
Historian Thomas Ricks on Stoicism and the Founders
Ryan speaks with author and journalist Thomas Ricks about his new book, First Principles, the importance of looking back at the virtues and principles embodied by the founding fathers of America, how ...
9 Jan 202158min

Here’s What You Can Do With Those Long Odds
“To face long odds, to face what others call an “impossibility”—some people can handle this and some people can’t. Think of the chances that Epictetus faced, when the life expectancy for a wealthy per...
8 Jan 20212min

You Can Find Peace
“There’s a chapter in Epictetus’ Discourses entirely about forlornness (or solitude, depending on the translation), the state where one feels miserably and helplessly lonely. His aim is to make a care...
7 Jan 20213min

What This Philosophy Is Here For
“You’ve got problems. We all do. Maybe you’re having a difficult time in your relationship. Or work has worn you down. Or you’re trying to figure out what to do with your life. Maybe the pandemic has ...
6 Jan 20213min

Jay Shetty On How to Think Like a Monk
On today’s podcast Ryan talks to influencer and author Jay Shetty about his former life as a monk, finding stillness in the modern world, and focusing on the process rather than the outcome. Jay Shett...
6 Jan 20211h 26min

It’s About Infusing It Into Your DNA
“Marcus Aurelius read Epictetus… a lot. We know this because Meditations is proof of it. Almost every page has some direct quote or allusion to Epictetus. We also find, upon deeper inspection, referen...
5 Jan 20213min

What Have You Managed to Get Done? | Whats Up to Us, What's Not Up to Us
“It’s been a strange year, hasn’t it? Our days have been disrupted. Our lifestyles changed. Plans have been put on pause. Whole projects made impossible. In one sense, this pandemic has been totally u...
4 Jan 202111min

Who was Marcus Aurelius? The Life Of The Stoic Emperor
Marcus’s "Meditations" is perhaps the only document of its kind ever made. It is the private thoughts of the world’s most powerful man giving advice to himself on how to make good on the responsibilit...
3 Jan 202116min





















