The Strong Stoic Podcast

After nearly two years away from the Stoic world, author and researcher Kai Whiting returns to share—candidly—what happened: sudden metabolic illness, becoming a father, career upheaval, a public rift, and rebuilding meaning from first principles. We talk attachment, grief, diet experiments, masculinity, work identity, and how to live the virtues when theory isn’t enough. In this episode: Breaking...

The Jedi sought to control their emotions. Luke Skywalker mastered them through compassion. In this episode, I explore how Star Wars reflects the core tension in Stoicism — the balance between discipline and humanity. We’ll examine Yoda’s flawed advice, the Jedi’s dogmatism, and why Luke’s compassion made him the most Stoic of them all.

We often think of monsters as creatures hiding under our beds. But real monsters walk among us — and sometimes, they are born of sickness, isolation, and the collapse of reason. In this episode, Brandon explores the story of Ed Gein , the real-life inspiration behind Psycho , The Texas Chainsaw Massacre , and The Silence of the Lambs . Through a Stoic lens, we look at what happens when a human bei...

An 18-year-old boy lies dying. When asked if he’s afraid, he simply says, “Yeah.” In this episode, I explore what that single word reveals about mortality, honesty, and the limits of Stoicism. From family stories of loss to Christopher Hitchens’ final writings, we look at the stark truth that no philosophy can soften: we will all die, and that’s okay to admit. Listen for a reflection on death, cou...

In this episode, I explore the idea that life is not about escaping problems but learning how to face them. We often think the grass is greener on the other side—that a new job, relationship, or lifestyle will free us from the struggles we face today. But in reality, every path comes with its own weeds. Drawing from Stoic philosophy, I break down why problems aren’t curses but gifts—opportunities...

In this episode, I revisit my recent conversation with Tim Ash on evolutionary psychology and take a deeper dive into its most cited facts. From sex differences in mate preferences to jealousy, pair bonding, and courtship rituals, these scientific findings describe human nature as shaped by our evolutionary past. But facts alone don’t tell us how to live. That’s where the Red Pill movement often g...

In this episode of The Strong Stoic Podcast , I share reflections from my recent two-week trip to Vietnam—my first time in Asia. Travel today is often portrayed as a flex on social media, but beneath the highlight reels lies a deeper opportunity: stepping outside your cultural bubble and immersing yourself in another way of life. I talk about how travel challenges assumptions we take for granted—w...

In this episode, I explore Epictetus’ challenge:  Can you gain wealth and possessions without losing your dignity, self-respect, and character? Drawing from  Enchiridion 24, I unpack the Stoic idea of detachment—why possessions so easily ensnare us, how loss reveals our attachments, and what it really means to see everything in life as borrowed, not owned. From backyard saunas to daily convenience...

Dating has never been more complicated. Between the rise of online apps, shifting cultural expectations, and the pull of red pill and feminist extremes, many people are left frustrated—or giving up altogether. In this episode, I sit down with Tim Ash, co-author of  Primal Dating, to uncover the evolutionary psychology beneath our modern mating struggles. We explore why men and women play by differ...

In this episode, I dive deep into one of Epictetus’s striking passages:  “As a target is not set up for the archer to miss it, so there is no intrinsic evil that exists in the world.” At first glance, it’s an odd way to phrase things—but hidden within is a Stoic lesson on victimhood, agency, and what it truly means to be free. We live in a culture that often glorifies the victim mentality, and whi...

In this episode of  The Strong Stoic Podcast, I sit down once again with Chuck Chakrapani, author of  The Power to Change: Stoic Strategies to Transform Your Life. Chuck shares practical wisdom on how Stoicism can be applied to modern problems—overthinking, fear, indecision, and the messy complexity of life. We discuss: Why most people struggle to change despite good intentions. The role of inner...

From the outside, my decision at work didn’t make much sense — it cost more time, more money, and even confused a few people. But it was the right call for the people involved. That’s justice in the Stoic sense — not just what’s legal, not just what looks efficient on paper, but what’s fair. In this episode, we explore justice as one of the four Stoic cardinal virtues, why it’s inseparable from wi...

In this episode, I dive into something I’ve recently experienced firsthand—what some might call overtraining, but what I’ve come to see as something deeper. Yes, I was pushing hard in the gym, but I wasn’t just tired—I had adapted so well to the constant pressure that I didn’t even notice the damage building up underneath. That got me thinking about how we do the same thing in life. When things ge...

In this episode, I’m joined by longtime friend and fellow philosopher Joshua Bertolotti—writer, father, and host of  Dying Every Day. We dive into what it really means to  know yourself, why emotional presence matters more than emotional distance, and how even rest can unearth hidden tension. Joshua opens up about decompressing after years in the military, the subtle art of relaxing  with intentio...

Each game strips away the veneer of civilization, exposing what lies beneath—fear, desire, ambition, and the will to survive. But true strength is not found in surviving by any means necessary. It is found in choosing virtue, even when the price is death. Recently, I’ve been watching Squid Game , catching up on the later seasons. While it’s been out for a while, the brutality and moral tension sti...

If there are no sages, what are we even aiming for? That was the quiet undercurrent flowing through my second conversation with Tanner Campbell, host of the Practical Stoicism podcast. We sat down not just to revisit Stoic ethics, but to tangle with a thorny but essential topic: how should a Stoic think about health and fitness? This isn’t just a theoretical question. As someone deeply invested in...

You may find yourself struggling with certain emotions or having poor reactions to things – anger, for example. You can treat the symptom. Meditation, anger management techniques, deep breathing. Marcus Aurelius had a long list of anger management tools, and using them isn’t a bad thing. But as a Stoic, you must dig deeper. You must ask: what is the underlying cause here? This podcast is listener-...

This summer has been, for me, the summer of beauty. What I mean by that is, this summer in my household, we have focused on making our home beautiful. Painting. Lawn care. Home decorations. Feng shui, if you will. It’s not that we were negligent of these things in the past—though you can listen to my earlier reflections on lawn care and decide for yourself—but this year, we’ve paid extra attention...

In this episode, we dive into the uncomfortable but necessary truth behind personal growth: you are not where you used to be, and you’re not yet where you want to be—you’re exactly where you are. Drawing on Stoic philosophy, Jungian psychology, and real-world examples like the gym, we explore the two types of gaps between who you are and who you want to become: the flaws you know about and the one...

“Show me that you have your principles in order, not that fortune is currently favoring you.” — Epictetus As we get older, life tends to get better in some ways—at least materially. One of the most obvious examples is wealth. Most of us, over time, tend to accumulate more of it. That’s no surprise: if you’re working, saving, investing, and generally being responsible, your financial situation like...

“Associate with people who are likely to improve you.”  - Seneca  In this simple yet powerful statement, Seneca offers a foundational truth of Stoic living. The idea isn’t just about socializing with the right crowd — it’s about deliberately surrounding yourself with people who bring out your best. In today’s language, we might call this the inner circle — a small group of trusted individuals who...

The Stoic tradition teaches that death is not to be feared but rather meditated on, accepted, and used as a tool for living virtuously. But what happens when death, once seen as inevitable and natural, becomes optional—perhaps even solvable? As science and technology evolve, the question is no longer purely hypothetical. More voices, like that of entrepreneur Brian Johnson, are challenging death a...

Viktor Frankl once wrote, “Those who cannot find a deep sense of meaning distract themselves with pleasure.” It’s a quote that resonates deeply within the Stoic tradition. The Stoics, much like Frankl, warned against the unmoderated pursuit of indulgence. Pleasure, entertainment, materialism—these things are not inherently wrong, but when used to fill a void of meaning, they become distractions. A...

As Stoics, we are called to play many roles in life, each with its own set of duties and responsibilities. These roles—whether as professionals, parents, partners, community members, or homeowners—shape our lives and define how we engage with the world. Yet, balancing these roles is a constant challenge. Sometimes, despite our best intentions, we fail to meet the demands of one or more of these ro...

“You know what, from my experience, what I found out? That God tests you to see how much of this you can take before you say, ‘Let’s just be finished with this.’ He wants to show you something. He wants to see how much you can take, how much you can handle of life. You say you love life? You want to live life? I’m gonna show you life. Life is beautiful, but you have to accept the good and the bad...