The Daily Stoic – "This Will Make You Stupid | Ask Daily Stoic"

Host: Ryan Holiday
Date: December 4, 2025

Episode Overview

In this thought-provoking episode, Ryan Holiday explores how unchecked emotions can undermine even the most intelligent individuals, offering powerful Stoic tools for cultivating self-awareness and wisdom. The episode centers on the essential need to "pause and reflect"—to apply philosophical discipline amid emotional surges. The second half presents a candid Q&A from a CNN segment, where Ryan addresses the responsibilities of having a platform, pursuing wisdom in an age of information overload, and distinguishing perception from reality. These discussions directly reference Stoic philosophy, particularly the works of Seneca and Marcus Aurelius.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Danger of Unchecked Emotion ("This Will Make You Stupid")

• Controlling Emotions as a Hallmark of Intelligence:

  • Ryan asserts that intelligence means little without emotional regulation:

    "It doesn't matter how smart you are... If you can't control your emotions, you will be stupid."
    (01:00)

  • Excitement can blind, anxiety can distract, lust or envy can make one rash, and especially, anger is highlighted as uniquely destructive.

• Stoics and Emotion:

  • Contrary to misconceptions, Stoics have emotions but strive to layer self-awareness and wisdom atop them.
  • The core practice is to pause and reflect before reacting:

    "You have the emotion and then you have to ask yourself, is this helpful? You have the impulse and then you have to ask yourself, is this really the best idea?"
    (01:20)

• "Pause and Reflect" Medallion:

  • Ryan describes a physical talisman inspired by Stoic techniques: a medallion inscribed with “delay is the remedy” (from Seneca) and the alphabet (from the advice to Roman Emperor Augustus by Stoic philosopher Athenodorus).

    "...a physical reminder of the weight of your reactions... Seneca said, we want to catch ourselves in the mirror and see how silly and ridiculous or ugly we look when we're getting ourselves upset so we don't do anything stupid."
    (02:56)

  • The act of physically touching the coin is meant to ground a person, slow the reaction, and root them in wise self-restraint.

(Ad & Intro/Outro Content Skipped)

Q&A Segment: Stoicism and Wisdom in Modern Discourse

(Starts at 08:34)

The Responsibilities of a Platform

• Free Speech vs. Responsibility:
  • Ryan addresses the question of whether giving a platform to extremist views is acceptable, referring to the tension between free speech and active endorsement:

    "With power, with influence comes responsibility, and we're dealing with the consequences of a society where that seemingly basic premise is not shared by everyone."
    (09:16–10:01)

Seeking Truth in the Age of Disinformation

• Recency Bias and Historical Perspective:

  • Modern news consumption is critiqued for obsessing over the "latest," making it difficult to filter truth from speculation or propaganda.

    "We have a recency bias in most of our information diet... To make sense of the present moment, you have to root your understanding ... in history and truth."
    (10:36)

  • Cites Harry Truman:

    "The only thing new in the world is history that you don't yet know."
    (10:54)

• Wisdom Requires Work:

  • Ryan urges listeners to seek depth, not just immediacy, in information—rooting present knowledge in historical and philosophical context.

Perception, Mindset, and Self-Deception in Stoicism

• Stoic Perspective on Events vs. Opinion:

  • Stoicism insists events are objective; our opinions and emotional reactions are where freedom and discipline lie.

    "At the core of Stoic philosophy is this idea that events are objective and our opinions about them are not. Our responses about them is the important thing."
    (12:20)

  • Warns about the trap of delusional thinking or self-serving reframing:

    "You have the initial reaction, the initial emotion, and then you put that ... to the test. Is this healthy? Is this constructive? Is this based on anything real?"
    (12:30)

• Critical Evaluation of Reactions:

  • Quotes Stoic advice that a philosopher, like a money-changer testing a coin, must test ideas and reactions for authenticity:

    "The Stoics said that a great philosopher could tell the way a money changer, by banging a coin on the table, can hear if it's real or counterfeit."
    (13:10)

  • Emphasizes this is ever-more vital in a world rife with AI, deepfakes, and engineered outrage.

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• On Emotional Control:

  "If you can't control your emotions, you will be stupid."
  (01:00)

• On Responsibility of Influence:

  "...what are you doing with your platform and your audience? Who are you endorsing, co-signing by putting them in front of millions of people?"
  (09:22)

• On Finding Truth:

  "To be able to make sense of what's happening...you have to root your understanding...in history and truth."
  (10:36)

• On Stoic Reframing:

  "At the core of Stoic philosophy is this idea that events are objective and our opinions about them are not. Our responses about them is the important thing."
  (12:21)

• On Testing Reactions:

  "A great philosopher could tell [real ideas from fake] the way a money changer, by banging a coin on the table, can hear if it's real or counterfeit."
  (13:10)

Memorable Moments

• Ryan describing the medallion as a mind-body tool: The weight of the medallion is compared to the weight of our reactions, making philosophical reflection tangible. (02:56–03:20)
• Candid talk about the stress of live television, and praising CNN host Boris Sanchez for his own composure: A meta-moment where Stoic practice is modeled in real-world, high-pressure contexts. (07:23–07:58)
• Emphasis on pausing before reacting to headlines, especially those designed to trigger emotions.

Important Timestamps

• 00:56–03:20 — Emotional control, the Pause & Reflect medallion, and practical Stoic self-interrogation.
• 08:34–10:05 — CNN interview: platforming hate vs. free speech responsibilities.
• 10:36–11:45 — Navigating truth, disinformation, and the importance of a historical perspective.
• 12:20–13:35 — Stoic framing: objectivity, reframing, and critical evaluation of emotional responses.

Episode Tone & Language

Ryan’s language is measured, direct, and laced with metaphor—blending ancient wisdom and modern, practical advice. The tone is earnest, engaging, and inviting listeners to practical application, not just abstract thought.

Summary Takeaway

This episode stands as a compelling case for practicing self-restraint and rigorous philosophical reflection in the face of emotion and information overload. Ryan Holiday challenges listeners to pause, think, and maintain perspective—echoing the enduring guidance of the Stoics. In an age where reactionary thinking is amplified and deepfakes abound, cultivating the rare discipline of pause, inquiry, and historical grounding is, as the episode affirms, the true work of wisdom.