Overview of Learn To Ask This of Your Actions | Is Stoicism Compatible With Christianity?
This episode of the Daily Stoic Podcast opens with a practical Stoic lesson on habit formation: the Stoics didn’t leave behind a rigid rulebook, but they did repeatedly warn against common vices and stress the importance of self-awareness. Ryan Holiday emphasizes Marcus Aurelius’s advice to question every action — “Why are you doing that?” — and to begin that inquiry with your own behavior. The second half shifts into a live Q&A, touching on how young adults should spend their twenties, whether Stoicism fits with Christianity, why The Odyssey still matters, and what Marcus Aurelius may have taught us through the tragedy of Commodus.
Core Stoic Lesson: Watch Your Habits, Then Interrogate Them
The opening message is that Stoicism is less about abstract theory and more about noticing and correcting habits.
Stoic “don’ts” highlighted
The episode lists several behaviors the Stoics explicitly warned against:
- Complaining, even privately
- Pretending to be better than you are
- Overindulging in food or drink
- Talking more than listening
- Avoiding difficulty
- Defining yourself by possessions or clothing
- Hiding your true beliefs
- Going along just to fit in
- Overworking or becoming consumed by business
- Procrastinating
- Avoiding people you disagree with
- Sleeping too much
- Neglecting friendships
- Acting as if you have unlimited time
Main principle
The most important idea behind all of this is awareness. Musonius Rufus argued that people often act from habit rather than reason, and Marcus Aurelius’s remedy is to pause and ask:
“Why are you doing that?”
Ryan’s point is that Stoicism begins with honest self-examination, not performance.
Guidance for People in Their 20s
When asked how a 20-year-old should spend their energy, Ryan’s answer is simple: prioritize learning over optimization.
Advice for young adults
- Choose opportunities that teach you the most
- Look for experiences that expand your skill set and worldview
- Be willing to take jobs or roles where you’re not the best
- Accept being low on the totem pole if it accelerates growth
- Focus less on pay, status, or comparison with peers
Big idea
Your twenties should be about building a broad base of:
- Skills
- Knowledge
- Relationships
- Exposure to new ideas
Ryan frames this as a Stoic approach to wisdom: prepare yourself for future opportunities you can’t yet predict.
Stoicism and Christianity: Compatible or Conflicting?
Ryan strongly suggests the two are compatible and even complementary.
Why they fit together
- Both emphasize the same cardinal virtues:
- Courage
- Temperance/discipline
- Justice
- Wisdom
- Stoicism is not inherently atheistic
- Both traditions care about living well and becoming good
Important nuance
He notes that Stoicism and Christianity historically clashed at times, but that doesn’t make them mutually exclusive. In his view:
- Philosophy and religion both aim at the good life
- Stoicism can support Christian practice by reinforcing virtue and self-mastery
A Stoic lesson about acceptance
He also points out that if people don’t “get” Stoicism, that’s not really your problem:
- You can’t control whether others understand or approve
- The real question is whether it helps you grow
Why The Odyssey Still Matters
Ryan discusses why reading The Odyssey remains valuable, especially in light of a new movie adaptation and a classics book club.
Main reasons it endures
- It is a foundational myth for Western storytelling
- It changes meaning depending on when you read it
- It reveals different themes across life stages
Examples he gives
- As a parent, Ryan now notices Telemachus’s coming-of-age arc more than he used to
- His kids loved the Polyphemus episode, especially the “Nobody” joke, which still works thousands of years later
Broader takeaway
Great literature can be revisited repeatedly and still yield new insights. Ryan connects this to Stoicism’s idea that you don’t step into the same river twice — each reading gives you something different.
Marcus Aurelius, Commodus, and the Problem of Legacy
The final question asks what we can learn from Commodus, Marcus Aurelius’s son.
Ryan’s interpretation
- Commodus is often treated as a puzzle: how did such a great emperor have such a disastrous son?
- But the tragedy becomes more understandable when you consider:
- Marcus had many children
- Several died young
- He spent much of his reign away from home
- Commodus inherited power very young, with little preparation
Bigger lesson
Ryan argues that:
- Power tends to distort family life
- Being thrust into enormous responsibility at a young age is risky
- Marcus Aurelius was the exception, not the norm
- Commodus is a reminder that great leaders do not always produce stable heirs
Main Takeaways
- Stoicism is a practice of awareness, not just a philosophy of endurance.
- Before changing your life, examine your habits and ask why you do what you do.
- In your 20s, seek learning and growth over comfort, pay, or status.
- Stoicism and Christianity share core virtues and can reinforce each other.
- Great books like The Odyssey reveal new meaning each time you return to them.
- Marcus Aurelius’s story shows that power, loss, and family tragedy often shape history in messy ways.
Practical Applications
Questions to ask yourself
- Why am I doing this?
- Is this habit serving my character?
- Am I choosing growth or comfort?
- Am I spending time in ways that teach me something?
- What can I learn from this book, relationship, or responsibility right now?
Stoic action step
Start with one recurring habit you want to change and practice Marcus Aurelius’s test: Pause, observe, and ask why you’re doing it.