Kate Bowler Challenges Stoicism’s Most Famous Idea
About this episode
One of Stoicism’s most famous ideas does not sit right with bestselling author Kate Bowler. In this episode, Ryan and Kate discuss the pressure this idea can place on people facing illness, grief, and impossible circumstances, the limits of personal agency, and how to find meaningful action without pretending we are in control of everything.Kate Bowler is a four-time New York Times bestselling author, award-winning podcast host, and professor of religious history at Duke University. She is the host of the podcast Everything Happens, where she has honest conversations about grief, joy, faith, love, and the realities of being human. Grab signed copies of Kate’s books Everything Happens for a Reason: And Other Lies I’ve Loved, No Cure For Being Human (And Other Truths I Needed To Hear), and her latest book Joyful, Anyway at The Painted Porch | https://www.thepaintedporch.com/Follow Kate Bowler: Instagram, YouTube🎟️ DAILY STOIC LIVE | Ryan Holiday is coming to a city near you! Grab tickets here | https://www.dailystoiclive.com/🎙️ AD-FREE | Support the podcast and go deeper into Stoicism by subscribing to The Daily Stoic Premium - unlock ad-free listening, early access, and bonus content: https://dailystoic.supercast.com/✉️ FREE STOIC WISDOM | Want Stoic wisdom delivered to your inbox daily? Sign up for the FREE Daily Stoic email at https://dailystoic.com/dailyemail See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Listen to this episode in English to learn English
Podcast episodes are one of the highest-density ways to absorb English at native pace. Kate Bowler Challenges Stoicism’s Most Famous Idea from The Daily Stoic gives you natural dialogue, unscripted speech, and vocabulary that actually appears in real conversations.
In the Hinto app, every word in the transcript is tappable. Tap an unknown word, see the translation in your language instantly, and keep listening without breaking flow.
Episodes to Learn English
- You Have This Freedom (If You Take It) Jul 29, 2026
- How To Think For Yourself In A World Full Of Lies | David Pakman Jul 29, 2026
- If Money Could Talk, What Would It Say? | What Would the Stoics Tell Us Today? Jul 28, 2026
- BONUS | Are You Measuring Wealth Wrong? (with Sahil Bloom) Jul 27, 2026
- Where Does It Get You? | Keeping "The News" In Check Jul 27, 2026
- 9 Stoic Habits For A Better Life Jul 25, 2026
- BONUS | Made For Working Together Jul 24, 2026
- We Are All Kings Now | Why We Can’t Stop Talking About The Odyssey Jul 24, 2026
- They Have Been Misled | The Road Trip That Put Stoicism To The Test Jul 23, 2026
- Is It Even Possible To Be Happy? Jul 22, 2026
- How Epictetus Captured The Mind Of Marcus Aurelius Jul 22, 2026
- This Is How You Change | What Is Our Duty To Society? Jul 21, 2026
- The Wealthiest Person is a Pauper | Practice Gentleness Instead of Anger Jul 20, 2026
- 6 Stoic Rules To Beat Ego Jul 19, 2026
- The Fall Of The Roman Republic Was A Warning | Barry Strauss Jul 18, 2026
- This Will Define Your Legacy | Forgive Them Because They Don't Know Jul 17, 2026
- You Will Need This to Push Through | Is AI Making Us Stupid? Jul 16, 2026
- This is Why We Have Limits Jul 15, 2026
- 12 Stoic Lessons from The Odyssey Jul 15, 2026
- BONUS | Ryan Holiday's Best Book Recommendations for Dr. Becky Kennedy Jul 14, 2026
- Decide What to Be and Go Be It | How Would The Stoics Handle Social Media Envy? Jul 14, 2026
- It’s So Hard To Find | Stop Looking For This Jul 13, 2026
- 12 Stoic Rules For A Better Life Jul 12, 2026
- Men Are Reading Less Fiction. That’s A Problem. | Steven Pressfield Jul 11, 2026
- What’s On a Hill Cannot Be Hidden | Stop Monkeying Around Jul 10, 2026
- If You Want To Be Great, This Is All You Have To Do | Can Ryan Pass This Stoic Quiz? Jul 9, 2026
- Don’t Wait To Try It Jul 8, 2026
- A Stoic’s Guide To Winning Without Losing Yourself | Leadership Expert Dan Coyle Jul 8, 2026
- Learn To Ask This of Your Actions | Is Stoicism Compatible With Christianity? Jul 7, 2026
- This is The Most Valuable Thing | No One Said It'd Be Easy Jul 6, 2026