go “back to normal” when the...

On today’s episode of the podcast, Ryan talks to NASCAR driver Brad Keselowski about the intricacies of stock car racing, how to build endurance and become great at whatever you do, how to lead and build a team that consistently produces results, and more. Bradley Aaron Keselowski is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 2...

“We all feel pulled. To do more. To go more places. To make more progress. We are dogged by the constant worry we’re in the wrong place, doing the wrong thing—or rather, there is some where else, somewhere better that we could, that we should, be.” Ryan explains why you must embrace the present moment.  Sign up for the Daily Stoic email: http://DailyStoic.com/signup Follow us: Instagram , Twi...

“We find ourselves baffled by our politicians. By our bosses. By our leaders. Why don’t they do something? Why can’t they just do the right thing? Why are they always putting profits over people? Why do they always hedge their bets?” Ryan explains why you must practice this philosophy, not just talk about it, and reads The Daily Stoic ’s entry of the day, on today’s Daily Stoic Podcast. Athletic G...

Ryan reads today’s daily meditation and talks to Venture Capitalist and Author Brad Feld about his new book The Entrepreneur’s Weekly Nietzsche: A Book for Disruptors , the common misinterpretation of Nietzsche’s philosophy and life, why entrepreneurs have to focus attention inward toward self-improvement, and more.  Brad Feld is an American entrepreneur, author, blogger, and venture capitali...

“It’s an interesting fact. Not once in any of his writings or speeches, let alone Meditations, does Marcus Aurelius call himself a Stoic. Other people may have applied the label to him, but he never identified with it. Never saw the need. ” Ryan discusses why you must take things as they are.  Sign up for the Daily Stoic email: http://DailyStoic.com/signup Follow us: Instagram , Twitter , You...

“In June of 2001, Paul Wolfowitz, then U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense, addressed the cadets at West Point. While the speech he gave was not itself a historical moment, one remark in it would go down in history. Because it was one of those quotes that history would, in retrospect, make particularly poignant, if not outright ironic.” Ryan explains why you should never be caught unprepared, and rea...

Today’s episode is an excerpt from The Tao Of Seneca produced by Tim Ferriss’ Audio. In this letter Seneca writes about the ethereal nature of human existence, how time is constantly moving life forward, why we should take advantage of the time that we have here, and more. Go to tim.blog/seneca to get the PDF for free. The Jordan Harbinger Show is one of the most interesting podcasts on the web, w...

On today’s episode of the podcast, Ryan talks to journalist and author Oliver Burkeman about his new book Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals which releases August 10th, practicing the Stoic concept of memento mori, facing the harsh state of the reality that surrounds us, and more.  Oliver Burkeman is a British journalist (principally for the British newspaper The Guardian) and w...

“There’s no question Marcus Aurelius had a cynical eye. This was deliberate. He looked out over a feast and ignored the culinary temptations to notice “the dead body of a fish, this the dead body of a bird or pig.” He tried to strip things “of the legend that encrusts them” to get to the raw truth, and to conquer his appetites and his urges in the process.” Ryan explains why you must take a hard l...

“There’s no question that there are extremists on both sides of any meaningful divide. That there are liars and frauds on both sides. That there are abuses on both sides. That both sides are preposterously wrong about things that are glaringly obvious to you, and frustratingly right about things that are not. This is true wherever you live, whatever issues you’re talking about. ” Ryan explains why...

Ryan reads today’s daily meditation and talks to Los Angeles Rams GM Les Snead about the cultural pillars of the Rams organization, making tough decisions under intense pressure, ignoring the short term incentives and the noise that comes along with his profession, and more. Les Snead is an American football executive who is the general manager of the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football Leag...

Ryan explains why you should meditate on your mortality. Sign up for the Daily Stoic email: http://DailyStoic.com/signup Follow us: Instagram , Twitter , YouTube , TikTok , and Facebook See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

“It’s hard to be an academic who specializes in Stoicism. Because the philosophy is so complex? On the contrary. Stoicism is a difficult choice for tenure because it’s so simple. The Stoics say what they mean and they say it clearly.” Ryan discusses the beauty of simplicity, and reads this week’s meditation from The Daily Stoic Journal , on today’s Daily Stoic Podcast. Sign up for the Daily Stoic...

Stoicism is a practical philosophy, which means it is made to be PRACTICED. In this podcast, Ryan discusses 7 key ideas of Stoicism that will help you develop a daily practice and respond to challenging situations in your life. Stoicism provides exercises to help manage stress, excessive thought, anger, depression, worry,  and other destructive mindstates. Stoic practices can help develop a s...

On today’s episode of the podcast, Ryan talks to author and poet Clint Smith about his new book How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery , the struggle to remove confederate monuments throughout the Southern United States, how to make sense of the absurd lies that have been generationally passed down since slavery was abolished, and more. Clint Smith III is an American write...

“There was a famous exchange between the Stoic philosopher Musonius Rufus and the King of Syria. The king traveled to ask Musonius, ‘Is it appropriate for a leader to study philosophy?’” Ryan explains why leaders must study philosophy and constantly be striving to get better. The Daily Stoic Leadership Challenge is a masterclass in leadership with the cadence and rigor of a boot camp. It is also a...

“The thing about stress and stuggle is that it hardens us. It makes us turn inward. With more than expected on our plate we have less time, less patience, less sympathy for others.” Ryan explains that the highest goal is not to be perfect but just to improve, and reads The Daily Stoic ’s entry of the day, on today’s Daily Stoic Podcast. The Daily Stoic Leadership Challenge is a masterclass in lead...

Ryan reads today’s meditation and talks to Chris Bosh about his new book Letters To A Young Athlete , how you never really “make it” in life, the importance of putting everything into what you do even when it’s tough, and more. This episode was originally recorded for a Barnes and Noble Virtual Event. Chris Bosh fell in love with basketball at an early age and earned the prestigious “Mr. Basketbal...

“Why is stoicism worth listening to? Because it's battle tested. What good are theories about the world that are just that, theories. Philosophy from the ivory tower might be good for blowing minds, but as far as solving problems in the real world, much less. So even in Marcus Aurelius his day, there was a suspicion of pen and ink philosophers.” Ryan explains why you must practice your philosophy...