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If you've ever thought, āWhat if I had just gone for it?ā today's bonus episode is for you.
We come into existenceāby some impossible, unbelievable set of circumstancesāand then come out of it. Why? How? No one can say for certain.
Kids need routine. Kids need consistency. If you miss a window, there could be hell to pay. So we put them on the schedule and we try to stay on it.Give yourself the ultimate gift of parenting tools, structure, and community. Join The Daily Dad Society here: https://dailydad.com/society
As a leader, what do you do when your team is falling apart? Or when success comes faster than you expected? In this episode, Ryan sits down with Los Angeles Rams General Manager Les Snead, the man who helped build a Super Bowlāwinning team. They talk about what Les calls his āpanic rules,ā the principles he leans on when things get chaotic, and how he and coach Sean McVay have learned to play to win instead of not to lose. Les Snead is an American football executive who is the general manager of the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League. Snead played tight end for Auburn from 1992-93 and was part of the Tigers' perfect 11-0 team in 1993. He also earned Southeast Region Academic All-American honors during his college career. Prior to joining the Rams, Snead spent 13 seasons with the Atlanta Falcons.
This Stoicism thingāyou've been practicing it for a while, but how do you know it's working?
We can do more and we should try to do more, but let's make sure we are at least doing this.Give yourself the ultimate gift of parenting tools, structure, and community. Join The Daily Dad Society here: https://dailydad.com/society
Those that don't, or those that think they can go it alone, almost always fail.
Maybe you don't like it. Maybe you think it's a bad idea. Maybe you're scared for them. But you know what? It doesn't matter.
They knew the costs of ego. They knew that happiness was never about externals. Yet they did chase it, didn't they?
We're afraid they're not learning enough. We're concerned they're falling behind. Is it the school? Is there something wrong with them?
After recording their episode for The Daily Stoic Podcast, Ryan took Pete Holmes on the usual post-interview tour of The Painted Porch. Let's just say Pete had some thoughts about a few of Ryan's book picks...Here is the FULL list of books Ryan recommended to Pete: https://www.thepaintedporch.com/collections/pete-holmes
Comedian Pete Holmes is back for Part 2 and in full philosopher mode. He and Ryan dive into success, psychedelics, and why it's not egotistical to say you're āone of the greats.ā They talk about how to find peace when life feels out of control, why laughter might be the highest form of enlightenment, and what it really means to āmake it.āPete Holmes is an American actor, comedian, writer, producer, and podcaster. He first gained recognition in the early 2010s as a stand-up comic, and also released his first comedy special and worked as a television writer and actor. He is the host of the podcast You Made It Weird, author of Comedy Sex God, and the creator of the HBO show Crashing. Follow Pete Holmes on Instagram, X, and YouTubeWatch Ryan's episode on You Made It Weird with Pete Holmes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nn9B-15fV1IListen to Pete interview Robert Greene - one of Ryan's favorite podcast episodes!
Reading Ryan Holiday's books is one thing. Living with him during a launch? That's a whole different story. In today's episode, Ryan and Sam talk about how they survive book season ā and each other ā when a new release is approaching.
When we react emotionally, we rarely make things better. When we get angry? We always make things worseāfor ourselves and others.
We're always in a rush. We have to get them ready for school. We have to finish up dinner. We have to get them off to bed. Give yourself the ultimate gift of parenting tools, structure, and community. Join The Daily Dad Society here: https://dailydad.com/societyHead to ZBiotics.com/DAILYDAD and use the code DAILYDAD at checkout for 15% off!āļø Sign up for the Daily Dad email: DailyDad.com
Feeling anxious lately? In this bonus episode, Ryan and author Chris Guillebeau break down what your anxiety is really trying to tell you, why fighting it makes it worse, and how to finally feel calm without forcing it.
There is no wisdom without experience. But experience does not necessarily translate into wisdom, does it?
We try to be conscious of this. Of how fast their childhood goes by. Of the need to be present. To enjoy this. To soak it in. And then what do we do?
In this hilarious and surprisingly deep episode, Ryan sits down with comedian, actor, and podcaster Pete Holmes to talk about why so many of us are trapped in the cult of productivity. They discuss Mark Wahlberg's 4 a.m. hustle routine, the myth of āselfless work,ā why we confuse being busy with being good, and more. Pete Holmes is an American actor, comedian, writer, producer, and podcaster. He first gained recognition in the early 2010s as a stand-up comic, and also released his first comedy special and worked as a television writer and actor. He is the host of the podcast You Made It Weird, author of Comedy Sex God, and the creator of the HBO show Crashing. Follow Pete Holmes on Instagram, X, and YouTubeWatch Ryan's episode on You Made It Weird with Pete Holmes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nn9B-15fV1IListen to Pete interview Robert Greene - one of Ryan's favorite podcast episodes!
We've all known these people. They say one thing and do another. They virtue signal but act without virtue.
You're here because you yourself are eager to learn more every dayāabout parenting and raising great kids. You yourself are modeling lifelong learning and curiosity for your kids in ways you might not even realize.
There is no technology that can do it for you. There is no app. No teacher who can simply download everything into your brain.
Why would you think you'd be exempted? Why are you so easily surprised or frustrated by it? Why are you so eager to blame?
There is so much to worry about. There is so much to be stressed about. Or so you thinkā¦
Things might be safer than they were in the past, but that doesn't exactly help you relax, does it?
In the past, character wasn't just admired, it was expected. People demanded integrity, and even fought duels over questions of honor. But today, does character still matter?General McChrystal is a retired United States Army general best known for his command of Joint Special Operations Command in the mid-2000s. He established a consultancy firm, McChrystal Group, in 2011 and advises senior executives at multinational corporations on navigating complex change and building stronger teams.
In honor of Taylor Swift's new album The Life of a Showgirl, Ryan shares the surprising Stoic lessons hidden in her music and career.
Moral challenges have existed throughout history, and we all handle them in our own way. In today's Part 2 episode, Ryan continues his conversation with former NBA player turned psychologist John Amaechi. They discuss the ethical dilemmas that have endured for 2,000 years, the role of compromise, and the complexity of loyalty and sacrifice.John Amaechi is an English psychologist, consultant and former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the Vanderbilt Commodores and Penn State Nittany Lions, and professional basketball in the NBA for the Orlando Magic, Utah Jazz, and Cleveland Cavaliers. Since retiring from basketball, John got his PhD in psychology and has worked as a psychologist and consultant, establishing his company Amaechi Performance Systems.Follow John on X @JohnAmaechi and on Instagram @JohnAmaechiOBE
Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com. Episode 3760: Ryan Holiday explores the timeless virtue of sangfroid, the art of keeping calm under pressure, and how it has shaped the success of leaders, athletes, and creatives throughout history. By cultivating composure in moments of chaos, he shows how anyone can transform setbacks into strength and approach challenges with clarity and confidence. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://ryanholiday.net/sangfroid-art-cool-pressure-success/ Quotes to ponder: "Anyone can be cool in the calm. Anyone can be disciplined when things are going well. But being calm and disciplined in chaos? That's true coolness." "This is what sangfroid means: cold blood. It's the art of keeping your head while everyone else is losing theirs." "The person who can keep their cool when others cannot is a force to be reckoned with." Episode references: Letters from a Stoic: https://www.amazon.com/Letters-Stoic-Penguin-Classics/dp/0140442103 The Inner Citadel: https://www.amazon.com/Inner-Citadel-Meditations-Marcus-Aurelius/dp/0674007077 Meditations: https://www.amazon.com/Meditations-New-Translation-Marcus-Aurelius/dp/0812968255 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Remember when every kid wanted to be an astronaut? Not so much anymore. Today, Ryan talks with former NASA astronaut Terry Virts about why that dream has faded, how we can get kids excited about adventure again, and why critical thinking might be the most important skill for the next generation. At 17, Terry Virts joined the Air Force and went on to become an F-16 fighter pilot and test pilot. He has flown combat missions over Iraq, tested the world's fastest jets and commanded the International Space Station. He's orbited Earth 3,400 times and has spent 213 days in space total. His military decorations include the NASA Space Flight Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal, Aerial Achievement Medal, NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal, et al. He retired from NASA in August 2016 and is currently running for U.S. Senate from Texas. Follow Terry on Instagram @Astro_Terry and you can learn more about his campaign at https://www.terryvirts.com/
Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com. Episode 3760: Ryan Holiday explores the timeless virtue of sangfroid, the art of keeping calm under pressure, and how it has shaped the success of leaders, athletes, and creatives throughout history. By cultivating composure in moments of chaos, he shows how anyone can transform setbacks into strength and approach challenges with clarity and confidence. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://ryanholiday.net/sangfroid-art-cool-pressure-success/ Quotes to ponder: "Anyone can be cool in the calm. Anyone can be disciplined when things are going well. But being calm and disciplined in chaos? That's true coolness." "This is what sangfroid means: cold blood. It's the art of keeping your head while everyone else is losing theirs." "The person who can keep their cool when others cannot is a force to be reckoned with." Episode references: Letters from a Stoic: https://www.amazon.com/Letters-Stoic-Penguin-Classics/dp/0140442103 The Inner Citadel: https://www.amazon.com/Inner-Citadel-Meditations-Marcus-Aurelius/dp/0674007077 Meditations: https://www.amazon.com/Meditations-New-Translation-Marcus-Aurelius/dp/0812968255 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com. Episode 3760: Ryan Holiday explores the timeless virtue of sangfroid, the art of keeping calm under pressure, and how it has shaped the success of leaders, athletes, and creatives throughout history. By cultivating composure in moments of chaos, he shows how anyone can transform setbacks into strength and approach challenges with clarity and confidence. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://ryanholiday.net/sangfroid-art-cool-pressure-success/ Quotes to ponder: "Anyone can be cool in the calm. Anyone can be disciplined when things are going well. But being calm and disciplined in chaos? That's true coolness." "This is what sangfroid means: cold blood. It's the art of keeping your head while everyone else is losing theirs." "The person who can keep their cool when others cannot is a force to be reckoned with." Episode references: Letters from a Stoic: https://www.amazon.com/Letters-Stoic-Penguin-Classics/dp/0140442103 The Inner Citadel: https://www.amazon.com/Inner-Citadel-Meditations-Marcus-Aurelius/dp/0674007077 Meditations: https://www.amazon.com/Meditations-New-Translation-Marcus-Aurelius/dp/0812968255 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Self-awareness is not something you just magically get. It's something, like any form of wisdom, that you have to work at.
We don't have to grit our teeth and hold our breath and hope for the best.
View the ENTIRE list of books mentioned in this video here: https://www.thepaintedporch.com/collections/joe-rogan-picksListen to Ryan and Joe's conversation on The Joe Rogan Experience: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3VbGyix7GOozgg8sry2Tmr
No one can take away what you've learned. No one can make you forget philosophy.
Ryan Holiday is a podcaster, marketer and an author. If intelligence were enough, the smartest among us would also be the wisest. Yet time and again, they stumble over life's simplest lessons. Wisdom isn't about knowing more; it's about seeing deeper. So how do we shed the illusion of being āsmart,' and actually grow into wisdom? Expect to learn what Ryan learned from his near-death experience, what most people get wrong about wisdom, how daily habits compound into wisdom across a lifetime, what Ryan learned from studying the Wright Brothers, why in a culture of shortcuts and ālife hacks,ā how Ryan convinces people that wisdom is worth the long, uncomfortable path, what a Stoic would say about when you've lost yourself in life, why humility is such a crucial ingredient for wisdom, and much more⦠Sponsors: See discounts for all the products I use and recommend: https://chriswillx.com/deals Get 5 Free Travel Packs, Free Liquid Vitamin D, and more from AG1 at https://ag1.info/modernwisdom Get $100 off the best bloodwork analysis in America at https://functionhealth.com/modernwisdom Get a Free Sample Pack of LMNT's most popular flavours with your first purchase at https://drinklmnt.com/modernwisdom Timestamps: (0:00) Why We Need to Push Outside Our Comfort Zone (5:13) Banning Books Isn't Ethical (16:41) Does Learning Keeps Us Humble? (27:48) Why We Learn Lessons from Old Tales (33:41) Literally True, Figuratively False (50:33) Do the Work Now to Build Your Wisdom (57:55) Stoic Advice for When You're Lost in Life (01:03:45) How Stockdale Remained Unbroken Extra Stuff: Get my free reading list of 100 books to read before you die: https://chriswillx.com/books Try my productivity energy drink Neutonic: https://neutonic.com/modernwisdom Episodes You Might Enjoy: #577 - David Goggins - This Is How To Master Your Life: https://tinyurl.com/43hv6y59 #712 - Dr Jordan Peterson - How To Destroy Your Negative Beliefs: https://tinyurl.com/2rtz7avf #700 - Dr Andrew Huberman - The Secret Tools To Hack Your Brain: https://tinyurl.com/3ccn5vkp - Get In Touch: Instagram:Ā https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx Twitter:Ā https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/modernwisdompodcast Email: https://chriswillx.com/contact - Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Life is filled with difficult, frustrating people. As parents, we encounter this reality dailyāat work, in traffic, even at our children's afterschool activities.
How much is your word worth? For former NBA player turned psychologist John Amaechi, the answer is $17 million. In this episode, John and Ryan unpack why he walked away from that payday, why integrity is his ultimate non-negotiable, why your job should never define you, and more. John Amaechi is an English psychologist, consultant and former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the Vanderbilt Commodores and Penn State Nittany Lions, and professional basketball in the NBA for the Orlando Magic, Utah Jazz, and Cleveland Cavaliers. Since retiring from basketball, John got his PhD in psychology and has worked as a psychologist and consultant, establishing his company Amaechi Performance Systems.Follow John on X @JohnAmaechi and on Instagram @JohnAmaechiOBE
We are how we treat the vulnerable. We are how we treat people who can't do much for us anymore. We are who we take care of.
They seemed like they lived in their own world. They were so big, so strong. They were closed off to us. When we were kids, many of our parents were quite far away from us.
You said you were going to take care of it. You said it would be done by the deadline. You set aside the time. You had every intention of doing it. But what happened?
You care about them more than anything. You would die if anything happened to them. And how do you show this?
On today's episode, we bring you Part 2 of the powerful Fireside Chat with Ryan Holiday, live from the 2025 Dental Success Summit. Dr. Mark Costes continues the in-depth conversation with Ryan, diving deeper into the core of Stoicism and what it really means to live with courage, discipline, justice, and wisdom. Ryan explains the third grade version of Stoicism, saying it's about understanding that we don't control what happens but we do control how we respond. He brings this idea to life through stories from Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus, Seneca, and his own daily practices like cold plunges and early morning runs.Ā They discuss common misconceptions about Stoicism, the importance of humility in learning, and how wisdom is something earned through experience, curiosity, and consistent effort. Ryan also gives a sneak peek at his upcoming book, Wisdom Takes Work, the final volume in his series on the Stoic virtues, and shares how the virtues interconnect in both leadership and life. Be sure to check out the full episode from the Dentalpreneur Podcast! EPISODE RESOURCES https://www.truedentalsuccess.com Dental Success Network Subscribe toĀ The Dentalpreneur Podcast
As Seneca says, the path to wisdom is acquiring one thing a day. Wisdom takes work.
It's our daily choicesāour response to rudeness, our handling of power, how we treat friends, children, the elderlyāthat reveals the core of who we are.
We want to keep their clothes clean. We want them to get good grades. We want them to learn good behavior. All this matters, sureā¦a little.
In today's episode, Ryan reflects on the passing of his friend George Raveling and turns to Seneca for wisdom on how to handle grief. You'll hear Seneca's timeless words on love, loss, and why even painful memories can carry sweetness.
The hardest thing in life is finding the courage to do what's right when it costs you. In this episode, Ryan continues his conversation with journalist and historian John Avlon, diving into the dangerous myths we cling to, the lessons he learned from running for office, and the warnings history has to offer. John shares why he still chooses a defiant optimism for America's future and why you should, too.John Avlon is an American journalist and political commentator. He was a senior political analyst and anchor at CNN, and was the editor-in-chief and managing director of The Daily Beast from 2013 to 2018.
Just as one becomes strong through lifting weights, or skilled at woodworking through hours in the shop, we become wise through the same kind of effort.