ben: if there was ever a time that the american spirit needed healing and redemption, it s now. in the last year, our nation was on the verge of self-destruction from political operative race riots and a disastrous pandemic, so as we maneuver through this dark time in our history, we turn to lessons of ancient philosophy is our guide. joining me now, author of lives of the stoics, ryan holliday. thanks for having me. ben: i was left talking to you because you bring such an amazing perspective on this important aspect of living. what are some of the lessons that we can take away from the history of the stoics that we should apply to today, coming out of this pandemic, facing some new challenges in the nation? it seems like a time we ought to turn back to their lessons. what are some of them? that s right. just as we are going through a plague and racial violence and