This Has Been Passed Down To Us

Remarkably, Seneca and Jesus lived nearly parallel lives. More incredible is just how much their teachings overlap. And it’s worth taking some time this Christmas morning to consider those similarities. The Daily Stoic New Year, New You Challenge is 3 weeks of ALL-NEW, actionable challenges, presented in an email per day, built around the best, most timeless wisdom in Stoic philosophy, to help you create a better life, and a new you in 2025. Why 3 weeks? Because it takes human beings 21 days to build new habits and skills, to create the muscle memory of making beautiful choices each and every day. Head over to dailystoic.com/challenge today to sign up.🎙️ Follow The Daily Stoic Podcast on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dailystoicpodcast🎥 Watch top moments from The Daily Stoic Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dailystoicpodcast✉️ Want Stoic wisdom delivered to your inbox daily? Sign up for the FREE Daily Stoic email at https://dailystoic.com/dailyemail🏛 Get Stoic inspired books, medallions, and prints to remember these lessons at the Daily Stoic Store: https://store.dailystoic.com/📱 Follow us: Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, TikTok, and FacebookSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. 📢 Share | ⚙️ Manage Subscription

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:03Ryan Holiday?

  Welcome to the Daily Stoic Podcast, where each day we bring you a passage of ancient wisdom designed to help you find strength, insight, and wisdom in everyday life. Each one of these passages is based on the 2,000-year-old philosophy that has guided some of history's greatest men and women. For more, you can visit us, dailystoic.com.

• 0:30Ryan Holiday?

  So why do they do it? Why do thousands of people all over the world sign up for the Daily Stoic New Year, New You Challenge? Maybe it seems crazy to you. Maybe it doesn't make any sense. It's like, oh, I could do without it. I could do it by myself. Well, I thought maybe I'd just let you hear it in their own words. Here are some folks that signed up for the Daily Stoic New Year, New You Challenge over the years.

• 0:52Speaker 01

  I'm really loving the challenge. And everyone I'm talking to about it's really kind of enjoying hearing about it. So I just want to say thank you for everything.

• 0:59Speaker 02

  This was a really cool way to start the year. Thank you. About three years ago, I discovered you. So I've been through ego is the enemy fairly recently. And of course, this year's challenge, I've been doing the challenge for three years.

• 1:12Speaker 03

  I'm kind of a real-life embodiment of some of the stuff my wife passed from cancer. But just learn that it's day-by-day process, kind of cliche. I have been reading the Stoics and participating in your challenges the past few years.

• 1:25Ryan Holiday?

  And look, I'll give you one testimonial on top of that. It's worked really well for me. I get something out of making the challenge, but I also do it alongside all of you. It's one of my favorite things. It kicks off the year right for me. So if you want to kick the year off right with a challenge, well, join us in the Daily Stoic New Year, New You Challenge. You can sign up right now at dailystoic.com/challenge. It's going to start on January 1st. Why don't you challenge yourself right now to stop procrastinating and do it? And I will see you in there.

• 1:58Ryan Holiday?

  Over 2,000 years ago, one of the world's greatest philosophers was born. He came of age under the Roman Empire and spread a message of kindness and mercy and doing one's duty. He taught millions how to live and how to die over the course of his life and his legacy, how to better themselves and treat their neighbors too. But eventually, this wisdom grew controversial, a threat to the state, and his death came at the hands of the centurions they sent for him. And yet, even during the very public agony and humiliation of his death, he asked his loved ones and followers to stay strong, to forgive the excesses of an emperor who did not know what he was doing. In those brave final moments, he immortalized himself forever.

• 2:43Ryan Holiday?

  This is the story of Jesus, who people all over the world celebrate today on Christmas. But just as well, this is the story of Seneca. Remarkably, Seneca and Jesus lived nearly parallel lives. Not only that, but they were born, according to many sources, in the same year. No one can confirm for certain the exact birth date for either, but it is indisputable that two of history's greatest philosophers walked the earth at the same time. More incredible is just how much their teachings overlap, and it's worth taking some time on this Christmas morning to consider those similarities. "Thou shall love thy neighbor as thyself." That's Jesus. "Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for kindness." That's Seneca.

• 3:25Ryan Holiday?

  "If someone strikes you on the right cheek, then turn to him the other also." That's Jesus. "It is a petty and sorry person who will bite back when he is bitten." That's Seneca. "We can rejoice too when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance, and endurance develops strength of character." That's Jesus. "Constant misfortune brings this one blessing, to whom it always assails it eventually fortifies." That's Seneca. "And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye but do not consider the plank in your own eye?" That's Jesus. "You look at the pimples of others when you yourself are covered with a mass of sores." That's Seneca.

• 4:07Ryan Holiday?

  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. That's Jesus. Two elements must therefore be rooted out once and for all. The fear of future suffering and the recollection of past suffering, since the latter no longer concerns me and the former concerns me not yet. That's Seneca. Ultimately, both these men lived on far beyond their deaths. According to Scripture, Jesus, he would rise from the dead after three days. And Seneca, through his writings, feels as alive to us as he would have to many Romans. So on this Christmas Day, we can simply marvel at this near miracle, that two wise men were alive at the same time and through their sufferings and teachings,

• 4:52Ryan Holiday?

  a great legacy has been passed down to us. Which one of them we choose to rely on most heavily is an individual decision. But that we should do something with their teachings, that's a gift we would all be wise to receive this Christmas. Anyways, Merry Christmas, everyone. I love putting this together, these Christmas messages every year. And it's been my privilege and honor to do this now every Christmas since 2016. Thank you for subscribing. Thank you for giving me the opportunity, giving me the platform, for making me better by allowing me to write this to you. I hope to see you all in the Daily Stoic New Year New Year Challenge, which is going to start in just a few days. You can join there at dailystoic.com/challenge.

• 5:36Ryan Holiday?

  And now I'm going to go be with my family and I hope you do the same.