How to STOP Living in Fear and Find Your Purpose in Life | Ryan Holiday : 1236
The Human Upgrade with Dave Asprey
Dave Asprey
4.6 • 7.3K Ratings
🗓️ 26 December 2024
⏱️ 79 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Fear is quietly running your life—and it’s holding you back from the purpose and success you deserve. In this episode, we revisit Dave chatting with one of the keynote speakers for the Biohacking Conference 2025, Ryan Holiday, the bestselling author of Courage Is Calling, to tackle the one thing standing between you and your potential: fear.
Why should you listen? Because fear is the root cause of procrastination, self-doubt, and the endless excuses that keep you stuck. Ryan reveals why courage isn’t just about bravery—it’s about making the hard choices that align with your purpose, even when the stakes are high.
Drawing on powerful examples from history and modern life, Ryan explains how fear can be transformed into a catalyst for action and why embracing discomfort is the key to unlocking true freedom. If you’ve ever felt paralyzed by uncertainty, this episode will give you the tools and perspective to take control, face your fears, and create the life you’re meant to live.
Why This Episode Matters:
• You’ll discover how fear sneaks into your decisions—and how to stop it
• Learn why courage is the ultimate skill for success and fulfillment
• Get actionable advice to break through self-imposed limits
• Understand the psychology of fear and how to use it as fuel
• Hear real-life stories of people who overcame fear to achieve greatness
Resources:
2025 Biohacking Conference – https://biohackingconference.com/2025
Ryan Holiday’s Website – https://ryanholiday.net
Daily Stoic Website – https://dailystoic.com/
Ryan Holiday’s Book: Courage Is Calling – https://a.co/d/czEfCXC
Ryan Holiday’s Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/ryanholiday
Danger Coffee – https://dangercoffee.com
Dave Asprey’s Website – https://daveasprey.com
Dave Asprey’s Book: Smarter Not Harder – https://daveasprey.com/books
Dave Asprey’s Linktree – https://linktr.ee/daveasprey
Upgrade Collective: Join The Human Upgrade Podcast Live – https://www.ourupgradecollective.com
Own an Upgrade Labs – https://ownanupgradelabs.com
Upgrade Labs – https://upgradelabs.com
40 Years of Zen – Neurofeedback Training for Advanced Cognitive Enhancement – https://40yearsofzen.com
Sponsors
-Zbiotics | Go to https://zbiotics.com/DAVE for 15% off your first order.
-Pendulum | Go to https://pendulumlife.com/ and use code Asprey20 for your first month of GLP-1 or any Pendulum formula.
Timestamps:
• 00:00 – Intro
• 00:44 – Discussing Ryan Holiday’s Work
• 02:37 – The Concept of Courage
• 08:09 – Fear and Courage in History
• 12:41 – Stoic Philosophy and Modern Applications
• 21:50 – The Four Virtues and Their Interrelation
• 28:39 – Challenges in Admitting Mistakes
• 35:21 – Navigating Business Risks During a Pandemic
• 36:44 – The Essence of Courage in Business and Life
• 37:03 – Reed Hastings and the Duality of Courage
• 40:06 – Moral Courage: Lessons from History
• 43:35 – The Debate on Mandates and Personal Freedom
• 45:22 – Balancing Public Health and Individual Rights
• 58:29 – The Role of Responsibility in Society
• 01:09:01 – The Importance of Intellectual Courage
• 01:12:04 – Reaching Audiences in a Noisy World
• 01:13:27 – Final Thoughts and Encouragement
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | What you're about to watch are early episodes of the human upgrade that I uncovered for you. |
| 0:05.6 | So these are conversations with friends before they became podcasters, guys like Andrew Huberman, |
| 0:10.6 | even Tim Ferriss. |
| 0:12.0 | Let me know who else you think I should interview in the comments, because when I know what you want to know, |
| 0:16.9 | I'm going to get it for you. It's all about being a better human being. |
| 0:20.6 | Subscribe now to be the first to know when a new episode comes out. |
| 0:26.1 | You're listening to The Human Upgrade with Dave Asprey. |
| 0:32.3 | On today's show, one of my most favorite authors is joining us. And there are different kinds of authors. No, this is not |
| 0:41.6 | a Neil Stevenson writing a cyberpunk book. This is Ryan Holliday, who is seriously nails it |
| 0:49.8 | with books and writes at a speed and just a prolificness that I don't understand. |
| 0:55.6 | If he read Superhuman, you know that I was reading his daily stoic with my son in the sauna |
| 1:02.5 | every morning. |
| 1:04.0 | And I quoted some of his translations of ancient Greek philosophy as part of my anti-aging |
| 1:09.5 | theory. |
| 1:10.5 | And so that's how much I like Ryan's books. |
| 1:13.3 | And just his thinking has been, I think, affecting many, many people in society. |
| 1:19.0 | And he's got a book about something that I'm completely opposed to, and that is called |
| 1:24.5 | courage. |
| 1:25.6 | Because right now, if you would just set down your courage and allow yourself to be controlled by a central AI algorithm, wouldn't you be safer? |
| 1:34.2 | Okay. |
| 1:34.9 | There might be some sarcasm there. |
| 1:37.5 | Ryan, my friend, welcome back on the show. |
... |
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