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
58 snips
Mar 3, 2026 • 8min
You Can’t Forget What You Don’t Put Off | (Dis)integration
A reflection on living a divided life and why inner unity matters. Discussion of Epictetus' warning about personal disintegration. Stories about reconciling public work with private beliefs and Seneca's split roles. How frantic busyness masks inconsistency. Practical steps like study, therapy, relationships, and stillness to align actions with values.
66 snips
Mar 2, 2026 • 8min
They’re Not Wrong (They’re Just Cut Off From Truth) | What Expensive Things Cost
A Stoic lens on why people act from ignorance and how empathy and patience bridge that gap. A breakdown of the hidden costs of luxury—time, anxiety, and strained relationships. Short Stoic stories and classical references challenge material desire. A call to choose simplicity to protect happiness and preserve what truly matters.
137 snips
Mar 1, 2026 • 18min
Why Thinking About Your Death Will Save Your Life
They explore memento mori and how meditating on mortality sharpens priorities. Cemetery visits and tomb stories are used to illustrate courage, perseverance, and the shame of giving up. The conversation challenges procrastination and chasing fame, urging action now. Practical rituals like carrying a reminder coin are suggested to guide daily words and deeds.
121 snips
Feb 28, 2026 • 31min
The Discipline That Made Marcus Aurelius
A look at how steady example and daily routines forged Marcus Aurelius into a disciplined leader. Stories of Antoninus's temperance, calm decision making, and health habits that shaped a future emperor. Tales of sharing power, facing plague and war, and using adversity to test and build character. Short glimpses of lifelong self-improvement and humble, deliberate leadership.
70 snips
Feb 27, 2026 • 8min
Who Would Ever Want to Be King? | Stop Letting Yourself Off the Hook
A reflection on why power finds someone whether you want it or not. Short stories and historical examples illustrate choosing duty over spotlight. Themes include justice as everyday ethics, personal accountability, and integrity guiding tough choices.
55 snips
Feb 26, 2026 • 7min
It Picks You Up. It Puts You Down. A Hundred Times A Day. | Cultivate Indifference
A reflection on how emotions lift and sink us repeatedly and why we should resist being ruled by passions. A look at Stoic categories that label virtue, vice, and indifferent externals. A discussion of debates over preferred indifferents like wealth. Practical tips on readiness, endurance, and adjusting to hardship.
162 snips
Feb 26, 2026 • 11min
BONUS | 3 Practices to Improve Your Life In a Week
Dr. Rangan Chatterjee, physician and author known for simple lifestyle medicine, shares quick daily routines and a three-question journaling practice. He discusses short grounding rituals like coffee and a mini workout. He explains choosing one priority each day and picking a personal quality to guide behavior. These bite-sized practices aim to boost a sense of control and wellbeing.
6 snips
Feb 25, 2026 • 2min
You Can’t Join Them
A reflection on how people often behave poorly and why that is outside our control. A call to resist mirroring others' bad behavior and to preserve personal virtue. Short meditations on duty and staying good amid a difficult world.
96 snips
Feb 25, 2026 • 48min
Lincoln’s Secret Weapon (It Wasn’t Power)
Doris Kearns Goodwin, Pulitzer Prize–winning presidential historian and bestselling author, reflects on Abraham Lincoln’s self-education and emotional discipline. She discusses his reading habits, humor, deep research, team-building with rivals, and practices of restraint and reflection. Short, vivid stories illuminate how character, study, and careful communication shaped his leadership.
74 snips
Feb 24, 2026 • 11min
This is The Math That Losers Do | What Virtue Is This Moment Asking of You?
Zane Asher, CNN news anchor and interviewer, appears as the live interlocutor. He and the host discuss responding to injustice with courage and measured action. They explore pausing before anger, varied reactions to trauma, and using hardship to grow. The conversation centers on choosing virtue in the moment and practicing self-command in success and adversity.
