Your New Stoic Role Models for a Stronger Life

About this episode

<p>Virtue is not a theory. It is something you practice. In the moments where you could overreact. In the moments where quitting would be easier. In the moments where doing the right thing costs you something.</p><p>In this episode, Ryan explores the four Stoic virtues through conversations with people who actually live them. You’ll hear from a fighter pilot who shows courage under pressure, a marathon runner disciplined in daily practice, a historian who reframes justice as action, and Ryan himself on treating wisdom as a lifelong pursuit.</p><br><p><em>📚 </em>Get a signed copy of each of the books in the Stoic Virtues Series:<a href="https://store.dailystoic.com/products/courage-is-calling-signed-edition-pre-order" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> Courage is Calling</a>,<a href="https://store.dailystoic.com/products/discipline-is-destiny-the-power-of-self-control-signed?variant=43486120345798" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> Discipline is Destiny</a>,<a href="https://store.dailystoic.com/products/right-thing-right-now" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> Right Thing Right Now</a>, and<a href="https://store.dailystoic.com/pages/wisdom-takes-work" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> Wisdom Takes Work</a></p><br><p>🎥 Watch the full episodes on The Daily Stoic YouTube Channel: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@DailyStoic/videos" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/@DailyStoic/videos</a></p><ul><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sN5FBB5Y8Ms" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Silence the 5 Inner Critics DESTROYING Your Confidence | Combat Fighter Pilot Michelle Curran</a></li><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNsHlF9_qiQ" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">CEO of The Atlantic Nick Thompson on Stoic Lessons From Success</a></li><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqIqkv9m2Js" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Why Do We Hate Our Jobs? The Truth About Success, Work, &amp; Impact | Rutger Bregman</a></li><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5K7og1LNZM" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">How To Avoid Destroying Your Mind | Billy Oppenheimer &amp; Ryan Holiday </a></li></ul><p><br></p><p>👉 Michelle “MACE” Curran is a former United States Air Force fighter pilot with nearly 2,000 hours of F-16 flying time. She flew combat missions in Afghanistan and honed her skills across the globe, becoming the second woman in history to serve as the Lead Solo Pilot for the Thunderbirds, the Air Force’s elite demonstration team.</p><br><p>📚 Check out Michelle’s book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1538768100/?bestFormat=true&amp;k=the%20flipside%20michelle%20curran&amp;ref_=nb_sb_ss_w_scx-ent-pd-bk-d_k0_1_14_de&amp;crid=49ORZPBW0NKQ&amp;sprefix=the%20flipside%20m" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>The Flipside: How to Invert Your Perspective and Turn Fear into Your Superpower</em></a></p><br><p>Follow Michelle on Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/mace_curran/?hl=en" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@Mace_Curran</a> and learn more about her work at <a href="https://macecurran.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://macecurran.com/</a></p><br><p>👉 Nick Thompson is the CEO of <em>The Atlantic</em>, an American magazine founded in 1857. He has long been a competitive runner; in 2021, he set the American record for men 45+ in the 50K race.</p><br><p>📚 Check out Nick’s new book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Running-Ground-Father-Simplest-Sports/dp/0593244125" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>The Running Ground: A Father, a Son, and the Simplest of Sports</em></a></p><br><p>Follow Nick on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/nxthompson/?hl=en" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Instagram</a> and <a href="https://x.com/nxthompson" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">X</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/nxthompson/?hl=en" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@NXThompson</a></p><br><p>👉 <a href="https://rutgerbregman.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Rutger Bregman</a> is a Dutch historian and author. In 2024, Rutger co-founded <a href="https://rutgerbregman.com/sma" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>The School for Moral Ambition</em></a>, a non-profit organization inspired by his latest book, <a href="https://www.thepaintedporch.com/products/moral-ambition-stop-wasting-your-talent-and-start-making-a-difference" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Moral Ambition</em></a>. The initiative helps people to take the step toward an impactful career.</p><br><p>📚 Check out Rutger's book <a href="https://www.thepaintedporch.com/products/moral-ambition-stop-wasting-your-talent-and-start-making-a-difference" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Moral Ambition</em></a></p><br><p>Follow Rutger on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/rutgerbregman/?hl=en" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Instagram</a> and <a href="https://x.com/rcbregman?lang=en" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">X</a> |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/rutgerbregman/?hl=en" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@RutgerBregman</a></p><br><p>👉 Billy Oppenheimer is Ryan Holiday’s research assistant and the writer behind the newsletter,<a href="https://billyoppenheimer.com/newsletter/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> Six at 6 on Sunday</a>. To read more of his work, check out his website<a href="http://billyoppenheimer.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> billyoppenheimer.com</a>.</p><br><p>🎁 This holiday season, give the gift of Daily Stoic Premium |&nbsp;<a href="https://dailystoic.supercast.com/gifts/new" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://dailystoic.supercast.com/gifts/new</a></p><br><p>No more waiting. Demand the best for yourself. <a href="https://join.dailystoic.com/nyny26/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Daily Stoic New Year New You</a> challenge begins January 1, 2026. Learn more and sign up today at <a href="http://dailystoic.com/challenge" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">dailystoic.com/challenge</a></p><br><p>🎥 Watch the video episodes on<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@DailyStoic/videos" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> The Daily Stoic YouTube channel</a>:<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@DailyStoic/videos" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> https://www.youtube.com/@DailyStoic/videos</a></p><br><p>🎙️ Follow The Daily Stoic Podcast on<a href="https://www.instagram.com/dailystoicpodcast/?hl=en" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> Instagram</a>:<a href="https://www.instagram.com/dailystoicpodcast" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> https://www.instagram.com/dailystoicpodcast</a></p><br><p>✉️ Want Stoic wisdom delivered to your inbox daily? Sign up for the FREE Daily Stoic email at<a href="https://dailystoic.com/dailyemail" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> https://dailystoic.com/dailyemail</a></p><br><p>🏛 Get Stoic inspired books, medallions, and prints to remember these lessons at the Daily Stoic Store:<a href="https://store.dailystoic.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> https://store.dailystoic.com/</a></p><br><p>📱 Follow us:<a href="https://www.instagram.com/dailystoic/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">&nbsp;Instagram</a>,<a href="https://twitter.com/dailystoic" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> Twitter</a>,<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@DailyStoic" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> YouTube</a>,<a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@daily_stoic?lang=en" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> TikTok</a>, and<a href="https://www.facebook.com/dailystoic" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> Facebook</a></p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. 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