The Daily Stoic

The point is: It’s always been rough. The point is: It always will be rough. 

It's only fools who fly off the handle, it's the immature who say the first thought that pops into their head, it's the irresponsible who act without thinking.

Ask yourself today: Where can you be less possessive? Where can you share the load, elevate someone else, or choose principle over pride?

Everything went wrong. But Ryan stayed calm. A real-time Stoic stress test, and a reminder that philosophy is for days just like this.

What happens when politics becomes performance and politicians become influencers? In today’s Part 2 episode, former Marine and NYT bestselling author Elliot Ackerman joins Ryan to talk about the idea that “everything’s a racket,” the collapse of institutional trust, and why restraint used to define real leadership. They talk about how cancel culture morphed into shamelessness as a superpower, why we might be living in a post-shame society, Ambrose Bierce’s wild literary exit, and why modern media feels more like professional wrestling than journalism.Elliot Ackerman is the New York Times bestselling author of the novels 2054, 2034, Halcyon, Red Dress in Black and White, Waiting for Eden, Dark at the Crossing, and Green on Blue, as well as the memoirs The Fifth Act: America’s End in Afghanistan and Places and Names: On War, Revolution, and Returning. Elliot’s books have been nominated for the National Book Award, the Andrew Carnegie Medal in both fiction and nonfiction, and the Dayton Literary Peace Priz

The right time to do the hard thing, the courageous thing, the right thing? It’s right now. 

Guilt is about the past and the past is the one thing we cannot change. All we can do is do better now. 

Former Marine turned novelist Elliot Ackerman sits down with Ryan to talk about what discipline really looks like in everyday life. From 100-degree runs to cold plunges and daily writing routines, they discuss what helps them stay steady, focused, and consistent even when it’s hard.Elliot Ackerman is the New York Times bestselling author of the novels 2054, 2034, Halcyon, Red Dress in Black and White, Waiting for Eden, Dark at the Crossing, and Green on Blue, as well as the memoirs The Fifth Act: America’s End in Afghanistan and Places and Names: On War, Revolution, and Returning. Elliot’s books have been nominated for the National Book Award, the Andrew Carnegie Medal in both fiction and nonfiction, and the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, among others. He is a contributing writer at The Atlantic, a Senior Fellow at Yale’s Jackson School of Global Affairs, and a veteran of the Marine Corps and CIA special operations, having served five tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, where he received the Silver Star

Our lives are unpredictable. We are at the mercy of so many forces.

Education takes time. It takes work. It takes patience. 

Before, you were scared. Before, you were soft. Before, you were dependent. Before, you were so many things.

True curiosity demands action. It challenges your assumptions, expands your worldview, and pushes you to do something with what you learn.

If there’s one thing Candace Parker does best, it’s winning. In today’s episode, Ryan sits down with basketball legend Candace Parker to talk about championships, pressure, and what it takes to be one of the greats. Candace talks about how being elite changes the way you see the world (and yourself), why winning never really feels like enough, and what happens when your whole identity is built around being the best. She opens up about legacy, ambition, parenting, and why she doesn’t go a year without reading The Alchemist. Candace Parker is one of the most influential athletes of all time. After being selected as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2008 WNBA Draft by the Los Angeles Sparks, following a champion career at Tennessee, Parker went on to become the first player to earn WNBA MVP and Rookie of the Year honors in the same season, win three WNBA championship titles, and take home two Olympic gold medals. Be sure to grab a copy of Candace’s book: The Can-Do Mindset: How to Cultivate Resilience, Fol

When people show us who they are, we need to believe them.

When Marcus Aurelius wrote 'the obstacle is the way,' he was talking about difficult people. Tune in to hear Matthew McConaughey’s advice on how to handle the challenging individuals we all face every day.

Despair is so easy, even reasonable in moments like this. The Stoics knew that feeling well.

Self-regulation is the single most important skill for life. In today’s episode, developmental psychologist and parenting expert Dr. Aliza Pressman joins Ryan to talk about how to start reframing everyday frustrations, why she is worried for this generation of parents, and the difference between expressing emotion and acting on it. Dr. Aliza Pressman is a developmental psychologist, parenting expert, the author of the New York Times bestselling book THE 5 PRINCIPLES OF PARENTING: Your Essential Guide to Raising Good Humans which you can grab signed copies of at The Painted Porch | https://www.thepaintedporch.comCheck out her award-winning podcast Raising Good Humans and follow Dr. Aliza on Instagram and X @RaisingGoodHumansPodcast

What good is courage if not in pursuit of justice? And how can we know what is just and right without wisdom? And without temperance and self-discipline, how will we have the strength both to acquire wisdom and to apply courage?

You have to interrogate the thoughts, views, and understanding of the facts. You do this not to prove you're right, but to ensure you’re not wrong—to make sure you’re not embarrassingly, shamefully, confidently wrong.

“Why do you wait?” Seneca asks us. “Wisdom comes haphazard to no man.”