Sharon McMahon, aka "America's Government Teacher", hosted Ryan on an Instagram Live to discuss his recent experience at the U.S. Naval Academy. Invited to speak on the topic of wisdom, Ryan was informed just moments before his lecture that it had been canceled due to his decision to address the removal of books from the Academy’s library. What was meant to be a conversation about wisdom quickly turned into a powerful lesson on censorship, free speech, and the challenge of living with virtue.

Sharon and Ryan talk about the importance of confronting history honestly, the controversy around books labeled “too woke,” and the scary implications of silencing ideas in places meant to shape future leaders.

After years as a high school government teacher, Sharon now runs the non-partisan, fact-based Instagram account @sharonsaysso and is the author of The Small and the Mighty.

Check out Sharon’s podcast Here’s Where It Gets Interesting and follow her on Instagram @SharonSaysSo and on X @Sharon_Says_So

Sharon's Substack: The Preamble.

🎙️ Listen to Sharon's episode on The Daily Stoic Podcast: Apple Podcasts, Spotify

📚 Grab a copy of The Small and the Mighty by Sharon McMahon at The Painted Porch: https://www.thepaintedporch.com

🗞️ Read Ryan Holiday's opinion piece in The New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/19/opinion/naval-academy-speech-censorship.html

🎥 Watch the talk that Ryan Holiday was supposed to give at The Naval Academy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcnE1-SClfg

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Wisdom in the Face of Censorship | Sharon McMahon and Ryan Holiday

The Daily Stoic