Episode · The Daily Stoic · 2026-11-04
Books mentioned on Your Obligation Remains The Same | Why Did You Choose Stoicism?
Our job today and tomorrow is the same as it’s always been—to be good, to be wise, to stand up for what’s right, to resist what is wrong and evil. Nothing changes that.
Ryan Holiday discussed Meditations by Aurelius Marcus, Lives of the Stoics by Ryan Holiday and others, and Consolations from a Stoic.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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Meditations
Marcus Aurelius's Meditations is a timeless collection of personal reflections and Stoic philosophy written by the Roman emperor during his military campaigns.
Discussed“Marcus really writes in meditations. In the same way, an emerald or gold or purple might always proclaim whatever anyone does or says, I must be what I am and show my true colors.”
Where to get it
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Lives of the Stoics
Lives of the Stoics by Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman details the histories, struggles, and wisdom of prominent classical philosophers ranging from Zeno to Marcus Aurelius.
Discussed“So it went for Helvidius, a senator who we profile on Lives of the Stoics, when the emperor Vespasian tried to stop him from criticizing him. It is in your power not to allow me to be a member of the Senate”
Where to get it
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Consolations from a Stoic
Consolations from a Stoic by Seneca is a classic philosophy text featuring essays that offer comfort and timeless wisdom in the face of grief, exile, and loss.
Discussed“And we know this is not the case for many reasons, but the most obvious is that Seneca writes three essays that are called his consolations series. One of the consolations is to his mother after she's been exiled.”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (2) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
“This month is the 10 year anniversary of both the Daily Stoic book and Daily Stoic sort of website, the newsletter.”
“I’m still exploring and reading, you know, obviously in my book about stillness, I, I, I drew a lot from the Eastern tradition, which I think has, um, a bunch of interesting stuff there from, from Confucius to, uh, the Bhagavad Gita.”