Are You Allowed To Cry?

A Stoic is invulnerable. A Stoic is tough. A Stoic is emotionless. A Stoic can't cry...right? You’re only human. So be human and let yourself feel.💡 Take the first step towards a calmer future by signing up for the course: Taming Your Temper: The 11 Day Stoic Guide to Controlling Your Anger at the Daily Stoic Store: https://dailystoic.com/anger✉️ 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?

  Are you allowed to cry? A Stoic is invulnerable. A Stoic is tough. A Stoic is emotionless. A Stoic doesn't can't cry, right? Well, Marcus Aurelius sure seemed to think otherwise. Here we have him weeping over the death of a beloved tutor. Here we have him breaking down at the thought of becoming emperor. Here we have him crying over the loss of so many during the plague. Here we have him tearing up at the assassinated body of his rival, Avidius Cassius, mourning the murdered opportunity to grant the man clemency. The point is, Marcus Aurelius didn't see any contradiction with these shows of emotion. He didn't think it was unmanly to be sad or to mourn. In fact, the only time we do have Marcus Aurelius talking about an emotion not being manly is in reference to losing

• 1:13Ryan Holiday?

  your temper. Besides that, the Stoics would say, "It's okay to let it out. Don't feel bad if that's what you need." Life can be a pressure cooker at times. And like an actual pressure cooker, you've got to hit the release valve every so often so the whole thing doesn't explode in your face. You are only human, so be human, not just once, but all the time. And let yourself feel.