Even though the Stoic philosophy was created in ancient times, the lessons that Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus, and Seneca preached are still very relevant to this day.
“Give thyself time to learn something new and good, and cease to be whirled around,” Marcus Aurelius wrote in Meditations. For many people, Stoicism has been the philosophy that has prevented the 21st century from spinning them around. We live in crazy, complicated, confusing times. Some people allow the modern-day to whirl them around. But others have used Stoicism to crack the code and stop the freefall.
Here are seven of the most prominent, successful modern-day Stoics:
Michele Tafoya
- Career accomplishments:
- First women to call television play by play game of NCAA tournament game
- Gracie award for her play by play calling of WNBA games
- Sideline reporter for NBC’s Sunday Night Football since 2011
“I wish I had Stoicism in my life much earlier. It would have gotten me through some pretty tough times,” Tafoya said when asked about how Stoicism has helped her through difficult challenges.
Now a Stoic, Tafoya credits the ancient philosophy for helping her take a different perspective when faced with problems.
Pau Gasol
- Career accomplishments
- Number three overall pick by the Atlanta Hawks in 2001
- Six time NBA All Star
- Two time NBA champion
- Silver medalist at the 2008 and 2012 Olympic games
- Author of Bajo el aro
The Stoics believed that we should always have reminders. They thought that it was important to put reminders of greatness on display. Pau Gasol also believed that this was important.
“Athletes appreciate pointers and directions,” Gasol said to the Daily Stoic. “Quotes kind of hit home, as far as there’s a message, like ‘Pound the rock.’ As far as resilience, you just keep pounding the rock. That was a big one for the Spurs. Just keep pounding the rock. If you hit it a thousand times or two thousand times, you might not see a crack, but it’s that next hit, that next pound where the rock will crack.”
Gasol is also frequently partakes in the Stoic practice of reading.
Chris Bosh
- Career accomplishments
- 2021 inductee to the Basketball Hall Of Fame
- 11 time NBA All Star
- Two time NBA champion
- Gold medalist at the 2008 Olympic games
- Author of Letters to a Young Athlete
The Stoics believed that it wasn’t important what happened to us, but the only thing that mattered is how we respond. Chris Bosh also believes this.
“Sometimes, you are just gonna get beat up,” said Bosh. “How are you going to react? How are you going to be the one to challenge the way that you think? Are you going to get better? Or are you just going to sit around and complain.”
You can see Bosh talk to Ryan Holiday about Stoicism and his book, Letters to a Young Athlete here:
Ryan Holiday
- Career accomplishments
- Creator of Daily Stoic
- Author of Obstacle is the Way, Ego is the Enemy, Stillness is the Key, and many other successful books.
- Former director of marketing for American Apparel
If you have heard of Stoicism, you have surely heard about Ryan Holiday. If anybody can take credit for spreading the popularity of Stoicism through his writing, it is Holiday.
Holiday first encountered the Stoic philosophy when he was 19 years old when he picked up Meditations by Marcus Aurelius. Ten years and one hundred re-reads later, Holiday said, “To me, this is the greatest book ever written.”
Holiday continues to write about Stoicism on a freqent basis. His most recent book is titled Courage is calling, and it is all about the stoic virtue of courage.
Tim Ferris
- Career accomplishments
- Author of The 4-Hour Workweek, The 4-Hour Body, The 4-Hour Chef, and Tools For Titians
- Founder of the Tim Ferris Show
- Listed as one of Fourtune’s 40 under 40
Ferris has been a massive proponent of Stoicism for some time. He has called Seneca’s Letters from A Stoic his favorite writing of all-time, which is high praise coming from a published author.
Ferris has said that Stoicism is “a no-nonsense system designed to produce dramatic real-world effects. Think of it as an ideal operating system for thriving in high-stress environments.”
Pete Carroll
- Career Accomplishments
- Super Bowl champion
- Two time BCS National Champion
- Seven time Pac-10 champion
- 2003 Home Depot coach of the year
Being an NFL coach is stressful. Even more stressful when you make one of the most criticized play calls of all-time. This is the situation that Pete Carroll found himself in following the 2015 Super Bowl. And even though he didn’t get the desired result, Carroll reminded calm. He ignored all the outside noise. He continued to coach the same, sticking to the strategies that allowed him and his team to get all the way to the big game.
In doing this, Carroll embodied the Stoic philosophy.
Robert Greene
- Career Accomplishments
- Author of The 48 Laws of Power, The Art of Seduction, The 33 Strategies of War, The 50th Law, Mastery, and The Laws of Human Nature.
- Work has been featured in The New York Times, USA Today, CNN, The New Yorker, and many other reputable outlets.
Robert Greene is undoubtedly one of the best living authors. And the Stoic philosophy has had an impact on how Greene thinks and writes. “It’s just a beautiful philosophy,” Greene said.
Senca’s Letters From a Stoic was Greene’s first introduction to the Stoic philosophy. “I probably read this book for the first time when I was 23 or 24. I loved it. I carried it with me everywhere. That book has been with me, along with Machiavelli and a few others, and seeped into my brain for a long time.”