The Peter Attia Drive

#101 - Ryan Holiday: Finding stillness amidst chaos

Mar 27, 20 | 01:22:44

Ryan Holiday, bestselling author and author of Daily Stoic, discusses practical ways to find stillness and apply the insights of stoic philosophy in the midst of COVID-19 chaos. Ryan discusses the importance of taking back a feeling of control, the benefits of structure and routine, and the idea of being prepared for anything. We discuss:

  • Using times of adversity to evaluate and reflect how you’ve set up and prioritized your life [2:30];
  • What insights might the famous stoics provide amidst this COVID-19 pandemic? [8:15];
  • The possible consequences of the socially isolating nature of a pandemic (and why we need good leaders) [13:00];
  • Stoicism—what it means and how to apply it [18:45];
  • Lessons taken from the life of Winston Churchill—stillness, structure, routine, hobbies, empathy, forward thinking, and more [23:30];
  • Alive time vs. dead time—taking control of your time and making it count [38:45];
  • Auditing how the world (and its leaders) are handling the COVID-19 pandemic through the lens of stoic philosophy [44:15];
  • Asserting control and using routine to find stillness in an environment not conducive for it [52:15];
  • Why you should find a way to exercise, especially now [58:30];
  • How to find purpose during this time—goal setting, having a project to work on, and the benefits of keeping a journal [1:02:00];
  • What is Ryan most optimistic about and what is he most concerned about over the next few months? [1:08:45];
  • How can you follow Ryan’s work and messages about stoicism and stillness? [1:17:45].
  • And more.

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