The Daily Stoic

On today’s episode, Ryan talks with Camila Cabello on training your mind to work for you, finding courage and happiness in your career, how she values stillness and the idea of memento mori, and more. Camila Cabello is one of the biggest stars in the music industry today. Cabello’s 2018 debut album, Camila, reached the top of the Billboard 200 chart and was certified platinum. Cabello has billions...

"You’re smart. You’re experienced. You’ve made a bunch of money. You have a few prestigious letters before or after your name.  You’re a citizen of this country or that one. You’re got an impressive physique. You have a large following.  We can start to feel pretty good about ourselves… and then life has a way of reminding us how meaningless these things really are. " Ryan explains how y...

"We’d like to think we are above being influenced by others, but of course that’s not true. We are shaped by the people we spend time with, and the examples we observe. Benjamin Hardy has called this the “proximity effect,” and many years ago Jim Rohn famously declared that we are the average of the five people we spend the most time with." Ryan discusses why it's so important that...

Ryan speaks with writer Wright Thompson about what drives an author to cover a topic, the similarity between writing and sports, their differing writing processes, and more. Wright Thompson is an author and journalist who covers the intersections of sports and culture. Thompson has written for ESPN.com and ESPN The Magazine on topics like auto racing, MMA, bullfighting and more. Thompson wrote The...

Reading is an indisputable good. How could it not be? It’s hard to criticize anyone who takes the time, in this crazy, busy (and shockingly ignorant) world, to sit and read a book.  But if wisdom is our aim, then of course, it’s not that simple. Great readers don’t just think about quantity, they think about quality. Ryan explains how you should measure the quality of your reading on today's...

If you look out at the world right now, what you’ll see at first glance is a pretty terrible picture of desperation. Steep market declines. Fear. Panic. Unemployment. People in hospitals. Leaders who have fallen down on the job at every level of government, who actually feel no shame, saying things like, “ I don't take responsibility at all .” But if you choose to be a bit more deliberate abo...

In 1811, a 68-year-old Thomas Jefferson sat down to try to put down some advice that he could pass along to his 12-year-old granddaughter Cornelia. His advice survives to us as “ Canons of Conduct ,” 12 rules for living. Ryan discusses the importance of one of Jefferson's rules, and reads over the week's guidance from the Daily Stoic Journal, on today's Daily Stoic Podcast. This epi...

On today's episode, Ryan discusses 7 lessons we can all learn from the Stoics that are especially pertinent to the trials of 2020. This episode is brought to you by Neuro . Neuro makes mints and gums that help you retain focus and clarity wherever you go. Made with a proprietary blend of caffeine, L-theanine, and other focus-building compounds, Neuro’s products are great for anyone who needs...

Ryan speaks with entrepreneur and investor Joe Lonsdale about the intersections of business and philosophy, what Cicero means to him, why so many people are relocating to Texas, and more. Joe Lonsdale is a major Silicon Valley tech sector investor. A co-founder of Palantir Technologies , Lonsdale was an early investor in companies including Oculus , Oscar , Illumio , and Orca Bio , and is a partne...

"That nice, warm feeling you have right now? That fullness? From the food you stuffed yourself with, from the wonderful meal you had with your family? It’s important that you realize not everyone is feeling that right now." Ryan explains what we can do to help others who don't have enough to eat this holiday season on today's Daily Stoic Podcast. Donate to the Daily Stoic Feedi...

"On this day of American Thanksgiving, we’re supposed to make time to give thanks, to actively think about that word which has become almost cliché in wellness circles: gratitude. But what is gratitude? Some people think of it as being thankful for all the good things you have in your life. Others see it as the act of acknowledging what people have done for you or what you appreciate about ot...

"If you’re not on guard, you’ll find yourself falling victim to the urge for just one more helping, or I’ve earned that treat. But what we are bad at calculating is what kind of person we’re going to feel like after. It’s like with drinking: it might make you friendlier at first, and then a real monster a few hours later. And the next day? Well then you won’t be good for anything." Ryan...

Ryan talks to director and journalist Daniel Lombroso about social media and the ways that people can be manipulated and radicalized by it, the Internet-fueled rise of extremist movements, and more. Daniel Lombroso is a filmmaker and journalist based in New York City. His most recent work is the feature documentary White Noise , which follows key figures in the American alt-right movement. Before...

"They didn’t have the studies to back it up, but they knew. Anger makes you dumber. It makes you a worse leader, a worse decision-maker." Ryan tells us precisely why anger is so irrational 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 podca...

"Other people. Ugh. They are all the things Marcus Aurelius said, and more: Dishonest. Arrogant. Envious. Frustrating. Shortsighted. Selfish. And yet? Other people are not hell, as the expression goes. They are all we have. They are not even 'other.' They are us. We are all part of one whole, the Stoics would say." Ryan explains why we need to work for the common good, and read...

Today’s episode features an interview of Ryan conducted by yesterday’s guest Rich Roll about Ryan’s latest book, Lives of the Stoics: The Art of Living from Zeno to Marcus Aurelius at a Live Talks LA event. They talk about the intersection of Stoicism and politics, the best way to live virtuously, and more. Live Talks LA: https://livetalksla.org/ Event page: https://livetalksla.org/events/ryanholi...

On today’s episode, Ryan talks with athlete and wellness advocate Rich Roll about how our leadership has reacted to the coronavirus pandemic, the modern wellness community, the pros and cons of psychedelic therapy, and more. Rich Roll is an author, wellness advocate, athlete, and podcast host. Roll was previously an entertainment lawyer, but after becoming sober and losing 50 lbs, Roll transformed...

"When Ebola was first spreading, the news would run fascinating stories about the habits of the people who were unknowingly infected. These stories are often as revealing as they are cautionary. First, how clueless people are—how flagrantly they violate warnings and guidelines out of selfishness and dismissiveness. But more interestingly, how much time people waste." Ryan exhorts us to u...

"It’s ironic that today we celebrate the anniversary of the Gettysburg Address, because the entire conceit of Lincoln’s short, 271-word address was that people would little note nor remember what he was saying. What counted to Lincoln was what the soldiers had done.  The full measure of their sacrifice, for freedom, to preserve the Union, was beyond anyone’s ability to add or subtract. The St...

"Because of how Stoicism survives to us—mostly in the form of scraps and fragments and letters—we don’t exactly have a list of dos and don’ts. There are no Ten Commandments of Stoicism. No definitive book of what they believed or didn’t.  But in those scraps and fragments, we do get plenty." Ryan explains what we know about how the Stoics felt about habits on today's Daily Stoic Pod...

On today’s episode, Ryan speaks with singer Mike Herrera, founder of the punk band MxPx . They talk about being a touring musician during COVID, the insights he has gained from being in MxPx, and more. Mike Herrera is lead vocalist, bassist, and songwriter for the punk band MxPx . Herrera founded the band in 1992 in Bremerton, WA, and it has since gone on to reach Billboard charts multiple times a...

"A lot can happen to ruin your day. You could wake up to a freak storm, or roads gnarled with traffic. Your dog could throw up on the carpet. You could find out that the president called you out by name on Twitter. You could have the flu or food poisoning. You could just be tired. You could have a job you hate. You could get dumped… or dumped on.  The potential nightmares are endless.  It wou...

"Few saw the pandemic coming. But certainly the woefully inadequate response, at all levels, was predicted by many. The same is true for most events, in politics, in sports, in business, in life. It’s next to impossible to know what adversity or what good luck will fall in someone’s lap. How they’ll be able to handle this—whether they’ll rise to the occasion, be corrupted or destroyed by it—o...

On today's episode, Ryan talks about the virtues that Marcus Aurelius brought to his position as Emperor of Rome. How did Marcus lead the Roman people through invasions and plagues, war and disaster, and still maintain his mettle? Find out 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...

On today’s episode, Ryan speaks with Academy Award-winning actor and producer Matthew McConaughey about his approach to the craft of acting, the simple keys to living a happy life, his new book, the #1 best seller Greenlights , and more. Matthew McConaughey has been working in Hollywood for over 25 years, appearing in movies like A Time to Kill, The Wolf of Wall Street, and Dallas Buyers Club. His...