Start Doing The Right Thing Now with Ryan Holiday (#60)

Kevin Rose sits down with Ryan Holiday, a best-selling author and modern Stoic philosopher to discuss Stoic virtues, focusing on the importance of justice as a guiding principle for all other virtues. They discuss how individual actions, even small ones, contribute to a greater societal good. Ryan shares insights from his new book, Right Thing, Right Now, which is out June 11th, 2024. Ryan also explains how justice should be viewed as a verb, not a noun, and gives practical applications explaining why. Kevin and Ryan also speak on the challenges of modern information dissemination, audience capture, and maintaining ethical standards in business and personal life.

Guest Bio and Links:

Ryan Holiday is a writer and media strategist renowned for his stoicism and modern philosophy expertise. He had a successful marketing career at American Apparel. He later founded Brass Check, a creative agency that has advised high-profile clients like Google and bestselling authors such as Neil Strauss, Tony Robbins, and Tim Ferriss. Ryan is the author of twelve books, which have sold over two million copies in thirty languages.

Listeners can learn more about Ryan Holiday at his website, on IG @ryanholiday, and on YouTube @DailyStoic

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Show Notes:

(0:00) Introduction
(1:00) Plunge: Get $150 off the ultimate cold plunge ice bath
(2:45) DeleteMe: 20% off removing your personal info from the web
(5:30) Right Thing, Right Now out June 11th, 2024
(5:40) Series on the cardinal virtues
(6:30) Ryan’s inspiration for his latest book, Right Thing, Right Now
(9:00) Justice as a virtue
(12:26) Dram: Try the Kevin Rose Show sparkling drink sampler + 20% off everything
(13:45) Enjoy 30 Free Guided Meditation Sessions with The Way App
(15:30) Defining justice as a verb and its practical applications
(21:10) Harry Truman an example of fairness and justice in everyday decisions
(28:30) ‘Audience capture’ as an under-discussed problem
(30:40) “The decision to do what you think is important, even when it's going to be controversial or painful or cost you some money. I don't even think it's a choice for me. That's the obligation of art in any of the forms that you do it.” -R. Holiday
(41:00) Question: How do you further yourself? How do you start to embody more of these things over time and practice what you preach?
(44:30) Cost of success and the cost of ‘work-life balance’
(46:00) Question: Would you ever write a book on relationships?
(48:00) Breaking down societal assumptions
(52:20) Difference between a great man and a good one
(58:45) Amor fati
(1:03:00) Tribalism explained - politics being the example
(1:14:10) Takeaways from Right Thing, Right Now
(1:14:30) “Purpose of life is good character and then acts for the common good.” -M.Strelitz
(1:17:30) Twitter/X and closing thoughts