The Daily Stoic — "Do You Have One Of These?"

Host: Ryan Holiday
Date: November 19, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Ryan Holiday explores the concept and lifelong value of the commonplace book—a personal collection of quotes, anecdotes, and ideas gathered from reading and experience, used by thinkers from Marcus Aurelius to Anne Frank. He explains how keeping such a book has shaped his own work, including The Daily Stoic itself, and argues for its importance in creative and intellectual life.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Unoriginal Genius of Meditations

• [01:31] Ryan opens by highlighting that Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations is remarkable not for its originality, but for its assembly of wisdom borrowed from others.
  • "It's largely made up of short quotes and passages from other writers. ... In a way, Meditations is really Marcus Aurelius' commonplace book, a place where ... lovers of books and ideas have collected observations, quotes, ideas, diary entries, and anecdotes that they wanted to preserve." — Ryan Holiday [02:05]

The Legacy of Commonplace Books

• [03:00] Many great thinkers have kept similar collections:
  • Goethe: "A collection of anecdotes and maxims is the greatest treasure for a man of the world."
  • Montaigne: His Essays read as if "torn directly from his commonplace book."
  • Emerson: Called his journals his "savings bank"; many great ideas began there.
  • Anne Frank: Filled her diary with passages that moved her.
• These collections keep wisdom close at hand for both daily life and moments of crisis.

Personal Application: The Foundation of The Daily Stoic

• [03:46] Ryan describes how his own 4x6 note cards—filled with quotes, ideas, and stories—are the building blocks of The Daily Stoic books, emails, and podcasts.
  • "Look, The Daily Stoic itself would not exist without my habit of collecting stories and quotes and ideas on 4x6 note cards, which I learned how to do as a research assistant." — Ryan Holiday [03:53]
  • "Every one of those cards is a story, a quote, a lesson, a moment. I wrestled with an insight. Those cards become chapters, those chapters become books." — Ryan Holiday [04:05]

The Value of Not Starting from Zero

• [04:23] Ryan explains that, for any creative or problem-solving endeavor, we almost always draw on things we've seen, read, or heard before. The key is having them accessible.
  • "We should never be starting from zero. ... The question is, will we remember it? Will we have access to it?" — Ryan Holiday [04:33]

The Invitation to Keep Your Own

• [04:41]
  • "So, whether it's in a journal like Marcus, a diary like Anne Frank, or index cards like me, you should keep a commonplace book so that in the end it can keep you." — Ryan Holiday [04:46]

New Book Announcement

• [04:50] Ryan briefly notes his new book Wisdom Takes Work includes a chapter on the power of keeping a commonplace book and of journaling in general.
  • "I'm really proud of this new book. It's out now, thanks to everyone who's been supporting it." — Ryan Holiday [04:57]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “You shouldn’t give circumstances the power to rouse anger, for they don’t care at all.” — Quoting a lost line from Euripides [02:15]
• “Whether we’re beginning some creative work or we’re trying to solve some complex problem, we should never be starting from zero.” — Ryan Holiday [04:25]
• “So whether it’s in a journal like Marcus, a diary like Anne Frank, or index cards like me, you should keep a commonplace book so that in the end it can keep you.” — Ryan Holiday [04:45]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:31] — Meditations as a commonplace book; assembling wisdom from others
• [03:00] — Legacy and examples of commonplace books through history
• [03:46] — How The Daily Stoic is built on Ryan's own note-card commonplace
• [04:23] — The value of drawing from what you’ve collected; not starting from zero
• [04:41] — The invitation: how and why to start your own commonplace book
• [04:50] — Mention of new book and further reading on the topic

Conclusion

Ryan Holiday closes with a practical call to action: start your own commonplace book. Whether it's a journal, diary, index cards, or digital notes, the practice will enrich both your creative life and your ability to handle life's challenges — just as it did for history's greatest thinkers.