There's something wonderful about being together, family, traveling in from near and far good people enjoying good food, taking a break from the busyness of the world, reflecting on all the things you're grateful for, remembering and making new memories. That's what Thanksgiving, which we're celebrating here in the US today is all about. Feeding America | We donated the first $30,000 and would love your help in getting to our goal of $300,000 —which would provide over 3 million meals for familie...
Nov 27, 2025•14 min•Ep. 2796
Happy Thanksgiving! In today’s bonus episode, you will hear a powerful excerpt from Ryan’s interview with author and journalist Julia Baird about the real-life power of grace, forgiveness, and why letting go can be one of the bravest things you do. Feeding America | We donated the first $30,000 and would love your help in getting to our goal of $300,000 —which would provide over 3 million meals for families across the country! Just head over to dailystoic.com/feeding —every dollar provides 10 me...
Nov 27, 2025•15 min•Ep. 2792
After you have faced death, you can’t believe what people care about online. In this episode, Ryan sits down with bestselling author and legendary war reporter Sebastian Junger. Sebastian talks about why he refuses to get a smartphone, how technology gives us the illusion of control, Ambrose Bierce, and the multiple times he was nearly executed as a war reporter. Sebastian Junger is the #1 New York Times Bestselling author of The Perfect Storm , Fire , A Death In Belmont , War , Tribe , Freedom ...
Nov 26, 2025•51 min•Ep. 2790
The Stoics said what needed to be said. But they weren’t jerks. Not on purpose anyway. 👉 Support the podcast and go deeper into Stoicism by subscribing to The Daily Stoic Premium - unlock ad-free listening, early access, and bonus content: https://dailystoic.supercast.com/ 🎥 Watch the video episodes on The Daily Stoic YouTube channel : https://www.youtube.com/@DailyStoic/videos 🎙️ Follow The Daily Stoic Podcast on Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/dailystoicpodcast ✉️ Want Stoic wisdom de...
Nov 26, 2025•3 min•Ep. 2791
This is what it is to be a human. Some of it good, some of it better to resist. 📓 Check out Ryan Holiday's favorite journals: The Daily Stoic Journal: 366 Days of Writing and Reflection on The Art of Living by Ryan Holiday: https://store.dailystoic.com/ One Line a Day (A Five-Year Memory Book) : https://www.thepaintedporch.com/ 👉 Support the podcast and go deeper into Stoicism by subscribing to The Daily Stoic Premium - unlock ad-free listening, early access, and bonus content: https://dailyst...
Nov 25, 2025•9 min•Ep. 2789
Seneca wasn’t perfect. He struggled, as all humans do, with inconsistencies between his philosophy and his actions. So, why should we listen to him? 👉 Support the podcast and go deeper into Stoicism by subscribing to The Daily Stoic Premium - unlock ad-free listening, early access, and bonus content: https://dailystoic.supercast.com/ 📘 Grab the hardcover edition of The Daily Stoic here: https://store.dailystoic.com/ 🎥 Watch the video episodes on The Daily Stoic YouTube channel : https://www.y...
Nov 24, 2025•9 min•Ep. 2788
Dive into the wild life of Diogenes, the philosopher who wasn’t afraid to challenge norms or even Alexander the Great. In today’s episode, discover how his bold actions and sharp wit left an enduring legacy and why historians still debate his famous sunbathing encounter with the young conqueror. Pick up a copy of Inger Kuin’s new book Diogenes: The Rebellious Life and Revolutionary Philosophy of the Original Cynic . Thanks to Basic Books for allowing us to run this audio excerpt. 🎟️ Come see Ry...
Nov 23, 2025•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 2787
What can Diogenes teach us about the roots of Stoicism? In today’s episode, Ryan and classicist Inger Kuin break down the real gap between Stoicism and Cynicism, discussing why one trusted order and structure while the other thought most of society was nonsense. They get into Diogenes’ legendary stunts, the Stoics’ attempt to distance themselves from him, and why the world still needs people who question absolutely everything. Inger Kuin is a researcher, writer, and teacher focused on the intell...
Nov 22, 2025•58 min•Ep. 2786
Marcus Aurelius didn't just study philosophy when he was young. To him, philosophy was a lifelong study, a process that he committed to. 🎟️ Come see Ryan Holiday LIVE : https://www.dailystoiclive.com/ Seattle, WA - December 3, 2025 San Diego, CA - February 5, 2026 Phoenix, AZ - February 27, 2026 👉 Support the podcast and go deeper into Stoicism by subscribing to The Daily Stoic Premium - unlock ad-free listening, early access, and bonus content: https://dailystoic.supercast.com/ 🎥 Watch the v...
Nov 21, 2025•21 min•Ep. 2785
Silly worries and petty rivalries. People arguing for no reason. People trying to accumulate more than they could ever need. This is what we do, isn’t it? 🎟️ Come see Ryan Holiday LIVE : https://www.dailystoiclive.com/ Seattle, WA - December 3, 2025 San Diego, CA - February 5, 2026 Phoenix, AZ - February 27, 2026 📖 Wisdom Takes Work by Ryan Holiday is out! Grab a copy here: https://store.dailystoic.com/pages/wisdom-takes-work 👉 Support the podcast and go deeper into Stoicism by subscribing to...
Nov 20, 2025•16 min•Ep. 2784
Diogenes wasn’t a Stoic… but without him, the Stoics don’t exist. His life was so bold, so uncompromising, and so brutally honest that it reshaped the entire philosophical world the Stoics inherited. In today’s episode, Ryan sits down with classicist Inger Kuin to unpack the wild and brilliant philosophy of Diogenes, the original cynic. Inger Kuin is a researcher, writer, and teacher focused on the intellectual history of ancient Greece and Rome. She is Associate Professor of Classics at the Uni...
Nov 19, 2025•38 min•Ep. 2782
Whether we’re beginning some creative work or we’re trying to solve some complex problem, we should never be starting from zero. 📖 Wisdom Takes Work by Ryan Holiday is out! Grab a copy here: https://store.dailystoic.com/pages/wisdom-takes-work 👉 Support the podcast and go deeper into Stoicism by subscribing to The Daily Stoic Premium - unlock ad-free listening, early access, and bonus content: https://dailystoic.supercast.com/ 🎥 Watch the video episodes on The Daily Stoic YouTube channel : ht...
Nov 19, 2025•4 min•Ep. 2783
Culture has changed. Technology has changed. Work has changed. Politics have changed. The environment has changed. You think these changes could have been prevented. Yet what you’re forgetting is that this is how it’s always been . 👉 Support the podcast and go deeper into Stoicism by subscribing to The Daily Stoic Premium - unlock ad-free listening, early access, and bonus content: https://dailystoic.supercast.com/ 📕 Our favorite translation of Seneca’s essays on grief and loss, Hardship and H...
Nov 18, 2025•9 min•Ep. 2781
People are weak. People are scared. People are afraid to go for what they want. It has always been thus. 📚 Books mentioned: Courage is Calling by Ryan Holiday The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday 👉 Support the podcast and go deeper into Stoicism by subscribing to The Daily Stoic Premium - unlock ad-free listening, early access, and bonus content: https://dailystoic.supercast.com/ 🎥 Watch the video episodes on The Daily Stoic YouTube channel : https://www.youtube.com/@DailyStoic/videos 🎙️ Follow T...
Nov 17, 2025•9 min•Ep. 2780
We should fight, as Marcus Aurelius says, to be the person philosophy tried to make us. In this episode, Ryan shares why deciding to live with virtue can completely transform your life. 🎟️ Come see Ryan Holiday LIVE : https://www.dailystoiclive.com/ Seattle, WA - December 3, 2025 San Diego, CA - February 5, 2026 Phoenix, AZ - February 27, 2026 📖 Wisdom Takes Work by Ryan Holiday is out! Grab a copy here: https://store.dailystoic.com/pages/wisdom-takes-work 👉 Support the podcast and go deeper ...
Nov 16, 2025•23 min•Ep. 2779
What’s the point of achieving success if you’re burned out, lonely, or exhausted? In today’s episode, Ryan sits down with Mark Manson (bestselling author of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**k ) to talk about how the habits that help you “make it” are usually the same ones that burn you out later. Mark talks about the moment he realized he couldn’t keep living like a maniac, the changes he had to make in his 30s and 40s, and why he no longer trusts himself around certain decisions. Mark Manson i...
Nov 15, 2025•40 min•Ep. 2778
It seems insensitive to even suggest that someone “love” their fate. How are you supposed to love a breakup? Love that you buried someone? Love that you lost your business? 🎥 Watch this episode on The Daily Stoic YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fLpCRbQUs8 📖 Wisdom Takes Work by Ryan Holiday is out NOW! Grab a copy here: https://store.dailystoic.com/pages/wisdom-takes-work 👉 Support the podcast and go deeper into Stoicism by subscribing to The Daily Stoic Premium - unlock ad-...
Nov 14, 2025•21 min•Ep. 2777
There’s even a famous old saying: Whom the gods wish to destroy, they first make angry . 🎟️ Come see Ryan Holiday LIVE : https://www.dailystoiclive.com/ Seattle, WA - December 3, 2025 San Diego, CA - February 5, 2026 Phoenix, AZ - February 27, 2026 👉 Support the podcast and go deeper into Stoicism by subscribing to The Daily Stoic Premium - unlock ad-free listening, early access, and bonus content: https://dailystoic.supercast.com/ 📖 Wisdom Takes Work by Ryan Holiday is out NOW! Grab a copy h...
Nov 13, 2025•19 min•Ep. 2775
In this bonus episode, Ryan sits down with his friend and collaborator, Joe Byerly, retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel, writer, and host of From the Green Notebook . The two talk about the overlap between Stoicism and service, the discipline it takes to think clearly, and why wisdom isn’t something you’re born with. Joe Byerly is a recently retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel with 20 years of service, including combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and command of a cavalry squadron in Europe. ...
Nov 13, 2025•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 2776
At some point, you realize courage isn’t something you are born with, it’s something you build. In this episode, Ryan sits down with bestselling author Cheryl Strayed ( Tiny Beautiful Things , Wild ) to talk about what it really means to be brave. They discuss how fear and courage always show up together, why you can’t wait to “feel ready,” and the difference between saying you’ll change and actually doing it. Cheryl shares what hiking alone on the Pacific Crest Trail taught her about courage, l...
Nov 12, 2025•1 hr•Ep. 2774
You don’t have to accept being treated this way. You should stand up. You should speak out. But you know what you shouldn’t do? 👉 Support the podcast and go deeper into Stoicism by subscribing to The Daily Stoic Premium - unlock ad-free listening, early access, and bonus content: https://dailystoic.supercast.com/ 🎟️ Come see Ryan Holiday LIVE : https://www.dailystoiclive.com/ Seattle, WA - December 3, 2025 San Diego, CA - February 5, 2026 Phoenix, AZ - February 27, 2026 📖 Wisdom Takes Work by...
Nov 12, 2025•3 min•Ep. 2773
Was Marcus Aurelius a bad father? How did he not manage to pass his Stoicism—to say nothing of his kindness and sense of responsibility—to his son? 🎟️ Come see Ryan Holiday LIVE : https://www.dailystoiclive.com/ Seattle, WA - December 3, 2025 San Diego, CA - February 5, 2026 Phoenix, AZ - February 27, 2026 📖 Wisdom Takes Work by Ryan Holiday is out NOW! Grab a copy here: https://store.dailystoic.com/pages/wisdom-takes-work 👉 Support the podcast and go deeper into Stoicism by subscribing to Th...
Nov 11, 2025•10 min•Ep. 2772
Ulysses S. Grant knew what the Stoics knew—that outside circumstances don’t say anything about us, that it didn’t matter, as Epictetus said, what we bear, only how we bear it. 👉 Support the podcast and go deeper into Stoicism by subscribing to The Daily Stoic Premium - unlock ad-free listening, early access, and bonus content: https://dailystoic.supercast.com/ 🎥 Watch the video episodes on The Daily Stoic YouTube channel : https://www.youtube.com/@DailyStoic/videos 🎙️ Follow The Daily Stoic P...
Nov 10, 2025•10 min•Ep. 2770
What is the "Tortoise Method" and how can it help us build habits for happiness? Look no further than this excerpt from Chapter 9 of the audiobook of Aristotle’s Guide to Self-Persuasion: How Ancient Rhetoric, Taylor Swift, and Your Own Soul Can Help You Change Your Life by Jay Heinrichs ( last week's guest on The Daily Stoic Podcast! ). Jay Heinrichs is a New York Times bestselling author of Thank You For Arguing and is a persuasion and conflict consultant. Middlebury College has named him a Pr...
Nov 09, 2025•14 min•Ep. 2771
It takes a trained mind to see wonder and awe in the middle of everyday struggles. In today’s PT. 2 episode, Ryan and persuasion expert Jay Heinrichs dive deeper into discipline, the power of our inner dialogue, and what it really means to have agency. Jay shares the story of having breakfast with the Dalai Lama and how the Stoics, Buddhists, Aristotle, and even Taylor Swift all point to the same truth about how we see and respond to life. Jay Heinrichs is a New York Times bestselling author of ...
Nov 08, 2025•44 min•Ep. 2769
What’s the point? What is philosophy for? 🏛 The 2025 LIVE session of Stoicism 101: Ancient Philosophy For Your Actual Life starts November 10th. Don’t miss your chance to join us! Read on for more about the unique opportunities you get from joining the LIVE course. | https://dailystoic.com/101 👉 Support the podcast and go deeper into Stoicism by subscribing to The Daily Stoic Premium - unlock ad-free listening, early access, and bonus content: https://dailystoic.supercast.com/ 📖 Wisdom Takes ...
Nov 07, 2025•10 min•Ep. 2768
This is what Stoicism has done throughout history. It’s made people the best they could be. 🏛 The 2025 LIVE session of Stoicism 101: Ancient Philosophy For Your Actual Life starts November 10th. Don’t miss your chance to join us! Read on for more about the unique opportunities you get from joining the LIVE course. 👉 Get Stoicism 101: Ancient Philosophy For Your Actual Life & all other Daily Stoic courses for FREE when you join Daily Stoic Life | dailystoic.com/life 🎟️ Come see Ryan Holida...
Nov 06, 2025•14 min•Ep. 2766
After their interview , Ryan and Nick Thompson , CEO of The Atlantic and author of The Running Ground , headed into The Painted Porch to talk about their favorite books and swap recommendations. 🎥 You can watch this episode on Ryan Holiday's YouTube channel : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHT1krHB6Wg 🎙️ Listen to Nick Thompson's episode on The Daily Stoic Podcast | Apple Podcasts , Spotify 📚 Full list of books that Ryan gave to Nick: Tunnel 29: The True Story of an Extraordinary Escape Bene...
Nov 06, 2025•28 min•Ep. 2767
You’re not lazy, you’re just losing the debate in your own head. In today’s episode, Ryan talks with Jay Heinrichs , bestselling author of Thank You for Arguing and one of the world’s leading experts on rhetoric and persuasion. Jay has spent decades studying how we influence others, but in this conversation, he flips that lens inward to show how we can use the same tools to influence ourselves. Ryan and Jay talk about the fascinating overlap between Stoicism and rhetoric, how Marcus Aurelius use...
Nov 05, 2025•38 min•Ep. 2765
The Stoics were not passive. They did impressive things. They were impressive people. They were fighters. But you know what? They, like the rest of us, sometimes got carried away, sometimes hung on too long, went after the wrong things. 🏛 The 2025 LIVE session of Stoicism 101: Ancient Philosophy For Your Actual Life starts November 10th. Don’t miss your chance to join us! Read on for more about the unique opportunities you get from joining the LIVE course. 🎟️ Come see Ryan Holiday LIVE : https...
Nov 05, 2025•3 min•Ep. 2764
