Author / Stoic

Ryan Holiday

Bestselling author of The Daily Stoic, Ego Is the Enemy, The Obstacle Is the Way, and Discipline Is Destiny. 10M+ books sold. Drove the modern Stoic revival. Owns The Painted Porch bookstore, named after the original Stoic school.

Known For

Modern Stoicism revivalThe Daily StoicEgo Is the EnemyThe Obstacle Is the WayDiscipline Is Destiny

Canon

Amor Fati: Love of Fate

Archetypal Narratives Convey Psychological and Evolutionary Truth

Beginner's Mind: Fresh Curiosity Dissolves Struggle and Deepens Presence

Beliefs Shape Perception and Define Possibility

Biographies as Substitute Mentors

Cognitive Fitness: Mental Capacity Requires Systematic Training

Confidence Comes From Competence and Action, Not Readiness

Courage Is a Learnable Skill

Deliberate Practice: Structured, Feedback-Driven Skill Acquisition

Democracies Collapse Incrementally, Not Overnight

The Easterlin Paradox: Income and Happiness Plateau Beyond Sufficiency

Environment Shapes Behavior More Than Willpower

Physical Exercise Is the Single Most Effective Lifestyle Intervention

The Four Stoic Virtues: Courage, Discipline, Justice, Wisdom

The Habit Loop: Cue, Routine, Reward

The Hedonic Treadmill — Happiness Returns to Baseline

Machine Living vs. Human Flourishing: The Optimization Trap

Meaning Comes from Responsibility, Not Happiness

Meditation Is Mental Training, Not Relaxation

The Obstacle Is the Way

Paradigm Shifts Are Invisible to Incumbents

Phronesis: Practical Wisdom as the Bridge Between Knowledge and Right Action

Premeditatio Malorum: The Stoic Practice of Anticipating Adversity

Present Moment Acceptance While Remaining Open to Possibility

Close Relationships Are the Strongest Predictor of Life Satisfaction

Sobriety as a Life Force Multiplier

Humans Crave Status and Respect More Than Wealth Itself

The Space Between Stimulus and Response

Focus Only on What You Can Control

Sympatheia — Everything Is Interconnected

The Fleeting Nature of Time (Memento Mori)

The True Self vs. False Self — Childhood Adaptations That Persist Into Adulthood

Books

■The Daily Stoic(2016)

■Ego Is the Enemy(2016)

■The Obstacle Is the Way(2014)

■Discipline Is Destiny(2022)

Episodes

#Don’t Let It Keep Slipping Away | The Philosopher's School Is A HospitalSep 4, 2026 #You Fought The Wall and the Wall Won | When Self-Discipline Becomes a ViceSep 2, 2026 #BONUS | 7 Stoic Rules for Staying DisciplinedAug 28, 2026 #Stoic Lessons From 3 Cities in 3 DaysAug 27, 2026 #This Is Where True Power Comes FromAug 27, 2026 #Can Journalism Survive the Collapse of Trust?Aug 25, 2026 #It’s Your Job To See This Coming | Corralling The UnnecessaryAug 21, 2026 #BONUS | 11 Things Stoics Never DoAug 17, 2026 #These Things Happen (And They’ll Happen To You) | Always Ask Yourself This QuestionAug 14, 2026 #Rich Roll & Ryan Holiday on The Odyssey’s Biggest Moral QuestionsAug 13, 2026 #None of These Things Change | 10 Habits That Made Marcus Aurelius GreatAug 4, 2026 #You Can’t Stop Here | No Blame, Just FocusAug 3, 2026 #Stoic Lessons From The Odyssey w/ Ryan HolidayAug 3, 2026 #If Money Could Talk, What Would It Say? | What Would the Stoics Tell Us Today?Jul 28, 2026 #9 Stoic Habits For A Better LifeJul 25, 2026 #BONUS | Made For Working TogetherJul 24, 2026 #We Are All Kings Now | Why We Can't Stop Talking About The OdysseyJul 24, 2026 #They Have Been Misled | The Road Trip That Put Stoicism To The TestJul 23, 2026 #This Is How You Change | What Is Our Duty To Society?Jul 21, 2026 #The Wealthiest Person is a Pauper | Practice Gentleness Instead of AngerJul 20, 2026 #6 Stoic Rules To Beat EgoJul 19, 2026 #This Will Define Your Legacy | Forgive Them Because They Don't KnowJul 17, 2026 #You Will Need This to Push Through | Is AI Making Us Stupid?Jul 16, 2026 #This is Why We Have LimitsJul 15, 2026 #12 Stoic Lessons from The OdysseyJul 15, 2026 #It's So Hard To Find | Stop Looking For ThisJul 13, 2026 #12 Stoic Rules For A Better LifeJul 12, 2026 #What's On a Hill Cannot Be Hidden | Stop Monkeying AroundJul 10, 2026 #If You Want To Be Great, This Is All You Have To Do | Can Ryan Pass This Stoic Quiz?Jul 9, 2026 #Don't Wait To Try ItJul 8, 2026 #A Stoic’s Guide To Winning Without Losing Yourself | Leadership Expert Dan CoyleJul 8, 2026 #This is The Most Valuable Thing | No One Said It'd Be EasyJul 6, 2026 #The Ancient Ideas That Built America | Thomas RicksJul 4, 2026 #Would It Really Be Different? | How Do I Know If Ego Is Winning?Jun 30, 2026 #Why Elon Musk Is The Worst Human On The PlanetJun 28, 2026 #Ezra Klein on Virtue, Self-Critique, and His Take on StoicismJun 27, 2026 #BONUS | Ryan Holiday’s Office Tour: Books, Stoic Artifacts, and Daily RitualsJun 26, 2026 #Which Of These Are You? | What's In Your Way Is The WayJun 25, 2026 #Step Outside, But Not To Brawl | How to Get Out of Bed When Life Feels HeavyJun 23, 2026 #You Have To Be Both These Things | The Long Way AroundJun 22, 2026 #What Our Fathers Teach Us, For Better Or Worse | Tom JunodJun 20, 2026 #BONUS | 3 High School Books You Need To Read AgainJun 17, 2026 #It is Not a Fact | 6 Stoic Lessons for Living a Great LifeJun 17, 2026 #This Is Poverty That's Your Fault | No Shame In Needing HelpJun 16, 2026 #Recognize These Signs of Weakness | 7 Daily Habits That Will Change Your LifeJun 15, 2026 #A Stoic's Guide To LooksmaxxingJun 14, 2026 #The Terror of Knowing What The World Is About | Try The Other HandleJun 12, 2026 #You Can't Help But Leave a Piece | Ask Daily StoicJun 11, 2026 #Choose to See What It Gave YouJun 10, 2026 #In The Resolute Urgency of Now | Finding The Right MentorsJun 8, 2026 #The Stoic Mind Behind D-DayJun 6, 2026 #We Could Use More People Like This | How Ryan Holiday Is Challenging Himself CreativelyJun 5, 2026 #It’s a Team SportJun 4, 2026 #What To Do When the World Feels Like Too MuchJun 4, 2026 #They Will Shove This In Your FaceJun 3, 2026 #You Made That Up | Robert Greene's Favorite Stoic LessonsJun 2, 2026 #BONUS | The Novels Every Stoic Should ReadMay 31, 2026 #The Stoic Way To Handle Real ProblemsMay 31, 2026 #It is a Lonely Thing | Sweat the Small StuffMay 29, 2026 #They Are Calling To You | Adam Grant's 3 Skills for Real GrowthMay 28, 2026 #The Stoic Skill AI Can't ReplaceMay 27, 2026 #Skip The Shortcut. Take The Long Way Instead.May 27, 2026 #They Felt The Same Way As You | How To Remember Everything You ReadMay 26, 2026 #What Do You Fight For? | The View From AboveMay 25, 2026 #Was Nero Really That Bad?May 23, 2026 #A Sense of Urgency. A Sense of Urgency. | Practice True JoyMay 22, 2026 #You're Never Going to Be Perfect | Ask Daily StoicMay 21, 2026 #This is a ServiceMay 20, 2026 #They Give You Direction for Life | The Stoic Secret to Finding Real JoyMay 19, 2026 #This is What Money Is Jealous Of | The Stoic Is A Work In ProgressMay 18, 2026 #How To Think Better in the Age of AI (From the Stoics)May 17, 2026 #This Is Inseparable From Living a Good LifeMay 13, 2026 #No, This Is The Mission | Kindness Is Always The Right ResponseMay 12, 2026 #BONUS | Ryan Holiday Responds to Daniel RadcliffeMay 12, 2026 #BONUS | 6 Stoic Rules of Arete (Excellence)May 7, 2026 #It Can’t Think About You | How to Be a Better Friend, According to the StoicsMay 7, 2026 #They’re Not Thinking About You At AllMay 6, 2026 #This is the Part To Love | How a Stoic Deals with Obnoxious PeopleMay 5, 2026 #40 Hidden Lessons From Marcus Aurelius' MeditationsMay 3, 2026 #BONUS | Ryan Holiday's Response to Ivanka TrumpMay 1, 2026 #What You Need is a Small Crisis | Show, Not Tell, What You KnowMay 1, 2026 #Why Are You Surprised?Apr 30, 2026 #Marcus Aurelius's Rules for Living a Better LifeApr 29, 2026 #It’s Right There. Take It. | Stoic Lessons Hidden in Bruce Springsteen SongsApr 28, 2026 #Nothing Is As Encouraging As This | The Freedom of ContemptApr 27, 2026 #Nothing Is As Encouraging As This | The Freedom of ContemptApr 27, 2026 #The Most Powerful Lines From Marcus AureliusApr 26, 2026 #The Most Powerful Lines From Marcus AureliusApr 26, 2026 #Why "Meditations" Needs a New Name—According to William O. StephensApr 25, 2026 #It’s Never an Accident | Ask Daily StoicApr 24, 2026 #Empower Yourself with This | Why You Need to Get In the ArenaApr 23, 2026 #Empower Yourself with This | Why You Need to Get In the ArenaApr 23, 2026 #You Have Access to a Miracle of HistoryApr 22, 2026 #You Have Access to a Miracle of HistoryApr 22, 2026 #Everything Is Connected. We Just Forgot.Apr 22, 2026 #Everything Is Connected. We Just Forgot.Apr 22, 2026 #You Are On The Right Timeline | Don't Let Your Attention SlideApr 21, 2026 #31 Life-Changing Lessons from Marcus AureliusApr 19, 2026 #How Does Stoicism Help You Overcome Guilt and Shame?Apr 18, 2026 #The Decades Disappear Like Sinking Ships | Impulse ControlApr 17, 2026 #This is How You Have To See (and Respond To) Things | Becoming An Expert In What MattersApr 14, 2026 #This is How You Have To See (and Respond To) Things | Becoming An Expert In What MattersApr 14, 2026 #Heal Yourself With This | The Cure for a Reading SlumpApr 13, 2026 #You Think You Have Time. You Don’t.Apr 12, 2026 #Nothing Can Get In The Way of the Mission | Test Your ImpressionsApr 10, 2026 #You Must Learn to See | The Stoic Lesson of Marcus Aurelius' Crumbling StatueApr 8, 2026 #You Can Skip This Part of the Nightmare | Stoicism, Across the WorldApr 7, 2026 #It’s Not Only Always Been Like This, It’s Always Been Worse | Trust But VerifyApr 6, 2026 #Real People. Real Tests. Real Stoicism.Apr 5, 2026 #It’s Not a Principle If It Doesn’t Cost YouApr 4, 2026 #Do This to Capture the Magic for Yourself | What Can Go Wrong...MightApr 3, 2026 #This is the Main Thing | Ask Daily StoicApr 2, 2026 #BONUS | Books You Can Finish In One Sitting (And Actually Remember)Apr 1, 2026 #How Can This Improve Your Life? | The Color of Your ThoughtsApr 1, 2026 #Live Now, While You Still CanMar 31, 2026 #12 Stoic Remedies for When Life Feels HeavyMar 29, 2026 #Arthur Brooks’ Ultimate Philosophy Masterclass (PT. 2)Mar 28, 2026 #Are You Willing To Be Cut Off? | Say No To The Need To ImpressMar 27, 2026 #It’s Not Supposed To Go Down Easy | This 10 Minute Habit Will Change Your LifeMar 24, 2026 #You’re Not as Powerful as You Think (Seneca)Mar 22, 2026 #Ryan HolidayJan 2, 2026 #511 | Holding OnOct 27, 2025 #The Joy of Not Being Dead (with Ryan Holiday on The Daily Stoic)Aug 4, 2025 #Whitney Cummings on Finding Inspiration and Being PresentFeb 20, 2025 #Rupi Kaur on 10 Years of Milk and HoneyJan 15, 2025 #208Ryan Holiday: How to Win the War with YourselfDec 18, 2024 #207Ryan Holiday: Messages from LifeNov 5, 2024 #Dominique Dawes on Olympic Pressure, Discipline, and Finding Purpose After SportOct 5, 2024 #Danica Patrick on Discipline, Racing, and the Inner GameAug 15, 2024 #Camila Cabello on Anxiety, Music, and Stoic PhilosophyJun 20, 2024 #Charlamagne Tha God on Anxiety, Therapy, and Mental HealthApr 10, 2024 #Ryan Holiday on Discipline Is DestinyNov 15, 2023 #Matthew McConaughey on Greenlights and the Art of LivingJun 15, 2023