Episodes

  • Kyle Carpenter on Courage, Survival, and What Comes After
    Apr 29 2026

    The Medal of Honor is the highest military award in the United States, given for extraordinary courage in the face of danger. In this episode, Ryan sits down with Kyle Carpenter, the youngest living recipient, to talk about what that kind of courage really looks like and what comes after it.

    Kyle received the Medal of Honor after throwing himself on a live grenade to save a fellow Marine in Afghanistan. It was a split second decision that changed his life. But as he explains, that moment was only the beginning.


    Kyle Carpenter is a medically retired United States Marine who received the United States' highest military honor, the Medal of Honor in 2010.


    📚 Grab a signed copy of Kyle’s memoir, You Are Worth It, at The Painted Porch | https://www.thepaintedporch.com/


    👉 Follow Kyle on Instagram @ChiksDigScars


    🎥 VIDEO EPISODES| Watch the video episodes on The Daily Stoic YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@DailyStoic/videos


    ✉️ FREE STOIC WISDOM | Want Stoic wisdom delivered to your inbox daily? Sign up for the FREE Daily Stoic email at https://dailystoic.com/dailyemail

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    39 mins
  • Marcus Aurelius's Rules for Living a Better Life
    Apr 29 2026

    To wrap up Meditations Month, today Ryan explores Marcus’s best rules for using the precious time in your life.


    Reading Marcus Aurelius can change your life, but only if you know how to read his work 👉 Head here now to grab your Meditations book and guide bundle | https://store.dailystoic.com/pages/meditations-month-2026


    🎙️ AD-FREE | Support the podcast and go deeper into Stoicism by subscribing to The Daily Stoic Premium - unlock ad-free listening, early access, and bonus content: https://dailystoic.supercast.com/


    🎥 VIDEO EPISODES| Watch the video episodes on The Daily Stoic YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@DailyStoic/videos


    ✉️ FREE STOIC WISDOM | Want Stoic wisdom delivered to your inbox daily? Sign up for the FREE Daily Stoic email at https://dailystoic.com/dailyemail

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    11 mins
  • It’s Right There. Take It. | Stoic Lessons Hidden in Bruce Springsteen Songs
    Apr 28 2026

    You can’t learn history that you don’t take the time to look at, that you think you already understand.


    📚 BOOKS:

    • Deliver Me from Nowhere: The Making of Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska
    • Wisdom Takes Work


    🎙️ AD-FREE | Support the podcast and go deeper into Stoicism by subscribing to The Daily Stoic Premium - unlock ad-free listening, early access, and bonus content: https://dailystoic.supercast.com/


    🎥 VIDEO EPISODES| Watch the video episodes on The Daily Stoic YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@DailyStoic/videos


    ✉️ FREE STOIC WISDOM | Want Stoic wisdom delivered to your inbox daily? Sign up for the FREE Daily Stoic email at https://dailystoic.com/dailyemail

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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    13 mins
  • Nothing Is As Encouraging As This | The Freedom of Contempt
    Apr 27 2026

    It was a dark world…and Marcus Aurelius desperately needed some light.


    LAST CHANCE | Your ticket to the live Q&A with Ryan Holiday 👉 https://store.dailystoic.com/pages/meditations-month-2026

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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    8 mins
  • The Most Powerful Lines From Marcus Aurelius
    Apr 26 2026

    How can a 2,000-year-old book still change the way you think today? In this episode, Ryan Holiday shares passages from Meditations that he’s returned to more than a hundred times over the years. Each reading has revealed something new, and these lines are the ones that have had the biggest impact on how he thinks and lives.


    Reading Marcus Aurelius can change your life, but only if you know how to read his work 👉 Head here now to grab your Meditations book and guide bundle | https://store.dailystoic.com/pages/meditations-month-2026

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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    31 mins
  • Why “Meditations” Needs a New Name—According to William O. Stephens
    Apr 25 2026
    Most people read Marcus Aurelius the wrong way. In this episode, Ryan sits down with philosopher William Stephens to discuss why the title "Meditations" may be misleading, what these writings were actually meant to be, and how that changes the way we read them today. William O. Stephens is a philosopher specializing in Stoicism, ethics, and ancient philosophy. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania and spent over 30 years teaching at Creighton University, where he is now Professor Emeritus. His work spans topics like friendship, ecology, and human nature, with a focus on Stoic thought. His latest book is Marcus Aurelius: Philosopher-King (2025), and he is also the author of Marcus Aurelius: A Guide for the Perplexed, Epictetus’s Encheiridion: A New Translation and Guide to Stoic Ethics, and Stoic Ethics: Epictetus and Happiness as Freedom. Check out more of William Stephens' work at https://WilliamOStephens.com/📚 Grab a copy of Marcus Aurelius: Philosopher-King by William Stephens LAST CHANCE | Grab your ticket to the live Q&A with Ryan on April 27 👉 https://store.dailystoic.com/pages/meditations-month-2026Ryan Holiday is coming to a city near you! Grab tickets here | https://www.dailystoiclive.com/🇺🇸 USA dates:Portland, Oregon - June 8 San Francisco, California - June 11Minneapolis, Minnesota - August 18 Chicago, Illinois - August 19 Detroit, Michigan - August 20 🎙️ AD-FREE | Support the podcast and go deeper into Stoicism by subscribing to The Daily Stoic Premium - unlock ad-free listening, early access, and bonus content: https://dailystoic.supercast.com/🎥 VIDEO EPISODES| Watch the video episodes on The Daily Stoic YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@DailyStoic/videos✉️ FREE STOIC WISDOM | Want Stoic wisdom delivered to your inbox daily? Sign up for the FREE Daily Stoic email at https://dailystoic.com/dailyemailSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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    34 mins
  • It’s Never an Accident | Ask Daily Stoic
    Apr 24 2026

    Our true character comes out under pressure. So we must train that character, we must develop our bodies, we have to put in the work.


    Your ticket to a live Q&A with Ryan Holiday 👉 https://store.dailystoic.com/pages/meditations-month-2026


    🎙️ AD-FREE | Support the podcast and go deeper into Stoicism by subscribing to The Daily Stoic Premium - unlock ad-free listening, early access, and bonus content: https://dailystoic.supercast.com/


    🎥 VIDEO EPISODES| Watch the video episodes on The Daily Stoic YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@DailyStoic/videos


    ✉️ FREE STOIC WISDOM | Want Stoic wisdom delivered to your inbox daily? Sign up for the FREE Daily Stoic email at https://dailystoic.com/dailyemail

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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    17 mins
  • Empower Yourself with This | Why You Need to Get In the Arena
    Apr 23 2026

    We all have those days where we’d rather just not. Days where we’d rather not deal with that annoying co-worker or petty family member. Days where we’d rather not bother with all the work we have to do, all the responsibilities we have to manage. The ancients knew days like this.


    Reading Marcus Aurelius can change your life, but only if you know how to read his work 👉 Head here now to grab your Meditations book and guide bundle | https://store.dailystoic.com/pages/meditations-month-2026


    📚 Books Mentioned:

    Meditations

    River of Doubt by Candice Millard

    The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt by Edmund Morris

    Mornings on Horseback by David McCullough

    The Bully Pulpit by Doris Kearns Goodwin

    Discipline is Destiny by Ryan Holiday

    The Obstacle Is the Way by Ryan Holiday


    🎙️ AD-FREE | Support the podcast and go deeper into Stoicism by subscribing to The Daily Stoic Premium - unlock ad-free listening, early access, and bonus content: https://dailystoic.supercast.com/


    🎥 VIDEO EPISODES| Watch the video episodes on The Daily Stoic YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@DailyStoic/videos


    ✉️ FREE STOIC WISDOM | Want Stoic wisdom delivered to your inbox daily? Sign up for the FREE Daily Stoic email at https://dailystoic.com/dailyemail

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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    13 mins