The What Is Stoicism? Podcast

In this episode, we look at Cicero's third Stoic paradox—that all vices are equal and all virtues are equal. 📻 FOR MORE STOIC AUDIO + EMAIL CONTENT Check out What Is Stoicism? on Substack: https://whatisstoicism.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We often bemoan the restrictions that are placed on us. Whether we feel held back by our many personal responsibilities or stifled by our work environment, we harbor a desire for more freedom. But what actually is freedom and how do we attain it? 📻 FOR MORE STOIC AUDIO + EMAIL CONTENT Check out What Is Stoicism? on Substack: https://whatisstoicism.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/priva...

As we know, Stoicism is a practical philosophy. Theory alone does not improve the skill of being good. Only the struggle of everyday experience improves it. We’re interested in how we might be good, rather than merely know goodness. 📻 FOR MORE STOIC AUDIO + EMAIL CONTENT Check out What Is Stoicism? on Substack: https://whatisstoicism.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more in...

It’s obvious to say, but important nonetheless: if we’re to make progress toward a more Stoic life, we have to regularly practice the principles of the philosophy. And if we’re to regularly practice the principles, we’ll first need to understand and remember them. The French philosopher and historian, Pierre Hadot, wrote of the importance of keeping our philosophical principles “at hand” so that w...

In this episode, we look at Cicero's second Stoic paradox—that virtue is all that is needed for happiness. 📻 FOR MORE STOIC AUDIO + EMAIL CONTENT Check out What Is Stoicism? on Substack: https://whatisstoicism.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s a common disruption to our tranquility: putting someone else’s life on a pedestal compared to our own. We envy the apparent prosperity and happiness of others while losing sight of the things in our own lives that we should be quite content with. The full story of someone else’s life can’t be known. Their inner world isn’t visible to us. To have their life, we’d need to inherit everything abo...

A guided contemplation to help you reflect on a powerful idea from Stoicism: the notion that our insignificance isn't a bad thing. This idea can be liberating and transformative, guiding us toward greater peace, humility, and—surprisingly—purpose. 📻 FOR MORE STOIC AUDIO + EMAIL CONTENT Check out What Is Stoicism? on Substack: https://whatisstoicism.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/priv...

"Liberty is having a mind superior to injury, a mind that makes itself the only source from which its pleasures spring, that separates itself from all external things, avoiding the unquiet life of one who fears everybody’s laughter, everybody’s tongue. For if there is anyone who can offer an insult, who cannot?" —Seneca, On the Constancy of the Wise Man 19.2 📻 FOR MORE STOIC AUDIO + EMAIL CONTENT...

"Each day acquire something that will fortify you against poverty, against death, indeed against other misfortunes as well; and after you have run over many thoughts, select one to be thoroughly digested that day." —Seneca, Letters 2.4 📻 FOR MORE STOIC AUDIO + EMAIL CONTENT Check out What Is Stoicism? on Substack: https://whatisstoicism.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more...

In this episode, we look at Cicero's explanation of the Stoics' main guiding principle—that virtue is the only true good in life. 📻 FOR MORE STOIC AUDIO + EMAIL CONTENT Check out What Is Stoicism? on Substack: https://whatisstoicism.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"The present moment is enough for you,” Marcus Aurelius told himself in his Meditations. As Pierre Hadot wrote in his book Philosophy as a Way of Life , this had a double meaning: It is enough to keep you busy; you have no need to think about anything else; and It is enough to make you happy; there is no need to seek for anything else. 📻 FOR MORE STOIC AUDIO + EMAIL CONTENT Check out What Is Stoi...

To help achieve the kind of mental freedom the Stoics enjoyed by worrying less about the opinions of others, I have constructed a short exercise that uses some imagery from Kurt Vonnegut's novel Breakfast of Champions . I’ve called it the Molecular Pause technique. When to use it: Use the Molecular Pause technique whenever you feel discomfort or hesitation in your actions due to the fear of judgme...

A reading of the twelfth book of Marcus Aurelius's twelve-book work. 📻 FOR MORE STOIC AUDIO + EMAIL CONTENT Check out What Is Stoicism? on Substack: https://whatisstoicism.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

☀️ This episode features a free example edition of my Micro Morning Meditations. 📻 FOR MORE STOIC AUDIO + EMAIL CONTENT Check out What Is Stoicism? on Substack: https://whatisstoicism.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When someone tells us a harsh truth, it may question our beliefs or behavior in a way that offends us. This episode explores how we can use the Stoic virtues to deal with harsh truths in a calm, detached way so that we can remove the harshness and examine the truth. 📻 FOR MORE STOIC AUDIO + EMAIL CONTENT Check out What Is Stoicism? on Substack: https://whatisstoicism.substack.com Hosted on Acast....

A reading of the eleventh book of Marcus Aurelius's twelve-book work. 📻 FOR MORE STOIC AUDIO + EMAIL CONTENT Check out What Is Stoicism? on Substack: https://whatisstoicism.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today's episode is an interview with Dutch Olympic gold medalist Mark Tuitert. I really enjoyed talking with Mark - he's a keen enthusiast of Stoicism and has recently released a book called The Stoic Mindset . In the interview, we talk about the book, Mark’s interest in Stoicism, and how the philosophy has helped him both in his professional and personal life. 📻 FOR MORE STOIC AUDIO + EMAIL CONT...

In this episode, I look at why the Stoic practice of accepting one's fate is not the same thing as passivity. Accepting what happens saves us time. We don’t feel the need to curse fate or complain about our luck when we practice this kind of acceptance. We don’t spend excessive time in denial, wishing we could change the past. Instead, we focus on what we can do. 📻 FOR MORE STOIC AUDIO + EMAIL CO...

Imagine the freedom that comes from living in alignment with your values, unencumbered by the fear of exposure or judgment. How can you cultivate a mindset that not only avoids wrongdoing but actively rejects even the thought of it? 📻 FOR MORE STOIC AUDIO + EMAIL CONTENT Check out What Is Stoicism? on Substack: https://whatisstoicism.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more in...

This explainer episode will provide you with a straightforward understanding of what Stoic Wisdom is and how you can use it in your Stoic practice. 📻 FOR MORE STOIC AUDIO + EMAIL CONTENT Check out What Is Stoicism? on Substack: https://whatisstoicism.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A reading of the tenth book of Marcus Aurelius's twelve-book work. 📻 FOR MORE STOIC AUDIO + EMAIL CONTENT Check out What Is Stoicism? on Substack: https://whatisstoicism.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today's episode, I interview one of my favorite writers on Stoicism, Donald Robertson. He's a cognitive-behavioral psychotherapist, and the author of such books as How to Think Like a Roman Emperor, Verissimus, Stoicism and the Art of Happiness, and The Philosophy of CBT. His latest book is a biography of Marcus Aurelius, titled Marcus Aurelius: The Stoic Emperor. In the interview, we talk abou...

In the relentless pursuit of happiness, a common impulse leads us to believe that a change in surroundings will lift the burdens of our minds. Seneca, the ancient Stoic philosopher, challenges this instinct in his 28th Letter to Lucilius, inviting us to question whether our travels truly offer escape or merely a temporary reprieve. 📻 FOR MORE STOIC AUDIO + EMAIL CONTENT Check out What Is Stoicism...

This explainer episode will provide you with a straightforward understanding of what Stoic Temperance is and how you can use it in your Stoic practice. 📻 FOR MORE STOIC AUDIO + EMAIL CONTENT Check out What Is Stoicism? on Substack: https://whatisstoicism.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Five of the best pieces of advice from Seneca’s On Anger you can use today if you feel anger beginning to bubble up. 📻 FOR MORE STOIC AUDIO + EMAIL CONTENT Check out What Is Stoicism? on Substack: https://whatisstoicism.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.