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1,593 episodes
The Daily Stoic, page 8
by Daily Stoic | Backyard Ventures · English
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. Support the podcast and go deeper with Stoicism by subscribing to The Daily Stoic Premium - unlock ad-free listening, early access, and bonus content (coming soon): dailystoic.com/premium Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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What’s On a Hill Cannot Be Hidden | Stop Monkeying Around
“A city on a hill cannot be hidden” (public virtue, no need for secrecy) and “Stop monkeying around” (take responsibility now, don’t whine or blame).
10 Jul 2026 · 7m · 2 chaptersIf You Want To Be Great, This Is All You Have To Do | Can Ryan Pass This Stoic Quiz?
The Daily Stoic segment argues that excellence and virtue are built through repeated actions, not guilt or perfect plans, using Epictetus’ idea that habits are strengthened by doing the relevant…
9 Jul 2026 · 14m · 4 chaptersDon’t Wait To Try It
The episode argues against procrastination using Stoic exercises. It says you should start uncomfortable actions now, not “when things settle down,” because waiting teaches nothing.
8 Jul 2026 · 3m · 3 chapters
A Stoic’s Guide To Winning Without Losing Yourself | Leadership Expert Dan Coyle
Winning without losing yourself—distinguishing measurable success from human flourishing (eudaimonia).
8 Jul 2026 · 34m · 20 chaptersLearn To Ask This of Your Actions | Is Stoicism Compatible With Christianity?
Stoic “vices to avoid” and habit formation via asking of actions “why are you doing that?”; episode also addresses whether Stoicism fits Christianity, plus Q&A on using your 20s, reading The Odyssey,…
7 Jul 2026 · 14m · 8 chaptersThis is The Most Valuable Thing | No One Said It'd Be Easy
Stoic equanimity/contentment is the most valuable thing because it can’t be bought; it must be earned through daily practice and hard self-discipline.
6 Jul 2026 · 6m · 4 chaptersThe 7 Pillars Of A Spiritual Revolution | Rainn Wilson
Rainn Wilson (Dwight from The Office) discusses his book Soul Boom and the chapter “The Seven Pillars of a Spiritual Revolution,” arguing society’s problems are “spiritual” and can’t be fixed by…
5 Jul 2026 · 44m · 12 chapters
The Ancient Ideas That Built America | Thomas Ricks
How America’s founders drew “first principles” from ancient Greek and Roman thinkers—especially Stoicism and Roman republican history—and how those ideas shaped U.S.
4 Jul 2026 · 28m · 12 chaptersCould You Do This? | Do Your Job
Stoic “second fiddle” and “do your job” themes—waiting for your moment without bitterness, and doing good as your duty within a larger interconnected system.
3 Jul 2026 · 8m · 2 chapters
You Are Not Fixed | How A Stoic Would Respond To A Tyrant
Stoic response to tyranny and the idea that you’re not “fixed”—you can change—using courage as public duty, not emotional numbness.
2 Jul 2026 · 21m · 11 chaptersExcellence Is Not an Act, But a Habit
The episode argues that “excellence” (Greek arete) is achieved through repeated practice, not one-time inspiration—“excellence is not an act, but a habit.” It claims that capability grows through…
1 Jul 2026 · 4m · 1 chapter
Jo Ellis Served Her Country. Then They Made Her A Target.
Jo Ellis, a Black Hawk helicopter pilot in the Virginia Army National Guard, describes how she was falsely accused online after a January 2025 Black Hawk crash into an airliner over Washington, D.C.
1 Jul 2026 · 1h 13m · 29 chaptersWould It Really Be Different? | How Do I Know If Ego Is Winning?
How to tell when ego is driving your choices instead of Stoic virtue—especially when you have power, money, or success.
30 Jun 2026 · 12m · 7 chaptersBe Patient With Them | Protect Your Own Good
Stoic patience and protecting one’s innate goodness—treating others (and yourself) as “new to life” and assuming they’re acting from ignorance; also choosing actions that bring out virtue rather than…
29 Jun 2026 · 6m · 2 chaptersWhy Elon Musk Is The Worst Human On The Planet
A Daily Stoic episode arguing that Elon Musk lacks Stoic virtues—courage properly understood, discipline, and justice—and that his intelligence/power are not the same as wisdom or virtue.
28 Jun 2026 · 14m · 9 chapters
Ezra Klein on Virtue, Self-Critique, and His Take on Stoicism
Ezra Klein and the host discuss why “virtue” matters for societies and institutions, how self-critique and conscience limit power, and why Stoicism may feel newly relevant.
27 Jun 2026 · 1h 27m · 22 chapters
BONUS | Ryan Holiday’s Office Tour: Books, Stoic Artifacts, and Daily Rituals
Ryan Holiday gives an office tour from his bookstore outside Austin, Texas, explaining how specific objects and reminders support his Daily Stoic work: saying no, stewardship of Stoicism, writing…
26 Jun 2026 · 20m · 8 chaptersThe Low Road Will Always Dog You | Why Marcus Aurelius Didn’t Become Nero
Marcus Aurelius’s “what stands in the way becomes the way” is applied to dealing with difficult people (“the low road will always dog you”); choose virtue and response over retaliation, and…
26 Jun 2026 · 24m · 10 chaptersWhich Of These Are You? | What's In Your Way Is The Way
The episode argues that Stoicism turns “obstacles” into “raw material” for virtue and progress, using Marcus Aurelius’ idea that impediments cannot stop intentions or adaptable attitudes.
25 Jun 2026 · 8m · 4 chaptersIt Goes In Only One Direction
Stoic reflection on impermanence—life as a one-way timeline where “everything is ending,” and each cessation or life phase is a kind of “dying” that shouldn’t be feared.
24 Jun 2026 · 2m · 1 chapter
The Mindset of a World Cup Champion | Carli Lloyd
Carli Lloyd discusses the mindset and discipline behind elite performance and how Stoic-style virtues apply to setbacks, consistency, motivation, retirement, and leaving a sport better than she found…
24 Jun 2026 · 49m · 18 chaptersStep Outside, But Not To Brawl | How to Get Out of Bed When Life Feels Heavy
Using Stoicism to “step outside” during conflict and to get out of bed when life feels heavy—creating emotional distance so you can choose a response, not escalate.
23 Jun 2026 · 11m · 3 chaptersYou Have To Be Both These Things | The Long Way Around
Stoic flexibility vs rigid principle, and the idea that freedom, happiness, and respect are already available through present choices rather than “the long way around.”
22 Jun 2026 · 7m · 2 chapters
You Need An Ethical Will | Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling
Ethical wills for fathers—using a wartime journal and reflections to bequeath character, values, and self-review rather than money or status.
21 Jun 2026 · 13m · 5 chapters