The Stoics accepted that life could be cruel and random. They knew people were stupid and annoying. They did not deny that death was ever present.

You might think the result of these beliefs was a dark and dour worldview. Certainly, many critics of the Stoics have registered that–or potential fans of the Stoics have turned away after a few passages of Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations or Epictetus’ writings.

Regardless of how realistic they might have been in their assessment of the world, the Stoics were, on the whole, not despondent.

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And in today's Daily Stoic excerpt reading, Ryan discusses why it is so important for us to solve problems when they arise, rather than waiting for them to grow to an unmanageable size.

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Here’s a way to feel good every single day, no matter what happens. A way to appreciate even a day stuck in the airport or putting out fires.

It’s an exercise from Seneca.

A person who wraps up each day as if it were the end of their life, who meditates on their mortality in the evening, Seneca believed, has a super power when they wake up.

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And in today's Ask Daily Stoic, Ryan answers questions during a Q&A sessions after his Stoicism 101 lecture. Topics covered include how Marcus could overlook Commodus's derangement, why the Stoics were ahead on some social issues but behind on others, and how the Stoics quantify the progress of their work.

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Ryan speaks with Peter Singer about the tenth anniversary edition of his book The Life You Can Save, why he finds freedom in resisting attachment to material objects, the power of monetary donation to aid people and animals around the world, practical ways that we can help others, and more.

Peter is an Australian professor of moral philosophy who specializes in applied ethics. He is the Ira W. DeCamp Professor of Bioethics at Princeton University, and the founder of the Centre for Human Bioethics at Monash University. He is the author of numerous books and essays focusing on ethics, bioethics, global poverty, and animal rights, including The Most Good You Can Do, "Famine, Affluence, and Morality," and Animal Liberation. Peter is most known for developing and promoting Effective Altruism, the argument that effective giving involves balancing empathy with reason. In 2021, he won the esteemed Berggruen Prize for his work in the field of philosophy, and was awarded one million dollars, all of which he donated to charity.

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What new information could there have possibly been for Seneca, in 62 AD, when he finally broke with Nero? Nero had been deranged for years (as detailed in James Romm’s excellent book Dying Every Day). He had been blood thirsty for years, unfit for leadership since almost the beginning. Seneca knew better from the beginning–the man was a philosopher and historian and could not have been deceived for long.

We can sit here and judge. We can shake our heads in bafflement. But we really shouldn’t.

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And in todays Daily Stoic video excerpt, Ryan shares some of his favorite Stoic lessons passed on by his mentor, Robert Greene. You can watch the full video at youtube.com/watch?v=uhKrwkTp8as.

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One evening Epictetus woke up to hear someone in his house. Walking towards the noise, he found a criminal had stolen the iron lamp he kept burning in a shrine in his front hallway. As always, Epictetus handled the situation with calmness and humor. “Tomorrow,” he said to himself, “you will find an earthenware lamp; for a man can only lose what he has.”

But what if Epictetus had been awake when the man walked in? What if he had caught the thief red handed? Would he have beaten the criminal up?

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And in today's Daily Stoic Journal excerpt, Ryan discusses what the Stoics have to say about the idea of choosing one's family, and being worth chosen as family.

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In today's audiobook reading, Ryan presents the sixth and final reading of Cicero's Stoic Paradoxes. Cicero was considered Rome’s greatest politician, and he has survived as one of history’s most enduring chroniclers of Stoic philosophy and of the Stoics themselves. As Ryan explains in Lives of the Stoics, these paradoxes are designed to question commonly held beliefs in order to promote reflection and discussion. With his last paradox, Cicero examines the idea that “only the wise man is rich.”

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Ryan speaks with Wright Thompson about his work studying the convergence of sports and culture, the evolution of society in conjunction with people’s emotional regression, why history is less distant than we think it is, and more.

Wright Thompson is an author and journalist who covers the intersections of sports and culture. Thompson has written for ESPN.com and ESPN The Magazine on topics like auto racing, MMA, bullfighting and more. Thompson wrote The Cost of These Dreams: Sports Stories and Other Serious Business and recently released the New York Times bestselling Pappyland: A Story of Family, Fine Bourbon, and the Things That Last. Wright’s work can be found on his website www.wrightthompson.com, and on Instagram @wrightthompsonbooks.

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Look at any millionaire, Seneca tells Lucilius in one of his letters, they are some of the poorest people in Rome. Money has made them obsess over public opinion. Money has control of their schedules and their decisions. Money has put them in the center of a circle of sycophants and grifters. Money has escalated their tastes and expectations beyond quenching.

“These individuals,” Seneca writes, “have riches just as we say that we ‘have a fever,’ when really the fever has us.”

It’s a sad sight, he says.

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And in today's Ask Daily Stoic, Ryan answers questions during an audience Q&A session after his talk to a collection of corporate leaders. Topics covered include how we can focus on our reactions to obstacles rather than the obstacles themselves, how to get better at saying "no," how to better deal with change, and more.

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We don’t like how long they’re taking to get back to us. It’s slowing down the process, keeping us from doing what we want to do. We don’t like the estimate from the vendor who just told us it will be an extra six weeks over the initial projections. We’re frustrated the investment advisor told us we won’t hit our goal until later than expected.

And there’s no question, this is annoying. It may well be fixable–if they could get their act together. But we don’t control that or them.

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And in today's Daily Stoic excerpt reading, Ryan discusses the idea of Plato's View - the idea that taking a bird's-eye view of your life and dealings with people when in times of distress puts everything in perspective - and how this influenced Stoic thinking.

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A classic episode of Seinfeld begins with George Costanza having a revelation. "Every decision I've ever made in my entire life has been wrong," George says. "Every instinct I have in every aspect of life...is often wrong." Then just do the opposite, Jerry says. "Yes," Costanza says with excitement, "I will do the opposite!" For the rest of the episode, George has great success doing the opposite of what his instincts tell him to do.

This is now known as The Costanza Principle. And it turns out to be scientifically-sound advice.

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