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Letters from a Stoic - Seneca - https://www.thepaintedporch.com/products/philosophy13?_pos=1&_sid=bd55c9783&_ss=r Meditations - Marcus Aurelius - https://www.thepaintedporch.com/products/meditations-marcus-aurelius-gregory-hays-translation-premium-leather-edition?_pos=4&_sid=4730b1d68&_ss=r Courage Under Fire - James Stockdale - https://www.thepaintedporch.com/products/war10?_pos=1&_sid=8185bc70b&_ss=r Mans Search For Meaning - Viktor Frankl - https://www.thepaintedporch.com/products/philosophy14?_pos=1&_sid=afb63269d&_ss=r Hardship and Happiness - Seneca - https://www.thepaintedporch.com/products/hardship-and-happiness-the-complete-works-of-lucius-annaeus-seneca?_pos=1&_sid=39f14e0bc&_ss=r Lives of the Stoics - Ryan Holiday - https://www.thepaintedporch.com/products/ryan9?_pos=1&_sid=b32e51d03&_ss=r&variant=40308614267034 The Enchiridion - Epictetus - https://www.thepaintedporch.com/products/the-complete-works-handbook-discourses-and-fragments?_pos=6&_sid=258a354a9&_ss=r That one should disdain hardships - Musonius Rufus - https://www.thepaintedporch.com/products/that-one-should-disdain-hardships-the-teachings-of-a-roman-stoic?_pos=1&_sid=8a7d69766&_ss=r How To Think Like A Roman Emperor - Donald Robertson - https://www.thepaintedporch.com/products/philosophy10?_pos=1&_sid=acc35b419&_ss=r On The Shortness Of Life - Seneca - https://www.thepaintedporch.com/products/philosophy19?_pos=1&_sid=db715a458&_ss=r The Inner Citadel - Pierre Hadot - https://www.thepaintedporch.com/products/inner-citadel-the-meditations-of-marcus-aurelius-revised?_pos=1&_sid=d1d24e33f&_ss=r The Daily Stoic - Ryan Holiday - https://www.thepaintedporch.com/products/ryan7?_pos=1&_sid=a5a4deab1&_ss=r
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Ryan Holiday argues that reading great philosophical works, particularly Stoic texts, is essential to living a wise, happy, and meaningful life, and he recommends specific books that demonstrate how Stoic ideas are applied through actual lived experience rather than abstract theory.
- Stoic philosophy is valuable not just for its ideas but for how practitioners lived them—Holiday emphasizes that the Stoics themselves distinguished between pen-and-ink philosophers and actual doers
- Reading widely across different Stoic thinkers and their commentators provides a comprehensive framework for handling adversity, grief, mortality, and the use of finite time
- The Daily Stoic and other structured reading formats make Stoic wisdom accessible and applicable to modern life by connecting ancient quotes to contemporary reflection
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Marcus Aurelius was not corrupted by absolute power, while Epictetus survived slavery, exile, and torture, but other Stoics like Cicero and Seneca wrote beautifully about ideals while failing to live up to them.
“some of the stoics did a great job Marcus relus is's not corrup Ed by absolute power you look at epicus surviving slavery and Exile and torture and then there's stoics like Cicero or Sena who wrote very beautifully about the ideas but then failed to live up to them”
Seneca wrote three moving essays on grief called his Consolations, addressing his mother during his exile and two friends grieving losses, demonstrating kindness and patience rather than emotional suppression.
“senica writes three incredibly moving essays on the topic of grief they're called his consolations he writes one to his mother actually has nothing to do with death when he's unjustly exiled and then he writes two to friends who are grieving someone that they lost and senica is incredibly kind and thoughtful and patient”
Seneca teaches that when grieving, one should remember that the deceased loved you and would not want their memory to cause perpetual sadness, but rather to bring happiness and positive emotion.
“he's saying like look you're grieving your father but your father loved you do you think your father would want his memory to drive you to tears and sadness no he would want you to be happy he would want you to feel good he would want his memory to bring that emotion out in you”
We earn the respect of others by earning the respect of ourselves, by disdaining hardships, by conquering them, and by doing the hard work.
“we earn respect of others by earning the respect of ourselves by disdaining hardships by conquering them by doing the hard work”
The Stoics themselves had little respect for pen-and-ink philosophers; they were interested in the doers—how people actually lived up to ideals.
“the Stokes talk about not having much respect for the so-called pen and ink philosophers just the writers they were interested in the doers how they lived up to the ideals”
Seneca was near the end of his life when he wrote his letters, was an advisor to the emperor, and likely knew the emperor was going to kill him.
“this is written by one of the most famous Romans of all time he's near the end of his life he was the advisor to the emperor he probably knows that he's a marked man that the emperor is soon going to kill him”
James Stockdale was a fighter pilot shot down over Vietnam who consciously chose to apply Epictetus's philosophy while being imprisoned, tortured, and held in solitary confinement for seven-plus years in the Hanoi Hilton.
“it's written by a fighter pilot who shot down down over Vietnam as he is parachuting down knowing he's going to be taken prisoner knowing that he very well could die this man says to himself I'm leaving the world of technology entering the world of epicus what he's doing then is testing the doctrines of epicus in the laboratory of Human Experience James Stockdale spend seven plus years in what now is called the hanoy Hilton he's locked in solitary confinement he's tortured”
Marcus Aurelius's life and perspective might be expected to be totally foreign and incomprehensible to modern readers given he was the most powerful man 2,000 years ago with an enormous army and totally different customs, yet when reading him one finds his worldview is both peculiar to his extraordinary circumstances and incredibly applicable to all of us.
“it really should have been an incomprehensible life totally foreign way of thinking the most powerful man in the world ahead of an enormous Army living 2,000 years ago totally different time with totally different Customs what was his perspective on life it sort of baffles us and yet when you read Marcus realus you find that there's something very relatable despite all the pressures and temptations and everything that he faced he had a really unique World VI he thought about things in a way that was both peculiar and unique to his extraordinary circumstances and that also incredibly applic able for all of us”
James Stockdale, a Medal of Honor recipient and future admiral, comforted other prisoners and strengthened their resolve through his application of Stoic philosophy.
“he's this heroic figure who comforts the other prisoners who helps steal their will and make them determined and strong”
Viktor Frankl lost his home, livelihood, work, family (except those who survived), and nearly lost his own life in the Holocaust, yet maintained that everything can be taken from us except our ability to choose our attitude in response.
“everything can be taken from us and in fact everything was taken from him home his livelihood his work the original manuscript of This Book Is Lost he loses his entire family in the Holocaust and nearly loses his own life in man search for meaning Victor Frankle says everything can be taken from us but our ability to choose our attitude in any set of circumstances”
Musonius Rufus was known as the Roman Socrates and was exiled four times, lived in a brutal era, was persecuted by tyrants, and witnessed terrible things people do to each other.
“the guy that wrote this book knew a thing about hardships he's exiled four times he Liv in a brutal time to be alive he's persecuted by tyrants he saw some of the worst things that people do to each other and so when he says that we should disdain hardships this is musonius Rufus known as the Roman Socrates”
The question of how one values and uses their finite time, given one doesn't know when death will come or how much time one has, is one of the most important and pressing philosophical questions.
“how you value that time how you grapple with the fact that you don't know when it's going to be up you don't know if you're given a ton of it just a little bit of it is one of the most important pressing philosophical questions”
Seneca lived to be pretty old but was tragically and violently put to death by Emperor Nero, and earlier in life nearly died from what is believed to be tuberculosis.
“senica knows this well because he himself although he lives to be pretty old is tragically and violently put to death by the emperor Nero years earlier he almost died from what we think was tuberculosis”
Marcus Aurelius's Meditations is written by the most powerful man in the world who has no intention of publication and would probably be mortified that his private thoughts be known.
“it's written by the most powerful man in the world who has no intention of publication could probably be mortified that his thoughts on everything from losing his temper to his fear of death would ever be known to people”
The essence of Stoicism is that we don't control what happens to us (even terrible historical events), but we do control how we respond to it, and we have the ability to find meaning and growth in suffering.
“this is the essence of stoicism that we don't control what happens to us even something as cruel and awful as the events of the 20th century we choose how we respond to it suffering is inevitable we also have the ability to find meaning in suffering to grow from the suffering”
Epictetus was born a slave, endured incredible adversity and torture, walked with a limp his whole life, served in Nero's corrupt court, and was eventually exiled, yet cultivated a life of resilience, strength, fortitude, and honor.
“epicus is born a slave he endures incredible adversity and difficult he's tortured he walks with a limp his whole life he serves in the corrupt decadent Court of Nero and then is eventually exiled but from all this difficulty and adversity epicus cultivates a life of resilience and strength and fortitude and honor”
Most ancient philosophy study incorrectly focuses on the ideas and writing of philosophers when in fact what philosophy was was a series of spiritual exercises, notes, and discussions with the self about how to solve problems of life.
“this guy said that basically almost all the study of ancient philosophy gets it wrong that we're thinking about the ideas we're thinking about the writing we're thinking about the theory when in fact what philosophy was was a series of spiritual exercises notes discussions with the self about how to solve problems of life this is Pierre Hado”
Seneca defines philosophical progress as 'I've begun to be a better friend to myself'.
“he defines philosophy I think this is great he says how do you know you're making progress with this philosophy I know because I've begun to be a better friend to myself”
The point of Stoicism is not to grit your teeth and grind through life, but rather to find happiness and joy despite all the things happening.
“the point of stoicism is not to grit your teeth and just grind through life no it's to find happiness and joy despite all the things that are happening”
Musonius Rufus taught that if one accomplishes something good through hard work, the work passes quickly but the good endures, while if one pursues pleasure shamefully, the easy way is brief but the shame endures.
“one of his great lines he said if you accomplish something good with hard work the work passes quickly but the good endures and then he says though if you do something shameful in pursuit of pleasure you take the easy way out the result doesn't last long but the shame endures”
Seneca argues that life is not necessarily short, but rather we waste a lot of it; life is long if you know how to use it.
“this is a very short book but actually makes a pretty controversial argument it says it isn't that life is short although it can feel that way it's that we waste a lot of it one of the greatest philosophers in the history of the world writes this essay it's called on the shortness of life but he argues that life doesn't have to be short life is long if you know how to use it that was senica's argument”
Epictetus taught that whether one is in a podium or a prison, one retains freedom of choice in response, and who we become is determined by how we use that choice.
“focusing on what epicus talked about that a Podium and a prison is each a place in any of these situations good or bad we have a certain freedom choice and what will we do with that choice who will we be with that choice”
Marcus Aurelius discusses Justice, self-discipline, wisdom, and courage while possessing enormous wealth and fame, demonstrating how Stoic philosophy applies at the highest levels of power and privilege.
“he's a person who had enormous wealth enormous Fame and yet he's talking to himself about Justice self-discipline wisdom and courage”
Only those who make time for philosophy are truly alive, because they annex all the wisdom of the past into their own life.
“Sena says that only those who make time for philosophy are truly alive he said they Annex all the wisdom of the past into their own life”
The problem with most philosophy books is that they focus on what philosophers said rather than what they did, who they were, and how they applied ideas to their lives.
“the problem with most philosophy books is that they focus on what the philosophers said this is of course all very interesting and can be important but what really matters is what the philosophers did who they were how the ideas were applied to their life”
Epictetus's handbook (Enchiridion) translates as 'defensive weapon at hand' and was conceptualized as a defensive weapon against adversity and the blows of fate.
“this book has a weird title it's a word you wouldn't recognize it's a word you don't immediately know how to pronounce and it translates in a kind of a strange context but basically it means a defensive weapon it means at hand I'm talking about epic tetus inidian the handbook which was seen as a defensive weapon against adversity and difficulty and the blows of Fate”
When Marcus Aurelius wrote Meditations, he was not thinking of readers—he was thinking of himself and the specific problems he was dealing with in his actual life.
“he's thinking of himself and the problems he's dealing with in his actual life Marcus isn't trying to explain all the ideas or the insights of stoke philosophy he's trying to work on the very specific parts of stoke philosophy that he is dealing with”
Seneca disproves the notion that Stoics are unfeeling and unemotional; rather, Stoics should process emotions and apply logic and reason to them.
“senica totally disproves this notion that the stoics just stuff their emotions down he's saying no you should process those emotions deal with them try to apply some logic and reason to them”
People are perpetually caught off guard by mortality and death of others, even the most Stoic people become overwhelmed by grief, sadness, and loss.
“we all know that we're mortal we all know that nobody lives forever and yet we're perpetually caught off guard when we lose someone we're even the most stoic amongst us get overwhelmed by grief and sadness and loss”
Marcus Aurelius taught that if we give up the opinion that we are harmed, then the harm disappears—suggesting our perceptions change what is happening to us.
“do away with opinion that I am harmed and the harmed is Cast Away way do away with being harmed and harm disappears Mark R is talking about how our perceptions change what's happening to us and if we don't feel like we've been insulted hurt a disadvantage well in a sense we haven't been”
When people claim Marcus Aurelius repeats himself too much in Meditations or is too hard on himself, they miss that he is hard on himself about the specific struggles he is personally dealing with.
“people would say that Marcus Rus repeats himself too much in meditation or that he's hard on himself well he's hard on himself about the specific things that he's struggling with”
To disdain hardships does not mean to avoid them or run away from them, but rather to look at them with sneer or smirk—to be better than them, to be challenged by them without shying away.
“when he says that we should disdain hardships he's not saying that we should avoid them we should run away from them he's saying that we should look at them with a a sneer or a smirk in the sense that we're better than them that we're challenged by them but we don't shy away from this challenge”
The Daily Stoic's success demonstrates that all Holiday did was add an organizational layer—one page a day with one Stoic quote, analysis, explanation, and illustrative story—yet this simple structure had enormous impact across millions of readers and 40+ languages.
“but that's the power of stoicism all I did was add in an organizational layer that's had this huge impact”
Pierre Hadot wrote 'The Inner Citadel' about Marcus Aurelius's Meditations and 'Philosophy as a Way of Life' which reframes Meditations as spiritual exercises and self-dialogue rather than philosophical doctrine.
“this is Pierre Hado he wrote this great book on the meditations of Markus realist called the inner Citadel and he wrote this other book called philosophy as a way of life which is really drilling down on some of the ideas in this book”
Reading every day has made Holiday successful, happy, and a better human being.
“I've been reading every day for as long as I've been able to read and that's what's made me successful it's also made me happy it's made me a better human being”
Donald Robertson's 'How to Think Like a Roman Emperor' is a biography of Marcus Aurelius grounded in Meditations that attempts to put readers in Marcus's shoes—understanding how he stayed sane amid pressures and temptations of absolute power.
“that's why I love this book by Donald Robertson how to think like a Roman Emperor it's a biography of Marx relus and meditations but really it's trying to put ourselves in the shoes of this guy a guy who's worshiped as a God in his own life you see statues of him all around he has incredible power incredible responsibility he's trying to stay sane in the midst of all that”
Holiday struggled to find the right starting point for reading the Stoics and felt lucky to discover the right translation of Meditations at the right time of his life, which led him to want to create a volume with all major and lesser-known Stoics in one place.
“I feel like I got so lucky that I just happened to get the right translation from the right stck Gregory hay translation of meditations off Amazon at the right time of my life but maybe I picked up some Antiquated translation of epitus and my whole trip down this wonderful Rabbit Hole might have not worked out so that's actually what I tried to do in this volume this is the only time and place that all the stelic not just the big three but number of the Lesser on Stokes have been in one book at one time”
Holiday recommends Seneca's Essays (Hardship and Happiness) to people going through tough times, grief, or loss as the book he points them to.
“whenever I know someone that's going through something really tough or difficult when they're grieving when they've lost someone or something this is the book that I tend to point them to”
The Daily Stoic has sold millions of copies and spent weeks and weeks on bestseller lists while being translated into approximately 40 languages, demonstrating the power of Stoicism.
“8 years later it was sold millions of copies spend weeks and weeks on the best seller list be translated in something like 40 languages but that's the power of stoicism”
Chicago University Press recently published a new edition of Seneca's essays called Seneca: Hardship and Happiness, collecting his consolations and other essays in one place for the first time in a unified volume.
“until relatively recently couldn't be found in one place I would have to just link people to you know where they could find them online but Chicago University press put out this new edition called senica hardship and happiness”
The Chicago University Press edition of Seneca includes his consolations (to Marcia, Helvia, and Polybius) and his essay on the shortness of life.
“it's got his consolation to Marcia consolation consolation to Helia that's his mother consolation to polybus pus and then it's also got his essay on the shortness of Life”
Holiday recommends subscribing to the Daily Stoic email, which sends one bit of Stoic wisdom for free every day to the largest community of Stoics in existence.
“what I really want you to subscribe to is our daily stoic email one bit of stoic wisdom totally for free to the largest community of stoics ever in existence”
Holiday's aunt gave him Man's Search for Meaning when he graduated high school, and he has read it many times since, establishing it as one of his absolute favorite books.
“My aunt gave me a copy when I graduated from high school I've read many times since one of my absolute favorite books”
Holiday publishes a desk calendar version of The Daily Stoic as well, extending the format to a physical desktop product.
“we even have a desk calendar version too which you can check out”
Holiday has sent a daily Stoic wisdom email every day for the last 6 years with no spam and ability to unsubscribe anytime.
“there's no spam you can unsubscribe at anytime I love sending it I've sent it every day for last 6 years”
Readers can sign up for the Daily Stoic email at dailystoic.com.
“you can sign up at Daily stoic.com”
Holiday co-authored 'Lives of the Stoics: The Art of Living from Zeno to Marcus Aurelius' with someone whose name he mentions knowing, which examines when Stoics' actions spoke louder than their words and what we can learn from their examples.
“this is the premise of lives of the stoics The Art of Living from Zeno to Marx Aus which I happen to know the author of as I put together this book what I was thinking about is really that question how and when did their actions speak louder than their words what can we learn from their examples not just their ideas”
Holiday has previously interviewed Donald Robertson and describes him as a great guy who is thoughtful and clearly loves his subject matter.
“I've interviewed him before he's a great guy he's really thoughtful and you can tell really loves the subject of the book”
Holiday's secret advantage for reading extensively is that reading is his job—he spends a lot of time doing it, particularly while traveling.
“people ask me how I managed to read so much the answer is it's my job that's my secret Advantage I spend a lot of time doing it I'm on the road right now in a hotel room and I'm spending all my time reading”