43 Stoic Rules That Will Change How You Live
Ryan Holiday walks through Stoic rules for life drawn from Seneca, Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius, arguing that Stoicism is the clearest practical framework for handling life's ups and downs.
The gist
-
Holiday says the core Stoic task, per Epictetus, is separating what is up to you from what isn't, and giving the first 100% of your energy.
-
He recommends a nightly evening review, like Seneca's, asking what you did well, what you could improve, and whether you lived up to your intention.
-
Holiday says you don't need an opinion on everything, and that most worry is imagined suffering about things that never happen.
-
He urges asking for help without shame, quoting The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse: asking for help is refusing to give up.
-
Holiday closes on memento mori: time is your most precious resource, and Seneca says you are already dying, so don't put things off.
Ryan Holiday recommends it
"You must put every day up for review. How are you going to get better tomorrow if you're not reviewing how you did today? ... The evening review, did you live up to your intention? Were you the person you were trying to be?"
▶ Play at 3:33
Ryan Holiday uses it
"There's that book I read to my kids many times, The Boy, the Fox, the Horse, and the Mole. Says, "Asking for help isn't giving up. It's refusing to give up.""
▶ Play at 27:192 creators recommend it, including Jelly Roll.
See all on the The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse page
Ryan Holiday recommends it
"The final and the most powerful lesson from the Stoics is that life is short, that you are mortal, that you could go at any moment... Memento mori. You are mortal. Act and live accordingly."
▶ Play at 33:16What they recommend · 3 picks
"You must put every day up for review. How are you going to get better tomorrow if you're not reviewing how you did today? ... The evening review, did you live up to your intenti..."
"The final and the most powerful lesson from the Stoics is that life is short, that you are mortal, that you could go at any moment... Memento mori. You are mortal. Act and live ..."
"There's that book I read to my kids many times, The Boy, the Fox, the Horse, and the Mole. Says, "Asking for help isn't giving up. It's refusing to give up.""
Ryan and Andrew agree on 2 things
See what they all use, in their own words. Paid ads are left out.
See what they all swear by Or pick your own peopleMade by someone on this episode
Also mentioned
Ads in this episode
Athena. They're paid, so we keep them out of the picks above.
See what Ryan recommends without being paid →Related episodes
Episodes covering similar topics
More from Ryan Holiday