Scott Thompson on Epictetus and Approaching Life with Laughter
About this episode
Ryan talks to Scott Thompson about his introduction to Stoicism after hearing Ryan on the Breakfast Club, the humor that he finds in the teaching of Epictetus, the striking similarities between tragedy and triumph, and more.<br><br>Scott Thompson is a Canadian born comedian and actor. He is best known for being a member of the comedy troupe The Kids in the Hall and for playing Brian on The Larry Sanders Show. At an early age, Scott found comedy as his way of coping with and overcoming the traumatic events he experienced throughout his life. In high school, Scott was a witness to the 1975 Centennial Secondary School shooting and subsequently developed PTSD at a time when therapy and mental illness was considered taboo. He came out as gay during the AIDS epidemic. In 2009, Scott was diagnosed with cancer and underwent several rounds of chemotherapy. He is no stranger to enduring and embracing hardships and truly embodies “amor fati.”<br><br><a href="https://www.jordanharbinger.com/" target="_blank">The Jordan Harbinger Show</a> is one of the most interesting podcasts on the web, with guests like Kobe Bryant, Mark Manson, Eric Schmidt, and more. Listen to one of Ryan's episodes right now (<a href="https://www.jordanharbinger.com/ryan-holiday-solving-for-what-you-really-want-from-life/" target="_blank">1</a>, <a href="https://www.jordanharbinger.com/ryan-holiday-stillness-is-the-key/" target="_blank">2</a>), and <a href="https://www.jordanharbinger.com/" target="_blank">subscribe to the Jordan Harbinger Show</a> today.<br><br><a href="https://www.tenthousand.cc/" target="_blank">Ten Thousand</a> makes the highest quality, best-fitting, and most comfortable training shorts I have ever worn. They are a direct-to-consumer company, no middleman so you get premium fabrics, trims, and techniques that other brands simply cannot afford. <a href="https://www.tenthousand.cc/" target="_blank">Ten Thousand</a> is offering our listeners 15% off your purchase. go to <a href="https://www.tenthousand.cc/" target="_blank">Tenthousand.cc</a> and enter code STOIC to receive 15% off your purchase.<br><br><a href="http://getkion.com/dailystoic" target="_blank">Kion Aminos</a> is backed by over 20 years of clinical research, has the highest quality ingredients, no fillers or junk, undergoes rigorous quality testing, and tastes amazing with all-natural flavors. Go to <a href="https://getkion.com/dailystoic" target="_blank">getkion.com/dailystoic</a> to save 20% on subscriptions and 10% on one-time purchases.<br><br><a href="https://www.talkspace.com/" target="_blank">Talkspace</a> is an online and mobile therapy company. Visit <a href="https://www.talkspace.com/" target="_blank">talkspace.com</a> and get $100 off your first month when you use promo code STOIC at sign-up. That’s $100 off at <a href="https://www.talkspace.com/" target="_blank">talkspace.com</a>, promo code STOIC.<br><br>As a member of <a href="https://dailystoic.com/life/" target="_blank">Daily Stoic Life</a>, you get all our current and future courses, 100+ additional Daily Stoic email meditations, 4 live Q&amp;As with bestselling author Ryan Holiday (and guests), and 10% off your next purchase from the Daily Stoic Store. Sign up at <a href="https://dailystoic.com/life/" target="_blank">https://dailystoic.com/life/</a> <br><br>Sign up for the Daily Stoic email: <a href="http://dailystoic.com/dailyemail" target="_blank">https://dailystoic.com/dailyemail<br></a><br>Check out the <a href="https://store.dailystoic.com/" target="_blank">Daily Stoic Store</a> for Stoic inspired products, signed books, and more.<br><br>Follow us: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/dailystoic/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/dailystoic" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/dailystoic" target="_blank">YouTube</a>, <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@daily_stoic" target="_blank">TikTok</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/dailystoic" target="_blank">Facebook<br></a><br> 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. Scott Thompson on Epictetus and Approaching Life with Laughter 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 Don’t Need Your Books | 9 Stoic Lessons From Roman Politics Sep 16, 2026
- Time Is a Violent River | Stop Being Surprised By This Sep 15, 2026
- BONUS: The Advice Ryan Got Before Running His First 50K Sep 14, 2026
- We All Need To Be Constrained Sep 14, 2026
- Running 50 Kilometers Through Rome To Understand Stoicism Sep 13, 2026
- What the World’s Richest and Most Powerful People Get Wrong (with Stephanie Ruhle) Sep 12, 2026
- BONUS | What a 9/11 Pilot Will Never Forget (with General Dan Caine) Sep 11, 2026
- Let This Always Be The Answer | I Was the First FDNY Chief on the Scene on 9/11 Sep 11, 2026
- You Need To Learn How To Be Better At This | Nothing To Fear But Fear Itself Sep 10, 2026
- How To Forgive When They’re Not Sorry | It’s Not a Principle Unless It Costs You Something Sep 9, 2026
- You Must Read To Lead | 10 Stoic Strategies To Deal With Anxiety Sep 8, 2026
- BONUS | 3 Life-Changing Lessons From Seneca in 3 Minutes Sep 7, 2026
- You’re in a Hurry and Don’t Know Why | A Hard Winter Training Sep 7, 2026
- The Moment Ryan’s Italy Trip Went Sideways Sep 6, 2026
- The Stoic Reminders Hiding All Over Rome Sep 5, 2026
- Don’t Let It Keep Slipping Away | The Philosopher's School Is A Hospital Sep 4, 2026
- What Ryan Holiday Would Ask Marcus Aurelius Sep 3, 2026
- You Need To Hit The Road Sep 3, 2026
- You Fought The Wall and the Wall Won | When Self-Discipline Becomes a Vice Sep 2, 2026
- BONUS | 7 Books AI Can't Replace Sep 1, 2026
- As Above, So Below | How Seeing Earth From Space Changes You (with Astronaut Mark Kelly) Sep 1, 2026
- This is What You Do With Your Freedom? | A Strong Soul Is Better Than Good Luck Aug 31, 2026
- The Most Life Changing Marcus Aurelius Quotes Aug 30, 2026
- Jet Li on Inner Peace, Ego, and What True Strength Looks Like Aug 29, 2026
- BONUS | 7 Stoic Rules for Staying Disciplined Aug 28, 2026
- When It’s Not How You Imagined | Seeking Out Shipwrecks Aug 28, 2026
- Stoic Lessons From 3 Cities in 3 Days Aug 27, 2026
- This Is Where True Power Comes From Aug 27, 2026
- It Takes a Guide To ‘Get’ It | 9 Core Stoic Beliefs Aug 26, 2026
- How to Be Freer Than a King Aug 25, 2026