The Daily Stoic

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Help Them Be Better | Role Models Jun 05, 2023

Show notes

One evening Epictetus woke up to hear someone in his house. Walking towards the noise, he found a criminal had stolen the iron lamp he kept burning in a shrine in his front hallway. As always, Epictetus handled the situation with calmness and humor. “Tomorrow,” he said to himself, “you will find an earthenware lamp; for a man can only lose what he has.”

But what if Epictetus had been awake when the man walked in? What if he had caught the thief red handed? Would he have beaten the criminal up?

And in today's Daily Stoic Journal excerpt, Ryan discusses what the Stoics have to say about the idea of choosing one's family, and being worth chosen as family.

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Cicero On The Paradox Of The Rich Man Jun 04, 2023

Show notes

In today's audiobook reading, Ryan presents the sixth and final reading of Cicero's Stoic Paradoxes. Cicero was considered Rome’s greatest politician, and he has survived as one of history’s most enduring chroniclers of Stoic philosophy and of the Stoics themselves. As Ryan explains in Lives of the Stoics, these paradoxes are designed to question commonly held beliefs in order to promote reflection and discussion. With his last paradox, Cicero examines the idea that “only the wise man is rich.”

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Wright Thompson On The Costs Of Greatness Throughout History Jun 03, 2023

Show notes

Ryan speaks with Wright Thompson about his work studying the convergence of sports and culture, the evolution of society in conjunction with people’s emotional regression, why history is less distant than we think it is, and more.

Wright Thompson is an author and journalist who covers the intersections of sports and culture. Thompson has written for ESPN.com and ESPN The Magazine on topics like auto racing, MMA, bullfighting and more. Thompson wrote The Cost of These Dreams: Sports Stories and Other Serious Business and recently released the New York Times bestselling Pappyland: A Story of Family, Fine Bourbon, and the Things That Last. Wright’s work can be found on his website www.wrightthompson.com, and on Instagram @wrightthompsonbooks.

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The Fever Has You | Ask DS Jun 01, 2023

Show notes

Look at any millionaire, Seneca tells Lucilius in one of his letters, they are some of the poorest people in Rome. Money has made them obsess over public opinion. Money has control of their schedules and their decisions. Money has put them in the center of a circle of sycophants and grifters. Money has escalated their tastes and expectations beyond quenching.

“These individuals,” Seneca writes, “have riches just as we say that we ‘have a fever,’ when really the fever has us.”

It’s a sad sight, he says.

And in today's Ask Daily Stoic, Ryan answers questions during an audience Q&A session after his talk to a collection of corporate leaders. Topics covered include how we can focus on our reactions to obstacles rather than the obstacles themselves, how to get better at saying "no," how to better deal with change, and more.

💵 Visit dailystoic.com/wealth to sign up for The Wealthy Stoic wealth management course today.

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Stephen A. Smith On Debating, Working, And Living With Authenticity May 31, 2023

Show notes

Ryan speaks with Stephen A. Smith about his new memoir Straight Shooter: A Memoir of Second Chances and First Takes, why it is so important to be okay with admitting when you are wrong, why his greatest attribute is his authenticity, the value of knowing when to have an opinion and when to stay silent, and more.

Stephen A. Smith is a sports commentator, journalist, host, personality, and podcast host. His career spans nearly thirty years and includes stints in print media writing for The Philadelphia Inquirer, radio as a host on Fox Sports Radio and Sirius XM Radio, and television as one of the hosts on ESPN’s First Take. He has also frequently appeared on Sportscenter, Pardon The Interruption, and Jim Rome is Burning. In addition to his work at ESPN, he now hosts the Stephen A. Smith Show. You can find Stephen’s work on his YouTube channel, and on Twitter and Instagram @stephenasmith.

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Start The Clock. Just Start The Clock. | Plato's View May 31, 2023

Show notes

We don’t like how long they’re taking to get back to us. It’s slowing down the process, keeping us from doing what we want to do. We don’t like the estimate from the vendor who just told us it will be an extra six weeks over the initial projections. We’re frustrated the investment advisor told us we won’t hit our goal until later than expected.

And there’s no question, this is annoying. It may well be fixable–if they could get their act together. But we don’t control that or them.

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And in today's Daily Stoic excerpt reading, Ryan discusses the idea of Plato's View - the idea that taking a bird's-eye view of your life and dealings with people when in times of distress puts everything in perspective - and how this influenced Stoic thinking.

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Try To Be Less Like Yourself May 31, 2023

Show notes

A classic episode of Seinfeld begins with George Costanza having a revelation. "Every decision I've ever made in my entire life has been wrong," George says. "Every instinct I have in every aspect of life...is often wrong." Then just do the opposite, Jerry says. "Yes," Costanza says with excitement, "I will do the opposite!" For the rest of the episode, George has great success doing the opposite of what his instincts tell him to do.

This is now known as The Costanza Principle. And it turns out to be scientifically-sound advice.

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This is The Most Expensive Thing | The Best Stoic Insights On Raising Kids May 30, 2023

Show notes

Since Stoicism was founded, most of the Stoics have been wealthy…and yet almost to a letter, most of them have warned of the dangers and perils of wealth. No one embodies this paradox more than Seneca. The Stoics have warned again and again about the downsides of abundant wealth. He accumulated a net worth of three hundred million denarii (for context, Judas received thirty denarii to betray Jesus). He famously owned three hundred ivory tables for entertaining. He made so many enormous loans to colonists in Britain, that when the debt was called in around 60 AD, it destabilized the entire region.

Yet in Letters From A Stoic, written during the final three years of his life, Seneca would warn again and again about the burdens of becoming rich.

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And in today's Daily Stoic video excerpt, Ryan highlights the most important lessons that the Stoics teach us about raising kids.

💵 Visit dailystoic.com/wealth to sign up for The Wealthy Stoic wealth management course today.

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What Do You Pledge Your Sacred Honor To? | The View From Above May 29, 2023

Show notes

As the Founders signed the Declaration of Independence, they knew that this wasn’t some painless petition. This wasn’t some minor political stand. No, they knew, as they wrote, they were mutually pledging their “life, fortune, and sacred honor.” It was a cause they were willing to give everything for—even die for.

This idea of sacred honor, of full commitment, is worth considering today on Memorial Day, as we honor and think about all the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces.

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And in today's Daily Stoic Journal excerpt reading, Ryan reflects on the value of stepping back and seeing the bigger picture.

💵 Visit dailystoic.com/wealth to sign up for The Wealthy Stoic wealth management course today.

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Stoicism and Thought Leadership May 28, 2023

Show notes

When an old friend from Ryan’s UC Riverside days reached out early on in the pandemic with an opportunity to speak at one of the premiere non-profit, non-partisan global policy think tanks in the country, the RAND Corporation, Ryan jumped at the opportunity. Today we share that talk with you, which features Ryan communicating Stoic principles to scientists, academics, and political thought leaders from around the globe, and how they can apply Stoicism to their work.

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