| There was Nero. There was Vespasian. There was Tiberius and Caesar and Sulla and many others. The Stoics lived in the time of tyrants. They lived in a time of chaos and dysfunction and danger. They had real reasons to worry about their property being confiscated, about losing their job to an emperor or events, about being sent into exile. They knew all this was largely out of their control, but as we talked about recently, they understood they still possessed many things that could not be taken away—only given up. One of those things was their dignity and self-respect. Epictetus kept it even in slavery. Thrasea and Agrippinus kept it during the reign of Nero. But there is something else that we can possess in any situation—something not associated with Stoicism often enough—and that is happiness and joy. Why should a Stoic let the awfulness of the world make them feel awful? Why would we let someone else's darkness cast a shadow on our own life? When Marcus Aurelius spoke of getting revenge by "not being like that," this was partly what he was referencing. How do you defy the depressing times you live in? By not letting them depress you. How do you strike back against a cruel and deranged leader, how do you undermine a morally bankrupt regime? By being good and feeling good. By loving your children. By loving literature and art. By smiling to your neighbor. By helping a sick animal you find on the side of the road. By laughing—at the absurdities of the regime and at the absurdities of life. Don't let them touch your inner-citadel. No one can steal your happiness. No one can take your joy. This is ours to keep…or give up. Guard it fiercely, nurture it daily, and never surrender it to forces beyond your control.
This Week On The Daily Stoic Podcast: What if AI isn't replacing creativity, but expanding it in ways we've never seen before? Rick Rubin joins Ryan to discuss the mysterious nature of using AI throughout the creative process. They talk about what vibe coding is, why structure can unlock freedom, and revisiting ancient philosophy to uncover fresh insights.
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