Five Stoic Practices for a Resilient, Purposeful Life

Key Quotes

"Reading is is maybe the only way that you can live multiple lives like you think about the millions of people who have done crazy things groundbreaking things terrible things and you think of all that wisdom it's all there in books and you know it's 10 sometimes it's a dollar isn't it funny how similar the wisdom is though"

Ryan Holiday argues that reading offers a unique opportunity to experience a vast range of human endeavors and learn from them. He highlights that despite the diversity of experiences recorded in books, the fundamental wisdom for living a good life often converges across different stories and philosophies. This suggests that the core principles for navigating life are universal and accessible through literature.

"first would be let's say you focus on what's in your control like what's up to you okay what does that mean in practicality in in day to day life so someone cuts me off in traffic yeah uh somebody you don't somebody doesn't like something that you did uh the weather you know how much of your energy are you spending demoting about complaining about worrying about things that are not up to you"

Ryan Holiday introduces the first Stoic practice: distinguishing between what is within our control and what is not. He explains that expending energy on things outside of our influence, such as traffic incidents or others' opinions, is an inefficient use of our resources. This practice encourages a focus on actionable areas to maximize impact and minimize frustration.

"number two uh there's something magical about water and there's something magical about long walks this is where i find a lot of peace find a lot of inspiration find a lot of calmness and stillness like i'm not saying that taking a walk will solve all of your problems i'm just saying that there's very few problems that are made worse by taking a walk"

Ryan Holiday shares his second practice, emphasizing the restorative power of water and long walks. He suggests that these activities are not a panacea for all issues but are consistently beneficial for mental clarity and emotional regulation. Holiday implies that the rhythm and presence associated with walking and water can help to quiet the mind and foster a more peaceful state.

"and then you have that as a ritual every day every day every single day yeah i try to take a walk every day what else are sort of rituals in your life the daily rituals so i would add as a third one as a ritual i'd be i'd say like do something hard every day like do something physically difficult every day the art of challenging oneself and pushing those limits and boundaries that is a essential practice and skill that will help you whatever life has in store for you"

Ryan Holiday outlines his third daily ritual: engaging in a physically challenging activity each day. He posits that consistently pushing personal limits is a crucial skill that prepares individuals for any adversity life may present. Holiday differentiates this from walking, which he designates for mental health, suggesting that physical exertion is a distinct practice for building resilience.

"and the fifth one the fifth one is is i wanted to just pause there and i forgot to ask you for an example on the third one from stoicism of doing something hard yeah like a i mean the greeks trained in wrestling the gymnasium was the central part of the of roman life you know you'd go and you'd train you know um and what what were they aiming at when they were training what were the means a strong mind and a strong body like to not be flabby and lazy and uh not to fight each other or anything but to no but i mean there's something about combat sports you know that i think is is very primal and probably good for you"

Ryan Holiday connects the practice of doing something difficult daily to historical examples like Greek wrestling and Roman gymnasiums. He explains that these activities aimed at cultivating both mental and physical strength, rather than mere combat. Holiday suggests that engaging in challenging physical pursuits, such as combat sports, taps into a primal aspect of human nature that is beneficial.

"and number five number five across all religious and philosophical traditions there is some version of the practice of momento mori remember you are mortal that life is short talk about top of the list of things that you don't control right uh is death and the acceptance and the submission to that fact the awareness the urgency the perspective that that gives you is one of the most essential philosophical practices there is"

Ryan Holiday presents his fifth Stoic practice: memento mori, or remembering one's mortality. He argues that acknowledging the finite nature of life is a fundamental philosophical exercise that provides urgency and perspective. Holiday contends that this awareness is crucial for overcoming procrastination and prioritizing what truly matters, as death is an uncontrollable certainty.

"so for me like when i'm feeling something when i'm having big feelings as we say to my kids you're having big feelings well why are you having those feelings what is the cause of those feelings what does your body feel like and the practice of going i'm feeling this i'm feeling this because i'm feeling as a result of that an inclination to do and then go but is that a good idea you know what i want to do like i've never lost my temper and then afterwards been like i'm so glad i did that you know i always regret it always"

Ryan Holiday clarifies his understanding of Stoicism as the practice of understanding and processing emotions, rather than suppressing them. He describes his personal approach of examining the cause of strong feelings and considering the subsequent inclination to act. Holiday uses the example of losing his temper, stating he always regrets such actions, illustrating the importance of emotional regulation over impulsive reactions.

"epictetus's thing is as he says like don't want things to be a certain way want them to be the way that they are that is the path to peace and i think about it it's like hey like if i wake up and i go i need the weather to be a certain way today well then there's a pretty big chance that i'm not going to be happy"

Ryan Holiday shares a core Stoic principle from Epictetus: accepting reality as it is, rather than wishing it were different. He explains that this acceptance is the key to achieving peace. Holiday illustrates this by noting that demanding specific weather conditions sets one up for disappointment, as external circumstances are often beyond personal control.

"and the conflict i have is the stoics must have understood the importance of detail and small things sure so yes you know that's why yeah but at the same time they also understand how that can quite easily rob you of that obsession to detail yeah or like routine is important right this is the order i like to do things this is when i'm at my best but what if that routine becomes almost a religion which becomes almost a kind of fragility you know that's the problem"

Ryan Holiday discusses the potential tension between valuing detail and routine, and the Stoic principle of adaptability. He acknowledges the importance of order and personal best practices but cautions against rigid adherence. Holiday suggests that an excessive reliance on routine can lead to fragility, where deviations from the norm become problematic.

"so basically the stoics were like if it'