Do You Know The Favorite Of Your Favorite? | Ask Daily Stoic

The Daily Stoic

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Education, 694393, Daily Stoic, Society & Culture, Stoic, Stoicism, Self-improvement, Business, Stoic Philosophy, Philosophy, Ryan Holiday

4.6 • 4.7K Ratings

🗓️ 10 July 2025

⏱️ 16 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

It’s rather sad—almost sacriligeous—that more people don’t know who shaped Marcus’s philosophical worldview.

💡 We designed our How To Read Epictetus (A Daily Stoic Guide) as a personal field guide —part book club, part masterclass, part daily practice. It’s designed to help you not just read the words of Epictetus, but live them—to turn his timeless wisdom into real change in your own life and the lives of those around you.

And if you get the guide before July 26th, you’ll receive a private invitation to an exclusive LIVE Q&A with Ryan Holiday, where he’ll go deep on all things Epictetus, Stoicism, and how to apply these ideas right now, in today’s world. Head to dailystoic.com/epictetuscourse to learn more and get your book, guide, and bundle today!

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to the Daily Stoic Podcast, where each day we bring you a stoic-inspired meditation
0:11.7	designed to help you find strength and insight and wisdom into everyday life.
0:18.8	Each one of these episodes is based on the 2,000-year-old philosophy that has guided some of
0:24.2	history's greatest men and women to help you learn from them, to follow in their example,
0:33.0	and to start your day off with a little dose of courage and discipline and justice and wisdom.
0:40.3	For more, visit DailyStoic.com. Do you know the favorite of your favorite?
0:59.7	Marcus Aurelius is far and away the most famous of the Stoics, and this was true in the ancient world, and it's true today.
1:06.9	His statues dotted the houses of Romans across the enormous span of the empire.
1:12.2	It was put up in temples for display and honor, just as today he is tattooed on biceps and backs.
1:19.4	His wisdom was popular then, and today his meditations remains a bestseller,
1:25.2	1800 years after his death. He is not just many people's favorite
1:31.2	philosopher. He is, in many cases, the only philosopher they have even heard of. So it's rather
1:37.0	sad, you could say a sacrilege, that more people do not know who shaped Marcus Aurelius' philosophical worldview. Just as today, sometimes we
1:48.0	lament the fact that more people don't know your favorite rapper's favorite rapper. Not enough
1:53.5	people know their favorite philosophers, favorite philosopher. That is to say, not enough people
1:59.7	know Epictetus, the Greek slave whose philosophical
2:03.5	teachings were what made Marcus Aurelius into that philosopher king. So who was he? Who was
2:11.6	Epictetus? Your favorite philosopher's favorite philosopher? Well, he was born a slave in 55 AD in what is now modern day Turkey.
2:20.9	His very name in Greek just means acquired one. From nearly the moment of his birth, his life was not his own.
2:28.9	He was sold to a powerful member of Nero's court, and he endured brutality and cruelty. His leg was broken by punishment
2:37.0	or sadistic amusement, we don't know, and he walked with a limp for the rest of his life.
2:42.5	And somehow, despite this, his tenacity, his perspective, his sheer self-sufficiency would make
	...

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