The Daily Stoic

About the Author

Ryan Holiday is a best-selling author, marketer, and entrepreneur known for his ability to bring ancient wisdom to modern audiences. He has written extensively on the application of Stoic philosophy in contemporary life, with works like "The Obstacle Is the Way" and "Ego Is the Enemy" resonating with a broad audience. Holiday's writing often draws on the teachings of ancient philosophers, especially the Stoics, and he is credited with helping to popularize Stoicism in the 21st century. Along with Stephen Hanselman, Holiday co-authored "The Daily Stoic," a daily devotional that distills the wisdom of Stoic philosophy into practical advice for modern living. The book is structured to guide readers through a year of Stoic practice, offering daily reflections on how to live virtuously and with purpose.

Main Idea

"The Daily Stoic" is a daily meditation book that presents insights from Stoic philosophers such as Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, and Epictetus, aimed at helping readers cultivate a life of virtue, self-control, and wisdom. The book is divided into 365 entries, each offering a quote from a Stoic thinker, followed by a reflection by Holiday and Hanselman on how that wisdom can be applied in today's world. The overarching goal of the book is to encourage readers to embrace the Stoic virtues of wisdom, justice, courage, and temperance, thereby leading a more intentional and fulfilling life. The Stoics believed that true happiness comes from within and is achieved by living in accordance with nature and reason, principles that "The Daily Stoic" seeks to make accessible and relevant to modern readers.

Table of Contents

• 1. Introduction to Stoicism
• 2. Viewing Life with Self-Control
• 3. Responding to Life with Justice and Courage
• 4. Managing Life with Wisdom
• 5. Daily Stoic Meditations

Introduction to Stoicism

The book opens with an introduction to Stoicism, a philosophy founded in the 3rd century BCE by Zeno of Citium. Stoicism teaches that the path to happiness lies in accepting the present moment as it is, not allowing ourselves to be controlled by our desire for pleasure or our fear of pain, and using reason to understand the world and our place in it. Holiday and Hanselman emphasize that Stoicism is not merely a theoretical philosophy but a practical guide to living well. The Stoics were concerned with how to live a good life, and they believed that this could be achieved by cultivating four cardinal virtues: wisdom, justice, courage, and temperance.

Holiday and Hanselman explain that Stoicism is a way of life that helps individuals deal with the inevitable challenges and hardships of life. By practicing Stoic principles, one can develop resilience, maintain inner peace, and make decisions that are in line with one's values. The Stoics believed that we cannot control external events, but we can control how we respond to them, and it is in this response that we exercise our virtue and wisdom.

The authors also introduce the concept of "living according to nature," which is central to Stoic philosophy. To the Stoics, living according to nature means understanding the natural order of the world and our place within it. It means accepting the things we cannot change and focusing on cultivating our character and virtue. The Stoics believed that by living in harmony with nature, we can achieve eudaimonia, or a flourishing life, which is the ultimate goal of Stoic practice.

Viewing Life with Self-Control

The first major section of the book focuses on the Stoic practice of self-control. According to the Stoics, self-control is essential for living a virtuous life. It involves governing our desires, emotions, and actions with reason, rather than allowing them to control us. Holiday and Hanselman highlight the Stoic belief that self-control is the foundation of all other virtues because it enables us to act according to our principles, even in the face of temptation or adversity.

The Stoics taught that the first step to achieving self-control is recognizing the basic division of control: the distinction between what we can control and what we cannot. This concept is famously captured in the opening lines of the "Enchiridion" by Epictetus: "Some things are within our power, while others are not." By focusing on what we can control—our thoughts, attitudes, and actions—we can maintain our composure and integrity, regardless of external circumstances.

Holiday and Hanselman provide practical advice for cultivating self-control in daily life: