This Is A Good Surprise | The Stoic Edge Behind Peak Performance
Episode Date: February 6, 2026You’re tough. You’re firm. You don’t get bothered by things. You keep yourself under control. Good. But you’re missing something else just as...
For centuries, all sorts of people—generals and politicians, athletes and coaches, writers and leaders—have looked to the teachings of Stoicism to help guide their lives. Each day, author and speaker Ryan Holiday brings you a new lesson about life, inspired by the thoughts and writings of great Stoic thinkers like Marcus Aurelius and Seneca the Younger. Daily Stoic Podcast also features Q+As with listeners and interviews with notable figures from sports, academia, politics, and more. Learn more at DailyStoic.com.New episodes come out every day for free. Listen 1-week early on Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday and to all episodes ad-free, with Wondery+ or Amazon Music with a Prime membership or Amazon Music Unlimited subscription.
2808 episodes transcribedYou’re tough. You’re firm. You don’t get bothered by things. You keep yourself under control. Good. But you’re missing something else just as...
If your New Year motivation didn’t make it to February, this episode is for you. Ryan and his business partner and longtime friend, Brent Und...
From corruption to tyranny, the Stoics refused to sit on the sidelines. They tried to change things.👉 Support the podcast and go deeper into...
It’s always been a dilemma: Why should I be honest when no one else seems to be? Why should I play by the rules when others are so visibly br...
Few writers understand American culture like Chuck Klosterman, which is why he joins Ryan ahead of the Super Bowl to talk about how football...
Obstacles, adversaries, pitfalls, and bad luck. It’s going to be there. It’s going to happen. 📔 Pick up your own leather bound signed e...
When jarred by circumstances, Marcus Aurelius writes, we have to revert back to ourselves. We have to come back to the rhythm. We have to int...
We have to stay at it. We have to accept the losses that come…without accepting the status quo. We should not give up. 📘 Grab the hardc...
Immigration is a complicated issue. Crime is complicated. But this is not complicated.👉 Support the podcast and go deeper into Stoicism by s...
Bert Kreischer and Ryan continue their conversation about the tension between discipline and indulgence, why Bert sometimes feels better hung...
It always feels like the traditional values are slipping away…Maybe they are. Maybe they aren’t. 📕 Pick up your own Premium Leather Edi...
Sometimes life happens, but here’s your second chance. Now is the best time to start being the person you want to be. Let’s not wr...
This is what philosophy is about, what discipline is as a virtue: Doing things you don’t want to do.Let’s not write the year off just yet.&nb...
Bert Kreischer wants to be Stoic. It just doesn’t come naturally. In this episode, he talks with Ryan about why Stoicism feels almost impossi...
Forget party, forget class, forget any perceived differences: We must speak loudly and with one voice against those who intimidate, those who...
You’re tired. You’re busy. It would be easier to stay home...It’s the perfect excuse. Unless, of course, you are disciplined.Let’s not write...
Pain and hardship are part of life. From ancient Greece and Rome to now, people have faced plagues, wars, illness, and loss. The question has...
You’ve seen Jaimie Alexander as the tough, unstoppable character on screen, but what was happening off camera tells a completely different st...
January is January. A slump is a slump. They’re not fun, but neither are they the whole world…or forever.👉 Support the podcast and...
It’s important to remember that Stoicism isn’t about judging other people. It’s not a moral philosophy you’re supposed to project and enforce...