The Daily Stoic

Latest Episodes:

It’s Ok To Break | Ask DS Sep 28, 2023

Show notes

When Marcus Aurelius heard that his beloved teacher Fronto had lost a grandchild, he sent him a letter. Perhaps, if you believe in the stereotype of the unfeeling Stoic, you might expect that this letter was intended to buck his friend up, or attempted to remind the grieving Fronto that loss was a part of life and something we had to be prepared for.

In our recent interview with Professor Martha Nussbaum on the Daily Stoic podcast, we talked about this exchange.

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And in today's Ask Daily Stoic, Ryan answers questions from a conference of tech and e-commerce entrepreneurs after a talk he gave in downtown Austin. The topics that he covers include how Ryan manages his time between writing books and creating content, why he searches for wisdom from a wide variety of sources, and how we can balance our decisions with the context that we are making them in.

📕 You can learn more about the tragedy and triumphs of Marcus Aurelius’ life as well as those of Cicero’s inLives of the Stoics: The Art of Living from Zeno to Marcus Aurelius.

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Heather Cox Richardson On What History Teaches Us About Fighting The Dark Energy Of The Human Soul Sep 27, 2023

Show notes

Ryan speaks with Heather Cox Richardson about her new book Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America, her mission to deliver history as a way of promoting human connection, changing the game of story-telling, how to combat the dark energies that are fed by sowing division and more.

Heather Cox Richardson is an American historian, author and educator. She is a professor of history at Boston College, where she teaches courses on the American Civil War, the Reconstruction Era, the American West, and the Plains Indians. In addition to her widely renowned books on history, which include How the South Won the Civil War: Oligarchy, Democracy, and the Continuing Fight for the Soul of America and Wounded Knee: Party Politics and the Road to an American Massacre, Heather also puts out a newsletter on one of the largest Substacks on the internet, Letters from an American, with over 1.2 million subscribers. She also co-hosts the Now and Then Podcast with fellow historian Joanne Freeman. Heather was named one of USA Today’s Women of the Year in 2022. Her work can be found at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com.

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Don’t Be A Snob Sep 27, 2023

Show notes

Because of the work we’ve done. Because of the study. Because of the experiences. We know. We know what’s right. We know what’s possible. We know how things should go.

The problem, as we’ve said before, is that it’s very easy to forget that the Stoics believed only in *self-*discipline.

📗 Go to store.dailystoic.com/pages/discipline to order your copy of Discipline Is Destiny: The Power Of Self-Control.

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You Should Ask Yourself This Question When You Mess Up | 9 Stoic Keys To Building Character That Lasts Sep 26, 2023

Show notes

Look, we all mess up. We take certain people or clients for granted and a relationship deteriorates. We get distracted and make an unnecessary mistake. We are overwhelmed by a passion or a temper and do something bad.

We’re humans. It happens.

What follows are consequences.

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And in today's video excerpt from the Daily Stoic YouTube channel, Ryan defines nine key methods that the Stoics used to build character that will help steer you toward a new destiny.

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You Either Are Or You Aren’t | Panic Is Self-Inflicted Harm Sep 25, 2023

Show notes

It’s impossible not to read Marcus Aurelius or Seneca and sense that they were always working. Not that they were literally always at the office–as we said, they believed in a kind of work life balance–but on themselves.

They were studying. They were reflecting. They were asking questions.

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And with today's meditation on the day's Daily Journal excerpt, Ryan discusses why panic, which only serves to expose us to greater danger, can only be avoided by effective preparation.

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How To Be A Leader (According To Plutarch) Sep 24, 2023

Show notes

As one of history’s most important biographers and essayists, Plutarch studied deeply the traits of great Greek and Roman leaders to identify just what it is that made them great. In today’s audiobook reading, Ryan shares an excerpt from How to Be a Leader: An Ancient Guide to Wise Leadership, in which Plutarch clearly and succinctly lays out his thoughts on the subject, as well as his advice to anyone striving to become a leader. This book is part of the fantastic Princeton University Ancient Wisdom for Modern Readers series, which you can find at The Painted Porch.

💪 Visit store.dailystoic.com/pages/leadership to sign up for in the Daily Stoic Leadership Challenge before September 25th.

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Jake Seliger On Cancer, Acceptance, And The Gift Of Life Sep 23, 2023

Show notes

Ryan speaks with Jake Seliger about how his cancer diagnosis and having his tongue removed have changed his perspective on life, why he is prioritizing people much more highly than work now, how he is making every single minute count, what he is trying to communicate with his recent outpouring of creativity, accepting death, and more.

Jake Seliger is a writer, editor, and researcher. He has written two novels: The Hook and Asking Anna, as well as many essays covering a wide range of social and scientific subjects. Jake is also the Principal of Seliger + Associates, a grant writing and grant source service for nonprofits, public agencies and selected businesses throughout the United States. In October of 2022, Jake was diagnosed with tongue cancer, which called for the complete removal of his tongue. Despite that surgery, a later diagnosis found that the cancer had spread more quickly than expected, and tumors were found in his neck and lungs. He and his family are now raising funds to undergo the next round of treatments. Jake’s own account of the surgeries and reflections on his experiences can be read here: jakeseliger.com/2023/09/09/life-swallowing-tasting-and-speaking-after-a-total-glossectomy-meaning-i-have-no-tongue. You can find Jake’s work on jakeseliger.com and on Twitter @seligerj, and please do visit his GoFundMe to help pay for his cancer treatment at www.gofundme.com/f/help-the-fight-against-cancer-with-jake-s.

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Consider The Cost Of Those Perks | No Pain, No Gain Sep 22, 2023

Show notes

During the American Revolution—as in any war—the British quite rightly targeted the estates and the landholdings of the leadership on the American side. Because to them, these men weren’t founders—they were instigators. At one point in the war, George Washington’s estate was threatened by advancing troops. Thinking he might be able to save his boss’s property, one of Washington’s overseers rushed out to try to convince the enemy to spare them.

When Washington heard about this, he was not pleased. In fact, he wrote immediately to his staff: I’d rather my home be demolished than receive special treatment.

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And in today's excerpt from The Daily Stoic, Ryan explains why the competition found in sports is such a great space for planting and sowing the seeds of resilience, determination, and courage that directly transfer into a life well lived.

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You’ve Just Got To Keep Going Back | Ask DS Sep 21, 2023

Show notes

They were studying. They were reflecting. They were asking questions. Late at night after his wife went to sleep, Seneca would pull out his journals and evaluate the day, going over what he’d done well, where he didn’t live up to his standards. Marcus, most famously, was seen as an old man, picking up his tablets and heading off to attend a lecture by Sextus, a wise teacher.

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And in today's Ask Daily Stoic, Ryan speaks with members of the Minnesota Twins organization about how Stoicism can be applied to make their business better. The lessons that Ryan covers include how her re-centers when he finds himself straying from his Stoic path, the "ah-ha" moment that got him hooked on the teachings of Stoicism, and why Stoicism is a philosophy for all of life.

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Sid Stockdale On The Stoic Legacy Of His Father, Admiral James Stockdale Sep 20, 2023

Show notes

Ryan speaks with Sid Stockdale about his who his new memoir A World Apart: Growing Up Stockdale During Vietnam speaks to, how his family survived his father’s seven-year imprisonment, the valuable lessons that his father taught him about Stoicism upon his return home, the untold story of his mother’s strength, and more.

Sid Stockdale is a speaker, author, teacher, and the second of four sons of the late Navy Admiral James Stockdale, who survived captivity as a prisoner of War in Hanoi during the Vietnam War by embracing Stoicism and the teachings of Epictetus. Sid was an educator for 40 years, having taught history and hiring, evaluating, and mentoring teaching in independent schools across America. He currently serves on the board of trustees at his alma mater, South Kent School, in Connecticut.

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