The Daily Stoic

Not everything that’s hard is good of course, but almost everything good (and worth it) is hard.

Why did Robert Greene advise Ryan to turn down his first book offer? How does Ryan balance writing about his personal interests and what his audience is expecting? Billy Oppenheimer, Ryan's research assistant, is asking Ryan these questions and many more in today's episode. Ryan talks about what people get wrong about mentorship, the evolution of his writing style, how the writings of the Stoics have influenced him, what his favorite part of the creative process is, and more. Billy Oppenheimer is Ryan Holiday’s research assistant and the writer behind the newsletter, Six at 6 on Sunday. To read more of his work, check out his website billyoppenheimer.com.

While it may seem like a “waste of time” today, you’re paying that debt for a better version of your future self tomorrow.

Stoicism was ancient to the ancients too. It’d been old for a long time. Ask DS: What are the Stoics teachings about “know thyself”? What are the main principles of Stoicism that people can apply when they struggle to achieve work life balance?Does Stoicism have the potential to be a social or political movement?+ More!

Commonly known as the most famous atheist in the world, Richard Dawkins is a British evolutionary biologist, zoologist, and author of The Selfish Gene and The God Delusion. Today, Ryan asks Richard why he describes himself as a "cultural Christian", what the biggest misunderstandings of his work are, why individuals teeter between faith and reason, and his concept of humans as 'books of the dead,' a metaphor for the evolutionary history encoded in our genes. Pre-order Richard's latest book The Genetic Book of the Dead - out September 17, 2024. Richard is heading out on his last tour! Grab tickets here: https://richarddawkinstour.com/You can check out Richard’s work and tour dates on his website richarddawkins.com or you can follow him on X @RichardDawkins ✉️ Want Stoic wisdom delivered to your inbox daily? Sign up for the FREE Daily Stoic email at https://dailystoic.com/dailyemail

Wisdom tells us that things are as they always have been…and always will be. So don’t take it all so personally.

When we say Amor Fati, when we say The Obstacle is the Way, we’re not talking about just sitting there, being provided with fuel. We’re talking about surging forward, pulling ourselves towards the oxygen–going towards the fuel, towards the next thing, never stopping, using all of it.

Take your much deserved break today. We are human beings after all, not human doings. So go out and live today. Rest from your labor. Come back better for it. Come back improved and sharper for it.

Get an inside look at the relationship between Marcus Aurelius and his rhetoric teacher, Fronto, through this narration of their letters. Fronto was focused on preparing him for political life and public speaking and through these letters you will learn the deep impact he had on Marcus. These letters were first edited and translated into English by C. R. Haines.

How information (and misinformation) spreads online continues to change with the media landscape. Renée DiResta and Ryan continue their conversation on the role of podcasts as a medium, the pitfalls of audience capture, and the dynamics of social media silos. They talk about the ethical responsibilities of influencers and podcasters, the influence of personal relationships in media, and the impact of counter speech. Renée DiResta is a technical research manager at Stanford Internet Observatory and has briefed world leaders, advised Congress, the State Department, and a myriad of organizations on how online manipulation can take different forms. 

Don't forge ahead hoping that someone will come along and relieve you of this task you don't want to do. Don't be the person who says yes with their mouth but no with their actions. Read the full Daily Stoic entry for today: https://store.dailystoic.com/

We know that ultimately lives are not measured by superficial or materialistic things…yet we spend so much of our lives focused solely on that. Ask DS: How can we move past feeling guilt or shame?What did the Stoics say about losing loved ones?How can we get better at saying no? + More!

“If you make it trend, you make it true” is a terrifyingly real quote across the cover of Renée DiResta’s book, Invisible Rulers: The People Who Turn Lies Into Reality. Renée DiResta studies the many ways that people attempt to manipulate or target others online, similar to what Ryan talks about in his first book, Trust Me, I’m Lying. In this episode, Renée and Ryan talk about the shift from traditional journalism ethics to the new realm of social media influence, the psychological impact of online engagement, and the societal consequences of misinformation. Renée DiResta is a technical research manager at Stanford Internet Observatory and has briefed world leaders, advised Congress, the State Department, and a myriad of organizations on how online manipulation can take different forms. Renée's book, Invisible Rulers: The People Who Turn Lies Into Reality, is all about the virtual rumor mill and how niche propagandists can shape public opinion.She was also featured in Netflix’s documentary, The

The Stoics were not so insensitive as to believe that it was good that someone died. That’s not what they meant by “opportunity”—what they meant was that there was always something to learn, always some virtue we could practice in light of a tragedy that would make us better, teach us something, help us see something.

Do it now. Get started. Begun is half done. Do it now.

Marcus Aurelius was not like you at all. Yet…we can tell from Meditations that Marcus Aurelius was also just like us.

The Stoics believed that Stoicism was a cure for our ills. Epictetus would talk about how like the philosopher's school is like a hospital. Not all treatments, not all remedies are fun. Medicine doesn't always taste good.

One of the problems with politics today is we tend to only focus on what is happening on a national level, which is currently quite dramatic, dysfunctional, and extremist. However, the political decisions that are being made at the local level are the ones that actually impact our day to day life. Today, Ryan talks with Rusty Bailey (Democrat), the former Mayor of Riverside, California as well as G.T. Bynum (Republican), the current Mayor of Tulsa, Oklahoma to dive into what it means to be a successful leader in politics. Both share their journey to politics, political leadership lessons from history, how the Stoics were involved in politics, and the issues they are working to find solutions for. Follow G.T. Bynum on Instagram: @GTBynum and X: @GTBynumG.T. Bynum’s website: https://www.gtbynum.com/Learn more about Rusty Bailey’s time in office as Mayor of Riverside here

“The beautiful and good person neither fights with anyone…” Epictetus says in Discourses. This isn’t to say that agreeableness is the goal of life, but certainly acceptance and tolerance is. 

Once a dawn happens, it is gone to you forever. Once a day ends, it’s done for you for all time. Act accordingly. Protect your time accordingly.Ask DS:When will Ryan’s next non-Stoic book come out?How has Stoicism helped Ryan free his own biases?What does Ryan think about Ted Lasso as a Stoic?Does Ryan have any insight on passing along Stoic principles to the next generation?What is Ryan’s advice to someone who loves their friends and family but struggles to fit in due to different beliefs?