The Daily Stoic

Latest Episodes:

Rainn Wilson On How His Deepest Struggles Led To His Best Roles Sep 02, 2023

Show notes

Ryan speaks with Rainn Wilson in this second of a two-part conversation about the best entry points for the average person into philosophy and spirituality, why the serenity prayer applies to everyone, how the struggles he experienced in his early acting career led to him landing the role of Dwight Schrute, why he wishes that he enjoyed his time on The Office more, his take on the state of the writers’ strike, and more.

Rainn Wilson is an actor, comedian, author, podcaster, writer, and director. He is most known for his role as Dwight Schrute on the NBC sitcom The Office (2005-2013), for which he earned three consecutive Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. Highlights of Rainn’s extensive film and television credits include Galaxy Quest (1999), Almost Famous (2000), Full Frontal (2003), Six Feet Under (2003-2005) and Mom (2018-2021). Outside of acting, Wilson published his autobiography, The Bassoon King, in 2015, and co-founded the digital media company SoulPancake in 2008, and as an author and podcaster he spreads a message of building togetherness and community by way of spiritual and philosophical awakening within the global culture. You can follow Rainn on Instagram @rainnwilson and Twitter @rainnwilson, and on soulboom.com.

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In The End It Doesn’t Even Matter | A Strong Soul Is Better Than Good Luck Sep 01, 2023

Show notes

A couple minutes of traffic on the way to work. The tone that the person was talking to you with. The scratch in your brand new painted wall. The lost pair of AirPods–the cost of replacing them. The speed of the promised promotion, word that a colleague is making a smidge more. The culture war issue of the moment. The tenor of the media coverage for your new project…or the lack thereof. The insult from someone you thought was a friend.

All these things seemed like they mattered.

But there will come a time when all the reasons, all the legitimate concerns, the perceived significance of these moments will seem baffling to you.

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And with today's reading and meditation from The Daily Stoic, Ryan discusses why the Stoic's valued long-term resilience over flashes of luck, and how they built that resilience by undergoing a "hard winter training."

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You Can’t Be Fragile Like This | Ask DS Aug 31, 2023

Show notes

Cato, one of the most vaunted and towering Stoics, built a reputation and a career out of his refusal to give an inch in the face of pressure. He fought to keep Rome as it was, as it always had been. He refused political compromise in every form. Cato was Cato. He could never be anything but rigid, upright, and strong.

But Cato’s inflexibility did not always best serve the public good.

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And in today's Ask Daily Stoic, Ryan answers questions during the Q&A session of the Daily Stoic Stoicism 101 Course. Topics covered include the similarities between Stoicism and tenants of the 12-Step program, how to do the deep work that you enjoy without getting bogged down by the less enjoyable tasks that come along with it, and how to deal with information overload.

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Rainn Wilson On Stoicism’s Role In The Spiritual Revolution Aug 30, 2023

Show notes

Ryan speaks with Rainn Wilson about his new book Soul Boom: Why We Need a Spiritual Revolution, why the guy who played Dwight Schrute wrote a book on spirituality, how anyone can find a thread to the transcendent anywhere any time, how Stoicism is helping cure the crisis that young men are in today, what the Stoics would have said about climate change, and more.

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We Can Go At Any Moment Aug 30, 2023

Show notes

It’s easy to nod along with a book (or even this email) when you’re reading it. Or to double-tap the like button when you see an inspiring Instagram post.

But how long does this stay with you? How quickly will its message flutter away? It’s a critical problem for all of us out there who are trying to get better. Who are trying to actually live the principles of philosophy, and to rely on it in life’s stressful moments, as well as life’s ordinary hours.

Inspired by the French painter Philippe de Champaign famous painting “Still Life with a Skull,” the sterling silver and brass ring, created by LHN Jewelry in Brooklyn, New York, features the three essentials of existence – the tulip (life), the skull (death), and the hourglass (time).

The inside is engraved with Marcus Aurelius’s timeless words: “You could leave life right now…” What’s left to the wearer is to repeat to themselves the final half of his quote: “…Let that determine what you do and say and think.” Grab yours at dailystoic.com/MMring.

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In Spite Of Everything, We Must Do This | How Stoics Find And Build Deep Relationships Aug 29, 2023

Show notes

Marcus Aurelius must have wondered what he did to deserve all this. First, he lost his father at age three. Then he was pulled from his first love, philosophy, and pushed into politics. When he finally became emperor, roughly 200 years of peace exploded into 19 years of border wars and civil strife.

There was a plague.

There were floods.

He had crippling health problems.

At some point, as he buried another one of his children, as he wept over the ceaseless toll from disease and pestilence, he must have thought: Haven’t I given enough? When will this end? What fresh horrors await?

Yet somehow, someway, he never managed to give himself over to this despair. He kept going.

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And in today's Daily Stoic video, Ryan discusses why the Stoics cherished and preached the value of recognizing the interconnectedness of everything, every being in the world, and how that belief guided them to treating their fellow human beings with love and respect.

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What Stoic Rules Make Life Less Erratic? | A Cure For Procrastination Aug 28, 2023

Show notes

Marcus Aurelius never claimed to be a Stoic.

Gregory Hays, one of Marcus Aurelius’s best translators (the one we worked with on our beautiful premium edition), writes, “If he had to be identified with a particular school, [Stoicism] is surely the one he would have chosen. Yet I suspect that if asked what it was that he studied, his answer would not have been ‘Stoicism’ but simply ‘philosophy.’”

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And with today's meditation from The Daily Stoic Journal,Ryan discusses why Marcus Aurelius viewed procrastination as a form of arrogance.

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Epictetus - Discourses Pt. 3: On Being Sprung From God Aug 27, 2023

Show notes

In today’s audiobook reading, Ryan presents an excerpt from one of the seminal texts of Stoicism, the Discourses of Epictetus, read by Michael Reid. As a series of lectures given by Epictetus that were written down by his pupil Arrian in 108 A.D., these discourses provide practical advice to think on and practice in order to move oneself closer toward the ultimate goal of living free and happy. In this third section, Epictetus discusses how we should see ourselves in comparison with the gods.

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Christina Pazsitzky On Appreciating The Miraculousness Of Existence Aug 26, 2023

Show notes

Ryan speaks with Christina Pazsitzky in the second of a two-part interview about what really matters in life, why studying history reveals how strange life is, enjoying what you have while you have it, how to navigate social media as a parent, and more.

Christina Pazsitzky is a stand-up comedian, podcaster, writer, host and TV personality. Since starting her comedy career in 1997, Christina has been known for her intelligent, thought-provoking, and hilarious takes on the realities of women’s issues, motherhood, and popular culture. In addition to touring the world, she has released four comedy specials, two of which have been featured on Netflix: Mother Inferior (2017), and Mom Genes (2023).Christina and her husband and fellow comedian Tom Segura host the hugely successful podcast "Your Mom’s House" together, and she also hosts her own podcast, the popular “Where My Moms At?” where she discusses motherhood. You can find more about Christina’s work, tour dates, and booking information at christinaponline.com and on Instagram @thechristinap, Twitter @christinap, and on her YouTube channel christinacomedy.

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This Timeless Adage Will Determine Your Destiny | Respect The Past, But Be Open To The Future Aug 25, 2023

Show notes

This is not another note about memento mori.

It’s about a different immutable, inescapable law of human existence that comes to us from the Stoics through Heraclitus (one of Marcus Aurelius’ favorites): Character is fate.

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And in today's excerpt from The Daily Stoic, Ryan explains why the Stoics believed it was so important to honor the past, but not to live in it.

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