For centuries, all sorts of people—generals and politicians, athletes and coaches, writers and leaders—have looked to the teachings of Stoicism to help guide their lives. Each day, author and speaker Ryan Holiday brings you a new lesson about life, inspired by the thoughts and writings of great Stoic thinkers like Marcus Aurelius and Seneca the Younger. Daily Stoic Podcast also features Q+As with listeners and interviews with notable figures from sports, academia, politics, and more. Learn more at DailyStoic.com.
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General Jim Mattis has spent his life proving that philosophy is not just for the classroom. In today’s episode, Margaret Hoover interviews General Mattis, former U.S. Secretary of Defense, and Ryan about why philosophy matters most when things are difficult. They discuss how leaders fall back on their first principles in a crisis, and what Marcus Aurelius, George Washington, and Abraham Lincoln can still teach us about courage, citizenship, and character today. 👉 Watch the full conversation on...
The four Stoic virtues are not supposed to be pursued in isolation. Instead, they come together under the idea of virtue itself. 📚 Pre-order The Four Virtues Boxed Set : https://dailystoic.com/virtuesboxset 🎙️ AD-FREE | 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/ 🎥 VIDEO EPISODES| Watch the video episodes on The Daily Stoic YouTube channel : https://www....
You thought you were supposed to be doing this. You thought your job was to do that. But then what happened? Life happened. Stuff happened. Other people happened. 📕 Pick up a copy of the 10th Anniversary Edition of The Obstacle Is the Way by Ryan Holiday 🎟️ DAILY STOIC LIVE | Ryan Holiday is coming to a city near you ! Grab tickets here | https://www.dailystoiclive.com/ 🎙️ AD-FREE | Support the podcast and go deeper into Stoicism by subscribing to The Daily Stoic Premium - unlock ad-free list...
In a recent interview, Daniel Radcliffe talked about the book " How To Hide an Empire " which has been one of Ryan's favorite reads lately. Here are some of his takeaways. You can grab a copy of How To Hide an Empire at Ryan's bookstore, The Painted Porch : https://www.thepaintedporch.com/ 🎥 Watch the video of this episode here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GXGx2iIlzY 🎟️ DAILY STOIC LIVE | Ryan Holiday is coming to a city near you ! Grab tickets here | https://www.dailystoiclive.com/ 🎙️ A...
Great leaders don’t just build winning teams, they build people who can go on to lead without them. In today’s episode, Ryan talks about the idea of “growing a coaching tree” and what it means to create a culture that outlasts you. Using the San Antonio Spurs as a real-life example, Ryan looks at how the best leaders teach, empower, and develop others, not just for their own success, but for the success of everyone who comes next. 📚 Ryan's recommendations: Burning The Days Man’s Search for Mean...
In honor of Mother’s Day, Ryan talks with Donald Robertson about the powerful influence Marcus Aurelius’ mother had on his life and philosophy. Even though Stoicism is usually talked about as a philosophy shaped by men, Marcus’ mother may have been his first and most important model of Stoic character, shaping the virtues he would spend his life trying to practice. Donald Robertson is a writer, cognitive-behavioral psychotherapist and trainer. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society for Public Healt...
Jon Gustin got sober at the beginning of 2023, but as he explains in today’s episode, getting sober was not the end of the struggle. It was the beginning of finally facing everything he had spent years avoiding. Jon talks with Ryan about his unhealthy relationship with substances, the emotional rock bottom that forced him to change, and the daily practices that helped him stay sober and focus on being a better husband and father. Jon Gustin is the founder of The Tired Dad LLC and the voice behin...
Cato’s life was his philosophy, and the Stoics never stopped looking to his example. In today’s episode, Ryan explores why Cato the Younger became one of Stoicism’s most admired figures, and what his life can teach us about courage, character, and standing for what’s right. 📚 Learn more about Cato the Younger in Lives of the Stoics by Ryan Holiday 🎟️ DAILY STOIC LIVE | Ryan Holiday is coming to a city near you ! Grab tickets here | https://www.dailystoiclive.com/ 🎙️ AD-FREE | Support the podc...
Arete. To the Greeks, it meant excellence. It was the ultimate expression of human greatness—moral, physical, spiritual. It’s what the Stoics were chasing. It’s what you’re chasing today. But how do we get there? 🎟️ DAILY STOIC LIVE | Ryan Holiday is coming to a city near you ! Grab tickets here | https://www.dailystoiclive.com/ 🎙️ AD-FREE | 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...
These are impersonal forces. This is fortune and fate. It’s not targeting you. It’s not favoring or picking on you. 🎟️ DAILY STOIC LIVE | Ryan Holiday is coming to a city near you ! Grab tickets here | https://www.dailystoiclive.com/ 🎙️ AD-FREE | 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/ 🎥 VIDEO EPISODES| Watch the video episodes on The Daily Stoic You...
They’re awful. They’re frustrating. They need to be stopped. These are the people who take up so much space in our head. 🎙️ AD-FREE | 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/ 🎥 VIDEO EPISODES| Watch the video episodes on The Daily Stoic YouTube channel : https://www.youtube.com/@DailyStoic/videos ✉️ FREE STOIC WISDOM | Want Stoic wisdom delivered to yo...
You think you want more freedom, but too much of it can work against you. In this episode, Ryan talks with David Epstein about why constraints can actually make us better. They discuss how deadlines sharpen focus, why too much autonomy can become a trap, and why “freedom within a framework” may be more useful than total freedom. David Epstein is the author of the #1 New York Times best seller Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World . His third book, Inside the Box: How Constraints ...
The terrible diagnosis. The betrayal. The broken heart. Are they Stoics really saying you should love that? Is that what it means to “ amor fati ”—to love your fate? 🎥 Watch this episode on YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QH8HxAZlSfo 🪙 Get your own Amor fati medallion , as a reminder to treat each and every moment—no matter how challenging—as something to be embraced, not avoided. So that like oxygen to a fire, obstacles and adversity become fuel for your potential Check it out at ht...
Recognizing your anger in the moment, feeling it rising before it takes over, means you’ve already started mastering it. 🪙 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 📓 Pick up a signed edition of The Daily Stoic Journal: 366 Days of Writing and Reflection on The Art of Living : https://store.dailystoic.com/ ...
You think you’ve read Meditations , but the deeper truths in Marcus Aurelius’ private writings often reveal themselves only after years of revisiting them. In this episode, Ryan shares the hidden lessons he missed on his first, second, and even tenth read and why this book keeps giving you new insights even years later. 🎥 WATCH THIS EPISODE | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJGtygqtAbU 🎙️ AD-FREE | Support the podcast and go deeper into Stoicism by subscribing to The Daily Stoic Premium - unlo...
What happens after you survive something that should have killed you? After being critically injured in Afghanistan, Kyle Carpenter faced years of surgeries, setbacks, and a future he couldn’t yet see. In Part 2, Ryan and Kyle talk about learning to embrace the struggle, ask for help, and keep going when the path forward is unclear. Kyle Carpenter is a medically retired United States Marine who received the United States' highest military honor, the Medal of Honor in 2010. Kyle is the youngest l...
Watch Ryan's response on The Daily Stoic YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1OfTQusvYM 🎙️ AD-FREE | 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/ ✉️ FREE STOIC WISDOM | Want Stoic wisdom delivered to your inbox daily? Sign up for the FREE Daily Stoic email at https://dailystoic.com/dailyemail See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privac...
When we stop resisting and start learning, the obstacle becomes the way. 📕 Grab the 10th Anniversary Edition of The Obstacle Is the Way by Ryan Holiday at dailystoic.com/obstacle 🎙️ AD-FREE | 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/ 🎥 VIDEO EPISODES| Watch the video episodes on The Daily Stoic YouTube channel : https://www.youtube.com/@DailyStoic/vide...
Dr. Edith Eger faced the worst humanity can do, survived Auschwitz, and went on to build a 98-year life rooted in resilience, forgiveness, and meaning. In this episode, Ryan reflects on her life and lessons as a Holocaust survivor, student of Viktor Frankl, and a powerful voice on resilience and forgiveness. 🎥 Watch Dr. Edith Eger’s interview on The Daily Stoic Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZHbBxW07ME 📚 Grab copies of Dr. Edith Eger’s books The Choice , The Gift , and The Ballerina...
The surprising thing about all this is that you were surprised. How could you not have seen this coming? Reading Marcus Aurelius can change your life, but only if you know how to read his work 👉 Head here now to grab your Meditations book and guide bundle | https://store.dailystoic.com/pages/meditations-month-2026 🎙️ AD-FREE | 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...
Discover profound rules for life inspired by Marcus Aurelius, the most powerful man in the world who championed service, resilience, and daily discipline. Learn how to conquer internal anxiety, structure your day for success, and apply core Stoic lessons like Amor Fati and Memento Mori to cultivate wisdom and make essential contributions to the common good.
The Medal of Honor is the highest military award in the United States, given for extraordinary courage in the face of danger. In this episode, Ryan sits down with Kyle Carpenter, the youngest living recipient, to talk about what that kind of courage really looks like and what comes after it. Kyle received the Medal of Honor after throwing himself on a live grenade to save a fellow Marine in Afghanistan. It was a split second decision that changed his life. But as he explains, that moment was onl...
You can’t learn history that you don’t take the time to look at, that you think you already understand. 📚 BOOKS: Deliver Me from Nowhere: The Making of Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska Wisdom Takes Work 🎙️ AD-FREE | 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/ 🎥 VIDEO EPISODES| Watch the video episodes on The Daily Stoic YouTube channel : https://www.youtube....
It was a dark world…and Marcus Aurelius desperately needed some light. LAST CHANCE | Your ticket to the live Q&A with Ryan Holiday 👉 https://store.dailystoic.com/pages/meditations-month-2026 See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....
In this episode, Ryan Holiday delves into Marcus Aurelius' Meditations, a book he's read over a hundred times, to extract lines that have profoundly impacted his life. He highlights Stoic principles for conquering irrational fears, seeing beyond superficial appearances, and navigating human interactions with integrity. Holiday emphasizes the importance of constant self-improvement, accepting change, and living authentically, ultimately finding true good fortune in character and actions.
Most people read Marcus Aurelius the wrong way. In this episode, Ryan sits down with philosopher William Stephens to discuss why the title " Meditations " may be misleading, what these writings were actually meant to be, and how that changes the way we read them today. William O. Stephens is a philosopher specializing in Stoicism, ethics, and ancient philosophy. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania and spent over 30 years teaching at Creighton University, where he is now Profe...
Our true character comes out under pressure. So we must train that character, we must develop our bodies, we have to put in the work. Your ticket to a live Q&A with Ryan Holiday 👉 https://store.dailystoic.com/pages/meditations-month-2026 🎙️ AD-FREE | 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/ 🎥 VIDEO EPISODES| Watch the video episodes on The Daily S...
We all have those days where we’d rather just not. Days where we’d rather not deal with that annoying co-worker or petty family member. Days where we’d rather not bother with all the work we have to do, all the responsibilities we have to manage. The ancients knew days like this. Reading Marcus Aurelius can change your life, but only if you know how to read his work 👉 Head here now to grab your Meditations book and guide bundle | https://store.dailystoic.com/pages/meditations-month-2026 📚 Book...
The Stoics weren’t just leaders and philosophers. They were parents, spouses, and friends, who experienced joy, who fell in love, who cherished the beauty of the world around them. Reading Marcus Aurelius can change your life, but only if you know how to read his work 👉 Head here now to grab your Meditations book and guide bundle | https://store.dailystoic.com/pages/meditations-month-2026 See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#...
This episode explores the Stoic concept of sympatheia, highlighting how modern life disconnects us from nature and ourselves. It delves into the importance of recognizing our interconnectedness with the cosmos and the past, drawing lessons from historical sites and a unique experience of raising a wild hare. The discussion also covers the impact of pervasive noise pollution on our well-being and urges a philosophical re-alignment with natural rhythms for a more grounded and virtuous life.
