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The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations for Clarity, Effectiveness, and Serenity
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A beautifully packaged, gifty daily devotional of Stoic wisdom, from the author of The Obstacle is the Way.
Modern readers praise Stoic philosophy for its unique blend of practicality and wisdom. But it's admittedly hard for the average reader to decipher the Dover Thrift edition of Marcus Aurelius' work. The antiquated, needlessly formal language of most modern translatio ...more
Modern readers praise Stoic philosophy for its unique blend of practicality and wisdom. But it's admittedly hard for the average reader to decipher the Dover Thrift edition of Marcus Aurelius' work. The antiquated, needlessly formal language of most modern translatio ...more
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I’ve read this book already but i still read it everyday. It serves as a book vitamin to me.
❦ It helps me have a positive attitude when i’m feeling down.
❦ It gives me a whole a new perspective.
❦ It helps open my mind and help me understand things.
❦ It helps me find something positive in a negative situation.
❦ It just lifts me.
It may be short but i believe it still served its purpose.
These are just some of the things that this book did to me. I do hope it has the same effect on you. And aside fr ...more
❦ It helps me have a positive attitude when i’m feeling down.
❦ It gives me a whole a new perspective.
❦ It helps open my mind and help me understand things.
❦ It helps me find something positive in a negative situation.
❦ It just lifts me.
It may be short but i believe it still served its purpose.
These are just some of the things that this book did to me. I do hope it has the same effect on you. And aside fr ...more
Read it in just under 6 weeks, rather than a year. Some days are repetitive, but then again so is life, since lessons tend to be repeated until learnt. But as the conclusion says, theory is easy, practice is hard (and never-ending).
___
Stoicism in a nutshell: Virtue (four cardinal virtues of self-control, courage, justice and wisdom) is happiness, and it is our perception of things - rather than the things themsleves - that cause most of our trouble.
The three most essential parts of Stoic philoso ...more
___
Stoicism in a nutshell: Virtue (four cardinal virtues of self-control, courage, justice and wisdom) is happiness, and it is our perception of things - rather than the things themsleves - that cause most of our trouble.
The three most essential parts of Stoic philoso ...more
The meditations are so short that they cannot satisfy my daily thirst. However, because the texts are not tightly connected, "reading" quickly on one-go feels like drinking too many different beverages at the same time; soon you lose your feeling.
What this book did do is to re-awaken my interest in stoicism and my desire to go back to the actual texts, which are much more thoughtful and profound, and hence significantly more delightful. ...more
What this book did do is to re-awaken my interest in stoicism and my desire to go back to the actual texts, which are much more thoughtful and profound, and hence significantly more delightful. ...more
This was a really good collection of quotes from Stoic philosophers such as Seneca, Marcus Aurelius, and Epictetus and daily meditations from the authors Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman. I read two meditations a day from December 2016 to July 2017. I enjoyed learning from the wisdom of these philosophers who lived around 2,000 years ago and it amazes me that their words stand the test of time. Big takeaways from the book: Be good, accept the things you can control, realize that the outcome of
...more
It's perfect for it's purpose, a daily dip into stoic wisdom. Those who rated it one star are judging against a standard it's not attempting to meet. The author does not claim to give the best translations, only accessible ones.
I'm probably going to end up buying this and reading it daily for years.
For those looking for deep dives rather than a daily dip, read Long's translation of Meditations (or Hays for a version that's like having the author put his hand on his shoulder and advise you, whil ...more
I'm probably going to end up buying this and reading it daily for years.
For those looking for deep dives rather than a daily dip, read Long's translation of Meditations (or Hays for a version that's like having the author put his hand on his shoulder and advise you, whil ...more
Stoicism is an ancient philosophy. It asserts that virtue (meaning self-control, courage, justice, and wisdom) is happiness. To achieve virtue, and thus live happily, one must master the three Stoic disciplines: perceptions (how you see and understand the world), actions (how you act based on what you see), and will (how you feel when events are outside your control).
The Daily Stoic is an exercise guide, not a history of Stoicism. Its goal is to help you understand the three disciplines - percep ...more
The Daily Stoic is an exercise guide, not a history of Stoicism. Its goal is to help you understand the three disciplines - percep ...more
I am a fan of some of Marcus Aurelius' writing so I bought this book looking forward to discovering other ancient Stoic writers. Instead, I found mostly the interpretations of the editor with just small snippets from the Stoic greats. Sometimes it's hard to find the Stoic quotes amidst the simplistic and shallow commentary of the editor.
...more
Life changing. Reading it over. Every day. Every year.
In one pithy word: rudimentary.
What an affront to the great thinkers of ancient times. Each "daily meditation" is but a tiny drop of water splashing itself into the vast blue sea; nary an impact, nary a difference.
Would not recommend. ...more
What an affront to the great thinkers of ancient times. Each "daily meditation" is but a tiny drop of water splashing itself into the vast blue sea; nary an impact, nary a difference.
Would not recommend. ...more
This book is seriously life changing. I couldn't imagine my life without it. I'm on my second, going on a third (surely not the last one) loop.
...more
Been reading this precious for a year now and maybe i have read this twice. This indeed gave me perspective to silence the anxiety of the uncertainty especially during the pandemic. I am grateful instead of a lot of things that i can accomplish even just to wake up, clean, read and prepare something to eat.
I still read this book daily for this year. You cannot really become by just reading a book once.
I still read this book daily for this year. You cannot really become by just reading a book once.
I have to admit I wasn't reading this every day, I also started it in April, so I have missed a couple of months, I also skipped some days by just completely forgetting about this book, sometimes even weeks.
However, some of the quotes and analysis of them were quite relatable, sometimes even on the days I would read them. It's rather a flexible and open-minded approach, it is often fitting to your current situation, or one you once found yourself in, your experiences, etc.
Lots of them helped me ...more
However, some of the quotes and analysis of them were quite relatable, sometimes even on the days I would read them. It's rather a flexible and open-minded approach, it is often fitting to your current situation, or one you once found yourself in, your experiences, etc.
Lots of them helped me ...more
A life changing book that I read a page a day. I'm now on my second loop.
...more
I bought this book in hopes to get a modern take of stoic philosophy. The book is intended to start on January 1st which is slightly distracting but that's neither here nor there. Each passage has a snippet of a classic stoic philosopher and a few paragraphs on how that particular snippet can be implemented in modern life.
I personally don't particularly see eye to eye with how the authors choose to implement the philosophy. Without getting to political, there is a typical "American" / neolibera ...more
I personally don't particularly see eye to eye with how the authors choose to implement the philosophy. Without getting to political, there is a typical "American" / neolibera ...more
Gave up pretty quickly on this as the commentaries attached to each quotation are clearly geared to "high-octane, action-oriented" douchebros. Skip this and just read to the actual sources. To be fair, I should have looked up this Ryan Holiday asshole beforehand, and I wouldn't have bothered.
...more
I have read this book more or less with regard to the date as author originally intended – one piece of stoic wisdom per day. As one of the great stoic, Seneca, recommends – "Of all people only those are at leisure who make time for philosophy, only they truly live.", I tried to fill my days this year with some leisureliness by following the wisdom of Seneca, Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius, Musonius Rufus, and some other fellows from swollen times.
It is a very good idea by Ryan Holiday – a daily sm ...more
It is a very good idea by Ryan Holiday – a daily sm ...more
While I don't like the book format - I rarely read one page per day, the idea, cites, topic organization, and motivation are the great. The book contain easy to share phrases and short paragraphs of very concentrated examples of the idea behind.
I recommend it to everyone. ...more
I recommend it to everyone. ...more
Great book to reflect on important topics of life.
This is great to walk your way through the stoic philosophy and practice its teaching every day with a new reflection, if you practice doing the exercise and start really questioning your life and the world around you can benefit in ALL AREAS of your life focusing on the really important stuff and get rid of superficiality.
This is great to walk your way through the stoic philosophy and practice its teaching every day with a new reflection, if you practice doing the exercise and start really questioning your life and the world around you can benefit in ALL AREAS of your life focusing on the really important stuff and get rid of superficiality.
Mar 19, 2020
Owlseyes
is currently reading it
Recommends it for:
David Gustafson the calm man
Recommended to Owlseyes by:
Eerie things around you
"The greater the difficulty, the more glory in surmounting it. Skilful pilots gain their reputation from storms and tempests.”
Epictetus
(What about those who drown ...and sink?). Well, well,...keep serene. And keep a diary.
https://www.google.it/amp/s/amp.thegu...
(Be careful using BoJo's Stoic technique of negative visualisation)
We are all Stoics now... maybe:
https://asiatimes.com/2020/03/we-are-...
(And Taoists too??)
"We are waves of the same sea, leaves of the same tree, flowers of the same garde ...more
Epictetus
(What about those who drown ...and sink?). Well, well,...keep serene. And keep a diary.
https://www.google.it/amp/s/amp.thegu...
(Be careful using BoJo's Stoic technique of negative visualisation)
We are all Stoics now... maybe:
https://asiatimes.com/2020/03/we-are-...
(And Taoists too??)
"We are waves of the same sea, leaves of the same tree, flowers of the same garde ...more
Make your life worth living, face your fear of death!
Pop culture likes to lead you to believe that if you set your mind to anything, you can achieve it.
But you don't need to live too long to realise you don't have complete control over circumstances. You may have prospered yesterday and yet experience a reversal today.
So what is the one thing that's completely in your control? Your mind. And because you control your mind, you control your choices.
Even so, the consequences of those choices are ou ...more
Pop culture likes to lead you to believe that if you set your mind to anything, you can achieve it.
But you don't need to live too long to realise you don't have complete control over circumstances. You may have prospered yesterday and yet experience a reversal today.
So what is the one thing that's completely in your control? Your mind. And because you control your mind, you control your choices.
Even so, the consequences of those choices are ou ...more
I bought this book because I wanted a page-a-day morning meditation. Instead, I got this: flaccid, trite, ignorant, self-important "advice" with little comprehension of the classical philosophers. Feb 8 actually suggests that if someone is upset, you should taunt them sarcastically. Absolutely lacking in empathy and wisdom. Nothing of value here.
...more
One of the most important books in my life. I've just finished the last lesson and tomorrow Im going to start the book all over again. Plain, simple and powerful. I cannot relate to each lesson equally but I guess thats a personal thing, also it might change in time for any individual. I've also bought another copy of this book which I lend to my friends and family to try it out. Highly recommended.
...more
I have been reading a passage from this book each day (more or less) all year long. Each month’s worth of reading focuses on one aspect of Stoic philosophy, and each daily reading gives thoughts on that topic. Quotes from well-known Stoic philosophers start each passage for the day and then some text below that gives you something to think about and develop as you go through your day. It was an interesting year-long journey.
Started reading this with the new year and stopped today. It was frustratingly repetitive, with only 2 or 3 ideas said over and over again in different ways by different people.
This book is meant to be read one day at a time, but I couldn’t help but go through it over the course of a couple of weeks. Emotional stability is something that’s of the utmost importance if you want to make the best decisions in your life. I find that the stoic philosophy lends itself well to distancing yourself from other people’s behavior so that you truly focus on what’s in your own control.
For people who are very future-oriented like me, I think you’ll find that letting go of some of you ...more
For people who are very future-oriented like me, I think you’ll find that letting go of some of you ...more
This was the first book I began in 2018, and the last I finished. The one I read the most consistently, yet took all year to finish. The Daily Stoic is a collection of 365 entries, each with a long quotation from a Stoic philosopher and 1-2 paragraphs of explanation and analysis.
This is the first ‘daily wisdom’ book I have read. From 1 January to 31 December, I read each day’s entry. At times I fell 2 or 3 days behind, but almost never more than that. The habit held.
While I’m sceptical about th ...more
This is the first ‘daily wisdom’ book I have read. From 1 January to 31 December, I read each day’s entry. At times I fell 2 or 3 days behind, but almost never more than that. The habit held.
While I’m sceptical about th ...more
Couldn’t recommend this enough. This is one New Years resolution that I’ll be forever thankful I picked up. Over the course of the last year these daily devotionals have managed to change the way I look at the world ever so slightly and have opened my mind to a new life philosophy. I have a long way to go in my study of Stoicism (a philosophy based around never making it to the destination) but this served as a perfect primer, opening a door to other great works that I plan on tackling this year
...more
Dec 12, 2017
Steve
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
summary-read,
kindle
An excellent, practical series of meditations drawing on Stoic philosophy that guide everyday living in the modern world. Surprisingly relevant. Occasionally, the application of Stoic philosophy seemed to be drawing a long bow but, overall, beneficial advice. Much better than some of the saccharine advice given in some books of daily readings.
This started off promising. But the further I read, the more skeptical I became. And the skepticism was, at some point, accompanied by annoyance that ultimately escalated to the point of no return.
Ergo, DNF for two reasons.
First: I came to realize that stoicism just isn't for me right now. Maybe I would have been a believer 18 years ago, when I was a bright young thing majoring in philosophy because I believed that the answer to all problems -- mine, humanity's, the world's -- was rigorously a ...more
Ergo, DNF for two reasons.
First: I came to realize that stoicism just isn't for me right now. Maybe I would have been a believer 18 years ago, when I was a bright young thing majoring in philosophy because I believed that the answer to all problems -- mine, humanity's, the world's -- was rigorously a ...more
What the author has done is to compile quotes from great Stoics (mostly Marcus Aurelius, Seneca and Epictetus) and try to make it relevant to the common reader by making cringeworthy references to Chuck Palahniuk or other modern figures and extremely shallow commentary.
This book is probably meant for people who have never encountered Stoicism and would be a good start, but not for people already working towards Stoicism. Readers would do better to read Meditations or letters from a stoic instea ...more
This book is probably meant for people who have never encountered Stoicism and would be a good start, but not for people already working towards Stoicism. Readers would do better to read Meditations or letters from a stoic instea ...more
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Ryan Holiday is media strategist for notorious clients like Tucker Max and Dov Charney. After dropping out of college at 19 to apprentice under the strategist Robert Greene, he went on to advise many bestselling authors and multi-platinum musicians. He is the Director of Marketing at American Apparel, where his work in advertising was internationally known. His strategies are used as case studies
...more
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“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
—
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“BE RUTHLESS TO THE THINGS THAT DON’T MATTER “How many have laid waste to your life when you weren’t aware of what you were losing, how much was wasted in pointless grief, foolish joy, greedy desire, and social amusements—how little of your own was left to you. You will realize you are dying before your time!” —SENECA, ON THE BREVITY OF LIFE, 3.3b”
—
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