PDF Summary:The Daily Stoic, by Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman

What do J.K. Rowling, LL Cool J, and George Washington have in common? Stoic philosophy. For generations, Stoicism has motivated scores of people to live well.

In The Daily Stoic, Ryan Holiday and translator Stephen Hanselman share insights from the ancient Stoic philosophers on how you too can live a good life. It was a bestseller in 2016 and has since been expanded into a thriving podcast and website.

At the core of Stoicism is the belief that the cardinal virtues—self-control, courage, justice, and wisdom—are the source of internal stability and the measure of a good life.

Our guide explores three categories of Stoic practices the authors cover in The Daily Stoic, including viewing life with self-control, responding to life with justice and courage, and managing our lives with wisdom. Within each category, we look at essential principles that support these Stoic practices. Our commentary explores other perspectives on these principles and offers more insights from Stoic philosophy and modern psychology.

(continued)...

(Shortform note: Modern psychologists echo this advice from the Stoics. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy describes the tendency to make assumptions as a kind of cognitive distortion called “fortune-telling.” Clinicians note that this cognitive distortion can lead to depression and a lack of confidence, among other things. To overcome fortune-telling, they suggest you examine the evidence, believe in your ability to think it through, and adopt deliberate strategies to distract yourself from overthinking. These three strategies will help you develop the ability to think your way through situations as the Stoics advise, rather than making assumptions and jumping to conclusions.)

Responding to Life With Justice and Courage

By controlling her view of life, the Stoic can discern right from wrong and act accordingly. In any situation, she can use her mind to cut through the noise of distracting emotions and impressions that could make her think or act in ways that aren’t virtuous. When someone tries to provoke her anger or fear, for instance, she recognizes the temptation to vice and chooses to think and act virtuously instead—with equanimity. This right action requires a sense of justice to know what’s right and the exercise of courage to follow through on it. In this section, we’ll consider four ways we can put justice and courage into action.

(Shortform note: The authors associate justice and courage with our actions, but they don’t claim the association is exclusive—all the virtues (justice, courage, self-control, and wisdom) can manifest in action. Self-control, for instance, is characterized by good discipline, and wisdom by discretion, both of which manifest in our actions. In fact, the Stoics believed you couldn’t truly possess one of the virtues without the other. In this sense, all four virtues influence every aspect of ourselves: our will, thoughts, and actions.)

Aim to Do Good

The authors write that to live justly and courageously, you should first aim to do good. To do good, the authors recommend you start by studying Stoic philosophy, and then follow up that study by taking action. The study of Stoic philosophy will enhance your sense of justice. Following through on that sense of justice will require courage.

(Shortform note: The authors encourage you to study Stoic philosophy, but they don’t claim to give a comprehensive guide to it in The Daily Stoic. For that, you might turn to introductory books, such as Brad Inwood’s Stoicism: A Very Short Introduction, which explain how the entire worldview fits together. Consider reading such a guide if you’d like to take your study of Stoicism further.)

The authors argue that doing all of this demands effort. It’s easy to avoid this effort through procrastination, cowardice, or laziness, so the Stoics advise us to be on the lookout for these vices and cultivate a strength of character that enables us to overcome them.

For example, many of us put off doing the right thing until tomorrow because we don’t want to do something difficult, and we think that it’ll feel easier tomorrow than it feels today. The Stoics disagree—now is the time to do what’s right, whether it’s hard or not.

Similarly, many of us get sidetracked in our efforts to live virtuously. We want to be entertained, look attractive, or avoid suffering. None of these distractions is inherently bad, as the Stoics saw it, but each can sidetrack us from courageously pursuing justice.

(Shortform note: Once again, the way to avoid vice and distractions, say the Stoics, is by exercising reason. This is evident from their beliefs about children: They held that children are more prone to vice and distraction than adults because their reasoning is undeveloped. They argued that a child’s tendency to act on impulses—much like an animal’s—is a natural survival mechanism: Nature inclines them to jump in fear and eat whenever they’re hungry so they avoid harm and meet their bodily needs. As humans mature, reason serves to control these impulses. Once we can discern right from wrong and truth from error, we can avoid vice and distraction and do good.)

Respond Well When Things Go Wrong

According to the authors, life will test our courage and our commitment to justice—it gives a steady stream of opportunities to respond well when things go wrong. The Stoics argued that, even in the face of disappointment, fear, and other difficulties, we need to steadily pursue virtue.

(Shortform note: Disappointment is a painful, but normal, emotional response when things go wrong. Experts suggest that the way you respond to disappointment can be transformational—it gives you the chance to grow stronger in your pursuit of your goals. Some good ways to overcome disappointment include journaling or talking about it, reassessing your core values, and accepting yourself for who you are. Consider some of these strategies as you look to apply Stoic practices.)

Along these lines, they encourage us to take our setbacks in stride. If we find ourselves suddenly out of work, for instance, we need to process our situation through our reason and keep our focus on living virtuously. Don’t lash out in anger or check out of your daily responsibilities—that accomplishes nothing good. Instead, consider how you can learn from your situation. With this mindset, the Stoics argue, we can even treat setbacks as an opportunity to grow in virtue.

(Shortform note: Psychologists argue that the single most important way to take setbacks in stride is to regulate your emotions. The first step to do this is identifying the particular emotion you’re feeling—for example, anger. Once you’ve done that, pay attention to your physical response: Are your cheeks flushed? Is your head pounding? If so, begin breathing deeply and steadily and tell yourself to relax. You should be able to tone down the emotional response. When you’re calmer, you can begin dealing with the situation with clarity of mind as the Stoics suggest.)

The authors claim further that the Stoics reinforced their commitment to living virtuously by simply expecting things to go wrong. If you expect that you’ll lose things you enjoy, for instance, you’ll be less afraid of it happening, and less affected when it does happen. Knowing that trials will come, they reasoned, prepares you to face them well when they arrive.

(Shortform note: Expecting things to go wrong can easily devolve into an unproductive mindset known as catastrophizing. In this frame of mind, you become fixated on the worst possible outcomes of situations—everything is a catastrophe. Mental health professionals note that this pattern of thinking is especially common for those who are prone to anxiety or overthinking. They suggest several strategies for overcoming catastrophic thinking, including noticing your thought patterns, challenging your negative assumptions, and rationally considering other possibilities. If you’re prone to negative thinking, bear this in mind as you consider the Stoics’ advice to expect things to go wrong.)

Follow Through

A third way we can respond to life with courage and justice is by following through on our commitment to living virtuously. As the Stoics saw it, the job of living a virtuous life is long-term, so we need to figure out how we can stick to it.

The authors offer an insight from the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius into dealing with flagging motivation: Remind yourself that others depend on you to do what’s right. For him, this wasn’t about his special role as emperor, it was about his essential role as a human being. In his view, all humans depend on each other to do what’s right. If we don’t do our part—whether big or small—others suffer in a world a little more deprived of virtue.

(Shortform note: Marcus Aurelius motivated himself by appealing to his sense of belonging: Feeling connected to something larger than himself gave him purpose. In his case, this sense of belonging came from his deeply held philosophical beliefs. Others may find purpose in their religious beliefs. In either case, psychologists agree that commitment to overarching values—rather than a commitment to just yourself, your family, or your community—makes you more resilient to stress and hardship.)

Another way the authors recommend you increase your follow-through is to be patient and take it slow. By rushing into things—taking on responsibility too quickly, for instance—we run the risk of burning out. It’s far better to keep a slow and steady pace that you can maintain.

This holds for the abstract notion of pursuing virtue, but it’s also true of our concrete obligations such as our work or our role as citizens or partners. For the Stoics, the way we treat our small, day-to-day tasks comes to characterize our entire lives. Therefore, it’s important for all of us to do the best we can at a pace we can sustain for the long haul.

(Shortform note: Experts argue that feeling tempted to give up on your obligations is a sign that your approach to those obligations should change. If you begin to feel cynical for instance, it’s a sign that you’ve lost sight of your purpose. Likewise, feeling exhausted indicates that you need more sleep, exercise, or nutrition. Paying attention to these signs is a practical way to implement the Stoic’s advice to follow through on your goal of living well.)

Be Realistic

A final way to respond to life with justice and courage is to be realistic. The authors argue that Stoic philosophy is practical at its core—it’s meant to be lived in the real world rather than just discussed in the abstract. Therefore, the Stoics believed that living virtuously was possible in the face of all the imperfections of real life.

(Shortform note: The authors draw on the work of Pierre Hadot, who argued that ancient philosophies—such as Stoicism—were meant to be a way of life. The modern practice of philosophy, by contrast, tends to be seen as the detached work of aloof academics. Hadot believes that this change began during the early centuries of the Christian era, when secular philosophy was replaced by sacred theology. In time, he says, science replaced both theology and philosophy as a way of life. Philosopher Jules Evans argues that Stoicism has become so popular lately because it fits our modern way of thinking well: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, for instance, is largely derived from Stoic principles that can be supported by science.)

For instance, the Stoics recognized that no matter how hard you work at building your character, you’ll still have weaknesses. They believed you can turn these weaknesses into strengths. Maybe you’re prone to laziness, for example. Thinking like a Stoic, you might find that your inclination to do the least amount of work has value: You can use it to increase the efficiency of a task by weeding out wasteful steps in the process. This kind of thinking works with your weakness and maximizes its potential, allowing you to find strength by realistically appraising your characteristics.

(Shortform note: Some experts suggest a different approach to dealing with weaknesses. They argue that it’s unusual to turn a weakness into a strength, but it’s possible to minimize the effect those weaknesses have on you. The way to do this is to focus on maximizing all of your strengths and minimizing all your weaknesses by, for instance, delegating responsibilities or compensating with your strengths.)

Similarly, the Stoics knew that our time is limited. Accordingly, they believed you shouldn’t spend more time on any task than it deserves. It’s more important to spend time with your family, for example, than it is to obsess over which garbage bags to buy. Save your time and energy for the things that matter.

(Shortform note: Contrary to this idea, researchers have found that valuing the mundane things in life is associated with a greater sense of meaning in life overall. This suggests that looking for the value in tasks you may otherwise consider unimportant is an effective way to feel happier.)

Managing Our Lives With Wisdom

To view life with self-control and respond to life with justice and courage, the Stoics tried to manage their lives wisely. Wisdom entails applying good judgment to the way you live life so that you can stay focused on living virtuously. In this final section, we’ll consider four points of advice the Stoics offer for living wisely.

(Shortform note: Like Aristotle before them, the Stoics distinguished between two kinds of wisdom: theoretical wisdom (sophos or knowledge about reality) and practical wisdom (phronesis or knowing how to live well). Phronesis is sometimes equated with virtue as a whole: In this sense, all the virtues are the exercise of wisdom. This presents a difficulty because the Roman Stoics also had another term for wisdom: prudentia or “prudence.” Though Holiday and Hanselman only use the term wisdom, some modern Stoic thinkers believe prudence gets at the meaning better—to live prudently is to discipline yourself with reason. Bear this meaning in mind as you consider how you might follow the authors’ advice to manage your life with wisdom.)

Be Humble and Kind

According to the authors, the first piece of Stoic advice is to be humble and kind. By practicing humility and kindness, the Stoics believed you could spare yourself—and those around you—a lot of needless suffering and distraction.

To see the practical value of humility, consider those who aren’t humble—those who have an inflated opinion of themselves or who are convinced they deserve all the good things in life. People with this attitude are at risk of a more catastrophic fall when things do go wrong or when they misstep. Those who are humble, by contrast, don’t have far to fall, so they’re less prone to being devastated when things go wrong.

(Shortform note: Not all pride leads to this kind of fall. Psychologists distinguish between good pride (authentic) and bad pride (hubristic). Authentic pride is vital for healthy self-esteem and leads to better relationships and positive behavior. Hubristic pride, on the other hand, is the kind described above—it’s associated with narcissism and selfish behavior.)

Similarly, the Stoics believed it’s wise to be kind to those who are suffering hardship now because you may one day be in the same position. By showing kindness to others in need, you may receive kindness in return when you need it.

(Shortform note: Research shows that there are more benefits to practicing humility and kindness than merely reducing suffering and distraction. For instance, in two recent studies, people who showed traits associated with humility (low self-focus and high other-focus) were less likely to be depressed, more likely to have a healthy love life, and more likely to believe they could achieve their goals. Similarly, studies on kindness have shown that it can increase well-being and even lower blood pressure. Results like this suggest that practicing humility and kindness is as wise as the Stoics argue.)

Practice Virtue Now

The Stoics offered another insight for living wisely: Practice living virtuously now, in each present moment. They believed that a whole life is merely the sum of its parts and argued that a virtuous life is lived in the day-to-day interactions and opportunities we each face.

(Shortform note: Evidence from neuroscience backs up this insight. Researchers find that the human brain physically changes in response to experience by reinforcing neural pathways activated in that experience (this attribute is called experience-dependent neuroplasticity). Through repeated experiences, such as daily interactions, our brains develop behavior patterns that can either be positive or negative. This suggests that by practicing good behaviors in our various daily interactions we make it easier for our brains to respond that way. Conversely, practicing bad behaviors makes it harder for us to act differently.)

Toward that end, they taught that you should put your future legacy out of your mind—don’t concern yourself with how (or if) you’ll be remembered. Instead, the authors say, simply focus on the task in front of you, whatever it is: Do it to the best of your ability.

(Shortform note: By contrast, some psychologists warn that you may regret not thinking about your legacy. It’s common for the elderly to regret the way they spent their lives—the choices they made and the relationships they neglected, for instance. Accordingly, psychologists suggest that it can be healthy to think about how you want to feel in the future and how you want to contribute to humanity. By considering these kinds of things you can make better choices now and avoid future regret.)

Similarly, choose to practice virtue in your daily interactions. Be a good listener, encourage others, never seek revenge, and always tell the truth. The authors say these daily interpersonal practices build virtuous character and comprise the bulk of your life.

(Shortform note: Some business leaders approach this idea from a different angle—to them, your daily interactions constitute an important part of your reputation. They argue that, since a good reputation is invaluable to a successful business and career, you should go out of your way to build that reputation. Help others look good. Be consistent. Even though this approach treats good behavior as a means to an end, the Stoics would recognize the practical benefits of having a good reputation.)

Receive Life as It Is

A third principle for living wisely, according to the Stoics, is learning to receive life as it is. As they saw it, circumstances are neutral—neither good nor bad. By contrast, actions can be good or bad. Knowing this, our life circumstances are little more than a canvas on which we paint our virtuous actions.

(Shortform note: While circumstances had no moral value to the Stoics—they described them as indifferent—they maintained that circumstances aren’t equally neutral. For instance, they considered wealth a preferred indifferent, poverty a dispreferred indifferent, and the shape of your ear an absolute indifferent. Generally, a person is better off wealthy and healthy than poor and sick, though, occasionally, the Stoics believed that enduring such suffering was helpful for cultivating virtuous character.)

Keeping this in mind, you shouldn’t wish for circumstances to be anything other than what they actually are, write the authors. Don’t hope for a better future or pine for a remembered past—live virtuously in the present moment exactly as it is.

(Shortform note: People often recommend living in the moment if you want to feel happy, but that’s not the goal the Stoics had in mind. For them, living in the moment was reasonable—there’s no use in concerning yourself with the past because you can’t affect it at all. Similarly, you can only affect the future by what you do in the present. Therefore, you should focus on doing good in the present. You might feel happier as a result, but that’s just a byproduct of living rationally, according to the Stoics.)

Moreover, to the Stoics, receiving life as it is entails detachment from experiences and possessions. They argue that our experiences in life and the things we accumulate can become traps that co-opt our focus and desires, write the authors. Maybe we own a nice house or we’re skilled at a sport—those things aren’t within our control. It’s not reasonable to hold onto them tightly because they’re not guaranteed to last: The house could burn down in a fire, or the skill could dwindle with age or injury. Virtue, on the other hand, endures.

(Shortform note: This insight is not unique to the Stoics. Outside of Stoicism, detachment (also called non-attachment) is an important concept in numerous religious traditions. In Buddhism, for instance, non-attachment is the means to achieve enlightenment. Jainism holds a similar view, asserting that possessions are an impediment to achieving liberation. Similarly, to keep their focus on Christ, Christians are discouraged from becoming attached to things of the world.)

Think About Death

Finally, Stoic thinkers argued that it’s wise to think about death. For them, keeping death in mind was a way to focus on living better: Life is finite, so we’d better use it well.

(Shortform note: Some studies suggest that thinking about death does help us live better, but others indicate that it can cause us to become more prejudiced and greedy. Terror Management Theory (TMT) argues that people who fear death compensate by acting out of self-preservation. So while thinking about death may be wise advice, it should be balanced by an awareness that fearing death could lead to negative behaviors.)

They reasoned that time is one of our most valuable possessions. We have a limited allotment of it that can’t be renewed, and each moment brings us closer to death. Therefore, they suggested that we treat time with the value it deserves—don’t give it away without getting something of value in return. The authors suggest, for example, that you say no to most requests on your time. Social gatherings and meetings rarely provide enough benefit for the time you spend on them, as they see it.

(Shortform note: In Essentialism, Greg McKeown reiterates this view, arguing that we should focus on doing only a few things well. To him, like the Stoics, most things that command our time and attention are unimportant. A key way to avoid being overwhelmed by these unimportant things is to say no. McKeown offers a practical tip for making this easier: Accept that you might be unpopular for a little while when you say no. This is just a temporary setback, however, because people usually come to respect you more when they see how you value your time.)

To the Stoics, your time should be used to build your character and live virtuously in the world. If you manage to live for a long time, they argued, you should have something to show for all that spent time. You should have wisdom, strength of character, and a track record of virtuous actions. The authors thus advise that you focus on cultivating those attributes now so that you’re ready when death comes.

(Shortform note: This begs the question: What did the Stoics believe happened after death? The answer to this draws on their broader system of thought. The Stoics believed that pneuma—the breath of life—pervaded all matter, thought, and souls in various degrees of “tension.” Some Stoics believed that the souls of wise humans would continue, separate from the body, while the souls of unwise humans would be destroyed or reabsorbed into the cosmic pneuma. So, for these Stoics, preparing for death was a matter of what would become of the soul. Modern Stoics who don’t share these views may simply be motivated to live well in the present so they can avoid regrets at the end of life.)

Death, according to the Stoics, levels the playing field. The wealthy and the poor, the high-status and the low-status, the strong and the weak—we all share the same fate, explain the authors. Keeping this in mind, the Stoics believed, would help you overlook superficial differences between people and recognize that life gives us all one shared opportunity: to live virtuously.

(Shortform note: The Stoics, like modern psychologists, recognized that it’s common for humans to compare themselves to one another. Experts find that we do this consciously and unconsciously, sizing up how our skills and possessions rank in the social hierarchy. Studies show that the way we evaluate ourselves in the social hierarchy may have an impact on our health and well-being. By minimizing our perceived differences, we can improve our sense of status and stave off the negative consequences of comparison.)