The Daily Stoic

It’s easy to forget that the Stoics, Socrates, and other ancient philosophers were just like us—human and therefore imperfect. But in his new book How To Think Like Socrates, author Donald Robertson peels back the mythology around the ancient philosopher and shows how we can apply his wisdom in modern times. Donald returned to the Daily Stoic podcast to talk with Ryan about Socrates’ fascinating life, what his flaws were, and his enduring influence on the Stoics.

Donald is a writer, cognitive-behavioral psychotherapist and trainer. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH). Donald specializes in teaching evidence-based psychological skills, and is known as an expert on the relationship between modern psychotherapy (CBT) and classical Greek and Roman philosophy.

📚 Donald’s book, How to Think Like Socrates: Ancient Philosophy as a Way of Life in the Modern World, is out now! Pick up a signed copy at The Painted Porch

Get a signed copy of Donald's other books Marcus Aurelius: The Stoic Emperor and How To Think Like A Roman Emperor: The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius at The Painted Porch

🎥 Watch Donald Robertson’s first interview with Ryan on YouTube

Substack

X: @donjrobertson

IG: @donaldjrobertson

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Pain and suffering and loss are a part of life. It was a part of life for the rich and powerful Stoics like Marcus and Seneca, it was a part of life for the powerless like Epictetus, and it's a part of life today.

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You can’t be a student of the Stoics without reading the Stoics.

Books mentioned:

Letters From A Stoic by Seneca

Hardship and Happiness (The Complete Works of Lucius Annaeus Seneca) by Seneca

How To Keep Your Cool by Seneca

On the Shortness of Life: Life Is Long If You Know How to Use It by Seneca

How To Die by Seneca

The Enchiridion by Epictetus

Discourses by Epictetus

That One Should Disdain Hardships by Musonius Rufus

Call Sign Chaos by Jim Mattis

📕 Pick up your own Premium Leather Edition of Meditations - Marcus Aurelius (Gregory Hays Translation) at the Daily Stoic Store: https://store.dailystoic.com/

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You have been given an incredibly powerful too—this brain and imagination of yours. We have to direct these resources properly.

🪙 Gain a powerful tool in your fight against anxiety and get the Daily Stoic Anxiety Coin today! https://store.dailystoic.com/

📓 Pick up a signed edition of The Daily Stoic Journal: 366 Days of Writing and Reflection on The Art of Living: https://store.dailystoic.com/

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Tune in for an exclusive sneak peak into what Ryan talks about in his MasterClass, Using Ancient Wisdom to Solve Modern Problems. The first course was just released and the rest of the MasterClass will drop in four courses over the next couple of weeks. Head to dailystoic.com/masterclass to find those and learn more about the course today!

✉️ 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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With over 40 documentaries under his belt, Ken Burns is one of the most iconic filmmakers of our time. His newest documentary, which features a brand-new filmmaking style from the director, explores the life and work of Leonardo da Vinci and marks the first non-American subject in any of his films.

On today’s episode, Ken talks with Ryan about the significance of Stoicism among the Founders, the complexities of historical figures like Thomas Jefferson and George Washington, plus the inspiring legacy of Da Vinci.

Ken Burns has directed and produced historical documentaries for over 50 years. He has earned seventeen Emmy Awards, two Grammy Awards and two Oscar nominations so far throughout his career and his latest project, Leonardo da Vinci, is premiering on November 18. 

🎥 Ken Burns latest documentary on Leonardo da Vinci premieres November 18 on PBS!

Follow Ken Burns on Instagram @KenLBurns and on X @KenBurns.

Check out Ken Burns’ full catalog of documentaries: https://kenburns.com/the-films/

✉️ 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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Life doesn’t go easy on any of us. It splits us in two…and half will have to do.

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🎟 Ryan Holiday is going on tour! Grab tickets for London, Rotterdam, Dublin, Vancouver, and Toronto at ryanholiday.net/tour

✉️ 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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By living philosophically, we can learn to handle anything. This isn’t easy. But this is also a foundation for true well-being, happiness, and, as seen in the lives of Marcus, Cato, and many other Stoics.

Ask DS:

What are the overlaps between Eastern philosophy and Stoicism? 

Was there a particular obstacle that Ryan experienced that led him to Stoicism?

💡 The first course of Ryan's MasterClass Using Ancient Wisdom to Solve Modern Problems is out now! Head to dailystoic.com/masterclass

📚 Books Mentioned:

Die With Zero by Bill Perkins | https://www.thepaintedporch.com/

The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel | https://www.thepaintedporch.com/

I Will Teach You To Be Rich by Ramit Sethi | https://www.thepaintedporch.com/

🎥 Check out these interviews:

Morgan Housel's Formula For Building Wealth and Happiness

Ramit Sethi on What It Means To Be Rich

💡The Wealthy Stoic: A Daily Stoic Guide to Being Rich, Happy, and Free explores how stoic ideas can be applied to personal finance, wealth-building, financial mindset, and how it can help you overcome common financial obstacles and challenges

Get The Wealthy Stoic: A Daily Stoic Guide to Being Rich, Happy, and Free & all other Daily Stoic courses for FREE when you join Daily Stoic Life | dailystoic.com/life

✉️ 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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The more you study philosophy the more you realize that parenting is a topic almost every tradition has spoken about. The Daily Dad is built around accessing that advice—one piece at a time, one day a time, just like The Daily Stoic.

📕 We’re excited to announce that we’ve put together a special leatherbound edition of The Daily Dad just in time for the holidays! Pick up a copy of the leatherbound edition of The Daily Dad at dailydad.com/leather

✉️ 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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How can Stoicism be applicable for Gen Z and generations to come? As a Professor of Philosophy, Dr. Jennifer Baker has an insider's look into what resonates about ancient philosophy with college students today. Jennifer joins Ryan to discuss how she teaches the next generation about Stoicism, why Stoicism is a timeless tool we can all turn to, and the common misconceptions around virtue ethics.

Dr. Jennifer Baker is a Professor at the College of Charleston. Her research is on virtue ethics, and she looks to ancient ethical theories as positive examples of how ethics ought to be done today. She teaches courses on ethical and political theory, environmental ethics and philosophy, business ethics, bioethics, and American philosophy.

💡 Ryan Holiday’s MasterClass, Using Ancient Wisdom to Solve Modern Problems, is out on November 13! Head to dailystoic.com/masterclass

Check out Jennifer’s blog on Psychology Today: For the Love of Wisdom

🎥 Watch Jennifer Baker’s first interview on The Daily Stoic on YouTube!

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

🏛 Get Stoic inspired books, medallions, and prints to remember these lessons at the Daily Stoic Store: https://store.dailystoic.com/

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.