The Daily Stoic

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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.

While we aren’t the ones to blame for the mistakes of our ancestors' pasts, we are responsible for what we do today to combat the repercussions of their actions. Julia Baird and Ryan continue their conversation today about how forgiveness and grace have been a pivotal character trait for many great people throughout history as she discusses in her new book, Bright Shining, which Ryan called “a powerful book from one of my favorite writers on something we all need more of...and could give more of.”Julia Baird is an author, broadcaster, and journalist based in Sydney, Australia. Be sure to check out her books, Phosphorescence: A Memoir of Finding Joy When Your World Goes Dark, Victoria: The Queen: An Intimate Biography of the Woman Who Ruled an Empire, and Bright Shining: How Grace Changes Everything. 

Life is hard. People are not perfect. If we cannot cultivate the ability to let things be and to let them go, we’ll never get anything done.

To be a Stoic is to be a lifelong student. You don’t read the Stoics, you study them.Ask DS: What mentorship lessons did Ryan learn from Robert Greene that he uses to help pay it forward today?How can we balance practicing Stoicism and embracing our emotions?+ More! Kick off Stoic Week on October 28th with Stoicism 101: Ancient Philosophy For Your Actual Life | For 14 days you will join a live cohort to collaborate and share thoughts with on our private discussion board. PLUS, you’ll get an invite to two live office hours with Ryan, where you’ll have the opportunity to ask questions on what you’ve learned about Stoicism!✉️ Want Stoic wisdom delivered to your inbox daily? Sign up for the FREE Daily Stoic email at https://dailystoic.com/dailyemail

The fundamental idea of Stoicism is that we cannot control what happens to us (or the ones we love), we can only control how we respond. Julia Baird knows about cultivating this resilience and Stoic response, after losing her mother and battling health issues, and how approaching grief with a sense of grace can transform ourselves and the world around us. While in Sydney, Ryan had the chance to sit down with Julia in-person to discuss what she learned from researching the lives of Queen Victoria and Florence Nightingale, and why she was compelled to write about grace for her latest book, Bright Shining: How Grace Changes Everything.Julia Baird is an author, broadcaster, and journalist based in Sydney, Australia. Be sure to check out her books, Phosphorescence: A Memoir of Finding Joy When Your World Goes Dark, Victoria: The Queen: An Intimate Biography of the Woman Who Ruled an Empire, and Bright Shining: How Grace Changes Everything. Follow Julia on Instagram @JuliaBaird and on X @BairdJulia 

If you convince yourself that nothing can be changed, that your actions don’t matter, you’re right—but you’ve also surrendered. Time and time again, one person can—and does—make a difference.

By thinking, by imagining that we’ve just been given a few months to live, we too can see immediately what we should stop doing. We realize we don’t have any more time to waste.

Though Cicero wrote histories that praised the ethics and virtues of the Stoics, his ego and his expensive tastes got in the way of actually practicing it day to day. Try to remember Cicero’s example. Learn more about the Catiline conspiracy in Lives of the Stoics and in Ryan's interview with Francis Ford Coppola | Apple Podcasts &  Spotify.

The great thing about the internet is that no one is excluded from building a platform, connecting with a community, and sharing their opinions and perspectives. However, there is a dangerous side that comes with this inclusivity. Today, Ryan is calling out the worst advice he has seen on the internet and what the Stoic counter-argument is.

Risk-taking means diving into the unknown, which is scary because anything could happen, but not taking risks is the only guarantee that nothing will change. That’s what Chase Jarvis is here to talk with Ryan about in today’s episode, as his latest book, Never Play It Safe, is a guide for anyone looking to overcome fear around the unknown, trust their intuition, and become comfortable taking the uncomfortable risks in order to get to where they want to go. Chase talks to Ryan about managing risks when pursuing creative projects, balancing urgency with long-term thinking, the necessity of constraints in fostering creativity, maintaining personal and artistic authenticity, and the role of intuition and wisdom in achieving a well-lived life. Chase is an acclaimed artist, photographer, entrepreneur, podcast host of The Chase Jarvis LIVE Show, and author of Creative Calling and Never Play It Safe. You can follow Chase on Instagram , YouTube, and X @ ChaseJarvis and check out his websiteWatch Ryan’s

There are so many things outside our control. We can’t stop a hurricane, or prevent an earthquake. But we can help our fellow citizens and fellow human beings in the midst of one.You can support those affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton by donating to Habitat for Humanity’s Hurricane Recovery fund: https://www.habitat.org/donate/?link=1614

How do we get outside our heads when our stomach is twisting in knots and our heart is pumping out of our chests?We create mementos, as the Stoics did, to remind ourselves of our philosophy and principles.Ask DS:Why did Ryan decide to share his reflections and observations with the masses?How do we teach our children to build resilience?What are the alignments or distinctions between Buddhism and Stoicism?