The Daily Stoic

On today’s podcast, Ryan talks to Admiral James Stavridis about the voyage of character as detailed in his book Sailing True North , his friendship with the modern day Stoic James Stockdale, the urgency of educating yourself through books and reading, and more.  Admiral James Stavridis is a retired four-star U.S. naval officer. He served for five years as the Dean of The Fletcher School of Law and...

“We often think that greatness is a synonym for brilliance. That great leadership is all about magnetism and communication. For which we need vision and boldness, allies and luck. And of course, to be successful in any field, but particularly in leadership, all of those things are true. But we also need something far simpler that is yet even more rare.” Ryan explains why everything hinges on your...

“Sometimes it can feel like you’re a solitary warrior. Certainly Marcus Aurelius’s Meditations reads like that at times. He feels like the last honest man. The last good man. The only one keeping the faith.” Ryan explains the struggle that we all share, and reads The Daily Stoic ’s entry of the day, on today’s Daily Stoic Podcast. This episode is also brought to you by stamps.com , a secure Intern...

Ryan reads today's Daily Stoic email and talks to author Bonnie Tsui about her new memoir, Why We Swim , their mutual adoration of swimming, how physical exercise can be a catalyst for creative thinking, the philosophical benefits of spending time in the water, and more.  Her newest piece, The Uncertain Sea, is available now on Scribd . Bonnie Tsui is the author of many books including Americ...

“You have your views. You have your side of things. You have the team you’re on, the group you belong to. So instinctually, naturally, you default there. You started out making your argument, believing that things should go this way or that way, so what are you gonna do? Just give in? You’re going to let them win? How Stoic is that?” Ryan discusses the important distinction between facts and feeli...

“You’ve been wronged. Someone let you down. Something didn’t go your way. This person stole from you. That one lied to you. She betrayed you. He insulted you right to your face. The surefire deal fell through. Your most lucrative client decided to go with another vendor. Your dream girl found somebody else.” Ryan explains why the art of letting go is essential to success, and reads this week’s med...

Today’s episode features a section from Michael Fontaine’s How to Tell a Joke: An Ancient Guide to the Art of Humor published by Princeton University Press and HighBridge audio, a division of Recorded Books. How to Tell a Joke is a modern translation and collection of Cicero and Quintilian’s timeless advice about how to use humor to win over any audience. This episode is brought to you by Policyge...

On today’s podcast, Ryan talks to Charles and Chase Koch about challenging assumptions and leaning on first principles, the advantages of a bottom-up approach as detailed in Charles’ new book Believe in People: Bottom-Up Solutions for a Top-Down World , how to make a difference by working together locally, their philanthropic organization Stand Together , and more.  Charles Koch is an American bil...

“George Washington’s favorite saying was “many mickles make a muckle.” It was an old Scottish proverb that illustrates a truth we all know: things add up. Even little ones.” Ryan discusses why small things make a big impact, 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 peopl...

“A few days ago we talked about this paralyzing fear—the “preemptive whataboutism” that holds people back from doing the right thing. It’s why we don’t speak up about somebody on our side. Why we won’t take that career risk. Why we don’t see enough real leadership.” Ryan explains why you can't let the concept of the future disturb you, and reads The Daily Stoic ’s entry of the day, on today’s...

Ryan reads today's Daily Stoic email and talks to Arthur Brooks about the differences and similarities in Stoicism and Epicureanism, the obligation we have to each other as human beings, the importance of virtue in modern society, and more. Arthur C. Brooks is Professor of the Practice of Public Leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School and Professor of Management Practice at the Harvard Busin...

“It’s interesting to think of the Stoics, from Marcus Aurelius to Zeno, reaching back through the centuries like links in a chain (from Z to A no less!).” Ryan explains the importance of choosing who you learn from, on today’s Daily Stoic Podcast. Ryan Holiday's book Lives of the Stoics is on sale as an E-Book for just $1.99! The pages of this book start with Zeno, the founder of Stoicism, an...

“Imagine you are Seneca and tuberculosis has claimed ten years of your life in convalescence. Imagine you are Seneca and after climbing to the top of Roman life, you were cruelly exiled to some rock in the middle of nowhere.” Ryan explains how Fortune behaves as she pleases–what she gives she takes away, and reads this week’s meditation from The Daily Stoic Journal , on today’s Daily Stoic Podcast...

On today’s special episode of the podcast, Ryan describes the universal message of redemption that can be found in the story of Jesus Christ’s execution. He also takes us through a typical day and what he does to keep balance and clarity as he goes through his day according to Stoic philosophy.  This episode is brought to you by LMNT , the maker of electrolyte drink mixes that help you stay active...

On today’s episode, Ryan talks to Lt. General H.R. McMaster about why leaders must study history and philosophy, his book Dereliction of Duty about the controversial Vietnam war, Seneca’s complicated service for the emperor Nero, and more. H.R. McMaster is a retired United States Army Lieutenant General who served as the 26th United States National Security Advisor. He is known for his roles in th...

“You see them in the comments sections. You see them on social media. You hear it come out of the mouths of friends, family members. Sometimes it’s casual. Other times it’s uncouth. Sometimes it’s couched in intellectualization or an economic analysis.” Ryan explains why we must always consider the whole, on today’s Daily Stoic Podcast. *** If you enjoyed this week’s podcast, we’d love for you to...

“There is something delightfully simple about Ulysses S. Grant. Napoleon seems like some sort of larger than life figure, a peerless genius like the freak athletes we see on television. The same for the incredible heroism of Admiral Stockdale . Their accomplishments are impressive, but not exactly relatable.” Ryan explains why you must keep your emotions under control to continue the work, and rea...

“A couple weeks ago, we talked about Fran Lebowitz’s secret to be immensely rich. They also happen to be a secret to empathy and understanding. There has been a big push lately for diversity and inclusion in books and television. This is important, obviously, because any system that does exclude voices is an unjust one. But we should also be careful in our pursuit—as readers or consumers—of art ab...

Ryan speaks to the author and journalist Robert Wright about the Stoic obligation to being involved in politics, staying creative while controlling your own destiny, the temptations and distractions of social media, and more.  Robert Wright is an author and journalist who has written five books including The Moral Animal and Why Buddhism Is True . He has also written for The Atlantic Monthly, The...

“There’s no question that the super rich can afford better medical care than you. They have access to the best doctors, the most cutting-edge treatments. So, naturally, they are living longer—they are buying what scientists are calling “radical life extension.” In fact, some thinkers believe this will be a source of conflict in the future. Today, we have income inequality. Tomorrow, it will be lon...

“This has not been fun. It’s been brutal. But it has been, at least, an exercise in that question that the Stoic aficionado Tim Ferriss is a fan of: What would less look like? Less flights. Less dinners out. Less meetings. Less income. Less time with friends.” Ryan explains why you must focus on what is essential, and reads this week’s meditation from The Daily Stoic Journal , on today’s Daily Sto...

On today's episode, Ryan introduces 3 core Stoic concepts that are sure to help you through whatever life puts in front of you. The German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche would describe his formula for human greatness as amor fati—a love of fate. Memento Mori—the ancient practice of reflection on mortality that goes back to Socrates, who said that the proper practice of philosophy is “about n...

On today’s episode Ryan speaks to professor and author Agnes Callard about the philosophical model that Socrates passed down, the ancient problem of fundamentally flawed people, how to re envision success and ambition, pulling rather than pushing your children towards philosophy, and more.  Agnes Callard is an associate professor of philosophy at the University of Chicago (ancient philosophy and e...

“Marcus Aurelius didn’t believe he was suited to be emperor. In fact, when he received the news of Hadrian’s plans to have Antoninus Pius adopt him and place him next in line for the throne, he broke down in tears. There was no one he revered more than Antoninus. How could he possibly live up to the task of following in his footsteps? ” Ryan explains why you have everything you need to live up to...

“It’s easy to become disappointed with humanity each time you step into your car. Not even because of how angry and aggressive some drivers are. Or from the amount of litter you see on the side of the road. The slow, clueless drivers who needlessly cause traffic are sufficient.” Ryan explains why you have to prepare yourself for what life throws at you, and reads The Daily Stoic ’s entry of the da...