The Daily Stoic
Daily Stoic | Backyard Ventures
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
Episodes
Mentioned books
11 snips
Mar 18, 2026 • 3min
This Is How We Get Death Wrong
A reflection on why people race through life, from modern chaos to ancient Rome. It explores the unsettling idea that death is not far away but woven into every passing moment. A thoughtful look at time, urgency, and what slips away while we hurry.
55 snips
Mar 17, 2026 • 22min
Stoop and Build ’Em Up | Stronger Stoics Together
A reflection on what to do after failure and loss. The conversation explores forgiveness after paralysis, making space by saying no, and practical ways to let go of emotional baggage. It also touches on using emotions without being ruled by them, reading widely while returning to core principles, and even using photos to release attachment to possessions.
35 snips
Mar 16, 2026 • 8min
You Can Get Rid of It | The Present Is All We Possess
A brisk meditation on shedding mental clutter and dropping needless worries. The conversation turns to why the present moment is the only thing we truly have. It explores how chasing what’s next can block gratitude, and how poetry, art, and ordinary life can make right now feel vast, vivid, and strangely miraculous.
69 snips
Mar 15, 2026 • 20min
Stoic Advice for the Problems We All Face
Questions about dealing with bullies and responding with disciplined nonviolence come up. The conversation examines balancing profit with principles and how ownership can enable moral impact. It explores teaching children through story and rewriting personal narratives to reduce resentment. Practical Stoic strategies for influencing others without contempt are also discussed.
184 snips
Mar 15, 2026 • 15min
BONUS | How to Reset Your Life (According to the Stoics)
A call to stop writing the year off and reset with immediate action. Tips on rising early to get ahead and turning adversity into growth. Stories about treating tasks with seriousness and cutting the inessential. Practical pointers for beating procrastination and building the habit muscle to do hard things.
71 snips
Mar 14, 2026 • 35min
A Stoic Test I Didn’t Expect
Rapid travel and surreal moments that put Stoic principles to the test. Using perception, action, and attitude to turn obstacles into growth for athletes and leaders. Mental prep techniques for high-pressure situations like driving a pace car and performing onstage. Lessons on resilience, negative visualization, and staying on your prescribed pace under intense external pressure.
262 snips
Mar 13, 2026 • 13min
Here’s How You Take Back Your Time | Become Dangerously Persuasive With These Books
A rapid tour of books that sharpen persuasion, power, and strategic thinking. Tips on communication, marketing, and framing to make ideas stick. Stories of activism and leadership that reveal organizing tactics and moral strategy. Practical reads to protect creative focus amid distraction.
32 snips
Mar 12, 2026 • 10min
It’s Scary…But In A Good Way
They explore how seasonal change can prompt personal renewal and habit shifts. They discuss using classical Stoic virtues as a practical framework for resetting after setbacks. They reflect on bouncing back quickly when life derails and encourage taking small, courageous steps toward growth.
21 snips
Mar 11, 2026 • 3min
What Can You Notice?
A gentle meditation on the art of noticing small details in nature and daily life. A story about nursing a wild hare highlights how close attention changes perspective. Reflections on seasonal shifts and quiet observation draw on Stoic practice and ancient examples. An invitation to cultivate stillness and find beauty in everyday transformations.
51 snips
Mar 11, 2026 • 38min
The Day Control Was Taken From Us
Chloe Dalton, writer and former political adviser who cared for a wild hare during lockdown, and Susan Straight, novelist and professor who chronicles nurses' pandemic experiences. They discuss the stillness of March 2020, how a hare reshaped a life and sense of time, and why fiction must remember COVID's losses and lessons.
