Modern WisdomOct 1, 2020

#226 - Ryan Holiday - Taking Wisdom From The Lives Of The Stoics

Summary, books mentioned, transcript quotes, and timestamps for #226 - Ryan Holiday - Taking Wisdom From The Lives Of The Stoics on Modern Wisdom.

Guest: Ryan Holiday

Notable books mentioned: Lives of the Stoics by Ryan Holiday, Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, Letters of a Stoic by Seneca, Stillness is the Key by Ryan Holiday

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Lives of the Stoics

Ryan Holiday

The host mentions 'Lives of the Stoics' to provide a deeper understanding of Stoicism by exploring the historical context in which its philosophers…

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Mentioned at 3:20

Meditations

Marcus Aurelius

The host discusses the enduring relevance of Stoicism, particularly through the lens of Marcus Aurelius's 'Meditations', which was written during t…

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Mentioned at 3:47

Letters of a Stoic

Seneca

The host discusses the resurgence of Stoicism in contemporary society, highlighting its relevance during challenging times. He mentions Seneca's 'L…

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#226 - Ryan Holiday - Taking Wisdom From The Lives Of The Stoics

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#226 - Ryan Holiday - Taking Wisdom From The Lives Of The Stoics mentions Lives of the Stoics by Ryan Holiday, Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, Letters of a Stoic by Seneca, and Stillness is the Key by Ryan Holiday with timestamps, quotes, and episode context.

Lives of the Stoics Meditations Letters of a Stoic Stillness is the Key

Guest: Ryan Holiday

Episode summary

Ryan Holiday is a marketer and an author. Stoicism is the hot new girl in school. Increasingly we're being exposed to the lessons of ancient Athens 2000 years ago but without the context of knowing the lives that these philosophers lived, our insights can hit a ceiling. Expect to learn Ryan's 3 favourite stoics of all time, why the stoic writings still sound so relevant today, why ancient Athens was an ideal place for philosophy but an awful place to live, what the stoics would be most upset by in modern society and much more...

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Summary, books mentioned, transcript quotes, and timestamps for #226 - Ryan Holiday - Taking Wisdom From The Lives Of The Stoics on Modern Wisdom.

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The conversation centers on happiness and contentment.
A second recurring theme is modern popularity of Stoicism.
Referenced books include Lives of the Stoics by Ryan Holiday and Meditations by Marcus Aurelius.
The strongest audience signal points to Individuals interested in philosophy and personal development and Readers interested in philosophy and historical context.

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happiness and contentment(2)modern popularity of Stoicism(1)philosophy and history(1)race and literature(1)Stoicism and its relevance(1)Stoicism and modern relevance(1)value of classic literature(1)

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Deep Dive(7)Highly Recommended(1)

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Individuals interested in philosophy and personal developmentReaders interested in philosophy and historical contextReaders interested in philosophy and personal developmentReaders interested in understanding race and cultureIndividuals seeking deeper understanding of happiness and dissatisfactionIndividuals interested in psychology and personal development

Books Mentioned

Lives of the Stoics

Ryan Holiday

Best for Individuals interested in philosophy and personal developmentOften cited around Stoicism and its relevance

“Ryan discusses his new book, 'Lives of the Stoics', which explores the lives and teachings of Stoic philosophers.”

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Sentiment: Deep Dive

Trigger: Stoicism and its relevance

For: Individuals interested in philosophy and personal development

Key quote: “I really think that it adds another layer of nuance and insight into what we can gain from the Stoic philosophy by understanding the world that it came from.”

The host mentions 'Lives of the Stoics' to provide a deeper understanding of Stoicism by exploring the historical context in which its philosophers lived. This context adds nuance to the teachings of Stoicism, making it more relatable and applicable to modern life.

ASIN: B085Q1TRHC

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Meditations

Marcus Aurelius

Best for Individuals interested in philosophy and personal developmentOften cited around Stoicism and modern relevance

“The excerpt mentions Marcus Aurelius's book 'Meditations', highlighting its relevance and how it was written for himself rather than for publication.”

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Sentiment: Deep Dive

Trigger: Stoicism and modern relevance

For: Individuals interested in philosophy and personal development

Key quote: “Marcus Aurelius is writing meditations during the Antonine Plague.”

The host discusses the enduring relevance of Stoicism, particularly through the lens of Marcus Aurelius's 'Meditations', which was written during the Antonine Plague. This context highlights how Stoic philosophy can provide insights into contemporary challenges, such as those faced during the COVID-19 pandemic.

ASIN: B0C485XH2L

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Letters of a Stoic

Seneca

Best for Individuals interested in philosophy and personal developmentOften cited around modern popularity of Stoicism

“Seneca's writings are referenced, specifically 'Letters of a Stoic', which are letters he wrote to his friend Lucilius.”

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Sentiment: Deep Dive

Trigger: modern popularity of Stoicism

For: Individuals interested in philosophy and personal development

Key quote: “Letters of a Stoic letters from a Stoic is really Seneca writing to his friend Lucilius.”

The host discusses the resurgence of Stoicism in contemporary society, highlighting its relevance during challenging times. He mentions Seneca's 'Letters of a Stoic' as an example of how Stoic philosophy addresses real human problems in an accessible manner.

ASIN: 1119751357

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Stillness is the Key

Ryan Holiday

Best for Readers interested in philosophy and historical contextOften cited around philosophy and history

“Ryan mentions his book 'Stillness is the Key' in relation to a story about Seneca.”

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Sentiment: Deep Dive

Trigger: philosophy and history

For: Readers interested in philosophy and historical context

Key quote: “I actually opened stillness, you know, stillness is the key with this sort of story that Seneca writes in one of his letters, you know, he's sitting in this sort of apartment in Rome, and he's trying to write, and he's just describing like, the worst noise you can imagine, right?”

The host mentions 'Stillness is the Key' to illustrate the chaotic environment of ancient Rome as described by Seneca, contrasting it with modern perceptions of the past. This reference serves to highlight the importance of finding stillness amidst the noise of life, both in historical context and today's world.

ASIN: B07QR7LMXR

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The Daily Stoic

Ryan Holiday

Best for Readers interested in philosophy and personal developmentOften cited around value of classic literature

“The reason that book worked is that, you know, obviously there was some sort of organizational innovation there. But the reason that book has sold a million copies is because it was vetted by millions of people.”

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Sentiment: Deep Dive

Trigger: value of classic literature

For: Readers interested in philosophy and personal development

Key quote: “The reason that book worked is that, you know, obviously there was some sort of organizational innovation there.”

The host discusses the importance of classic ideas and philosophies, particularly stoicism, in contrast to modern trends. He mentions 'The Daily Stoic' as a way to access timeless wisdom through daily quotes, emphasizing its historical significance and enduring relevance.

ASIN: 0735211736

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Invisible Man

Ralph Ellison

Best for Readers interested in understanding race and cultureOften cited around race and literature

“Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man is one of the greatest novels ever written. You can read Frederick Douglass. You can go directly to the source in a lot of these instances and learn so much more.”

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Sentiment: Highly Recommended

Trigger: race and literature

For: Readers interested in understanding race and culture

Key quote: “Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man is one of the greatest novels ever written.”

The host emphasizes the importance of reading classic literature to understand contemporary issues, particularly around race. He highlights Ralph Ellison's 'Invisible Man' as a profound work that offers deeper insights than many modern books on the subject.

ASIN: 0679732764

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Why Buddhism is True

Robert Wright

Best for Individuals seeking deeper understanding of happiness and dissatisfactionOften cited around happiness and contentment

“I don't know if you're familiar with Robert Wright's book, Why Buddhism is True. In that he talks about the translation of life is suffering and the word is dukkha.”

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Sentiment: Deep Dive

Trigger: happiness and contentment

For: Individuals seeking deeper understanding of happiness and dissatisfaction

Key quote: “In that he talks about the translation of life is suffering and the word is dukkha, but some scholars contest that it's not suffering, but unsatisfactoriness.”

The host mentions Robert Wright's book 'Why Buddhism is True' to explore the concept of dukkha, or unsatisfactoriness, and its relation to happiness. This idea resonates with the discussion on how societal pressures and achievements often lead to a sense of dissatisfaction rather than fulfillment.

ASIN: 1439195463

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The Moral Animal

Robert Wright

Best for Individuals interested in psychology and personal developmentOften cited around happiness and contentment

“He wrote a great book called The Moral Animal. Dude, everyone that's listening, there we go. That's Moral Animal bingo for you today.”

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Sentiment: Deep Dive

Trigger: happiness and contentment

For: Individuals interested in psychology and personal development

Key quote: “And holy shit, man, when I read that, I just thought it fits in so neatly with everything that we know about hedonic adaptation and the present self versus the remembering self.”

The host mentions 'The Moral Animal' to highlight the connection between evolutionary psychology and the pursuit of happiness. They emphasize how understanding concepts like dukkha can reshape our views on satisfaction and achievement in life.

ASIN: B003VXI8DO

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