The Daily Stoic

As individuals what is up to us is whether these bad times make us a bad person, whether hard events harden our hearts, whether the wrongs of the world make us do wrong.

We must remain good. We must remain sane. This is our job.

Of all the schools of philosophy, none give us a more practical framework for becoming rich, free, and happy than Stoicism. Today, Ryan is speaking on the Stoic approach to building wealth, navigating success, and overcoming adversity.

We can't accept, we cannot tolerate, we cannot rationalize narcissistic leaders. We have to aspire to be real leaders, servant leaders, leaders of courage, discipline, justice, and wisdom.✉️ Want Stoic wisdom delivered to your inbox daily? Sign up for the FREE Daily Stoic email at https://dailystoic.com/dailyemail

If we don’t take action to help just one person, how can we expect to help them all? Ryan and Sharon McMahon, author of The Small and the Mighty,  continue their conversation in this episode about how outrage is not activism, how to not get overwhelmed by the many problems in the world, and why it’s important for the next generation to know the truth about our history.Sharon is known as “America’s Government Teacher,” and after years as a high school government teacher, Sharon now runs the non-partisan, fact-based Instagram account @sharonsaysso.  Sharon just released her book, The Small and the Mighty, where she proves that the most remarkable Americans are often ordinary people who didn’t make it into the textbooks.

There is great value in rituals that allow us to confront and even dance with the reality of death. Taking time to process, grieve, and accept this inevitable part of existence helps us live with more clarity.

Having goals and desires in life is fine but needing things to go a certain way to be happy? These pained, intense, anxious moments reveal the most futile and servile versions of ourselves.Ask DS: How do you differentiate between self-confidence and ego?Does our ego create blind spots? + more!

“The people that history smiles most kindly upon, are the ones who just kept doing the next needed thing.” These words from Sharon McMahon remind us that making a difference is not accomplished through fame or fortune, but by taking consistent action. Sharon joins Ryan today to talk about the stories of hidden trail blazers, unknown symbolism in the Statue of Liberty, and the change-makers she chose to include in her new book The Small and the Mighty: Twelve Unsung Americans Who Changed the Course of History, from the Founding to the Civil Rights Movement.After years as a high school government teacher, Sharon McMahon now runs the non-partisan, fact-based Instagram account @sharonsaysso. In her book The Small and the Mighty, Sharon proves that the most remarkable Americans are often ordinary people who didn’t make it into the textbooks.Check out Sharon’s podcast Here’s Where It Gets Interesting and follow her on Instagram @SharonSaysSo and X @Sharon_Says_So

Being virtuous, like voting, is within our power. Whether it visibly changes the world is not. But we act because it is our duty, and that alone is reason enough.Register to vote at https://vote.gov✉️ Want Stoic wisdom delivered to your inbox daily? Sign up for the FREE Daily Stoic email at https://dailystoic.com/dailyemail

Calm isn’t something we get by managing our external environment or by hoping that we luck out. This is something we create.

Maintaining healthy boundaries in your life requires discipline. And only through self-discipline and self-control are we capable of achieving the greatness that lies within each of us.

Register to vote at https://vote.gov

In just a couple of weeks, Vice President Kamala Harris or former President Donald Trump will be named the next President of the United States of America. Former United States Representative, Adam Kinzinger, joins Ryan today to talk about how important this election is for the future of the American people, how the Republican Party has evolved, and the crucial role of self-sacrifice in democratic integrity.Adam Kinzinger is an American former politician, veteran, and senior political commentator for CNN. He served as a United States representative from Illinois from 2011 to 2023. 

Imagine if you had the tools to be less angry, less distracted, less impulsive. Imagine if the news and social media didn’t make your blood boil, your heart race. That’s what Stoicism can help you do. Because it’s a philosophy designed for the real world, to solve real problems.

Not everyone is going to appreciate your perspective or your beliefs. By the same token, you’re not going to agree with everyone else—in your industry, in your company, in your moment in time.

Adam Kinzinger was 1 of 10 Republicans who voted to impeach former President Donald Trump back in 2021 following the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol. Now, as we head into the final days before the 2024 election, Adam joins Ryan to talk about looking beyond politics at the bigger picture of humanity. Adam shares his perspective on how Stoicism can be a solution for toxic masculinity, the impact that shame (or a lack thereof) has in shaping society, and why we shouldn’t be afraid to have conversations around sensitive topics.Adam Kinzinger is an American former politician, veteran, and senior political commentator for CNN. He served as a United States representative from Illinois from 2011 to 2023. 

Stoicism is not a philosophy for the classroom, but a philosophy for life. You use it and it makes you better. That is, if you take it seriously. If you give it a chance.

Can we really call Marcus Aurelius a “philosopher king?” How great a Stoic was he actually?

It doesn’t matter what’s happening in the world. Golden hour is there. It’s there more than once a day, weather permitting.

Marcus Aurelius' letters to his rhetoric teacher, Fronto, give us a unique look into his life and relationships. As Brigid Delaney said in her recent interview on the Daily Stoic, "if you want to understand Meditations, Letters to Fronto is a really great place to start."Listen to more of Marcus Aurelius’ Letters to Fronto | Apple Podcasts & Spotify These letters were first edited and translated into English by C. R. Haines.