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Lives of the Stoics | Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman | Book Summary

Aug 12, 2022

21:39

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Stoicism offers timeless wisdom for living a virtuous life and cultivating resilience in the face of adversity.

The lives of Stoics like Cleanthes and Marcus Aurelius highlight the importance of embracing challenges, practicing humility, and prioritizing the well-being of others.

Deep dives

The Lives of the Stoics: Lessons from Ancient Philosophers

This podcast episode explores the captivating lives of the Stoics and the timeless wisdom they offer in the pursuit of happiness, success, resilience, and virtue. It delves into the beginnings of Stoicism with Zeno, who transformed his shipwrecked life into resilience and courage, laying the foundation for this philosophy. The episode also examines the lives of Cleanthes and Cato the Younger, showcasing their dedication to living virtuous lives and the challenges they faced. Furthermore, it examines the complex life of Seneca, who, despite his literary accomplishments, struggled to follow Stoic principles. Lastly, the extraordinary life and leadership of Marcus Aurelius, the philosopher king, are highlighted, emphasizing his humility, compassion, and unwavering commitment to Stoic values.

The Life of Porsia Cato

02:37

The Life of Marcus Aurelius

03:45

Life of Zeno

02:55

Introduction

2min

Life of Zeno

3min

Cleanthes - The Next Stoic Philosopher

3min

Cicero's Disregard of Stoicism

2min

Cato's Stoic Virtue of Courage

3min

The Life of Porsia Cato

3min

Life of Seneca

2min

The Life of Marcus Aurelius

4min

Lives of the Stoics | Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman | Book Summary

Nearly 2,300 years after a ruined merchant named Zeno first established a school on the Stoa Poikile of Athens, Stoicism has found a new audience among those who seek greatness, from athletes to politicians and everyone in between. It's no wonder; the philosophy and its embrace of self-mastery, virtue, and indifference to that which we cannot control is as urgent today as it was in the chaos of the Roman Empire. In Lives of the Stoics, Holiday and Hanselman present the fascinating lives of the men and women who strove to live by the timeless Stoic virtues of Courage. Justice. Temperance. Wisdom. Organized in digestible, mini-biographies of all the well-known--and not so well-known--Stoics, this book vividly brings home what Stoicism was like for the people who loved it and lived it, dusting off powerful lessons to be learned from their struggles and successes. More than a mere history book, every example in these pages, from Epictetus to Marcus Aurelius--slaves to emperors--is designed to help the reader apply philosophy in their own lives. Holiday and Hanselman unveil the core values and ideas that unite figures from Seneca to Cato to Cicero across the centuries. Among them are the idea that self-rule is the greatest empire, that character is fate; how Stoics benefit from preparing not only for success, but failure; and learn to love, not merely accept, the hand they are dealt in life. A treasure of valuable insights and stories, this book can be visited again and again by any reader in search of inspiration from the past.

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