The Daily Stoic

Obstacles, adversaries, pitfalls, and bad luck. It’s going to be there. It’s going to happen. 

We have to stay at it. We have to accept the losses that come…without accepting the status quo. We should not give up. 

When jarred by circumstances, Marcus Aurelius writes, we have to revert back to ourselves. We have to come back to the rhythm. We have to intervene. We can't let the challenges win.Let’s not write the year off just yet. The Daily Stoic New Year New You challenge is opening back up for a limited time. Learn more and sign up today at dailystoic.com/challenge.

Immigration is a complicated issue. Crime is complicated. But this is not complicated.

Bert Kreischer and Ryan continue their conversation about the tension between discipline and indulgence, why Bert sometimes feels better hungover than sober, and the pull of routines built around punishment and excess. Bert talks about quitting drinking, the daily “witching hour,” and why good news can be just as unsettling as bad.Bert Kreischer is a stand up comedian, actor, and podcast host of 2 Bears, 1 Cave. You can watch both his movie The Machine and now his latest show, Free Bert, on Netflix! Follow Bert on Instagram, TikTok, X, and YouTube Bert’s new series Free Bert is officially out on Netflix! Watch Here: https://www.netflix.com/title/81696123

It always feels like the traditional values are slipping away…Maybe they are. Maybe they aren’t. 

 Sometimes life happens, but here’s your second chance. Now is the best time to start being the person you want to be. Let’s not write the year off just yet. The Daily Stoic New Year New You challenge is opening back up for a limited time. Learn more and sign up today at dailystoic.com/challenge.

This is what philosophy is about, what discipline is as a virtue: Doing things you don’t want to do.Let’s not write the year off just yet. The Daily Stoic New Year New You challenge is opening back up for a limited time. Learn more and sign up today at dailystoic.com/challenge.

Bert Kreischer wants to be Stoic. It just doesn’t come naturally. In this episode, he talks with Ryan about why Stoicism feels almost impossible for him, why criticism still gets under his skin, his hot take on why Nero may have been a good emperor, and some truly insane stories from his life.Bert Kreischer is a stand up comedian, actor, and podcast host of 2 Bears, 1 Cave. You can watch both his comedy special The Machine and now his latest show, Free Bert, on Netflix! Follow Bert on Instagram, TikTok, X, and YouTube Bert’s new series Free Bert is officially out on Netflix! Watch Here: https://www.netflix.com/title/81696123

Forget party, forget class, forget any perceived differences: We must speak loudly and with one voice against those who intimidate, those who violate, those who abuse and discriminate. If we’re not going to fight for the little guy, for the other, and do what we can for them, who will?

You’re tired. You’re busy. It would be easier to stay home...It’s the perfect excuse. Unless, of course, you are disciplined.Let’s not write the year off just yet. The Daily Stoic New Year New You challenge is opening back up for a limited time. Learn more and sign up today at dailystoic.com/challenge.

Pain and hardship are part of life. From ancient Greece and Rome to now, people have faced plagues, wars, illness, and loss. The question has never been how to avoid it, but how to endure it and find meaning through it. In today’s episode, Ryan shares practical Stoic methods that have been tested for centuries to help reduce anxiety, anger, and stress, build real resilience, and become stronger when life gets hard.

You’ve seen Jaimie Alexander as the tough, unstoppable character on screen, but what was happening off camera tells a completely different story. In this episode, Ryan sits down with actress Jaimie for one of the most honest conversations she’s ever shared publicly. She opens up about a near-death experience, years of hidden alcoholism, and the moment she realized the life she was pushing through wasn’t sustainable anymore. Jaimie also talks about how Stoic philosophy became a grounding force in her recovery, how curiosity helped replace fear, and more. Jaimie Alexander is known for her role as Lady Sif in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films Thor (2011), Thor: The Dark World (2013), and Thor: Love and Thunder (2022), as well as the television series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Kyle XY, and Blindspot.Follow Jaimie on Instagram @JaimieAlexander and subscribe to her Substack called "In The Hallway"

January is January. A slump is a slump. They’re not fun, but neither are they the whole world…or forever.

It’s important to remember that Stoicism isn’t about judging other people. It’s not a moral philosophy you’re supposed to project and enforce onto the world. No, it’s a personal philosophy that’s designed to direct your behavior.

Be wary whom you go to work for. Moral compromises add up and eventually destroy you.

David Mamet is one of the most influential writers of the last half-century, so when he talks about craft, discipline, and courage, it’s worth listening. In this episode, David joins Ryan to talk about acting, writing, Stoicism, and why most people make things far more complicated than they need to be. David breaks down his blunt philosophy on performance and life, why courage matters more than talent, why “just saying the words” is often the hardest part, and the Stoic question he literally engraved on his watch. David Mamet won a Pulitzer Prize for Glengarry Glen Ross and first broke through in the 1970s with plays like American Buffalo and Sexual Perversity in Chicago. He’s also written and directed films including House of Games, The Spanish Prisoner, and Heist, and wrote the screenplays for The Verdict and The Untouchables. Most recently, David released the film Henry Johnson and published the novel Some Recollections of St. Ives: A Novel. 

We can train. We can prepare. This will not be enough. Because more will be expected of us still, more will be piled onto our plates.

Today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day here in America. It’s worth taking a minute today to consider one particularly brilliant and inspiring part of King’s approach to civil rights. 

In today's episode, you’ll hear about 7 traits that the Stoics actually lived by, and why they shaped leaders we’re still learning from 2,000 years later.