The Daily Stoic

Today’s episode is an excerpt from Rome's Last Citizen: The Life and Legacy of Cato by Rob Goodman and Jimmy Soni. This chapter deals with the early life of Cato, how he survived in a Roman culture that viciously tested the toughness of newborns, how his predilection for justice was formed at a young age and he was destined to clash with the empire, and more. The Jordan Harbinger Show is one...

On today’s episode Ryan talks to author Luke Burgis about his new book Wanting: The Power of Mimetic Desire in Everyday Life , the philosophy of French polymath René Girard, getting to the truth of what you should want in life, and more. Luke Burgis has co-created and led four companies in wellness, consumer products, and technology. He’s currently Entrepreneur-in-Residence and Director of Program...

“The virus doesn’t care. It doesn’t care that you were just about to open your first retail shop. It doesn’t care that you love visiting your grandmother. It doesn’t care that you recently finished chemotherapy. It doesn’t care about the collateral damage. It doesn’t care about your theories or your political beliefs. It doesn’t care about anything.” Ryan discusses how indifferent external events...

“The Stoics weren’t robots. It wasn’t that they stuffed things down, or that they didn’t feel anything. How could that have been true? They were husbands and fathers, wives and daughters. They wrote beautiful works of art. They took principled stands. They told jokes. They worked hard and they sacrificed.” Ryan explains what you should replace anger with, and reads The Daily Stoic ’s entry of the...

Ryan reads today’s meditation and talks to Chris Bosh about his new book Letters To A Young Athlete , what he learned winning multiple NBA Championships, the importance of having a diverse range of interests, learning to live in the moment, and more.  Chris Bosh fell in love with basketball at an early age and earned the prestigious “Mr. Basketball” title while still at Lincoln High School in Dall...

“Have you ever noticed that we often refer to Marcus Aurelius just as Marcus? You likely read those references without breaking stride. Because you, like us, feel connected to Marcus. So much so that there’s a vivid picture of him painted in your head. So much so that you could describe Marcus more thoroughly than you can most co-workers, or clients, or friends, even. Isn’t it incredible to feel l...

“As the Founders signed the Declaration of Independence, they knew that this wasn’t some painless petition. This wasn’t some minor political stand. No, they knew, as they wrote, they were mutually pledging their “life, fortune, and sacred honor.” It was a cause they were willing to give everything for—even die for.” Ryan challenges you to question where your honor lies, and reads this week’s medit...

Today’s episode is an excerpt from The Tao Of Seneca produced by Tim Ferriss’ Audio. In this letter Seneca writes about overcoming troubles without being affected by them, what true friendship really is, how we should value friendship, and more. Go to tim.blog/seneca to get the PDF for free. The new Pod Pro Cover by Eight Sleep is the most advanced solution on the market for thermoregulation. It p...

On today’s episode, Ryan talks to author Charlie Mackesy about his #1 New York Times bestselling book The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse , the process of writing and creating the book, how beautiful and rare it is to find contentment, and more. Charlie Mackesy is the author of The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse. The book has sold over 1.4 million copies and spent 55 weeks on the Sunday...

“At the height of his powers, King Pyrrhus was killed by a roof tile, thrown by an old woman, as he conquered another city. In 1967, Harold Holt, the prime minister of Australia, went out for a swim in the ocean and simply never came back.” Ryan reminds you of the inevitable fact of your mortality, on today’s Daily Stoic Podcast. *** If you enjoyed this week’s podcast, we’d love for you to leave a...

“It’s true. As Marcus Aurelius reminded himself, today you will meet jealous people. Selfish people. Mean people. Shameless people. Even stupid people.” Ryan discusses how we should view the vast majority of people, and reads The Daily Stoic ’s entry of the day, on today’s Daily Stoic Podcast. Go Macro is a family-owned maker of some of the finest protein bars around. They're vegan, non-GMO,...

Ryan reads today’s meditation and talks to author and biographer Candice Millard about her books The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey , Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President , Hero of the Empire: The Boer War , how we can relate to and learn from the great leaders of history, why you should compete with yourself and root for eve...

“Was there a Stoic who didn’t love reading? It’d be hard to name one. The last thing Cato did before he died was read.” Ryan explains why reading is so important, on today’s Daily Stoic Podcast. *** 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, the more we can invest into it and ma...

“Everyone has trouble admitting they were wrong, including Marcus Aurelius. Yes, he writes glibly in Meditations about how he’s glad to be corrected, but why do you think he wrote that? Because it wasn’t natural. He was reminding himself...probably right after he caught himself failing to admit an error.” Ryan discusses why it’s dangerous to confuse what we do with who we are, and reads this week’...

Today’s episode is a partial interview with combat-decorated Navy SEAL sniper Brandon Webb. Ryan and Brandon talk about his new thriller series Steel Fear which follows the US navy’s first serial killer, the idea of autonomy over making a certain amount of money or reaching a certain level of success, and the radicalization of the American nation and how it is viewed from a military perspective. B...

On today’s episode of the podcast Ryan talks to author and filmmaker Sebastian Junger about his new book Freedom which details his 400 mile journey along the railroad lines of the American East Coast, the unforeseen consequences of fighting for freedom, how the fragility of life reveals a wonderment at existence, and more.  Sebastian Junger is the #1 New York Times Bestselling author of The Perfec...

“Some time around the year 64 AD, Seneca’s friend Lucilius sent him a letter . Lucilius was nervous about an ongoing lawsuit. We’re not sure what the suit was over, but we know that it was a serious case and that Lucilius had made himself anxious about the outcome and had written to Seneca for some advice.” Ryan explains why you should always be prepared for what could go wrong, on today’s Daily S...

“The last half-decade has tested us in many ways. A pandemic. Corresponding outbreaks of conspiracy theories and magical thinking. A booming economy...then a collapsing one. Civil unrest. Illiberalism. The passions of the mob. Authoritarian leaders. Natural disasters. Slow-moving crises.” Ryan asks you to think about how you’ve faced modern trials, on today’s Daily Stoic Podcast. Go Macro is a fam...

Ryan reads today’s daily meditation and talks to Cal Newport about his new book A  World Without Email: Reimagining Work in an Age of Communication Overload , how knowledge workers can improve their efficiency and gain autonomy, why effective communication is so important, and more.  Cal Newport is an associate professor of computer science at Georgetown University and the bestselling author of 6...

“Even in the ancient world, the classics scholar (and recent podcast guest) Robin Waterfield says, there was a distinction between high philosophy and low philosophy. Which was better?” Ryan explains the difference in high and low philosophy, and relaunches Stoicism 101: Ancient Philosophy For Your Actual Life , on today’s Daily Stoic Podcast. *** If you enjoyed this week’s podcast, we’d love for...

“There are a lot of things that oppose us in this life. Starting with gravity, we are held down by so many things: other people, bad luck, unfavorable odds, and god knows what else. We struggle to get ahead. We struggle to realize our potential. We run into so many obstacles.” Ryan discusses you must face reality with boldness, and reads this week’s meditation from The Daily Stoic Journal , on tod...

On today’s episode, Ryan talks about what Stoicism can teach you about managing your phone use. If Marcus Aurelius was alive today, he would use a phone too. But he would be thinking about how to get the benefits from the technology without all the downsides. Try these strategies out if you're trying to spend less time on your phone. Some of them are easy. Others are tougher, and you’ll proba...

On today’s episode Ryan talks to Daniel Barkhuff about his path to the Naval academy and becoming a Navy SEAL, our individual obligation to each other and to serving the common good, Admiral Stockdale and restoring the 4 Stoic virtues to leadership, and more. Daniel Barkhuff is the president and treasurer of Veterans for Responsible Leadership. He attended the United States Naval Academy and serve...

“It’s not telling you anything new to point out that there will be obnoxious, flawed, annoying, awful idiots that you will come across today, and every day. There are selfish drivers and internet trolls. There is the contractor who you will catch trying to rip you off. There is that politician who just cannot seem to understand that this isn’t about them, that they work for us. These people exist,...

“Of people who rise to positions of power, there are two types. Those who think they can do it alone and those who know that that is insane.” Ryan explains where the true value in life lies, and reads The Daily Stoic ’s entry of the day, on today’s Daily Stoic Podcast. This episode is brought to you by Eight Sleep . The new Pod Pro Cover by Eight Sleep is the most advanced solution on the market f...