The Strong Stoic Podcast

We can be sure of one thing: tragedy of some sort is always just around the corner. From job loss to injury to mortality, life is full of downs. However, people can be resilient. The human spirit can get through such trying times, but how? How do we find light in the darkness? And, perhaps even more importantly, how do we become a light for others? Find this episode on: https://linktr.ee/Strongsto...

The Buddhists say "life is suffering", but does this mean that we are destined to suffer? Perhaps what the Buddhists mean by "suffering" isn't exactly what we think of. Indeed, Stoicism claims that we need not suffer (spiritually) but that we can transcend the weight of this world through perspective and virtue. Dr. Jordan B. Peterson also has some interesting thoughts on...

As we progress in life, we aim to find our true selves and nature. The Stoics tell us to live according to this nature. But how do we go about self-discovery? Who are we supposed to be? It isn't as simple as what we are perfect at, for we are perfect at nothing (even though it doesn't seem that way from the outside looking in). It also doesn't seem to be just fate, since people seem...

Feedback from the external world is how we learn about ourselves and grow. It is crucial to receive regular criticism; too little can remove our humility. Too much, on the other hand, can leave us crippled with low self-esteem. In the modern world, criticism can be found by simply engaging online... but is this the best way to get criticism? How do we deal with a seemingly endless supply of critic...

Everyone knows the cliche "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade". But cliches are cliches for a reason. Making the best of our situation is a core Stoic practice, but what does it mean in practice? Lemonade is surely better than just lemons, but how do we get from lemons to lemonade in our daily lives? Find this episode on: https://linktr.ee/Strongstoic The Strong Stoic Podcast is a...

Every time you see a dog, they are thrilled. You could have left the room for 10 minutes only to return to a companion who's overwhelmed with joy to see you again! Dogs have a lot to teach us, but perhaps the biggest lesson we can learn is how quickly joy comes to them. They say a dog lives 7 years for every 1 year of a human life. Does that mean that they are making each day count? And why s...

When a dog is on a leash, they will wander around, driven by instinctual desires, until they slowly run out of leash. At this stage, most will lie down and be content with where they are. This just so happens to be a great analogy for life... with a caveat. We must be content with where we end up, but at the same time, we have something very powerful that the dog does not: rational faculties. Find...

People play games their entire lives. Life is, in fact, a bit of a game! They range in genre - there are games we play as a kid, like soccer and Monopoly. There are also professional games, philosophical games and, perhaps unfortunately, political games. In this episode, I discuss how to deal with situations where others aren't playing by the rules. Find this episode on: https://linktr.ee/Str...

A good input for how we are showing up in the world is how we make others feel. Of course, how we ultimately make others feel is not up to us. However, we can improve our chances of receiving positive responses back towards us if we choose to show up in the most humble way possible, regardless of whether or not we are further ahead in life than another. Find this episode on: https://linktr.ee/Stro...

Many have a future desire to be "financially free". By this, they mean that they wish to not have to worry about paying bills on time, losing their house, and so on. But is this really something worth striving for? Would it truly alleviate all of our stress and anxiety, or is it rather just a matter of perspective? In this episode, we delve further into Meditations: Book One , and discus...

Even in the ancient days of Marcus Aurelius, people have said "barbarous" things. Today, we would call these "offensive statements". Luckily for us, Marcus Aurelius has a meditation dedicated to how we go about improving other people's speech while staying true to the Stoic virtue of being pro-social. Find this episode on: https://linktr.ee/Strongstoic The Strong Stoic Pod...

Harmony is a word often used when discussing music, but its application doesn't exist just there. In fact, one could make the argument that achieving a state of harmony is really what Stoicism aims to do! In Episode 160, I first introduced the topic of Harmony. In this episode, I briefly go over the ideas expressed in that episode and expand upon it further. Find this episode on: https://link...

Maturity is undoubtedly good, but it doesn't come without its costs. Many mature adults find themselves reminiscing about "the good old days" of youth. Youth, like adulthood, isn't without its costs either. The trick is to mature and become an adult so that you can take care of yourself and others while still maintaining some of that youthful spirit. Find this episode on: https...

Meditation: what it is, why it's important, and the foundations of the practice. Find this episode on: https://linktr.ee/Strongstoic The Strong Stoic Podcast is a raw, honest, and unapologetically deep podcast about philosophy and self-improvement. Join your host, Brandon Tumblin, as he breaks down a wide variety of complex and difficult topics aimed at provoking thought and opening your pers...

Progress is no simple thing. It requires knowing where you are, where you want to go, and developing a plan for how to get from where you are to where you want to go. It is in the planning phase where many of us get caught overanalysing. It is a tempting distraction to spend all of one's time planning to get better only to fail in taking action. This isn't to say that planning is not imp...

The human mind is designed around stories. We tell each other stories to convey lessons, for entertainment, and many other reasons. And we think about our whole life as a story! We try and find confluence. We dream. We tell ourselves that "my life is going to be like 'X'". Yet often, our lives don't turn out the way we planned. So how do we think about and change the story...

An ice bath is when you submerge yourself into near-freezing waters for a certain amount of time. There has been much hype on ice baths, popularized by the ice wizard Wim Hoff. They are reported to have many physiological and psychological health benefits. But are these claims accurate? In this episode, I discuss ice baths and the philosophical lessons I've learned and honed over the last yea...

Detachment is a confusing and often poorly-understood aspect of Stoicism. It's generally used to discuss detachment from material possessions and relationships, and as such, it's often misunderstood to be a practice of removing oneself from some of the most enjoyable aspects of life. The truth is that Stoics should engage fully in the beautiful parts of life but with a crucial awareness...

Strength I define as the ability to resist. The resistance takes many forms – it can take the form of a weight, for example. It can also take the form of adversity in life. Temptations. The pull to vice. If someone can deadlift 500 pounds, we may deem them physically strong. Their body is able to resist the 500 pound load. And it’s important to consider it as resistance as opposed to, perhaps, a p...

Dostoevsky explored many interesting, sometimes even contradictory, ideas in his novels. An existentialist Christian, he certainly philosophized much on the topic of truth. I’ve been fascinated with the idea of truth for quite some time. What does it mean for something to be true? Does it simply mean objective truth? Are there other truths worth considering, such as metaphorical truths or, what I...

In this episode, I breakdown the Epictetus quote: 'Don't seek to have events happen as you wish, but wish them to happen as they do happen, and all will be well with you.'Find this episode on: https://linktr.ee/Strongstoic The Strong Stoic Podcast is a raw, honest, and unapologetically deep podcast about philosophy and self-improvement. Join your host, Brandon Tumblin, as he breaks...

Nihilism states that there is no meaning to life, and that nothing you do really matters. The existentialists have an answer for how to deal with that: wade through it. However, this is easier said than done. We are all somewhere on that spectrum of "nihilistic" to "living a meaningful existence". But how do we effectively navigate these treacherous waters? Find this episode on...

The Western culture is ripe with materialism. We crave new trendy clothes, the latest iPhone, the newest car, the biggest house - the list is never-ending. The Stoics call all of these things “externals”, meaning they do not define who you are as a person. This can be understood with the example of the rich person who has everything anyone could ever hope for and who is very arrogant and rude. Eve...

What if the best thing that you can do for yourself is to do things for others? Certainly, that’s the “virtue is the only good” argument, to a large degree. That is, Stoicism claims that we can only truly flourish if we live a life of virtue in which we recognize our own place in the cosmos in the greater picture of everyone else. The Stoic lives and acts to make the world a better place. So, we c...

What is life really about? This is perhaps one of the most fundamental questions of philosophy. The Stoics have a simple enough answer: virtue. People on their deathbeds would also have a simple enough answer: the people you care about. Are these separate answers, or is there some confluence here? What is life REALLY about? Find this episode on: https://linktr.ee/Strongstoic The Strong Stoic Podca...