A modern-day stoic has made an ancient greek philosophy hip and lucrative again – very lucrative

Save for later Philosophers don’t tend to sell out worldwide speaking tours, but Ryan Holiday is hardly your typical philosopher. The U.S.-based author of 12 bestselling books—who recently

wrapped up a tour of Australia, Europe and Canada—has helped turn Stoicism into a cultural phenomenon, spawning a cottage industry of books, podcasts and newsletters for people eager to

learn how to adopt the ancient philosophy of virtue and self-control in a turbulent world. 7 MILLION Followers Holiday has across YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and X. His posts

feature everything from his interviews to his all-time favourite books on leadership and more, plus insights into Stoic heavyweights such as Seneca, Epictetus and Matthew McConaughey.

Kidding about that last one, but you _will_ find several posts featuring the _Dazed and Confused_ star discussing Stoicism. Alright, alright, alright. 5 MILLION+ Books Ryan Holiday has sold,

in 40 languages. His breakout hit _The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living_ has sold more than two million copies since it was published in 2016.

It’s also spent more than 300 weeks on bestseller lists. BROICISM The pejorative term for dudes who think Stoicism is the cheat code to absolutely crush it, bro. A way to learn virtue and

self-control? Nah. As Holiday says: “If Stoicism is making you an asshole, you’re doing it wrong.” 75 Rough number of ancient philosophers associated with Stoicism, beginning around the

third century B.C. In addition to Seneca and Epictetus, this includes the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius—the most powerful man of the second century, who collected his private thoughts on

Stoicism in _Meditations_, arguably the most famous Stoic text in history. The book is now a consistent bestseller—nearly two millennia after it was written. As Stoic-in-action Arnold

Schwarzenegger says: “It is unbelievable to see how the emperor’s words have stood the test of time.” $465.5 MILLION Initial box office gross (in US$) for the 2000 blockbuster _Gladiator_,

which featured Richard Harris as Marcus Aurelius. Though Stoicism is never mentioned, the film’s star, Russell Crowe, pushed for Stoic themes to be woven into the film, which led to a sales

bonanza for _Meditations_. The 2024 sequel is built around Aurelius’s (fictionalized) grandson. Are you not entertained? $100 MILLION Lifestyle guru Tim Ferriss hasn’t built his entire

empire on Stoicism, but it has helped him amass that considerable net worth (in US$). Ferriss has written five _New York Times_ bestsellers, including _Tools of Titans: The Tactics,

Routines, and Habits of Billionaires, Icons, and World-Class Performers_. If you’re an entrepreneur, Ferriss claims he can show you how to use Stoicism to thrive. 42 Number of current

podcasts with the word “Stoic” in the title. Holiday’s _Daily Stoic_ has been downloaded more than 150 million times (with guests including Josh Brolin, Malcolm Gladwell, Patrick Dempsey,

Rupi Kaur and McConaughey). But there are plenty to choose from, whether it’s the bite-size segments in _Stoic Coffee Break_, the _Vegan Stoic_ or the youth-focused _The Gen Z Stoic_. Having

trouble guiding your team at work? There’s always the _Stoic Leadership_ podcast. ------------------------- SIX KEY STOIC PHRASES TO LIVE BY > The impediment to action advances action.

> — Marcus Aurelius IN OTHER WORDS: Embrace challenges if you want to learn and grow. ------------------------- > You have power over your mind, not outside events. Realize this, and

> you will find strength. > — Marcus Aurelius IN OTHER WORDS: You can’t control anything but your own feelings and reactions. ------------------------- > True happiness is to enjoy 

the present, without anxious dependence > upon the future. > — Seneca IN OTHER WORDS: Chillax. There’s no point worrying about the future—just live in the moment.

------------------------- > The key is to keep company only with people who uplift you, whose > presence calls forth your best. > — Epictetus IN OTHER WORDS: Ditch your doomsayer

buddies—they only drag you down. ------------------------- > Men are disturbed not by things, but by the view which they take of > them > — Epictetus IN OTHER WORDS: It’s not events

themselves that freak us out, but our own perception of those events. ------------------------- > Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few > wants. > — 

Epictetus IN OTHER WORDS: True wealth is being content with your life, not chasing money. ------------------------- _Your time is valuable. Have the Top Business Headlines newsletter

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