Things falling apart. Traditions crumbling. New technologies. New threats. New trends. Welcome to ancient Rome. Welcome to the past…the present…and the future. Make 2026 the year where you finally bring yourself closer to living your best life. No more waiting. Demand the best for yourself. The Daily Stoic New Year New You challenge begins January 1, 2026. Learn more and sign up today at dailystoic.com/challenge . Get The Daily Stoic New Year New You & all other Daily Stoic courses for FREE ...
Dec 22, 2025•9 min•Ep. 2823
In today's episode, Ryan Holiday sits down with legendary biographer Walter Isaacson for a wide-ranging, deeply thoughtful conversation recorded live at the Texas Tribune Festival. They talk about Walker Percy and The Moviegoer , how Stoicism shows up in fiction, and why the ancient virtues still matter in the modern world. They talk through Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, Epictetus, Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, Viktor Frankl, and why history tends to outlast the noise of the present moment. �...
Dec 21, 2025•46 min•Ep. 2822
Most people will enter 2026 hoping life just gets better. Jesse Itzler knows that’s not how real change happens. In today’s episode, Jesse breaks down the three simple rules he follows every year to guarantee it doesn’t slip by. He explains why change has to start before January, how locking in the right priorities forces everything else off your calendar, and why more hustle isn’t the answer in 2026. If you want a year that actually feels different — and you want a plan you can stick to — this ...
Dec 20, 2025•56 min•Ep. 2821
Fortune doesn’t care about our plans and preferences. No, Seneca reminds us, she behaves as she pleases. 📚 Books mentioned: Plutarch’s Lives by Plutarch Mastery by Robert Greene Meditations by Marcus Aurelius River of Doubt by Candice Millard The Odyssey by Homer Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl The Tiger by John Vaillant 🎁 This holiday season, give the gift of Daily Stoic Premium | https://dailystoic.supercast.com/gifts/new 🎥 Watch the video episodes on The Daily Stoic YouTube chann...
Dec 19, 2025•11 min•Ep. 2820
These are disorienting times. Cruel times. Dysfunctional times. And it’s natural to want someone, anyone, to step in and fix it. But they’re not going to. That’s not how this works. Make 2026 the year where you finally bring yourself closer to living your best life. No more waiting. Demand the best for yourself. The Daily Stoic New Year New You challenge begins January 1, 2026. Learn more and sign up today at dailystoic.com/challenge . 👉 Get The Daily Stoic New Year New You & all other Dail...
Dec 18, 2025•19 min•Ep. 2819
The pressure of being great changes when you’re carrying more than your own ambition. In today’s episode, Ryan sits down with Paralympian Ezra Frech to talk about the discipline required to compete at the highest level and the weight that comes with representing more than just yourself. Ezra shares what it actually takes to be a top professional Paralympian, his experience growing up with a disability, the role his parents played in building his confidence, and more. Ezra Frech is an American tr...
Dec 17, 2025•1 hr•Ep. 2817
How are you helping? What are you doing? How are you acting like a Stoic as opposed to just ‘being stoic? 📚 Get a signed copy of each of the books in the Stoic Virtues Series : Courage is Calling , Discipline is Destiny , Right Thing Right Now , and 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 St...
Dec 17, 2025•5 min•Ep. 2818
The world needed Marcus Aurelius to become the person we admire and study today. This required conscious and consistent effort on his part. You’re no different. And you know it. Make 2026 the year where you finally bring yourself closer to living your best life. No more waiting. Demand the best for yourself. The Daily Stoic New Year New You challenge begins January 1, 2026. Learn more and sign up today at dailystoic.com/challenge . 👉 Get The Daily Stoic New Year New You & all other Daily St...
Dec 16, 2025•13 min•Ep. 2816
Shallowness and cruelty and stupidity may be rampant, but we must resist it—resist it without bitterness or despair—by being bright lights in a dark time. 📕 Pick up your own Premium Leather Edition of Meditations - Marcus Aurelius (Gregory Hays Translation) at the Daily Stoic Store: https://store.dailystoic.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://dailystoic.supercast.co...
Dec 15, 2025•9 min•Ep. 2815
Nearly 2,000 years ago, the Stoics were trying to do what we’re all trying to do now: find some peace. For them, philosophy wasn’t an academic hobby. It was something they leaned on to remember what they could control and to let the rest go. That’s why their words still hold up today and continue to help people stay calmer, clearer, and more level-headed. In today's episode, you'll hear eight Stoic lessons you can use to feel a little more steady and at peace. Make 2026 the year where you finall...
Dec 14, 2025•17 min•Ep. 2813
It’s easy to defend yourself. It’s harder to tell the truth. In today’s episode, Ryan sits down with journalist Olivia Nuzzi for a raw, unfiltered conversation about what it really means to get through dishonor honorably. In the wake of her recent scandal, Olivia opens up about how small compromises compound into big consequences, why accountability still matters in a culture that rewards shamelessness, and the strange grace of being forced off a path you didn’t realize was destroying you. From ...
Dec 13, 2025•1 hr 41 min•Ep. 2814
Did you know that Meditations wasn’t the only book that Marcus Aurelius wrote? 📚 Mentioned: The Notebook by Rolland Allen The Daily Stoic Journal: 366 Days of Writing and Reflection on The Art of Living by: https://store.dailystoic.com/ The Daily Dad Five Year Reflection Journal : https://dailydad.com/leather 👉 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/ ...
Dec 12, 2025•30 min•Ep. 2812
It’d be wonderful if we always did what we know we want or need to do. But that’s not how the world is. It is filled with temptations, distractions, and forces tugging us toward the rocks. Make 2026 the year where you finally bring yourself closer to living your best life. No more waiting. Demand the best for yourself. The Daily Stoic New Year New You challenge begins January 1, 2026. Learn more and sign up today at dailystoic.com/challenge . 👉 Get The Daily Stoic New Year New You & all oth...
Dec 11, 2025•14 min•Ep. 2809
How does Camila Cabello stay centered in the chaos of fame? Today’s bonus episode brings back an evergreen lesson from her Daily Stoic episode that’s worth hearing again. 🎥 Watch the full conversation between Camila Cabello and Ryan Holiday here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jqOlJuvIdU 📚 Books mentioned: Stillness Is The Key by Ryan Holiday Ego is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday The Obstacle Is the Way by Ryan Holiday 👉 Support the podcast and go deeper into Stoicism by subscribing to The Daily...
Dec 11, 2025•8 min•Ep. 2811
Being the smartest person in the room is usually where the trouble starts. In today’s episode, Ryan sits down with journalist and author Helen Lewis to talk about genius, ego, and why so many “brilliant” people eventually spin out. They discuss the myth of the lone genius, why smart people overthink themselves into bad ideas, and how ego quietly wrecks careers, reputations, and entire movements. Helen Lewis is a staff writer at The Atlantic who writes about politics and culture. Her first book...
Dec 10, 2025•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 2808
“Well-being is realized by small steps,” Zeno would say looking back on his life, “but is truly no small thing.” 🗓️ The Daily Stoic Page-A-Day Calendar | Wisdom isn’t something you get via epiphany or even a couple years of intense study. No, it’s something you accumulate day by day—action by action, as Marcus Aurelius put it—over the course of a lifetime. 👉 Support the podcast and go deeper into Stoicism by subscribing to The Daily Stoic Premium - unlock ad-free listening, early access, and b...
Dec 10, 2025•4 min•Ep. 2810
We’re set in our habits. We’re quick-tempered, we eat poorly, we’re easily distracted. We skip exercise, we put stuff off, we make excuses. How did that work out for you in 2025? Make 2026 the year where you finally bring yourself closer to living your best life. No more waiting. Demand the best for yourself. The Daily Stoic New Year New You challenge begins January 1, 2026. Learn more and sign up today at dailystoic.com/challenge . 👉 Support the podcast and go deeper into Stoicism by subscribi...
Dec 09, 2025•11 min•Ep. 2807
The sooner you realize that you are not the center of the universe or the intended recipient of everything, the more understanding you can be, the less judgment you’ll feel required to have. 🎥 Watch Kate Bowler's episode on The Daily Stoic Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCGloOAQOS8 📘 Grab the hardcover edition of The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday: https://store.dailystoic.com/ 👉 Support the podcast and go deeper into Stoicism by subscribing to The Daily Stoic Premium - unlock ad-free ...
Dec 08, 2025•8 min•Ep. 2806
Every crisis creates the same instinct in people: go back to the wisdom that has outlasted everything else. In today’s episode, Ryan and Mark Manson dive into why Stoicism keeps coming back during moments of crisis, why world leaders and big thinkers have leaned on it for centuries, and what its modern resurgence gets right and wrong. Check out Ryan’s FULL episode on Solved with Mark Manson on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , and YouTube Grab Mark’s books: The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**k , The Sub...
Dec 07, 2025•36 min•Ep. 2805
Even the giants of history couldn’t outrun insecurity, comparison, or the feeling of not having enough. In today’s episode, Ryan continues his conversation with Andrew Ross Sorkin to talk about why success rarely feels satisfying in the way you expect, why the goalposts always seem to move, and how Andrew has seen this pattern play out in some of the wealthiest and most accomplished people in the world. Andrew Ross Sorkin is a financial columnist for The New York Times and a co-anchor of CNBC's ...
Dec 06, 2025•45 min•Ep. 2804
The myth of the self-made man is just that, a myth. There has never been such a thing. 🎥 Check out the Arnold Schwarzenegger episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBQlSMOVTAg 📚 Pick up a copy of Arnold Schwarzenegger's book Be Useful: Seven Tools For Life at The Painted Porch: 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://dailystoic.supercast.c...
Dec 05, 2025•16 min•Ep. 2803
It doesn’t matter how smart you are. In the moment, if you can’t control your emotions, you will be stupid. 🪙 Carry The Daily Stoic Pause & Reflect Medallion as a reminder to pause. A pause creates space. A pause creates clarity. A pause can change everything. | Grab The Daily Stoic Pause & Reflect Medallion at dailystoic.com/pause 👉 Support the podcast and go deeper into Stoicism by subscribing to The Daily Stoic Premium - unlock ad-free listening, early access, and bonus content: htt...
Dec 04, 2025•12 min•Ep. 2802
Power is corruptive and corrosive no matter your age. To the young and inexperienced, it is even worse. 📕 Book Mentioned: Wisdom Takes Work 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 The Daily Stoic Podcast on Instagram...
Dec 03, 2025•3 min•Ep. 2801
How do you stay locked in on one project for eight years? Andrew Ross Sorkin shares what he learned while writing his bestselling book 1929: Inside the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History and How It Shattered a Nation in today’s conversation with Ryan. They talk about what it really takes to write a massive, deeply researched book while juggling a demanding career and family life. Andrew opens up about the fear, insecurity, and obsession that fueled his eight year journey into the world of 192...
Dec 03, 2025•38 min•Ep. 2800
We have to illustrate those virtues of courage and justice toward and for and through others. To help people from going hungry. To alleviate someone’s worry and fear. To put food on their table. 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 meals, even a small donation makes a big difference. 📚 ...
Dec 02, 2025•12 min•Ep. 2799
Let us be good Stoics today and prove that we don’t just talk about this philosophy—we live it. 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 meals, even a small donation makes a big difference. Resources Mentioned: - Action Against Hunger : https://www.actionagainsthunger.org/ 📘 Grab the hardco...
Dec 01, 2025•10 min•Ep. 2798
There’s so much happening in the world, and so much of it feels terrible. There is dysfunction. There is conflict. There is outright lawlessness. There is corruption. There is cruelty. But there’s a really easy way to feel better. 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 meals, even a small ...
Nov 30, 2025•11 min•Ep. 2794
Most of what people know about Stoicism is totally wrong. They might recognize names like Marcus Aurelius or Epictetus, or they assume the whole philosophy is about being stoic in the modern sense, cold, emotionless, shut down, resigned. But that picture couldn’t be more off. 👉 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 ...
Nov 30, 2025•16 min•Ep. 2793
Facing death rewires your view of the world. Today's guest, bestselling author and legendary war reporter Sebastian Junger, can explain how. In this episode, Sebastian opens up to Ryan about the sudden, freak medical emergency that nearly killed him in minutes and how that moment completely rewired the way he thinks about time, technology, fear, fatherhood, and what actually matters. Sebastian Junger is the #1 New York Times Bestselling author of The Perfect Storm , Fire , A Death In Belmont , W...
Nov 29, 2025•45 min•Ep. 2795
Let us try to put some of our energy towards helping the less fortunate. Let's alleviate someone else's worry and fear. 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 meals, even a small donation makes a big difference. Resources Mentioned: - Action Against Hunger : https://www.actionagainsthunger...
Nov 28, 2025•17 min•Ep. 2797
