You’re Addicted To The Illusion of Control | Sebastian Junger (PT. 1)

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

🗓️ 26 November 2025

⏱️ 56 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

After you have faced death, you can’t believe what people care about online. In this episode, Ryan sits down with bestselling author and legendary war reporter Sebastian Junger. Sebastian talks about why he refuses to get a smartphone, how technology gives us the illusion of control, Ambrose Bierce, and the multiple times he was nearly executed as a war reporter.

Sebastian Junger is the #1 New York Times Bestselling author of The Perfect Storm, Fire, A Death In Belmont, War, Tribe, Freedom and In My Time Of Dying. As an award-winning journalist, a contributing editor to Vanity Fair and a special correspondent at ABC News, he has covered major international news stories around the world, and has received both a National Magazine Award and a Peabody Award. Junger is also a documentary filmmaker whose debut film "Restrepo", a feature-length documentary (co-directed with Tim Hetherington), was nominated for an Academy Award and won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance. He is also the founder and director of Vets Town Hall.

Follow Sebastian on Instagram @SebastianJungerOfficial and on X @SebastianJunger

Grab signed copies of Sebastian’s books Tribe, Freedom and In My Time Of Dying at The Painted Porch | https://www.thepaintedporch.com

🎥 Watch Sebastian Junger's first episode on The Daily Stoic Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kApbOu6bXt0

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Transcript

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