Welcome to the Daily Dad podcast where we provide one lesson every single day to help you with your most important job, being a parent.

I'm Ryan Holiday, and I draw these lessons from ancient philosophy, modern psychology, practical wisdom,

and insights from parents just like you all over the world.

Thank you for listening, and we hope this helps.

The biggest impediment to happiness in life, something that many of us picked up very early

in our lives. It's not a virus or a disease. It's not a bad habit or bad luck. It's much

simpler and sneakier than that. It's something that gets in the way of enjoying so many of life's

wonderful features, from sex to food, to trying new things, to losing yourself in the way of enjoying so many of life's wonderful features, from sex to food, to trying new

things, to losing yourself in the rhythm of music. It's shame. Shame is guilt's evil twin.

Where guilt is feeling bad about things you've done, shame is feeling bad for who you are,

for things about yourself that you don't control, having normal biological

urges, being uncoordinated, having unique artistic tastes, struggling with social cues, having

a limited palate or an extremely adventurous one.

There's almost no limit to the things about ourselves that we are capable of feeling shame over.

What's so tragic about shame, though, is that it doesn't come naturally.

Watch an innocent child play intently with their food or pretend completely to be a princess or a

dragon.

There isn't a whisper of shame to be heard, because they haven't yet been made to feel ashamed

about those things.

Shame is inherited. It's passed along so easily and so often by parents on the back of

cutting remarks, unnecessary judgments, and thoughtless choices. We've all experienced our

own version of this as kids ourselves, who hasn't had a parent

...