Stoicism for a Better Life

We exist in these bio-suits we call bodies, and these vessels come with prebuilt survival mechanisms. Some are physical  (e.g. you flinch when something is thrown at you without thinking about it) and others are psychological (e.g. emotions). Emotions are precoded in our genes and have helped our ancestors survive. But in our modern-day and age they are outdated. We can't get rid of the emoti...

Being wrong is the BEST! I know, I know, as a society we hate to admit we are wrong. This is no surprise given that we are pitted against one another and goated to outdo the competition (i.e. our fellow human beings). But in reality, we are always wrong. And being wrong is the best because it gives us an opportunity to improve ourselves. How can we be better without identifying something that is w...

We are social animals with a capacity for reason. If virtue is working towards the betterment of humanity, then building relationships with our fellow cosmopolitans becomes a necessity. If we want to lead by example, if we want to share our knowledge with the most number of people and if we are looking to enjoy this journey we’re on called life, we should work actively to try and make new friends...

No matter what you're pursuing in life, the ultimate cost is time. Given that time is the ultimate resource we have and that it is the only resource we cannot replenish, we should take the time to think rationally about how we spend our time. Make a conscious effort to spend your time wisely in the most value-added way possible.

Being busy is a siren call we all fall prey to. But being busy does not mean we are being productive. And being productive without a goal, purpose or plan is does not necessarily mean we are being virtuous or that we are living a good life worthy of living. Take a moment to objectively and consciously identify what's truly important to you in your life right Here and Now.

Whether introverted or extraverted, we are all guilty of dodging social gatherings sometimes. Whether we look for excuses to leave early, cancel at the last minute, or avoid them altogether, we all too often pass up on an opportunity to cultivate our relationships. Epictetus reminds us this is a reaction of our primitive minds...not us. Especially today, it is still possible to interact with peopl...

We are all aware of the perils of social media, but we can also acknowledge it can be a great and powerful tool. So avoiding social media would not be a good choice, we have much to benefit from it. Instead we should try and make conscious decisions on how and when we use social media.

We all want to be kind. And we all like to think we are a kind person. Yet most of us do not prioritize looking for acts of kindness throughout our days. Time is short so if you want to be a kind person, look for an active way in which to be kind for other people. It's easy to be kind when it's called upon, but you can definitely find additional proactive ways to be kind. And you should do this si...

We tend to judge our accomplishments on results. Even when it comes to our moral decision making, we tend to look at the final result in evaluating how good/bad we were. However, let us never forget that results are not entirely dependent on us. Intentions for actions are entirely within our control, but as results get away from us in time and space, the less control we have over the final result....

If your goal is to improve yourself and make yourself better, do it with a sense of urgency, for you do not have much time left in this temporal existence. Every day we die...one day closer to the final death. So don't waste time. Make your virtue and bettering yourself a priority and actively work on it as often as you can.

Our bodies and our minds are like tools or muscles. We use them to perceive the world external to our thoughts, and we use them to interact with the same external world. As with any tool or muscle, overuse without rest and repair, we can damage them...some times even beyond repair. So take care of your mind, which we tend to neglect. And take care of your body. It is not selfish to rest sometimes....

It is undeniable that who we hang out with impacts our personality. One way or another, tow people who spend time with each other will rub off certain traits on now another. Some people will absorb more than other, but everyone gets affected by the company they keep. So make a conscious effort in who you spend time with and how you spend it. Give yourself the best chance to be virtuous.

We exist in these imperfect vessels we call a body. These bodies come with their own emotions and defence mechanisms. As such, it is impossible to be emotionless. We will always have knee-jerk emotional responses, this we cannot change. We can, however, control how quickly we get back to ourselves. So try and curb your body's response as quickly as you can and get back to being a reasonable ration...

It is up for debate whether our free-will is an illusion or a real thing. But one thing is for sure: From our perspective, we feel like we definitely have free-will. Life essentially can be boiled down to making choices and decisions in the present moment. So use your free-will actively.

Addictions...we all have them. Some are more obvious, others more clandestine. Here is an opportunity to identify one, accept it distracts us from being mindful in the present moment, and actively work to remove it with a reasonable short term goal.

We often forget that there are 7.6 billion other people on this planet. We get so lost in our own self-involvement. This episode is all about recognizing other people and their own journeys and supporting them.

The more my island of knowledge grows, so does my shore of ignorance. Knowledge is power and philosophy is the pursuit of knowledge and wisdom. However, we make the grave mistake of overestimating our knowledge. The same way Socrates was the wisest man in all of Athens because he knew what he did not know, we must admit not only what we do not know, but also that what we know can be improved upon.

I received a great question (voicemail) from a listener that I had to take some time to answer. We keep saying "Nothing can be good or bad" yet we also preach moral goodness. How can we reconcile the two?

A special COVID-19 release: I've released two episodes to help with the current Pandemic situation and give some very pertinent Stoic practices to help you through these uncertain, anxious and though times. Here are five additional useful Stoic practices for you. 

A special COVID-19 release:  I'm releasing two episodes to help with the current Pandemic situation and give some very pertinent Stoic practices to help you through these uncertain, anxious and though times.

Here's the final exercise for Season 1 of Stoicism for a Better Life, and boy is it a doozie! Let's walk through a logical mental exercise to narrow down what it is we can actually and tangibly do to live the best possible life we can.

Being tough, having self-control (say enough to be able to take cold showers) and depriving yourself of luxuries is NOT virtuous. Virtue is found in our effort, not in our self-punishment. However, often a virtuous mindset will lead to a simpler life. The motivation, however, remains the gauge for whether your act is virtuous or not.

We know for a fact that our time here is limited. Moreover, our loved ones' time here is limited. So spend time with them while you can.

The past is in the past, the future is uncertain. The only time when we can interact with the world is in our present moment, right here, right now. 

We live in a culture of consumerism. Buy, buy, buy...own, collect and have. But do we really need all that we own? Do you really need your stuff?