To most people, Stoic philosophy doesn’t sound particularly exciting. It seems old, dry, and maybe like something only a tweed-wearing professor would read.
But Stoicism isn’t just for scholars. Ryan Holiday discovered it at 19. Tim Ferriss found it at 27. James Stockdale read Epictetus at 39. Their experiences show that Stoicism has no age limit and can be applied in countless ways.
Ryan Holiday
Ryan Holiday, author of The Daily Stoic, Ego Is The Enemy, and The Obstacle Is The Way, has introduced Stoicism to millions. But his journey started in college, thanks to Dr. Drew Pinsky. After attending a journalism summit hosted by Dr. Drew, Ryan asked for book recommendations. One of them was Epictetus—and the rest is history.
Since then, he’s read Marcus Aurelius’s Meditations at least 100 times, built The Daily Stoic community, written books and articles on the subject, and spoken at STOICON. Few have done more to bring Stoicism into the modern world—and it all started with a single book recommendation.
Tim Ferriss
If Ryan Holiday found Stoicism, Stoicism found Tim Ferriss. The author, podcaster, and entrepreneur discovered it during a difficult period in 2004, as he struggled with burnout from overworking. While looking for ways to reduce his stress, he came across a quote from Seneca:
We suffer more often in imagination than in reality.
Letters 13.4
That single line shifted his mindset. Since then, Tim has described Stoicism as a tool for making better decisions and handling high-pressure situations. He also practices premeditatio malorum—visualizing worst-case scenarios—to help manage fear and assess risk. His TED Talk breaks down this process in a way anyone can apply.
James Stockdale
Stoicism isn’t just for writers and entrepreneurs—it has been a lifeline for people in extreme situations. James Stockdale, a senior Navy pilot, was shot down over Vietnam in 1965. Fortunately, he had discovered Epictetus three years earlier.
“I met old Epictetus back in graduate school in 1962. It was my great luck; in fact, it was a fluke that put us together. My favorite professor gave me one of Epictetus’s books as a farewell present as I left to go back to sea.”
That “fluke” became his foundation. As he parachuted into enemy territory, he thought to himself:
“Five years down there at least. I’m leaving behind the world of technology and entering the world of Epictetus.”
During his brutal years as a prisoner of war—four of them in solitary confinement—Stockdale relied on Stoicism to survive. He focused on what he could control: his mindset and his will. This philosophy helped him lead his fellow POWs, and he was later awarded the Medal of Honor for his courage.
Even after his release, Stockdale stayed committed to Stoicism. As Nancy Sherman noted in Stoic Warriors: “Thirty-five years later, he still recites verses that were his salvation, his own words seamlessly blending into Epictetus’s, and Epictetus’s into his own.”
The Takeaway
You can start learning Stoicism at any age, in any situation, and at your own pace. Begin with one philosopher and see where it takes you. Like Ryan Holiday, Tim Ferriss, and James Stockdale, you might find that Stoicism changes your life.
