These are very sensible remarks. There's certainly a role for the dichotomy between exoteric and esoteric presentations. Philosophy for popular consumption might have to be stripped down. It's the same with science, so purists might seem pompous in lamenting the oversimplification.

But if I thought Holiday was only simplifying Stoicism for popular consumption, I wouldn't have such a problem with his project. The problem is that he's assimilating Stoicism to neoliberalism, to add to the latter's prestige, to make it seem like egoistic consumerism has ancient backing. This isn't accidental oversimplification on Holiday's part, but targeted, cynical, tawdry manipulation.

I get it though: we inevitably alter the source of our information in our mind just by interpreting it and understanding it in our way. Stoicism is long gone, so why not take from it what we can, if we find something useful in it? If that were the humble, pragmatic attitude on Holiday's part, again it wouldn't be so problematic. But he presents himself as a Stoic guru. There's something off-putting about marrying Stoicism to self-help sleaze.