The Daily Stoic

Powerful people can take from you. Yet the Stoics remind us: our character is our own.

We will be wronged—by friends, by colleagues, by life itself. When that happens, we have a choice: to be consumed by bitterness or to rise above it. Marcus showed us the way. The question is, will we follow?

It is astonishing, this world we live in. And it is a gift, this philosophical tradition we carry forward.

What if the most valuable thing you’ll ever own is already slipping through your fingers?

What does it take to stay good when the world feels like it’s falling apart? And how do we prepare the next generation to do the same? Science journalist and bestselling author Melinda Wenner Moyer joins Ryan to discuss what it means to hold onto empathy, curiosity, and integrity in an age of moral confusion. They discuss how to think critically in a world of misinformation, how to stay hopeful without becoming naïve, and how to not become an asshole in a world full of them. Melinda Wenner Moyer is an award-winning journalist whose work explores the intersection of science and everyday life. Her work deep dives into subjects that have both scientific and societal implications, addressing issues that are relevant to parents, families, and the general public. She is contributing editor at Scientific American magazine and a regular contributor — and former columnist at The New York Times. Melinda’s first book, How To Raise Kids Who Aren’t Assholes, was published in July 2021 and won a gold medal in the

Nobody likes being criticized. Nobody likes it when someone highlights your mistakes. In Meditations, Marcus Aurelius tries to remind himself that he has the freedom to take correction and criticism. He knew he didn’t control what the person said or how they said it, but he did control how he handled it.

We cannot let them sully us—although we have to accept that they are going to do their best.

The Wild West is full of myths, but behind the gunfights and honor codes is a deeper story about virtue and civilization. In today’s episode, bestselling author Bryan Burrough joins Ryan to explore the truth behind America’s gunfighter era. They discuss how honor culture took root in the lawless frontier, where violence was so common that gunfights were simply called “fights”, and what that reveals about the difference between performative strength and real virtue.Bryan Burrough is the author of Public Enemies, The Big Rich, Forget The Alamo, and most recently The Gunfighters: How Texas Made the West Wild. Bryan was a longtime correspondent at Vanity Fair and is now editor at large at Texas Monthly. Grab signed copies of The Gunfighters and Bryan’s other books, Public Enemies, The Big Rich, and Forget The Alamo at The Painted Porch | https://www.thepaintedporch.com/Follow Bryan on X @BryanBurrough and check out more of his work at his website www.bryanburrough.com

No one ever became excellent by chance, the Stoics said…so if you want to be courageous and disciplined and ethical, you gotta do the work.

We travel for work. We travel to see family. We travel to learn. As always, re-entry into our regular life, sleeping in our own bed, can require some getting used to.

We have these desires and aversions, these habits we indulge, these things we let ourselves get away with.

Sometimes the best days don’t start out that way. In this episode, Ryan Holiday shares a personal story about how a seemingly ordinary, maybe even chaotic, day with his kids turned into something unexpectedly perfect.

In a world obsessed with attention, are we rewarding the worst in us? In today’s PT. 2 episode, Chris Hayes and Ryan dive deep into how virtue signaling has transformed into full-blown vice signaling in today’s attention economy. They discuss the unraveling of traditional journalism ethics, the decline of shared moral standards, and society’s unsettling attraction to vice.Chris Hayes is the Emmy Award–winning host of All In with Chris Hayes on MSNBC and the New York Times bestselling author of A Colony in a Nation and Twilight of the Elites.  Chris’ latest book is called The Sirens' Call: How Attention Became the World's Most Endangered Resource. Follow Chris on Instagram and X @ChrisLHayes and watch Chris’ show ALL IN on MSNBC

We have to be prepared for what people will do. That isn’t to say we need to become cynical, but it is to say that we have stop fooling ourselves. 

The whole future is uncertain, Seneca reminds us. Live virtuously, of course, but also live immediately.

What if the real problem isn’t politics, the economy, or technology, but where you’re directing your attention? Emmy-winning journalist Chris Hayes joins Ryan to reveal the sinister mechanics of modern media, explore how the digital age fractures our sense of self, and explain why misinformation is most dangerous when it tells us exactly what we want to hear.Chris Hayes is the Emmy Award–winning host of All In with Chris Hayes on MSNBC and the New York Times bestselling author of A Colony in a Nation and Twilight of the Elites.  Chris’ latest book is The Sirens' Call: How Attention Became the World's Most Endangered Resource. Follow Chris on Instagram and X @ChrisLHayes and watch Chris’ show ALL IN on MSNBC

Cleanthes and Socrates exposed themselves to cold. Marcus Aurelius slept on a hard mattress. Seneca practiced poverty on a regular basis. Why did they do this?

There is no mention of what became of the Stoics' wives. We don’t talk about the slights and the condescension they would have put up with as the ‘weaker sex.’ 

As Marcus would say, we can't be satisfied with merely "getting the gist" of what we read. "Read attentively," he advised. Read deeply. Aim for quality, not quantity.The Daily Stoic is $1.99 as an ebook for a limited time only. Grab it here now!

In moments of chaos, let Stoicism be your guide. In today’s episode, Ryan dives into how to tackle both small and big obstacles by harnessing your inner strength, staying steady in the face of unpredictability, and leading with purpose