The Daily Stoic They Should Have What They Want
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Mar 9, 2026 They examine how tying happiness to achievements or identities outside our control sets us up for disappointment. They explore using a moral exemplar or impartial spectator to judge choices from a clearer perspective. They encourage imagining how admired figures or loved ones would view your actions and living so well you become an example for others.
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Externals Rarely Deliver Lasting Happiness
- People often make happiness conditional on external achievements that rarely satisfy them.
- Ryan Holiday notes conquerors and conquests are historically bittersweet and underwhelm, so desire for externals usually fails to produce lasting joy.
Stop Judging Others And Reclaim Your Own Happiness
- Step back and let people choose for themselves rather than judging or interfering.
- Ryan Holiday advises focusing inward: identify where you've made your happiness conditional and remind yourself you have plenty now.
Whole Foods Shopping While On Vacation
- Ryan Holiday shares a personal grocery anecdote about doing the family's Whole Foods shopping even on vacation in Hawaii.
- He uses the Whole Foods example to illustrate enjoying regional foods and small pleasures while traveling.
