The Daily Stoic
Daily Stoic | Backyard Ventures
For centuries, all sorts of people—generals and politicians, athletes and coaches, writers and leaders—have looked to the teachings of Stoicism to help guide their lives. Each day, author and speaker Ryan Holiday brings you a new lesson about life, inspired by the thoughts and writings of great Stoic thinkers like Marcus Aurelius and Seneca the Younger. Daily Stoic Podcast also features Q+As with listeners and interviews with notable figures from sports, academia, politics, and more. Learn more at DailyStoic.com.Support the podcast and go deeper with Stoicism by subscribing to The Daily Stoic Premium - unlock ad-free listening, early access, and bonus content (coming soon): dailystoic.com/premium
Episodes
Mentioned books
16 snips
Feb 5, 2026 • 2min
This is The One Thing You Don’t Accept
A look at the Stoic line between acceptance and action. Short reflections on when to let go and when to push back. Stories about refusing silence in the face of corruption and tyranny. A call to direct outrage at fixable wrongs and avoid wasted complaints.
7 snips
Feb 5, 2026 • 40min
BONUS | No One Is Coming to Give You Permission
Brent Underwood, owner of Cerro Gordo and author known for Ghost Town Living, shares how waiting for permission and perfect conditions becomes procrastination. They cover deadlines vs open projects, using accountability and consequences to finish work, fear that success will overload future bandwidth, and practical habits like one hour a day and iterating early.
29 snips
Feb 4, 2026 • 3min
It’s Always Going To Be One-Sided
A reflection on why honesty and fairness matter even when others cheat. Historical examples of corruption highlight that unfairness is nothing new. Stoic ideas about character as the only true harm take center stage. A call for more principled people who choose right over easy choices rounds out the conversation.
51 snips
Feb 4, 2026 • 1h 16min
Chuck Klosterman: The NFL Explains More About America Than You Think
Chuck Klosterman, author and cultural critic known for books like Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs and Football, explores how football reveals American identity. He links sports to media, power, and monocultures. Short anecdotes and surprising historical parallels illuminate TV’s role, expertise illusions, tech like AI, and why shared cultural moments form and fade.
94 snips
Feb 3, 2026 • 7min
Do You Have Double What It Takes? | The Source Of Your Anxiety
A reflection on why life often requires you to be twice as capable to get ahead. Tough moments are recast as training partners that build resilience. Anxiety is traced to craving outcomes beyond your control. Practical stories and Stoic ideas show how to question worries and choose presence over needless fretting.
53 snips
Feb 2, 2026 • 8min
Sometimes You Just Lose (But That’s No Excuse) | A Proper Frame Of Mind
A reflection on accepting losses without surrendering the fight for change. Historical examples show causes can outlive defeat. Practical Stoic tools for resisting impulses and reclaiming freedom from habits and devices. A call to frame thoughts like an elder and persist despite setbacks.
11 snips
Feb 2, 2026 • 3min
BONUS | You Can't Let The Setbacks Win
A reflection on recovering from setbacks and not letting them define you. A look at accepting interruptions without surrendering to them. A reminder to return to your rhythm and take deliberate action after being thrown off. An invitation to rebuild momentum with community support.
101 snips
Feb 1, 2026 • 12min
This Is Why You Have To Care
A late-night traffic stop sparks a broader look at targeted enforcement and immigrant rights. The narrator contrasts rights with privileges and insists on due process for everyone. Stoic teachings are used to argue we must care, speak up, and refuse complicity when authorities violate rights. Historical warnings show how silence enables persecution.
78 snips
Jan 31, 2026 • 38min
Why Bert Kreischer Thinks He Needs a Stoic Coach
Bert Kreischer, high-energy comedian and podcaster known for wild storytelling, talks sobriety, routines, and life on the road. He wrestles with wanting a Seneca-like advisor, the pull of late-night indulgence, pandemic-forced sobriety, the daily “witching hour,” and the anxiety of checking Netflix numbers. Short, candid conversations about discipline, shame, and protecting the playful spark.
81 snips
Jan 30, 2026 • 14min
The Age of Catos is Gone (or Is It?) | Ryan Holiday Owes Everything To This One Book
A reflection on whether traditional values are truly fading and why that feeling repeats across history. A call to choose honor and keep higher ideals alive. A discussion of how Meditations reshaped one life and the power of focusing on essentials. Thoughts on perception, obstacles as opportunities, avoiding catastrophic imagination, and serving others to create hope.
