Pain is an unavoidable part of life. Whether it’s physical, emotional, or mental, no one is immune to it. The Stoics, especially philosophers like Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius, offer a unique approach to pain. Instead of viewing it as something inherently bad, they argue that it is a natural occurrence—something that, while unpleasant, can be transcended by the power of the human spirit.In a reflection drawn from Epictetus' teachings, we encounter the idea that while certain outcomes are inevitable—death, imprisonment, exile—we have a choice in how we experience these events. Epictetus reminds us that even if the body is in chains, our will remains free. No one, not even the gods, can conquer the human will. This profound insight becomes the foundation for understanding how Stoics approach pain.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 perspective.This podcast is listener-supported; if you would like to support the Strong Stoic (as well as gain access to exclusive content), you can do so on Patreon or Substack:Patreon: www.patreon.com/brandontumblinSubstack: https://strongstoic.substack.com

In Game of Thrones, Tyrion Lannister recounts a story to his brother Jaime about their cousin Orson, who spent his days crushing beetles with a rock. The tale is simple, yet it speaks volumes about the complexity of human behaviour, the nature of evil, and how we, as individuals, respond to it.Tyrion's contemplation about Orson's actions leads to profound philosophical questions: why do people commit seemingly meaningless acts of destruction? Why do they harm others? The metaphor of crushing beetles becomes a lens through which we examine larger truths about power, suffering, and virtue.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 perspective.This podcast is listener-supported; if you would like to support the Strong Stoic (as well as gain access to exclusive content), you can do so on Patreon or Substack:Patreon: www.patreon.com/brandontumblinSubstack: https://strongstoic.substack.com

In the words of the Roman emperor and Stoic philosopher Marcus Aurelius, “It is the responsibility of leadership to work intelligently with what is given and not waste time fantasizing about a world of flawless people and perfect choices.” This wisdom extends beyond leadership, applying to how we manage our lives, relationships, and daily challenges.The essence of Stoicism, which Marcus Aurelius practiced and wrote about, emphasizes the importance of accepting reality as it is and working with what we have, rather than lamenting what could be. In this article, we'll explore how Stoic philosophy and leadership align and how we can apply these principles to our own lives.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 perspective.This podcast is listener-supported; if you would like to support the Strong Stoic (as well as gain access to exclusive content), you can do so on Patreon or Substack:Patreon: www.patreon.com/brandontumblinSubstack: https://strongstoic.substack.com

Did you know that we become physically stronger not in the gym, but afterwards, during recovery? It's when we’re resting—on the couch, drinking water, and watching TV—that our muscles rebuild and strengthen. This principle doesn’t just apply to the body; it holds true for the mind and soul as well.Mental fortitude is developed during periods of recovery, when we return to our baseline and heal.However, it’s essential to note that recovery alone isn't enough. Just as muscles don't grow stronger without being broken down through resistance training, we can't expect mental or emotional resilience without facing challenges. Growth requires stress, followed by recovery.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 perspective.This podcast is listener-supported; if you would like to support the Strong Stoic (as well as gain access to exclusive content), you can do so on Patreon or Substack:Patreon: www.patreon.com/brandontumblinSubstack: https://strongstoic.substack.com

In this episode, I delve into the profound insights that arise from confronting life's challenges. Drawing parallels with mixed martial arts (MMA)—particularly the fighting philosophy of Khabib Nurmagomedov—I emphasize the duality of human nature and the importance of facing our weaker selves. By embracing discomfort and adversity, we can foster personal growth, resilience, and humility.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 perspective.This podcast is listener-supported; if you would like to support the Strong Stoic (as well as gain access to exclusive content), you can do so on Patreon or Substack:Patreon: www.patreon.com/brandontumblinSubstack: https://strongstoic.substack.com

The episode explores the idea of being convinced in your heart that you're doing the best you can with what you've been given. It emphasizes that true contentment and happiness come from developing your character and putting forth your best effort, rather than seeking worldly success. It also highlights the importance of detachment from outcomes and focusing on virtue. The episode also touches on the idea that even in the face of failure or difficult circumstances, if you are convinced in your heart that you're doing your best, that is enough. The key takeaway is that true contentment comes from living a virtuous life and doing right by others.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 perspective.This podcast is listener-supported; if you would like to support the Strong Stoic (as well as gain access to exclusive content), you can do so on Patreon or Substack:Patreon: www.patreon.com/brandontumblinSubstack: https://strongstoic.substack.com

In today’s episode, I’m diving into the idea of embracing adversity and finding joy in doing hard things. We’ll explore the importance of strength—both in Stoicism and Christianity—and how bearing heavy burdens can shape us. I’ll talk about the concept of worthiness, reminding us that while everything worth doing is hard, not all hard things are worth our time.We’ll examine the connection between a task’s difficulty and its payoff and why it’s essential to cultivate our strengths and competence to make a positive impact. Finally, we’ll discuss the collaborative nature of tackling life’s challenges and how each of us has a role to play in the bigger picture.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 perspective.This podcast is listener-supported; if you would like to support the Strong Stoic (as well as gain access to exclusive content), you can do so on Patreon or Substack:Patreon: www.patreon.com/brandontumblinSubstack: https://strongstoic.substack.com

We often procrastinate happiness, believing that achieving certain goals will make us happy. However, looking back, we realize that achieving those goals did not bring lasting happiness. We constantly put off being happy, thinking that once we reach a certain point in life, everything will be fine. But life proves us wrong, and we continue to deceive ourselves.One of the reasons for this is our inability to truly understand and accept our mortality. It is only when we fully grasp the fact that we will die someday that we can appreciate the present moment and find happiness. We must learn to be happy with what we have and not rely on external achievements for our happiness. The purpose of life is to enjoy the journey and find contentment in the present.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 perspective.This podcast is listener-supported; if you would like to support the Strong Stoic (as well as gain access to exclusive content), you can do so on Patreon or Substack:Patreon: www.patreon.com/brandontumblinSubstack: https://strongstoic.substack.com

Life has its ups and downs, with moments of chaos and moments of peace. It's important to remember that these phases are temporary and that everything in life is impermanent. In the midst of chaos, it can be difficult to believe that things will get better, but reminding ourselves that 'this too shall pass' can provide comfort and perspective.Similarly, in times of peace and happiness, it's important to appreciate and not take for granted the good times, as they too will eventually pass. Slowing down and listening to the 'music' in life can help bring us back to a place of harmony and fulfillment.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 perspective.This podcast is listener-supported; if you would like to support the Strong Stoic (as well as gain access to exclusive content), you can do so on Patreon or Substack:Patreon: www.patreon.com/brandontumblinSubstack: https://strongstoic.substack.com

Today, I dive deep into a powerful episode about the baggage we accumulate as we move through life. It’s all too easy to feel weighed down by our burdens, making it difficult to express our true selves and embrace vulnerability. But here’s the transformative truth: the antidote to this heaviness lies in strength—both physical and emotional.I explore how developing our strength allows us to navigate life’s challenges with grace and confidence. We are reminded that each of us is a divine being, capable of making a meaningful impact in the world around us. The key takeaway from this episode is that our growth is directly tied to the load we’re willing to bear. Join me as we embark on this enlightening journey towards strength, self-discovery, and empowerment. Let’s uncover how we can lighten our load and step into our true potential together!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 perspective.This podcast is listener-supported; if you would like to support the Strong Stoic (as well as gain access to exclusive content), you can do so on Patreon or Substack:Patreon: www.patreon.com/brandontumblinSubstack: https://strongstoic.substack.com

In this episode, I explore the importance of managing emotions and their impact on our lives. Emotions are a key part of human development and influence us throughout our journey. I discuss Stoic teachings that highlight the need to process and control our emotional responses.I also delve into how community and society shape our emotional reactions and set standards for behavior. I'll emphasize the importance of aligning our emotions with our values and using reason to guide our actions. Join me for an insightful look at navigating our emotional landscape.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 perspective.This podcast is listener-supported; if you would like to support the Strong Stoic (as well as gain access to exclusive content), you can do so on Patreon or Substack:Patreon: www.patreon.com/brandontumblinSubstack: https://strongstoic.substack.com

In this episode, I reflect on the concept of finding enjoyment in pain and suffering. Drawing from Dostoevsky's Notes from Underground, I explore the idea that complaining and moaning about pain can provide a strange sense of satisfaction. We'll delve into how people often spread their pain to others, appealing to bitterness and resentment.I'll discuss the different ways we can respond to pain: suffering in silence, expressing pain honestly without complaining, and seeking support from others. Emphasizing the importance of understanding our intentions when sharing pain, I'll highlight the crucial difference between complaining and genuinely seeking help. Join me as we navigate the complexities of pain, suffering, and the human experience.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 perspective.This podcast is listener-supported; if you would like to support the Strong Stoic (as well as gain access to exclusive content), you can do so on Patreon or Substack:Patreon: www.patreon.com/brandontumblinSubstack: https://strongstoic.substack.com

The episode explores the idea of being harsh with oneself as a means of self-improvement. It discusses the concept of sin and salvation from a Stoic perspective, emphasizing the importance of recognizing one's own faults and shortcomings.The episode highlights the contrast between the Stoic philosophy and the modern idea of self-acceptance and avoiding self-criticism. It emphasizes the need to hold oneself to a high standard and be willing to feel bad when one falls short. The episode also touches on the balance between being harsh on oneself and giving oneself grace.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 perspective.This podcast is listener-supported; if you would like to support the Strong Stoic (as well as gain access to exclusive content), you can do so on Patreon or Substack:Patreon: www.patreon.com/brandontumblinSubstack: https://strongstoic.substack.com

Join me in this episode as we explore the vital role challenges play in our personal growth journey. Discover how embracing challenges as opportunities can lead to profound self-discovery, resilience, and character development. I'll share insights on voluntary challenges and how they can bring meaning and fulfillment to our lives. Get ready to unlock your full potential and embark on a transformative journey towards a more purposeful existence.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 perspective.This podcast is listener-supported; if you would like to support the Strong Stoic (as well as gain access to exclusive content), you can do so on Patreon or Substack:Patreon: www.patreon.com/brandontumblinSubstack: https://strongstoic.substack.com

Pride is often seen as a negative trait, associated with excessive ego and hubris. However, there are different meanings and contexts for pride. Excessive pride stems from the belief that one is the center of the universe, while pride in one's work or country means upholding certain standards and values.  Being a patriot means taking pride in one's country while recognizing our shared humanity. It is important to differentiate between pride and being prideful, as the former involves living up to the expectations and values of one's country. National holidays can be an opportunity to reflect on and reaffirm these values.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 perspective.This podcast is listener-supported; if you would like to support the Strong Stoic (as well as gain access to exclusive content), you can do so on Patreon or Substack:Patreon: www.patreon.com/brandontumblinSubstack: https://strongstoic.substack.com

In this episode, I dive deep into the concept of procrastination and how it impacts our ability to live a fulfilling life. I emphasize the importance of embracing the present moment and acting with virtue. We all have a sense of what it means to live a good life, yet often struggle to consistently align our actions with those values. Drawing inspiration from Seneca, I explore how procrastination robs us of the present and the chance to be our best selves.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 perspective.This podcast is listener-supported; if you would like to support the Strong Stoic (as well as gain access to exclusive content), you can do so on Patreon or Substack:Patreon: www.patreon.com/brandontumblinSubstack: https://strongstoic.substack.com

This episode explores the idea of living in the present moment and not worrying about the future. It emphasizes the Stoic philosophy of accepting and bearing whatever comes our way. I discuss how we often suffer more in imagination than in reality and how we can endure and manage difficult situations in the present moment. I also touch on the fear of death and the importance of being present and grateful for the current moment.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 perspective.This podcast is listener-supported; if you would like to support the Strong Stoic (as well as gain access to exclusive content), you can do so on Patreon or Substack:Patreon: www.patreon.com/brandontumblinSubstack: https://strongstoic.substack.com

This episode explores the fear of criticism and the impact it has on people's lives. It emphasizes the idea that criticism is inevitable and that trying to avoid it by doing nothing is not a fulfilling way to live. This episode encourages listeners to be courageous and true to themselves, even if it means facing criticism. It also highlights the importance of being genuine and authentic in order to form meaningful connections with others.This episode is also available on YouTube.Transcripts can be found on Substack: https://strongstoic.substack.com/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 perspective.This podcast is listener-supported; if you would like to support the Strong Stoic (as well as gain access to exclusive content), you can do so on Patreon or Substack:Patreon: www.patreon.com/brandontumblinSubstack: https://strongstoic.substack.com

In this episode, I discuss Jocko Willink's idea of Extreme Ownership, and whether or not it is a Stoic principle.This episode is also available on YouTube.Transcripts can be found on Substack: https://strongstoic.substack.com/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 perspective.This podcast is listener-supported; if you would like to support the Strong Stoic (as well as gain access to exclusive content), you can do so on Patreon or Substack:Patreon: www.patreon.com/brandontumblinSubstack: https://strongstoic.substack.com

From the time we first open our eyes and are able to perceive colours, we are fascinated with heroes. Children may not understand the philosophy or psychology of a hero, yet they can easily become encapsulated by the virtuous acts of other people. Batman happens to be one that many get drawn into.But Batman is no ordinary hero. In fact, one may be challenged to call him a hero at all. He is a dark individual, suffering from the loss of his parents. He also blurs the lines quite often, killing being the only line that he won’t cross. Is Batman someone we should look up to? And could we label him as a hero or even a Stoic sage?This episode is also available on YouTube.Transcripts can be found on Substack: https://strongstoic.substack.com/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 perspective.This podcast is listener-supported; if you would like to support the Strong Stoic (as well as gain access to exclusive content), you can do so on Patreon or Substack:Patreon: www.patreon.com/brandontumblinSubstack: https://strongstoic.substack.com

This episode explores the concept of joy in Stoicism and its relationship with Epicureanism. The host discusses how joy is often misunderstood in Stoic philosophy and clarifies that it is not about constant cheerfulness but rather about fully accepting and finding gratitude in every aspect of life. The episode also touches on the importance of practicing gratitude, focusing on the present moment, and finding joy in the little things.This episode is also available on YouTube.Transcripts can be found on Substack: https://strongstoic.substack.com/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 perspective.This podcast is listener-supported; if you would like to support the Strong Stoic (as well as gain access to exclusive content), you can do so on Patreon or Substack:Patreon: www.patreon.com/brandontumblinSubstack: https://strongstoic.substack.com

In this episode, Brandon explores the idea that we often lie to ourselves about why we act in certain toxic ways. He discusses how we attribute our emotions and reactions to external circumstances, when in reality, they are a result of our own choices.Brandon emphasizes the importance of accepting the tough realities of life and not using external factors as excuses for our behaviour. He encourages taking responsibility for our emotions and responses and striving for eudaimonia, or optimal flourishing.This episode is also available on YouTube.Transcripts can be found on Substack: https://strongstoic.substack.com/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 perspective.This podcast is listener-supported; if you would like to support the Strong Stoic (as well as gain access to exclusive content), you can do so on Patreon or Substack:Patreon: www.patreon.com/brandontumblinSubstack: https://strongstoic.substack.com

Sharon Lebell is a bestselling author, speaker, composer, and performing musician. She wrote The Art of Living: The Classical Manual on Virtue, Happiness, and Effectiveness, which is a book I highly recommend.In this episode, Sharon and I discuss the adventures of our lives, how to deal with the pleasant times and unpleasant times, the difference between action, thought, and intention, how to be empathetic, and more. We centre the conversation around Sam’s speech from The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers – if you are unfamiliar with that scene, I highly recommend giving it a quick YouTube search. If not, you will get the honor of hearing me read it (and no, I don’t do it with a Hobbit accent). This episode is also available on YouTube.Transcripts can be found on Substack: https://strongstoic.substack.com/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 perspective.This podcast is listener-supported; if you would like to support the Strong Stoic (as well as gain access to exclusive content), you can do so on Patreon or Substack:Patreon: www.patreon.com/brandontumblinSubstack: https://strongstoic.substack.com

The concept of Chaos and Order is associated with Taoism. It’s rather simple: life is divided between Chaos and Order. Too much Chaos is bad, and too much Order is bad. This is a Stoic podcast, sure, but there is much that we can gain by understanding this concept. And there may actually be more overlap than you think.How can the concept of Chaos and Order be understood through a Stoic lens? And how can we implement this idea in our daily life?This episode is also available on YouTube.Transcripts can be found on Substack: https://strongstoic.substack.com/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 perspective.This podcast is listener-supported; if you would like to support the Strong Stoic (as well as gain access to exclusive content), you can do so on Patreon or Substack:Patreon: www.patreon.com/brandontumblinSubstack: https://strongstoic.substack.com

Mike Ryan is an award-winning professional musician, songwriter, studio owner, and author from my home province of Nova Scotia (that’s up in Canada, eh). He also hosts a podcast, the Mike and Kristen Podcast, with his wife, Kristen Herrington, who appeared on the Strong Stoic last year on Episode #249.In this episode, Mike and I discuss music, and the role it plays in our lives. We also talk enjoying the process on the road to success, collaborations, cold plunging, Tom Petty, our experiences being broke af, and much, much more. This conversation was a lot of fun, and I found Mike to be a very insightful, and Stoic individual. Without further ado, please welcome Mike Ryan.Chapters00:00 Introduction and the Role of Music in Our Lives08:25 Collaboration and Creating Something Greater30:35 The Power of Music: Touching Lives and Creating Connections47:05 The Power of Music56:34 Music as a Shared Experience01:26:17 The Energy of MusicThis episode is also available on YouTube.Transcripts can be found on Substack: https://strongstoic.substack.com/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 perspective.This podcast is listener-supported; if you would like to support the Strong Stoic (as well as gain access to exclusive content), you can do so on Patreon or Substack:Patreon: www.patreon.com/brandontumblinSubstack: https://strongstoic.substack.com

Jealousy: we all feel it, have felt it, have grappled with it, and know that it’s toxic. There are arguments about whether anger is a useful emotion. The Stoics say “no” while many other philosophers say “sometimes”.Jealousy, however, is very rarely considered in a positive light at all. Hence, when we feel jealousy, it’s not usually because we want to feel it. It feels outside of our control, so we just sit in it. But is it outside of our control, or can we alleviate this toxic feeling?Keywordsjealousy, toxic feeling, control, character, stoicism, dichotomy of control, stoic Providence, psychological healthChaptersIntroduction: Jealousy as a Toxic FeelingWhat is Jealousy?The Role of Character in Overcoming JealousyStoic Providence: Accepting the Circumstances of LifeAccepting the Piece of the Pie that Life Gives UsThis episode is also available on YouTube.Transcripts can be found on Substack: https://strongstoic.substack.com/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 perspective.This podcast is listener-supported; if you would like to support the Strong Stoic (as well as gain access to exclusive content), you can do so on Patreon or Substack:Patreon: www.patreon.com/brandontumblinSubstack: https://strongstoic.substack.com

Mark is a gold-medal Olympic speed skater. He won gold at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. He is also the author of The Stoic Mindset: Living the 10 Principles of Stoicism, which will be released in Canada and the USA on April 9th (yes, that’s today!).In this episode, we talk about balancing hard work with enjoying life, courage in performance, luck and providence, and much more. Mark was a pleasure to speak with and I hope this episode proves useful.You can find Mark here:https://marktuitert.nl/en/Chapters00:00 Introduction00:52 Striving for Excellence02:10 Striving for Worldly Excellence and Understanding What's Truly Important05:03 The Importance of Character and Attitude in Winning08:32 Having a Well-Rounded Life and Avoiding Losing Oneself in a Single Pursuit09:40 The Danger of Losing Direction After Achieving Goals13:30 Embracing Struggle and Tension in Life22:12 Embracing Darkness and Facing Internal Thoughts29:33 Reconnecting with Family and Addressing Internal Struggles32:10 Accepting and Loving Where You Come From36:15 The Role of Luck and Providence40:04Taking Responsibility for Your Character44:11 Finding Inspiration in Others' Struggles49:51 Letting Go and Surrendering to Life55:35 Balancing Seriousness and Humor in LifeThis episode is also available on YouTube.Transcripts can be found on Substack: https://strongstoic.substack.com/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 perspective.This podcast is listener-supported; if you would like to support the Strong Stoic (as well as gain access to exclusive content), you can do so on Patreon or Substack:Patreon: www.patreon.com/brandontumblinSubstack: https://strongstoic.substack.comKeywords:excellence, character, attitude, identity, Stoicism, competition, humility, grace, learning, setbacks, tension, struggle, courage, fear, obstacles, darkness, judgments, emotions, family relationships, stoicism, philosophy, negative energy, joy, positive emotions, relaxation, balance, athletic performance, luck, providence, surrender, outcomes, discipline, courage, love, support, agency, journey, humor, absurdity.

Seneca’s very first chapter in Letters From a Stoic is titled “On the Use of Time”. Time is something that is very paradoxical in the sense that we never feel like we have enough, yet our lives are longer than anything else we will do. Put another way, our days are often long while our days are short.Another curious thing about time is that we all have the same amount everyday - 24 hours - yet we all use it in different ways. Some of us use it for productivity, others for pleasure, and yet others are oblivious because they are in a state of suffering. But what constitutes time well spent? What is wasted time? And how can we go about not wasting much of it?SummaryThe conversation explores the concept of time and how to avoid wasting it. It emphasizes the finite nature of time and the importance of making the most of it. Wasted time is defined as time spent not living according to nature, not fulfilling one's duty, and engaging in vice. The conversation also provides practical tips on how to spend time wisely, including getting enough sleep, exercising, and finding a job that aligns with one's nature. It concludes by emphasizing the importance of being intentional with how time is spent.TakeawaysTime is finite, and it will eventually run out. It is important to make the most of the time we have.Wasted time is spent not living according to nature, not fulfilling one's duty, and engaging in vice.Practical tips for spending time wisely include getting enough sleep, exercising, and finding a job that aligns with one's nature.Being intentional with how time is spent is crucial for living a full life.ChaptersOn the Use of TimeDefining Wasted TimeSetting the Foundation for a Day Not WastedHow Should We Spend Our Time?Remaining Hours and Personal ChoicesIntentionality and UnintentionalityLiving a Full LifeThis episode is also available on YouTube.Transcripts can be found on Substack: https://strongstoic.substack.com/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 perspective.This podcast is listener-supported; if you would like to support the Strong Stoic (as well as gain access to exclusive content), you can do so on Patreon or Substack:Patreon: www.patreon.com/brandontumblinSubstack: https://strongstoic.substack.com

A ship accumulates marine growth on its hull as it traverses through water. Some would suggest that our souls do a similar thing, accumulating trauma from the challenging and difficult circumstances that life puts us through.This is understandable on one end; we can all point to situations in our past that seem to still bother us in conscious and sometimes subconscious ways. On the other hand, one could perhaps make the case that a Stoic does not let the past bother them. Is trauma a real thing, or is it simply an unStoic way of looking at your past?SummaryThe conversation explores the concept of trauma and its impact on our lives. It discusses how trauma is accumulated from past experiences and how it can shape our present behaviors. The history of trauma studies is briefly mentioned, highlighting the idea that something in our past can emotionally scar or break us. The conversation also delves into the Stoic perspective on trauma, emphasizing the importance of extracting lessons from the past to guide our future actions. It suggests that while we cannot change the past, we have control over our thoughts, judgments, and actions in the present.TakeawaysTrauma is the accumulation of emotional scars or brokenness from past experiences that affect our present selves.The study of trauma dates back to the 1800s, with various researchers exploring its causes and effects.Stoicism teaches that while we cannot change the past or other people's actions, we have control over our thoughts, judgments, and actions.Extracting lessons from past experiences allows us to grow and guide our future actions.Bullying, although morally wrong, can be viewed as an opportunity to practice Stoicism and develop resilience.Processing trauma involves journaling, extracting lessons, and taking responsibility for our own actions.We have the strength and agency to overcome trauma and write our own narrative in life.This episode is also available on YouTube.Transcripts can be found on Substack: https://strongstoic.substack.com/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 perspective.This podcast is listener-supported; if you would like to support the Strong Stoic (as well as gain access to exclusive content), you can do so on Patreon or Substack:Patreon: www.patreon.com/brandontumblinSubstack: https://strongstoic.substack.com

We can’t improve if we don’t change. Self-development is change. Remember that we need to know three things to improve: where we are, where we want to go, and how to get there. Change is the very process by which we get from where we are to where we want to be.But change is hard. If it were easy, all of us would be Stoic sages, living in virtue and harmony. So what is the nature of change? And why do so many of us know, on some level, that there are things about us that we need to modify, yet we fail to do so?Topics:The Need for ChangeThe Nature of ChangePositive Change Requires IntentionThe Difficulty of Personal ChangeThe Influence of Social MediaFear of the UnknownThe Comfort of FamiliarityThe Process of ChangeThis episode is also available on YouTube.Transcripts can be found on Substack: https://strongstoic.substack.com/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 perspective.This podcast is listener-supported; if you would like to support the Strong Stoic (as well as gain access to exclusive content), you can do so on Patreon or Substack:Patreon: www.patreon.com/brandontumblinSubstack: https://strongstoic.substack.com

In this episode, I discuss the concept of luck in Stoicism and its portrayal in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit. I explore the idea of biased fortune and providence, highlighting the difference between mere chance and acting appropriately.I also shares the story of the game of riddles between Bilbo and Gollum, emphasizing how Bilbo's actions and virtues influenced the outcomes. Finally, I draw parallels between Stoicism and Christianity, emphasizing the importance of acting virtuously and the potential rewards and consequences that follow.TakeawaysLuck in Stoicism is not mere chance but biased fortune or providence.Acting appropriately and virtuously increases the likelihood of positive outcomes.Evil and vice ultimately lead to negative consequences.The Stoic perspective on luck aligns with the Christian concept of grace and rewards for virtuous actions.This episode is also available on YouTube.Transcripts can be found on Substack: https://strongstoic.substack.com/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 perspective.This podcast is listener-supported; if you would like to support the Strong Stoic (as well as gain access to exclusive content), you can do so on Patreon or Substack:Patreon: www.patreon.com/brandontumblinSubstack: https://strongstoic.substack.com

Everyone is encouraged today to “follow your passion”. What they mean by this is that you should pursue whatever fills you up. You should pursue whatever you are passionate about. Obviously, we are all passionate about different things - some love knitting, others football, and others again book reviews! Is this advice, though, to follow one’s passion, actually good advice? And if it is, is it even achievable?This episode is also available on YouTube.Transcripts can be found on Substack: https://strongstoic.substack.com/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 perspective.This podcast is listener-supported; if you would like to support the Strong Stoic (as well as gain access to exclusive content), you can do so on Patreon or Substack:Patreon: www.patreon.com/brandontumblinSubstack: https://strongstoic.substack.com

Ryan is the Author of several books including Designing The Mind and Become Who You Are. He takes a design approach to structuring your thinking to help you approach your life in a more logical and rational way.In this conversation, Ryan and Brandon discuss the concept of psychitecture and the systematic approach to engineering ourselves. They explore the idea of algorithms in self-improvement and the importance of aligning desires and values for deep happiness. They delve into the balance between animalistic impulses and ideals, and the process of becoming the ideal person. They also discuss the significance of cultivating strengths and contributing to the world, as well as the importance of self-awareness and introspection. The conversation concludes with a reflection on self-deception and the Stoic perspective on the soul as character and virtue. The conversation explores the concept of becoming who you are and the pursuit of self-creation. It delves into the idea of living according to nature and the divergence from Stoicism. The host and guest discuss the guest's books and where to find more information.You can find Ryan here:https://designingthemind.orgChapters00:00 Introduction and Setting the Stage01:52 Exploring Psychotexture and Engineering Ourselves04:00 Understanding Algorithms in Self-Improvement06:54 Balancing Animalistic Impulses and Ideals09:00 Breaking Down Cognitive, Emotional, and Behavioral Self-Mastery10:39 Aligning Desires and Values for Deep Happiness11:54 Becoming the Ideal Person: Nietzsche and Stoicism14:06 Differentiating Desires and Values for Long-Term Progress19:05 Acting in Alignment with Admired Traits20:26 Pushing Through Reluctance to Embrace Admirable Actions23:06 Cultivating Strengths and Contributing to the World28:02 Balancing Goals and Virtues in Life31:51 Developing Self-Awareness and Introspection37:52 The Stoic Soul and Developing Character42:22 Self-Deception and the Importance of Self-Observation45:05 Understanding the Soul as Character and Virtue48:09 Becoming Who You Are51:47 The Pursuit of Self-Creation54:28 Living According to Nature57:02 Divergence from Stoicism58:22 Promoting the BooksThis episode is also available on YouTube.Transcripts can be found on Substack: https://strongstoic.substack.com/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 perspective.This podcast is listener-supported; if you would like to support the Strong Stoic (as well as gain access to exclusive content), you can do so on Patreon or Substack:Patreon: www.patreon.com/brandontumblinSubstack: https://strongstoic.substack.com

In moments of reflection on what we are doing with our lives, the thought can creep up: Am I doing enough? Could I be doing more good in my life? The Stoics have their fair share of radical ideas, but one that may be tremendously useful in the contemplation of this question is that there is no such thing as the idea of doing “more good” in Stoicism. Wherever you are right now is where you are supposed to be, and you can only act appropriately - no more, no less. Of course, unless you are a Sage. But what is a Sage? And is this idea in Stoicism a useful one, or does it simply hold back our ambitions?SummaryIn this conversation, the host explores the concept of the Stoic Sage and the idea of acting virtuously. The Stoic Sage is a person who can do no wrong and always acts in accordance with nature. However, the host acknowledges that the idea of a perfect sage is not realistic. Instead, he suggests that we can look to individuals in our lives who embody qualities of wisdom, kindness, and strength as examples of the Stoic Sage. TakeawaysThe Stoic Sage is a person who can do no wrong and always acts in accordance with nature.The idea of a perfect sage is not realistic, but we can look to individuals in our lives who embody qualities of wisdom, kindness, and strength as examples of the Stoic Sage.Instead of striving for perfection, we should focus on acting appropriately in each present moment.Chapters00:00Introduction and Setting the Context03:20The Concept of the Stoic Sage04:17The Imperfection of the Sage05:07Defining the Qualities of a Sage06:03Different Personalities of Sages07:00Living According to Nature08:00The Actions of a Sage09:54No Such Thing as Doing More Good10:23The Indifference of Yelling11:20Different Sages, Different Contexts12:16The Outcome is Irrelevant13:14Acting Appropriately in the Present Moment18:28Gradual Improvement and Self-Forgiveness30:52Connecting the Questions to the Stoic SageThis episode is also available on YouTube.Transcripts can be found on Substack: https://strongstoic.substack.com/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 perspective.This podcast is listener-supported; if you would like to support the Strong Stoic (as well as gain access to exclusive content), you can do so on Patreon or Substack:Patreon: www.patreon.com/brandontumblinSubstack: https://strongstoic.substack.com

Katie Feltmate is a poet based in my home province of Nova Scotia. She believes in the writing process as a tool for healing and self-growth. In 2021, she released her first self-published poetry book, Love in the Age of Quarantine, which is about, in my words, transitioning from an abusive and toxic relationship to a more whole self. I found her book in a local bookstore and immediately noticed the Stoicism in her writing, especially near the end when she has the trauma past her. In this episode, we talk about abusive relationships, loneliness and self-discovery, the paradoxes and complexity of love, and much more. I was thrilled to speak with Katie, and I think what follows is a very open conversation about some very difficult topics.You can find Katie here: https://www.katiefeltmate.comThis episode is also available on YouTube.Transcripts can be found on Substack: https://strongstoic.substack.com/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 perspective.This podcast is listener-supported; if you would like to support the Strong Stoic (as well as gain access to exclusive content), you can do so on Patreon or Substack:Patreon: www.patreon.com/brandontumblinSubstack: https://strongstoic.substack.com

Stoicism teaches that living in harmony with nature leads to happiness and flourishing. This harmony is achieved through tension, similar to how a guitar string must be under tension to produce the right note. Taking responsibility for ourselves and our relationships is essential in living in harmony. Stoics must balance their personal nature, communal nature, and mother nature. Strength is crucial in maintaining this balance and resonating with the demands of nature. The practice of stoicism involves cultivating virtues and acting appropriately in our daily lives.TakeawaysLiving in harmony with nature is key to happiness and flourishing.Taking responsibility for ourselves and our relationships is important in stoicism.Stoics must balance their personal nature, communal nature, and mother nature.Strength is crucial in maintaining this balance and resonating with nature.The practice of stoicism involves cultivating virtues and acting appropriately in our daily lives.Chapters00:00Living in Harmony with Nature02:27The Importance of Tension03:28Taking Responsibility05:25Balancing Personal, Communal, and Mother Nature06:21The Strength to Live in Harmony08:06The Role of Strength10:34The Practice of Stoicism12:06Developing Strength and Resonating with NatureThis episode is also available on YouTube.Transcripts can be found on Substack: https://strongstoic.substack.com/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 perspective.This podcast is listener-supported; if you would like to support the Strong Stoic (as well as gain access to exclusive content), you can do so on Patreon or Substack:Patreon: www.patreon.com/brandontumblinSubstack: https://strongstoic.substack.com

Merriam-Webster defines fatigue as “weariness or exhaustion from labour, exertion, or stress”. I’m sure this rings a bell with you, and most of us become fatigued from time to time. In fact, fatigue can be of various types – exhaustion from work, exercise, stress, and even spiritual. That’s right – we can become spiritually or philosophically fatigued, even from Stoicism.This episode is also available on YouTube: Transcripts can be found on Substack: https://strongstoic.substack.com/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 perspective.This podcast is listener-supported; if you would like to support the Strong Stoic (as well as gain access to exclusive content), you can do so on Patreon or Substack:Patreon: www.patreon.com/brandontumblinSubstack: https://strongstoic.substack.com

Kyle is a clarity consultant who coaches people to live spiritual yet practical lives, and the host of the Limitless Life Podcast. We met sometime in 2023, where I first appeared as a guest on his podcast. What I love about speaking with Kyle is his positive energy. He’s a great conversationalist with an ability to really be present – something we all could strive to aim at.In this episode, we talk about what’s holding people back from achieving their goals, the importance of competence, and route to healing, miracles in life, and much more. I hope you enjoy this conversation just as much as I did. Without further ado, please welcome Kyle Smith.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 perspective.This podcast is listener-supported; if you would like to support the Strong Stoic (as well as gain access to exclusive content), you can do so on Patreon or Substack:Patreon: www.patreon.com/brandontumblinSubstack: https://strongstoic.substack.com

This is episode 301, which makes it the first episode after I hit the 300-episode mark. 300 episodes is about 150 hours of podcast content, which is about 6 days of steady listening (for those interested in binge-listening all of the episodes).I saw that Chris Williamson, the host of Modern Wisdom, does this thing every hundred episodes or so where he recaps the biggest takeaways in the last one hundred episodes. I certainly cannot go back and do that after reaching 100 or 200 episodes, but thought that this may be a useful thing to do, so here we go. Here are 4 lessons from 300 episodes!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 perspective.This podcast is listener-supported; if you would like to support the Strong Stoic (as well as gain access to exclusive content), you can do so on Patreon or Substack:Patreon: www.patreon.com/brandontumblinSubstack: https://strongstoic.substack.com

Simon Drew is an alignment coach, poet, author, musician, photographer, and the founder of The Walled Garden Philosophical Society. He has a Bachelor of Music Performance and is most well known for his work with the Practical Stoic Podcast, which has since evolved into The Walled Garden. I’ve known Simon for a couple of years at this point. It is his third appearance on the SS. He has appeared in Episodes 134 and 222. This conversation with Simon was as engaged and meaningful as the previous ones. He has a real talent for conversation, which is one of the things I respect most about him. In this episode, we speak about the current challenges of our time, the utility of prayer and its various forms, how to find peace and contentment amidst the inherent chaos of life, and much more.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 perspective.This podcast is listener-supported; if you would like to support the Strong Stoic (as well as gain access to exclusive content), you can do so on Patreon or Substack:Patreon: www.patreon.com/brandontumblinSubstack: https://strongstoic.substack.comThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5910790/advertisement

In Stoicism, externals are outside of your control, and hence, cannot ultimately give you eudaimonia. That is true; your environment, the people around you, etc. are ultimately not up to you, and are unable to grant your eudaimonia. However, that isn’t to say that externals don’t have any effect on us. Externals can and do make things easier or harder on us. Luckily for us, we do have some control over our environment. How can we best manage and change our environment to make our success in our endeavours more likely?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 perspective.This podcast is listener-supported; if you would like to support the Strong Stoic (as well as gain access to exclusive content), you can do so on Patreon or Substack:Patreon: www.patreon.com/brandontumblinSubstack: https://strongstoic.substack.comThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5910790/advertisement

Merry Christmas, everyone! This episode is just a few words on the magic of Christmas, the importance of family, gratitude, love, generosity, and the child-like wonder we should all seek to maintain. 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 perspective.This podcast is listener-supported; if you would like to support the Strong Stoic (as well as gain access to exclusive content), you can do so on Patreon or Substack:Patreon: www.patreon.com/brandontumblinSubstack: https://strongstoic.substack.comThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5910790/advertisement

If you’ve been around the Instagram / Joe Rogan / motivational block, you may have heard of David Goggins. Goggins is one of the most bad-ass people on the planet today. His signature line is “stay hard”. Most people think he’s crazy, running miles and miles while his kneecaps explode, but is he onto something that perhaps a lot of us are missing? Should we focus becoming and staying resilient in our lives, and how?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 perspective.This podcast is listener-supported; if you would like to support the Strong Stoic (as well as gain access to exclusive content), you can do so on Patreon or Substack:Patreon: www.patreon.com/brandontumblinSubstack: https://strongstoic.substack.comThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5910790/advertisement

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/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 perspective.This podcast is listener-supported; if you would like to support the Strong Stoic (as well as gain access to exclusive content), you can do so on Patreon or Substack:Patreon: www.patreon.com/brandontumblinSubstack: https://strongstoic.substack.comThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5910790/advertisement

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 what suffering is and how to transcend it. Is there confluence to these ideas, or are they all singing a different tale?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 perspective.This podcast is listener-supported; if you would like to support the Strong Stoic (as well as gain access to exclusive content), you can do so on Patreon or Substack:Patreon: www.patreon.com/brandontumblinSubstack: https://strongstoic.substack.comThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5910790/advertisement

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 to go against the odds and change their paths by simple decisions. In this episode, I discuss how one finds out who they are and should be.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 perspective.This podcast is listener-supported; if you would like to support the Strong Stoic (as well as gain access to exclusive content), you can do so on Patreon or Substack:Patreon: www.patreon.com/brandontumblinSubstack: https://strongstoic.substack.comThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5910790/advertisement

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 criticality? And how do we discern which criticisms we should let in and which we should let fall off of us?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 perspective.This podcast is listener-supported; if you would like to support the Strong Stoic (as well as gain access to exclusive content), you can do so on Patreon or Substack:Patreon: www.patreon.com/brandontumblinSubstack: https://strongstoic.substack.comThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5910790/advertisement

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 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 perspective.This podcast is listener-supported; if you would like to support the Strong Stoic (as well as gain access to exclusive content), you can do so on Patreon or Substack:Patreon: www.patreon.com/brandontumblinSubstack: https://strongstoic.substack.comThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5910790/advertisement

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 shouldn't we?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 perspective.This podcast is listener-supported; if you would like to support the Strong Stoic (as well as gain access to exclusive content), you can do so on Patreon or Substack:Patreon: www.patreon.com/brandontumblinSubstack: https://strongstoic.substack.comThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5910790/advertisement

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 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 perspective.This podcast is listener-supported; if you would like to support the Strong Stoic (as well as gain access to exclusive content), you can do so on Patreon or Substack:Patreon: www.patreon.com/brandontumblinSubstack: https://strongstoic.substack.comThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5910790/advertisement

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/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 perspective.This podcast is listener-supported; if you would like to support the Strong Stoic (as well as gain access to exclusive content), you can do so on Patreon or Substack:Patreon: www.patreon.com/brandontumblinSubstack: https://strongstoic.substack.comThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5910790/advertisement

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/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 perspective.This podcast is listener-supported; if you would like to support the Strong Stoic (as well as gain access to exclusive content), you can do so on Patreon or Substack:Patreon: www.patreon.com/brandontumblinSubstack: https://strongstoic.substack.comThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5910790/advertisement

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 discuss the art of living simply, despite any amount of riches.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 perspective.This podcast is listener-supported; if you would like to support the Strong Stoic (as well as gain access to exclusive content), you can do so on Patreon or Substack:Patreon: www.patreon.com/brandontumblinSubstack: https://strongstoic.substack.comThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5910790/advertisement

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 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 perspective.This podcast is listener-supported; if you would like to support the Strong Stoic (as well as gain access to exclusive content), you can do so on Patreon or Substack:Patreon: www.patreon.com/brandontumblinSubstack: https://strongstoic.substack.comThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5910790/advertisement

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://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 perspective.This podcast is listener-supported; if you would like to support the Strong Stoic (as well as gain access to exclusive content), you can do so on Patreon or Substack:Patreon: www.patreon.com/brandontumblinSubstack: https://strongstoic.substack.comThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5910790/advertisement

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://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 perspective.This podcast is listener-supported; if you would like to support the Strong Stoic (as well as gain access to exclusive content), you can do so on Patreon or Substack:Patreon: www.patreon.com/brandontumblinSubstack: https://strongstoic.substack.comThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5910790/advertisement

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 perspective.This podcast is listener-supported; if you would like to support the Strong Stoic (as well as gain access to exclusive content), you can do so on Patreon or Substack:Patreon: www.patreon.com/brandontumblinSubstack: https://strongstoic.substack.comThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5910790/advertisement

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 important, but it is inherently imperfect, as life is inherently perfect. In this episode, I discuss how to move forward in life, at work, in relationships, or at the gym amongst the imperfection that is inherent in life.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 perspective.This podcast is listener-supported; if you would like to support the Strong Stoic (as well as gain access to exclusive content), you can do so on Patreon or Substack:Patreon: www.patreon.com/brandontumblinSubstack: https://strongstoic.substack.com You can also find me at my website and on social media:Podcast Website: www.brandontumblin.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thestrongstoicTwitter: https://twitter.com/thestrongstoicMedium: https://thestrongstoic.medium.com/ Telegram Channel: https://t.me/strongstoicpodcastTelegram Chat: https://t.me/strongstoicchatThe Walled Garden: www.thewalledgarden.comThe Stoic Gym: https://thestoicgym.comThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5910790/advertisement

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 that we tell ourselves, and write a better one?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 perspective.This podcast is listener-supported; if you would like to support the Strong Stoic (as well as gain access to exclusive content), you can do so on Patreon or Substack:Patreon: www.patreon.com/brandontumblinSubstack: https://strongstoic.substack.com You can also find me at my website and on social media:Podcast Website: www.brandontumblin.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thestrongstoicTwitter: https://twitter.com/thestrongstoicMedium: https://thestrongstoic.medium.com/ Telegram Channel: https://t.me/strongstoicpodcastTelegram Chat: https://t.me/strongstoicchatThe Walled Garden: www.thewalledgarden.comThe Stoic Gym: https://thestoicgym.comThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5910790/advertisement

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 year.Find this episode on:https://linktr.ee/StrongstoicThe 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 perspective.This podcast is listener-supported; if you would like to support the Strong Stoic (as well as gain access to exclusive content), you can do so on Patreon or Substack:Patreon: www.patreon.com/brandontumblinSubstack: https://strongstoic.substack.comYou can also find me at my website and on social media:Podcast Website: www.brandontumblin.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thestrongstoicTwitter: https://twitter.com/thestrongstoicMedium: https://thestrongstoic.medium.com/ Telegram Channel: https://t.me/strongstoicpodcastTelegram Chat: https://t.me/strongstoicchatThe Walled Garden: www.thewalledgarden.comThe Stoic Gym: https://thestoicgym.comThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5910790/advertisement

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 of attachment. What isn't often discussed around the idea of detachment is detachment from work. In this episode, I discuss detachment from several different angles and explain why it is crucial for the practicing Stoic.Find this episode on:https://linktr.ee/StrongstoicThe 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 perspective.This podcast is listener-supported; if you would like to support the Strong Stoic (as well as gain access to exclusive content), you can do so on Patreon or Substack:Patreon: www.patreon.com/brandontumblinSubstack: https://strongstoic.substack.comYou can also find me at my website and on social media:Podcast Website: www.brandontumblin.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thestrongstoicTwitter: https://twitter.com/thestrongstoicMedium: https://thestrongstoic.medium.com/ Telegram Channel: https://t.me/strongstoicpodcastTelegram Chat: https://t.me/strongstoicchatThe Walled Garden: www.thewalledgarden.comThe Stoic Gym: https://thestoicgym.comThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5910790/advertisement

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 push or a pull.Resistance training (weight training) does have pushes and pulls, but, contrary to what many may think, it shouldn’t be considered aggressive.That’s where the word “resist” comes in. When you resist something, you are by definition in a state of defense. The opposite is one of offense. It’s attack versus defend. The virtuous among us are not aggressive. They are defensive. They don’t “fight” vice or evil per se but rather defend against it.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 perspective.This podcast is listener-supported; if you would like to support the Strong Stoic (as well as gain access to exclusive content), you can do so on Patreon or Substack:Patreon:www.patreon.com/brandontumblinSubstack: https://strongstoic.substack.com You can also find me at my website and on social media:Podcast Website: www.brandontumblin.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thestrongstoicTwitter: https://twitter.com/thestrongstoicMedium: https://thestrongstoic.medium.com/ Telegram Channel: https://t.me/strongstoicpodcastTelegram Chat: https://t.me/strongstoicchatThe Walled Garden: www.thewalledgarden.comThe Stoic Gym: https://thestoicgym.comThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5910790/advertisement

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 call, philosophical truths?These are broad questions, and it would take a book to even attempt to answer them.However, the idea that Dostoevsky presents above - that people are unable to palate the truth without a little bit of falsehood - really points to an undebatable truth about truth - it is often difficult for us to accept.Find this episode on:https://linktr.ee/StrongstoicThe 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 perspective.This podcast is listener-supported; if you would like to support the Strong Stoic (as well as gain access to exclusive content), you can do so on Patreon or Substack:Patreon: www.patreon.com/brandontumblinSubstack: https://strongstoic.substack.comYou can also find me at my website and on social media:Podcast Website: www.brandontumblin.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thestrongstoicTwitter: https://twitter.com/thestrongstoicMedium: https://thestrongstoic.medium.com/ Telegram Channel: https://t.me/strongstoicpodcastTelegram Chat: https://t.me/strongstoicchatThe Walled Garden: www.thewalledgarden.comThe Stoic Gym: https://thestoicgym.comThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5910790/advertisement

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/StrongstoicThe 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 perspective.This podcast is listener-supported; if you would like to support the Strong Stoic (as well as gain access to exclusive content), you can do so on Patreon or Substack:Patreon: www.patreon.com/brandontumblinSubstack: https://strongstoic.substack.comYou can also find me at my website and on social media:Podcast Website: www.brandontumblin.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thestrongstoicTwitter: https://twitter.com/thestrongstoicMedium: https://thestrongstoic.medium.com/ Telegram Channel: https://t.me/strongstoicpodcastTelegram Chat: https://t.me/strongstoicchatThe Walled Garden: www.thewalledgarden.comThe Stoic Gym: https://thestoicgym.comThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5910790/advertisement

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: 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 perspective. This podcast is listener-supported; if you would like to support the Strong Stoic (as well as gain access to exclusive content), you can do so on Patreon or Substack: Patreon: www.patreon.com/brandontumblin Substack: https://strongstoic.substack.com You can also find me at my website and on social media: Podcast Website: www.brandontumblin.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thestrongstoic Twitter: https://twitter.com/thestrongstoic Medium: https://thestrongstoic.medium.com/    Telegram Channel: https://t.me/strongstoicpodcast Telegram Chat: https://t.me/strongstoicchat The Walled Garden: www.thewalledgarden.com The Stoic Gym: https://thestoicgym.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Even though they have overflowing piles of material possessions (of externals), their character is far from optimal (that isn’t to say that all rich people are terrible people). So how do we balance getting things that we want while staying detached? 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 perspective. This podcast is listener-supported; if you would like to support the Strong Stoic (as well as gain access to exclusive content), you can do so on Patreon or Substack: Patreon: www.patreon.com/brandontumblin Substack: https://strongstoic.substack.com You can also find me at my website and on social media: Podcast Website: www.brandontumblin.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thestrongstoic Twitter: https://twitter.com/thestrongstoic Medium: https://thestrongstoic.medium.com/    Telegram Channel: https://t.me/strongstoicpodcast Telegram Chat: https://t.me/strongstoicchat The Walled Garden: www.thewalledgarden.com The Stoic Gym: https://thestoicgym.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 could perhaps deem living virtuously selfish from a certain perspective. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ian C. Williams is an author, speaker, and business advisor. He has a Master’s in Public Affairs (MPA) with an emphasis in Leadership Strategy and Organizational Culture from the University of Minnesota. He works primarily with mission-driven organizations to help them grow healthy cultures through process optimization, well-being integration, and environmental restoration. He recently released his first book, Soil & Spirit: Seeds of Purpose, Nature’s Insight and the Deep Work of Transformational Change, which is available for purchase now. In this episode, Ian and I discuss vulnerability or, leaning into the unknown, identity, fact, truth, and reason, intuition, and much more. Without further ado, please welcome Ian Williams.  You can find Ian at: https://www.reviveuandi.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It is, of course, a core Stoic idea that it is not situations that upset us but rather our opinion of them. This points to a very deep connection between opinion and character: one’s opinion dictates one’s character. That doesn’t sound overly obvious. Isn’t an opinion just some arbitrary thing? And isn’t it outside of our control to some extent? In this episode, I discuss the connection between character, opinions, and perspective. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Peterson is known to say some crazy stuff from time to time. When looking at a quote like the above, it’s easy to get a little hesitant - how can we alter the structure of reality? I think there’s a lot to unpack in this quote. Firstly, it does seem to be the case that our thoughts form our reality, at least in some part. There is an objective reality out there, though we mere humans don’t always know what it is. That is what science aims to define. However, there are also our subjective views on the world. Many moderns struggle with this element (or, rather, the alignment of this element with the objective world that exists). Make no mistake - our subjective views on situations do, indeed, change our state. That is the principle that Stoicism is built on. 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 perspective. This podcast is listener-supported; if you would like to support the Strong Stoic (as well as gain access to exclusive content), you can do so on Patreon or Substack: Patreon: www.patreon.com/brandontumblin Substack: https://strongstoic.substack.com  You can also find me at my website and on social media: Podcast Website: www.brandontumblin.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thestrongstoic  Twitter: https://twitter.com/thestrongstoic  Medium: https://thestrongstoic.medium.com/    Telegram Channel: https://t.me/strongstoicpodcast  Telegram Chat: https://t.me/strongstoicchat  The Walled Garden: www.thewalledgarden.com  The Stoic Gym: https://thestoicgym.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We have a tendency to take everything that we already have for granted. Perhaps you spend months craving the latest iPhone. You save your money and when the day comes, you trade it in for that shiny, shiny model. However, come next year, you have the same feelings. Now, the iPhone that, at one point in time you felt would make you happy ‘till the end of your days simply blends in with the rest of your “bland” life. But where is the balance between seeking a better life and gratitude? 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 perspective. This podcast is listener-supported; if you would like to support the Strong Stoic (as well as gain access to exclusive content), you can do so on Patreon or Substack: Patreon: www.patreon.com/brandontumblin Substack: https://strongstoic.substack.com You can also find me at my website and on social media: Podcast Website: www.brandontumblin.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thestrongstoic Twitter: https://twitter.com/thestrongstoic Medium: https://thestrongstoic.medium.com/    Telegram Channel: https://t.me/strongstoicpodcast Telegram Chat: https://t.me/strongstoicchat The Walled Garden: www.thewalledgarden.com The Stoic Gym: https://thestoicgym.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It isn’t uncommon for the thought to cross one’s mind “damn, time goes fast!”. Though perhaps Seneca wouldn’t have cursed (but who knows?), he had contemplated much on the shortness of life. Perhaps paradoxically, Seneca also writes on how life can actually be quite long if it is lived properly. What are we to make of these seemingly contradictory ideas from Seneca? 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 perspective. This podcast is listener-supported; if you would like to support the Strong Stoic (as well as gain access to exclusive content), you can do so on Patreon or Substack: Patreon: www.patreon.com/brandontumblin Substack: https://strongstoic.substack.com  You can also find me at my website and on social media: Podcast Website: www.brandontumblin.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thestrongstoic  Twitter: https://twitter.com/thestrongstoic  Medium: https://thestrongstoic.medium.com/    Telegram Channel: https://t.me/strongstoicpodcast  Telegram Chat: https://t.me/strongstoicchat  The Walled Garden: www.thewalledgarden.com  The Stoic Gym: https://thestoicgym.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Megan McElheran is a Clinical Psychologist and the Chief Executive Officer of Wayfound Mental Health Group, practicing in Calgary, AB. Her work over the last 16 years has been exclusively in the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of Operational Stress Injuries (OSI) in active-duty military, Veterans, and public safety personnel (e.g., police, firefighters, paramedics, corrections, etc.). Megan does extremely important work in the world, and I was very happy for her to sit down and chat with me, this time face-to-face, as she was visiting Halifax at the time. In this episode, which is one of my longest yet seemed to fly by, Megan and I talk about working hard but not too hard, exercise as a catalyst for learning Stoicism, mental strength, intimacy and vulnerability in relationships, and much more. I hope you enjoy this conversation just as much as I did. Without further ado, please welcome Dr. Megan McElheran. You can find Megan at: https://wayfound.ca/leadership_team/dr-megan-mcelheran/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Truth is an obvious virtue, though it’s not a cardinal virtue. A cardinal virtue is pure; it’s always good, while the truth is not. Still, truth plays a very significant part in any philosophical journey. It is the handmaiden of love. But what does this really mean? This podcast is listener-supported; if you would like to support the Strong Stoic (as well as gain access to exclusive content), you can do so on Patreon or Substack: Patreon: www.patreon.com/brandontumblin Substack: https://strongstoic.substack.com You can also find me at my website and on social media: Podcast Website: www.brandontumblin.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thestrongstoic Twitter: https://twitter.com/thestrongstoic Medium: https://thestrongstoic.medium.com/    Telegram Channel: https://t.me/strongstoicpodcast Telegram Chat: https://t.me/strongstoicchat The Walled Garden: www.thewalledgarden.com The Stoic Gym: https://thestoicgym.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, I have the privilege of speaking with Will Johncock. Will studies how an individual’s thoughts, actions, and attributes, are products of their environments. He works within the fields of continental philosophy, ancient and modern Stoic philosophy, social theory, and sociology. He is also an author, and his newest book Beyond the Individual: Stoic Philosophy on Community and Connection is available right now, and I highly recommend picking it up. In this episode, Will and I talk about the cosmopolitan aspect of Stoicism, the idea that the cosmos is an organism, individualism vs. community, the daimon (ooh what’s that?), and much more. I hope you enjoy this discussion as much as I did. Without further ado, please welcome Will Johncock. You can find Will here: www.willjohncock.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Emerson said "the only way to have a friend is to be one". This quote is particularly insightful in today’s hyper-connected world. I use the word “connected'“ loosely, for although many of us have lots of online friends, genuine in-person connections seem to have become rare. So how do we best aim towards making friends? And how can we BE a friend? This podcast is listener-supported; if you would like to support the Strong Stoic (as well as gain access to exclusive content), you can do so on Patreon or Substack: Patreon: www.patreon.com/brandontumblin Substack: https://strongstoic.substack.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wisdom is one of the four cardinal virtues, so it makes sense why the Stoics spent so much time thinking and writing about it. It is often seen as abstract, and hence, it can cause confusion as to what it really is. But what is wisdom? How can we become more wise? Is there a difference between "wisdom" and "knowledge"? And why is humility important in wisdom? 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 perspective. This podcast is listener-supported; if you would like to support the Strong Stoic (as well as gain access to exclusive content), you can do so on Patreon or Substack: Patreon: www.patreon.com/brandontumblin Substack: https://strongstoic.substack.com You can also find me at my website and on social media: Podcast Website: www.brandontumblin.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thestrongstoic Twitter: https://twitter.com/thestrongstoic Medium: https://thestrongstoic.medium.com/    Telegram Channel: https://t.me/strongstoicpodcast Telegram Chat: https://t.me/strongstoicchat The Walled Garden: www.thewalledgarden.com The Stoic Gym: https://thestoicgym.com Paradoxically Speaking: https://paradoxicallyspeaking.substack.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brian is the author of the new book Centering Prayer: Sitting Quietly in God’s Presence Can Change Your Life. He’s an award-winning professor of biblical studies and a transformational coach for pastors and spiritually-minded professionals and also hosts the Deep Dive Spirituality Conversations podcast. In this episode, Brian and I discuss personality, teamwork, relationships, leadership, and much more.  There are two parts to this interview – the first is the standard Strong Stoic guest conversation followed by a 20-minute interview talking about Brian’s career and his road to success. The second interview will be exclusively released on my Patreon and Substack, so consider joining there if you’re interested. Please welcome Dr. Brian Russell.  You can find Brian here: https://www.brianrussellphd.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Logos is a very abstract and difficult idea to understand. It’s present in many ancient philosophies as well as Christianity. One of the confusing aspects is the fact that the definition changes to some degree depending on which philosophy you are talking about. Despite it’s complexity (or perhaps because of it), I think an understanding of what Logos is is crucial for the practicing of Stoicism, as it is the spirit of the entire philosophy. So what is Logos, and why should we trust in it? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tanner is the founder of Practical Philosophy and the host of the Practical Stoicism podcast. He’s currently working on what is in my opinion a very noble goal – a platform for academics to independently share their wisdom with those willing to hear it. He has also authored a book called “Practical Stoicism” and has another, “Stoicism But Brief” coming out very soon so stay tuned for that. In this episode, Tanner and I talk about Stoicism, of course, but in the context of the Western world. Stoicism is a Western philosophy by definition, but how could it be that our current value system in the west is misaligned with virtue ethics? I really enjoyed chatting with Tanner and our conversation took many surprising yet interesting twists and turns. Without further ado, please welcome Tanner Campbell. You can find Tanner here: www.tannercampbell.net Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tom Petty said, “some say life will beat you down, break your heart, steal your crown”. That seems like a rather pessimistic take on life! However, we add pessimism to our heads. Perhaps Petty wasn’t referring to this as an inherently bad thing. Tragedy, heat break, etc. are viewed as indifferents in Stoicism, but they could also be viewed as good if we use them to improve our character. Could we go so far as to say that suffering could perhaps come to us if we’re lucky? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Corey Robinson is a former member of Canada’s National Wrestling Team who has also served as both a national and provincial coach of Olympic freestyle wrestling. He is currently a specialist of social impact at Motivate Canada, which is an organization which focuses on youth-driven development all over Canada. He also is a coach at CrossFit Basinview for those of you in the Halifax area. In this episode, Corey and I talk about what it means to really do your best – in the gym but also in life. We also delve into the importance of competition, living up to standards, and much more. Without further ado, please welcome Corey Robinson. www.motivatecanada.ca Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There’s a common moral dilemma brought up as a way to illustrate the complexity of situations. These dilemmas are often a version of sacrificing one for the many. If there was an army coming your way, and the leader of the army asked you to either sacrifice one of your friends or to be prepared to be destroyed. What’s the right response here? It’s perhaps easy to justify sacrificing the one to save the many… but is that the right response? 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 perspective. This podcast is listener-supported; if you would like to support the Strong Stoic (as well as gain access to exclusive content), you can do so on Patreon or Substack: Patreon: www.patreon.com/brandontumblin Substack: https://strongstoic.substack.com You can also find me at my website and on social media: Podcast Website: www.brandontumblin.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thestrongstoic Twitter: https://twitter.com/thestrongstoic Medium: https://thestrongstoic.medium.com/    Telegram Channel: https://t.me/strongstoicpodcast Telegram Chat: https://t.me/strongstoicchat The Walled Garden: www.thewalledgarden.com The Stoic Gym: https://thestoicgym.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Megan McElheran is a Clinical Psychologist and the Chief Executive Officer of Wayfound Mental Health Group, practicing in Calgary, AB. Her work over the last 16 years has been exclusively in the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of Operational Stress Injuries (OSI) in active-duty military, Veterans, and public safety personnel (e.g., police, firefighters, paramedics, corrections, etc.). Megan does extremely important work in the world, and I was very happy for her to sit down and chat with me. In this episode, we discuss life’s hardest truths, dealing with trauma, losing faith, and much more. There are two parts to this interview – the first is the standard Strong Stoic guest conversation followed by a 20 minute interview talking about Megan’s career and her road to success. The second interview will be exclusively released on my Patreon and Substack, so consider joining there if you’re interested. Without further ado, please welcome Dr. Megan McElheran. You can find Megan: https://wayfound.ca/leadership_team/dr-megan-mcelheran/ 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 perspective. This podcast is listener-supported; if you would like to support the Strong Stoic (as well as gain access to exclusive content), you can do so on Patreon or Substack: Patreon: www.patreon.com/brandontumblin Substack: https://strongstoic.substack.com You can also find me at my website and on social media: Podcast Website: www.brandontumblin.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thestrongstoic Twitter: https://twitter.com/thestrongstoic Medium: https://thestrongstoic.medium.com/ Telegram Channel: https://t.me/strongstoicpodcast Telegram Chat: https://t.me/strongstoicchat The Walled Garden: www.thewalledgarden.com The Stoic Gym: https://thestoicgym.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I recently did an episode on the vitalness of showing up for yourself. No one else is coming. If you want to make your life better, then YOU must make your life better. As the old adage goes, “you can bring a horse to the water, but you can’t make them drink it”. However, we are also all here for each other. I’ve often said in the past that we should acquire strength, first, to lift ourselves up and second, to lift others up. This is the other side of the coin. But what can we really do to help each other? You can support this podcast, as well as gain additional bonus content, through Patreon or Substack: Patreon: www.patreon.com/brandontumblin Substack: https://strongstoic.substack.com Podcast Website: www.brandontumblin.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thestrongstoic Twitter: https://twitter.com/thestrongstoic Medium: https://thestrongstoic.medium.com/    Telegram Channel: https://t.me/strongstoicpodcast Telegram Chat: https://t.me/strongstoicchat The Walled Garden: www.thewalledgarden.com The Stoic Gym: https://thestoicgym.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1882, Nietzsche stated in his book The Gay Science that “God is dead”. He wasn’t celebrating this fact; in fact, he was quite concerned about it. Dostoevsky, the author of some of the greatest books of all time, was concerned as well. In 1879, he published The Brothers Karamazov, and in it, one of his characters said “If God doesn’t exist then everything is permissible”. These statements were made about 3 years about, which is fascinating. Here we have two of the greatest philosophers of all time – one exclaiming almost reluctantly that “God is dead”, the other saying that “If God doesn’t exist then everything goes”. The question, really, becomes: do we need God for morality? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Shane is an author, educator, and strength and conditioning coordinator. His book “Setting the Bar: Preparing Our Kids to Thrive in an Era of Distraction, Dependency, and Entitlement” is a book that I often recommend to teachers, parents, or anyone else with kids in their lives. He’s dedicated to improving youth development, and my personal exchanges with Shane have led me to the conclusion that this guy “walks the walk” just as much as he “talks the talk”. This is his third time on the podcast, and in this episode, we start the conversation reacting to a video where a high school teacher and student get into a fight. We then dissect the underlying issues for this horrid situation and discuss solutions. There are two parts to this interview – the first is the standard Strong Stoic guest conversation followed by a 20-minute interview talking about Shane’s career and his road to success. The second interview will be exclusively released on my Patreon, so consider becoming a Patron if you want to learn from the people of success. Without further ado, please welcome, Shane Trotter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the past few months, I’ve been releasing episodes on self-improvement, showing up for yourself, and forming good habits, and they seem to be well-received. Of course, my thoughts on these topics are in constant evolution, and I’ve come to ponder the question: if we were to distill down to the essentials what’s important, what would we be left with? And I don’t mean in terms of values, though that’s important, I simply mean: what defines the spirit of individuals that allows it to transcend the evil and incompetence of our current insufficient condition? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are two seemingly contradictory ideas in Stoicism. The first is that we should not let externals dictate our actions. The second is that we are all part of a larger whole. In sum, the question becomes: is it Stoic to be a product of your environment? Or perhaps: if you are different around different people, are you still genuinely yourself (and hence, Stoic)? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kristen is an abstract artist here locally in Nova Scotia, Canada. That’s what actually drew me to her – her art is very beautiful and I highly recommend checking out her Instagram and website to have a peak at what she does. She has a background in political philosophy which allowed her to study creativity – quite the thing to study for an artist. Since then, she’s been involved in many projects, including authoring a travel book and hosting a podcast with her musician husband. In this episode, we talk about art, creativity, Stoicism, belonging, and much more. I’m sure you’ll find Kristen to be as kind and wise as I did, so without further ado, please welcome Kristen Herrington.  You can find Kristen here: https://www.kristenherringtonart.com/ https://www.instagram.com/kristenherrington.art/?hl=en Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The idea of showing up for yourself is a bit odd; how could you not show up for yourself? You are you, after all! However, we all fall short of showing up for ourselves. It doesn’t simply mean that we are physically present; on that, surely, we have no choice. Like many philosophical ideas, perhaps it’s best to think of it as being a friend to ourselves, as Seneca would encourage us to do. But what does this really mean? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode, unlike many of my episodes, is a feely-goody episode. I’m going to talk about friendship. But not just friendship in general, but rather how magical it can be. And I don’t use that term lightly – the things that friendship is able to transcend and overcome is truly remarkable. You and I could be from different parts of the world, have different skin colors, be different heights, and even speak different languages, and still become friends. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh is the host of the In Search of Wisdom Podcast and the Perennial Podcast where he talks about all kinds of ancient wisdom and engages in meaningful conversations with modern thinkers. He also manages the Perennial Leader Project, which includes these podcasts along with a weekly newsletter and blog posts. Myself and Josh connected a while ago and we’ve done several collaborations together. In this episode, we talk about the basics of wisdom, and tie it in with Josh's new course called Wisdom 101. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In episode 244, I discussed the equivalent of grace in Stoicism (if it exists at all). I defined it as: Stoic grace is the state of flourishing achieved through virtue by practicing Amor Fati, which is the use of the rational mind to completely love one’s fate, including when Providence gives you either preferred indifferents or dispreferred indifferents, never asking for more or less of either, but having gratitude for exactly how many of each is received. In this episode, I want to break this down practically: how do we gracefully accept everything that comes our way, good and bad? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Grace has been a concept that I’ve personally struggled to understand for quite some time, in no small part because it’s a religious term which has a supernatural element to it. In Christianity, grace is often viewed as some kind of connection with God. However, I’ve come to realize that we can understand grace from a Stoic perspective, and I believe that there is much benefit in doing so. So: what is Stoic grace, if we can be bold enough to try and define such a thing? This episode will be released in two parts because this topic is really dense. The next episode will be #245 released next Tuesday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Santara Gonzales is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of Wisdom Unlocked, which has programs designed to introduce Stoic principles to those facing difficult circumstances. A huge part of this is aimed at incarcerated individuals who have found their way into the prison system. Santara’s work is tremendously important in the world, and I was very happy to get to discuss these topics in depth. In this episode, we talk about moral judgement, why we should have compassion for everyone, the difficulties people have when finally attaining freedom from prison, and much more. This is quite a heavy episode so brace thyself, but without any further ado, please welcome Santara Gonzales. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode is the audio version of a YouTube video I did discussing how a Stoic would react to Kanye 'Ye' West praising Hitler and the Nazis. Ye's words have stirred controversy and emotions. A Stoic, of course, has to stay rational and really dissect the best way for us to deal with such declarations. Should Ye be cancelled and ostracized, or should we deem him a truth-teller and listen more closely? The YouTube video can be found here: https://youtu.be/GPnK7ThATuc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It seems the political divide – left vs. right – is only getting bigger and bigger. I’ve been doing a lot of pondering on why we seem to disagree so much to the point where debates can often disintegrate into violence, name-calling, or (in one word), hatred. I’m going to propose a way that many of us that disagree can actually debate with cooler heads by agreeing on what our fundamental goals actually are. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode is a compilation of the top 10 Strong Stoic episodes of 2022! Enjoy, and happy holidays! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Many people will give the advice to “be positive”. What this means, in a sense, is to be optimistic, to focus on the good things, and to imagine your future success. Certainly, there’s a place for this in life. However, is there a place for negative visualization? Should we incorporate some regular focusing on the bad things? On our potential future failures? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There’s a presupposition to all self-help, self-improvement, and philosophy as a way of life topics: that growth is good. Self-help and self-improvement, after all, is improvement OF the self, though not necessarily just FOR the self. Even the philosophy of Stoicism presupposes that growth is a good thing. Their eudaemonic state is often described as “flourishing”, which is often imagined as a blooming flower. And that is growth. However, why is growth important? And how do we keep growing? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I have a very special and exciting announcement. Hopefully, most of you by now know my good friend and fellow philosopher, Joshua W. Bertolotti. We’ve done several collaborations together over the last year and a half or so, but we also talk regularly about philosophical ideas, current pop culture, and so on. Josh and I have decided to record these conversations and release them as a separate paid podcast on Substack. The first 15-20 minutes of each conversation will be released for free. Starting the first week in January, we will be releasing regular episodes of The Seeker and the Stoic Podcast for all premium Seeker and the Stoic Subscribers. All Patreon supporters of myself right now will get this as an added benefit, but I can’t guarantee that once 2023 starts, so if you do want to get the benefits of my Patrons plus the Seeker and the Stoic, now’s the time to sign up. Josh and I thought a lot about this and whether we wanted to put it behind a paywall or have it free, like In Search of Wisdom and the Strong Stoic. There are a few reasons why we decided on this model. Firstly, these conversations are usually personal, so we wanted to maintain the familiarity of our previous personal conversations and felt it’s best if we kept this in the more exclusive end. Second, both of us already put out a very significant amount of free content. We put in hours of work for no monetary gain, and that’s fine. We love to do that. However, we do have bills to pay and we need to prioritize something in our lives. Thirdly, we want this only available to our most dedicated and committed listeners. We both have many downloads a month, but there’s a much smaller amount of people who are actively engaged in the material. We love both casual listeners and committed ones, but feel like the committed ones deserve a little extra. The minimum monthly payment on Substack is $5 a month, but you can get it right down to $30 if you sign up for the year. I’ll also add that both Josh and myself would never want to see someone not have access to wisdom because of financial constraints, so if you email either one of us, we’ll work with you to get you the wisdom you need to improve your life. Now, here is a 15-minute section of the Seeker and the Stoic, Episode 1. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Redemption is a word that is most often used in religious circles, such as Christianity. It’s used to explain the action of being saved by God from sin. However, redemption is part of any philosophical journey. It doesn’t need to be in relation to a supernatural God. It could entirely be between you and your own conscience. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The cosmos has a way of making us succumb to “fate”. This word gets tangly sometimes – does this mean we have no free will? Of course, we do! However, that doesn’t mean that we have complete control over everything. We cannot choose which way life pushes us, but we can choose how we fall. Meaning: we can choose how we react to such a situation. Sometimes, these “pushes” take the form of accidents, injuries, and screw-ups. So how should we best deal with such things? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Will Johncock studies how an individual’s thoughts and actions, as well as an individual thing’s attributes, are the effects of social and physical environments. He works within the fields of continental philosophy, ancient and modern Stoic philosophy, social theory, and sociology. He is also an author, and his newest book Beyond the Individual: Stoic Philosophy on Community and Connection is coming out early next year. In this episode, Will and I talk about the line between individual identity and group identity, being yourself and whether or not it’s a good thing, the Stoic view from above, and much more. Without further ado, please welcome Will Johncock. You can find Will here: https://willjohncock.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Buddhism, it’s said that “life is suffering”. Though some Stoics may argue that this is not the Stoic view on life, it does seem to be unequivocally true that the philosophy of Stoicism exists because of that very fact – that life is suffering. Stoicism, like all philosophies, only exists because we must contend with that fact. Suffering, then, they seem like the most real thing, and that position could certainly be well-argued. But then the question becomes: if a philosophy is able to successfully transcend the suffering that is life, then wouldn’t that make the tenets of that philosophy even more real than suffering itself? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vulnerability is a bit of a buzzword these days. It’s often said that you need to “be vulnerable” in relationships to become closer to the person. Hence, it is seen as a virtue. But what does it really mean to be vulnerable? Does it tie in with any of the cardinal virtues? In other words: is it Stoic to be vulnerable? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

David Alexander is a psychotherapist, the co-host of the Between Two Ravens podcast, the creator of the Prosoche Project, and a founding member (like myself) of the Walled Garden. In this episode, David and I discuss becoming more conscious, analyzing dreams, Norse mythology, Stoic mindfulness, and much, much more. I found our conversation to be very natural and I learned a lot from his psychological insight. Without further ado, please welcome David Alexander. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You may consider your body to be yours, but the Stoics had a different perspective on this. It is “yours”, in one sense, as it constitutes a part of you. At the same time, making the mind strong is what Stoicism is all about. In fact, you could look at many of the Stoic doctrines as a kind of rebellion against the body. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Often, we find ourselves either liking or being fascinated by villains. Consider how cool everyone thinks Darth Vader is, for example. There’s also Batman’s Joker, Negan from The Walking Dead, and Thanos from the Marvel movies. These are just some example, but there’s a common element here: we are attracted to these characters even though they are villains. But why is that the case? And should we be? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Corey Robinson is a former member of Canada’s National Wrestling Team who has also served as both a national and provincial coach of Olympic freestyle wrestling. He is currently a specialist of social impact at Motivate Canada, which is an organization which focuses on youth-driven development all over Canada. He also is a coach at CrossFit Basinview for those of you in the Halifax area. In this episode, Corey and I talk about strength and fortitude, youth development, taking control of your life and fears, and much more. Without further ado, please welcome Corey Robinson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Many of the greatest philosophers in history were misunderstood. It makes sense – for someone to be great, they must be different from everyone else. And that often takes the form of being misunderstood. Still, it’s an interesting conundrum because clearly, they are understood in some ways. Otherwise, why even listen to them? And then there’s the question: does EVERYONE misunderstand them? And do we need to be understood, by the world or by even one person to function? In this episode, I’ll be talking about being understood and misunderstood. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are two elements to self-improvement, overall. There’s the learning of the philosophy itself, and then there’s the application of it. vI know this is very hard for people to hear… but it’s not as simple as just learning something new and then your life gets better! Learning something is the first step. It’s a crucial step. But it’s not going to give you positive results in the long term. What does do that is the application of these principles into daily life. But how do we do that, practically speaking? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josephine is a caregiver innovator, coach, and activist who promotes rethinking how we deal with death. Being exposed to aspects of death and mortality on a daily basis, she witnesses first-hand the issues we seem to have in dealing with, not just our own mortality, but the mortality of our loved ones. In this episode, we talk about being yourself, the importance of boundaries in relationships, and how to find the balance between the two. As always, I find my conversations with Josephine very deep and thoughtful, and I hope you dig it. Please welcome Josephine Tite. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tyranny is not a new thing. It's been around for as long as people have formed cities. One could even argue that governments and society tilts towards tyranny over time, as we slowly drift away from understanding the importance of our fundamental rights and freedoms. But is there anything we can do to ensure liberty? How does a tyrannical government even come into being? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There’s a number of misconceptions about Stoicism that never seem to die. One of these notions is “Stoics are docile. Weak.” In fact, it isn’t uncommon to think a Stoic reaction to something like a slap on the face would be to treat it as something that wasn’t harmful. And that MAY be right… but is it always? Do Stoics actually get aggressive from time to time? Are they willing to fight under the right circumstances? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Simon Drew is an alignment coach, poet, author, musician, and photographer. He has a Bachelor of Music Performance and is currently studying for a Master of Divinity. He is most well known for his work with the Practical Stoic Podcast, which has since evolved into The Walled Garden. In this episode, we talk about the current "mess" that we're in as a species and what we can do about it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the ancient Roman days, burning the capitol and killing one's father were considered the worst of crimes. Oddly, many Western countries are being faced with a similar criticism: is our culture and society a good one, or should we just rip everything to the ground? Some seem to think so. However, where does this motivation come from to burn one's own culture down? And why was it considered the most heinous crime? And should it still be considered so? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The word "spirit" scares many away, as it seems to be a predominantly religious term. However, the idea of the spirit is actually a very real one - it represents our capacity to produce good in the world. But what should we do, as a species, community, and individual, to make the world a better place? What actually is "better"? And how do we even go about doing so? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joshua W. Bertolotti is the host of the In Search of Wisdom Podcast and the Perennial Podcast where he talks about all kinds of ancient wisdom and engages in meaningful conversations with modern thinkers. He also manages the Perennial Leader Project, which includes these podcasts along with a weekly newsletter and blog posts. Josh is a regular guest on the podcast. In this episode, we talk about leading a life - how to determine where you're going by having a "philosophy as a way of life". You can find Josh at: https://www.perennialleader.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Many of us “go-getters” struggle with the notion of patience. Patience is naturally a hard thing for us. When we want something, we don’t want to wait for it. No, we want it now! If you just started a new business, for example, I’m sure you can’t wait until you get your first 100 customers. Or maybe you just started going to the gym, and you find yourself looking into the mirror every day thinking “when will I see the gains?”. In this episode, I want to go over why patience is actually not an option in life; it’s inevitable and necessary. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“The philosophers say that there is a God, and that his Will directs the Universe. But the more important lesson is to discover God’s nature.” Sometimes you’ll hear an atheist say something like: “the way I see it is god doesn’t exist, but if he does exist, he’ll let me into heaven if Im a good person.” Really what this means is: I don’t really care if there is a supernatural god or not. I have a set of values that I deem divine, and if, by chance, there IS a god, because I know his nature, his values, he’ll look on me favourably. We can bicker back and forth between whether or not there is a god. However, to Epictetus, it doesn’t really matter. We don’t need to know if God exists. All we really need to know is God’s nature Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brian is the author of the new book Centering Prayer: Sitting Quietly in God’s Presence Can Change Your Life. He’s an award-winning professor of biblical studies and a transformational coach for pastors and spiritually-minded professionals and also hosts the Deep Dive Spirituality Conversations podcast. In this episode, Brian and I discuss Aleksander Solzhenitsyn, the spiritual journey (which we deem the existential journey), losing faith, finding faith, and much more. I absolutely loved this conversation so I hope you dig it too. Please welcome Dr. Brian Russell. You can find Brian here: https://www.brianrussellphd.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hurricane Fiona is just about to hit my home province of Nova Scotia. I thought that this might be a good opportunity to discuss how a Stoic deals with such things. Of course, a Stoic always has the dichotomy of control to implement, and this is a foundational practice in Stoic practice. However, is this the only consideration while awaiting a hurricane? And should we prepare for that which is not within our control? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We often focus on the so called “cardinal virtues” of Stoicism – justice, wisdom, courage and temperance, but there are actually many virtues in Stoicism. The cardinal virtues are called as such because they are the virtues that all of the others hinge upon. They are pure – they are never bad. For example, courage is never bad (though sometimes courage entails retreating if it’s wise). Another virtue that’s brought up often in religious circles is generosity. So is generosity a virtue that we should aim for as Stoics? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Judith Stove is an Australian writer and philosopher, as well as a regular contributor to The Walled Garden. She has published two books on the life and times of Jane Austen, and many articles on history and literature. In this episode, Judy and I talk about strength, and how maybe it’s best to conceptualize the idea of virtue – the aim of life, at least in some capacity for many traditions – as strength. I really enjoyed speaking with her so without further ado, please welcome Judith Stove. You can find Judith at: Judith Stove | Author, Researcher - The Walled Gardenhttps://thewalledgarden.com › judithstove Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most of us catch ourselves complaining from time to time. Certainly, I'm sure we can all point out a complainer who we find incredibly annoying. Despite us deeming it annoying, we naturally find ourselves complaining from time to time. There is a distinction, though, between pointing out a problem and complaining. But where is that line? Is complaining universally bad or is there a bit of room for it in there? And is complaining harmless if you're doing it alone? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Stoic life is characterized by a move towards virtue and away from vice. In Stoicism, virtue is the ONLY good. However, we are all deeply flawed individuals, which the Christians have appreciated for a very long time. We inevitably miss the mark, sometimes unintentionally and sometimes intentionally. But is there a place for vice in a virtuous life? Is it wise to incorporate some vice, and would that lead to a more virtuous lifestyle, or is this just a justification for vice? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Kevin Vost is a clinical psychologist, professor, and speaker, and an author of over 20 books. His work covers a wide array of topics from ancient philosophy, theology, and even strength training. In this episode, we geek out on one of our shared passions: strength training, and what lessons we can extract from physical activity. We also talk about humility – the backbone of any growth – his latest book, Humble Strength, and much more. Without further ado, please welcome Kevin Vost. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Groups are an inherent part of human experience. We've been in tribes for a very long time from an evolutionary perspective. But not all groups are created equal. Some groups are formed out of love for others within the group. Others, however, are formed out of hatred for those outside of their group. Though it may sound like a subtle difference, it makes all the difference in terms of group sustainability and flourishing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nietzsche exclaimed in 1882 that “God is dead”. He wasn’t celebrating this fact; he was actually disheartened by it. He was critical of, well, every philosophy, really, including the Christians, and even the Stoics. And though I don't agree with everything Nietzsche has proposed, he does seem to be right about one thing: the death of God as an idea, a construct, would send humanity into a massive conundrum - essentially, the question of: is life worth living? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Shane Trotter is an author, educator, and a strength and conditioning coordinator. His book “Setting the Bar: Preparing Our Kids to Thrive in an Era of Distraction, Dependency, and Entitlement” is a book that I often recommend to teachers, parents, or anyone else with kids in their lives. He’s dedicated to improving youth development, and my personal exchanges with Shane has led me to the conclusion that this guy “walks the walk” just as much as he “talks the talk”. This is his second time on the podcast, and in this episode, we discuss history: why it’s important, what lessons we can take from it, and why it’s not as simple as saying “well, let’s just focus on today’s issues”. Please welcome, Shane Trotter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Everything seems to be easier if you can just... relax. And I don't even mean throwing your feet up on the couch and watching tv. No, I mean relaxing DURING your life, work, catastrophes, or any other stressful situations. Like walking in the wind, life seems to be easier if you can just relax. Unfortunately, we often find ourselves tensing up when facing new stimulus. Yet, even when facing a new challenge, we seem to find ourselves in a better situation to think rationally if we can let this tension go. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sharon Lebell is a bestselling author, speaker, composer, and performing musician. The wrote The Art of Living: The Classical Manual on Virtue, Happiness, and Effectiveness, which is a book I highly recommend. She’s also, like me, a founding member of The Walled Garden and it’s an absolute honour to be able to work with her. Sharon is one of the kindest and most compassionate individuals I’ve ever met – and I don’t say that lightly – and so I invited her on to talk about something that all humans inherently struggle with: loneliness: as philosophers and as human beings. We discuss how philosophy, over time, can be an antidote to loneliness. No more spoilers, dear friends, so without further ado, please welcome Sharon Lebell. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh W. Bertolotti is the host of the In Search of Wisdom Podcast and the Perennial Podcast where he talks about ancient wisdom and engages in meaningful conversations with modern thinkers. He also manages the Perennial Leader Project, which includes these podcasts along with a weekly newsletter and blog posts. Myself and Josh connected a while ago and we’ve done several collaborations together.  In this episode, we talk about Josh's upcoming meetup on The Walled Garden on Heraclitus, which can be found here:  https://thewalledgarden.com/post/the-poetic-genius-of-heraclitus  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There’s nothing like a good laugh. We all enjoy it and seem to like humor in other people. Sure, we like it when they tell us funny jokes, but we also like it when they can take a joke. There are some cheesy quotes all over the place like “laughter is cheap medicine, and yea, it sounds kind of obvious – how can laughter not be a good thing? But is there some deep, underlying reason why laughing is so crucial to a happy life? Or is it, even at all? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re all in a battle, in a story. Really, the only story there is: the one between good and evil. It’s tempting while engaging in this fight to consider how easy things would be if we could just destroy evil. Imagine if we could just round up all the evil people and get rid of them - how simple that would be! There are more than a few reasons why that's not a great idea, but even if we could… should we? Would that be the virtuous thing to do? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Todd Leader is a social worker. He’s spent his over 20-year career leading service development and transformation, particularly in the areas of mental health, addictions, health promotions, and primary health care. This is Todd’s third time on the podcast, and this one takes a somewhat different direction than the previous two. In this episode, we talk about one of the most shocking – for lack of a better word – personal stories I’ve ever heard, which is Todd’s story. There’s definitely some potentially triggering content in this episode, including mental health struggles, so please prepare for that, and I’ll also ask that you listen to this story with compassion for everyone involved. As I always say, things are complicated and we have to be very careful before we label people as simply “oppressor” or “oppressed”, as Solzhenitsyn would encourage us to consider. Without further adieu, please welcome, Todd Leader. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The word "soul" carries a certain meaning for most people. Many see it as a solely religious term, often associating it with the Christian supernatural soul. However, is there such a thing as a physical, natural soul? And is the idea of the soul in Christianity and Stoicism something that we should disregard as unscientific? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're currently living in a hyper-sensitive world. There are pros and cons to everything - certainly, there are benefits to being considerate of other's feelings. At the same time, it does seem to be the most common "injustice" discussed today - taking offence. But what do Stoics say about being offended? Should we fight offensive speech, or simply take no offence? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rocco Jarman is a poet, philosopher, artist, and mindfulness coach. He hosts the Eyes Wide Open Life Podcast where he explores important questions about the human experience. His podcast, like the Stoic Stoic, is part of the Walled Garden Podcast Network as well. In this episode, Rocco and I discuss the Hero’s Journey (we get a bit nerdy on the Lord of the Rings), the current “mess” that we’re in, and how we can become more deeply connected. Please welcome, Rocco Jarman.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are numerous well-known benefits to physical exercise. Many often think about exercise as strengthening the body, yet most athletes would argue that the largest benefit is strengthening the mind. What does Stoicism say about exercise? Is it important or mere vanity? Should all Stoics partake in developing the body? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There's a very helpful idea in Stoicism that we don't actually own anything in life. Of course, there are some obvious examples - you don't own externals, such as other people or other people's possessions - but at the same time, we often fall victim to routine and assume that we do, in fact, own everything around us. We even seem to think, in many ways, that we own those closest to us. This is a delusion that needs to be removed from our lives. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Juan Pérez is a business consultant focused on bringing ancient philosophy, particularly Stoicism, into the business workplace. He is also the host and creator of the Podcast Estoicismo Practico, which is a Spanish podcast on Stoic philosophy. Juan is also, like me, involved in The Walled Garden as a director and philosopher. In the episode, Juan and I discuss language barriers in understanding philosophy, how to incorporate philosophy into business and to be a Stoic leader, and much more. Please welcome Juan Pérez.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We often use the terms "pride" and "ego" interchangeably, but do they really mean the same thing? Pride is often defined in philosophy as a deadly sin. At the same time, we often say things like: "you should have pride in your work". Are we referring to the same thing that the ancient Greeks did, or is there a simple misunderstanding in how we're using these terms? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Science has done amazing things for our society. It's the backbone of engineering, which has enabled us to design and build skyscrapers, cellphones, fancy cars, and literally every other piece of technology you can think of. It's also led to the creation of vaccines and other medical breakthroughs, helping us live longer and healthier. However, do we struggle with a scientific hubris? Is it possible that many of us view science similar to how historical people would view the church? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Shane Sorensen is the owner of the popular Instagram profile “Renaissance Wisdom” where he shares philosophical ideas from the renaissance and ancient philosophy. He recently released his new book, Renaissance wisdom: How to Flourish in the Modern Day. OG’s of the Strong Stoic Podcast would know that Shane’s been on the podcast twice before, so this is his third appearance. In this episode, we talk about his new book, the importance of faith in life, how to deal with losing faith, and much more. Please welcome: Shane Sorensen.Find Shane and his book at:www.renaissance-wisdom.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're all afraid of something, but it's often said that courage isn't the lack of fear, but acting despite it. In other words, fear isn't good or bad in and of itself but rather how you react to such fear. And that is true, but this seems to be only one way of looking at fear. After all, your fear can work FOR you if you think about it in the right way. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Work and duty are very important to a Stoic lifestyle. And there is always so much work to do! Between working to pay for food and rent, building relationships, raising children, and fighting the never-ending list of injustices in the world, you can quite literally work yourself to death. However, is this what we should be doing? It's often said that "evil does not sleep" - does that mean that we, fighters of the good fight, should not sleep either? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Todd Leader is a social worker and community psychologist. He’s spent his over 20-year career leading service development and transformation, particularly in the areas of mental health, addictions, health promotions, and primary health care. This is Todd’s second time on the podcast, and in this episode, we talk about leadership: how to be a good leader, the importance of humility and criticism, and much more. Please welcome, Todd Leader. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Human beings inevitably become less and less grateful for the things that we have over time, even to the point where we can catch ourselves complaining about the smallest thing despite having mostly everything else perfect. It's a bit of a curious problem: why are we so consumed by the negative aspects of life when we have so much to be thankful for? From appreciating our work to being grateful for our shelter, food, water, loved ones, and everything else we experience daily, we tend to gravitate towards a state of ingratitude. But why is this the case? And how do we fight it? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's common to have periods in your life when you lose faith. If you believe in a god, perhaps that loss of faith is the loss of belief in your god. For a Stoic, losing faith looks more like losing the belief that you are capable of becoming a virtuous person and that you have a place in the cosmos. These moments are tough... in fact, I think they are the toughest. But we crawl out of that dark place all of the time. So: how can we come back to the light? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Bertolotti is the host of the In Search of Wisdom Podcast and the Perennial Podcast where he talks about all kinds of ancient wisdom and engages in meaningful conversations with modern thinkers. He also manages the Perennial Leader Project, which includes these podcasts along with a weekly newsletter and blog posts. This episode is actually part 2 of Self-Love. In this episode, we do a brief recap of part 1 and then dive right into the dark! We talk about the shadow in-depth, including those moments where you lose faith, and then we make some conclusions on whether or not loving oneself is the hardest. Please welcome, Josh Bertolotti. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Life has a way of just flying by. Before you know it, you’re in a new place that you would have never thought you’d be. That place can be good or bad. What makes this happen over time is your habits. What are you practicing? Are you making an effort to be courageous? To think critically? To be rude? If you're not careful which train you get on, you may not like the destination. And unfortunately, you don't get the choice to not get on a train. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s often said that we need to "do our duty". Clearly, this means that we need to do our work. But most people struggle with that they should do in life. There are many choices, after all - you can be a welder, engineer, psychologist, or even a humble server at a restaurant. There are also those who think that the necessity to work is a force of oppression. In today's episode, I discuss what duty is, why it's necessary, and how to decide what your duty should be. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Quinn Everett is a Team Canada Olympic Weightlifter competing in the 109kg+ weight class (so he’s a heavyweight!). He recently won gold in Canadian nationals for his fourth time in a row, and I’m proud to say that he’s from my home province of Nova Scotia. In this episode, we discuss building good habits, mental strength, and fortitude, being a rebel, and much more. I had a great time chatting with this guy, so I’m sure you’ll enjoy it. Please welcome Quinn Everett. Find Quinn on:https://www.instagram.com/quangggg_/?hl=en Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Anger is an emotion that gets a lot of focus in philosophical circles. It's no secret that many people struggle with anger issues, and ancient philosophers like Aristotle, Plato, and the Stoics had strong opinions on the emotion. However, not all philosophers agree on anger. Some believe it is always a vice, while others believe it can, in fact, be virtuous. In this episode, I'll be presenting some of the ideas around anger and whether or not it's always a vice or if there's room for some anger in a virtuous lifestyle. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You may think of a lazy animal when you hear the word "sloth", but it's also a vice! That is, being a sloth is characteristic of bad character. It means what you probably think it means - being lazy - but can be more properly described as "neglecting one's duties". In the privileged world that we live in, it can be hard for us to appreciate the importance of work before play. In this episode, I discuss what being a sloth means, why it's a vice, and how we should be thinking about work and play. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh is the host of the In Search of Wisdom Podcast and the Perennial Podcast where he talks about all kinds of ancient wisdom and engages in meaningful conversations with modern thinkers. He also manages the Perennial Leader Project, which includes these podcasts along with a weekly newsletter and blog posts. Myself and Josh connected a while ago and we’ve done several collaborations together. In this episode, we talk about loving yourself – what it means, how to do it, whether it’s even possible, and whether you are the hardest person to love for yourself. Please welcome, Josh Bertolotti.Check out Josh at:https://www.perennialleader.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There's an idea in Stoicism that we all share in the divine, which the Christians later adopted. This idea may come off as a bit odd, but it's unbelievably deep in its implications. What is "divinity"? And why is it so important and fundamental that we understand and appreciate that we have a "piece" of it within us? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The cardinal virtues are discussed by many philosophers - justice, wisdom, courage, and temperance - including the Stoics. They are often used to define what a virtuous person is and are referenced as guidance for how one should act. But what do they really mean? Are the english translations good enough? And how can we implement these somewhat generic terms into our everyday life? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

David Schmeikal is a personal accountability coach, creative director, and technology consultant. He works with people to help them develop their branding, prioritize their work, be creative and monetize that creativity, and so on. In this episode we talk about how to navigate life by defining where and who you are, where you want to go, how to get there, and how to keep aiming North along that journey. One of the things I learned about David really fast was how deep his coaching philosophy is and I think we get pretty deep in this episode so please welcome David Schmeikal.You can find David here:https://www.davidschmeikal.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With Elon Musk's recent purchase of Twitter, the age-old freedom of speech debate has awoken yet again. On one end, people claim that we should silence those with offensive and hurtful views. On the other end, the claim is that freedom of speech is required for the functioning of our democracy. However, is free speech an absolute, or should there be a line drawn somewhere? And where, exactly, should that line be drawn? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"Character" is often used in the context of self-improvement and philosophy. Stoicism, for example, is all about developing a good character - virtue. At the same time, it's not uncommon to hear people discuss and prioritize their reputation. If you have a good reputation, more people like you and want to work with you. Why is it, then, that we only speak of character and not reputation? Clearly, reputation has some importance but is it on equal grounds with character? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chuck Chakrapani is the editor for the magazine The Stoic Gym (which I would highly recommend) which is a monthly magazine on Stoicism which focuses on the practical application of the philosophy. Let’s be honest: the ancient Stoic texts aren’t for everyone but the principles of Stoicism absolutely can be, so Chuck through his magazine does a great job of breaking these ideas into a format that you can learn from and apply right away. In this episode, we talk about the starting of the magazine, whether or not Stoicism is selfish (I know, there’s some controversy!), what it means to be a Stoic, and much more. Please welcome, Chuck Chakrapani.Find Chuck's work at:www.TheStoicGym.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Strength carries many meanings - there's strength of mind, of body of spirit to name a few. Ancient philosophers would have used a term closer to "fortitude" which means the same thing. There are many reasons why strength is a virtue, but we could also pose the question in a different way: why is being  weak a problem? In this episode, I talk about why weakness is a problem, what it causes us to do, and why we should aim for strength. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The term "dark energy" comes off very voodoo-like, but is there a rational way of thinking about such things? The rational part of our brain may think it ridiculous to attach good and evil energy to things, yet how many of us would feel uncomfortable living in a house in which people were murdered? As crazy as it may seem, there's something to "dark energy", but what exactly is it? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Todd Leader is a social worker and community psychologist. He’s spent his over 20 year career  leading service development and transformation, particularly in the areas of mental health, addictions, health promotions, and primary health care. In this episode, we talk about how to care for people, addressing mental health with a holistic approach, building and maintaining relationships, and much more. I had a lot of fun talking to this guy, so please welcome Todd Leader. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Love is a word that we all know about and probably use regularly, but what does it really mean? Some think of it as the feeling of joy when you're with someone. Others think of it as a passion for their job. Despite having our own definitions of love, it seems that it is a rather difficult thing to do. So what is love in philosophical terms, and how do we apply it to our work, those in our lives, and ourselves? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The term "natural Stoics" gets thrown around a lot, meaning someone who is "naturally Stoic".  It's commonly used to describe people who are cool, calm, & collected, but is this what being a Stoic really means? In this episode, I'll be summarising what Stoicism is at its fundamental level as well as defining what the term "natural Stoic" should mean. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alex is an Olympic Weightlifter out of Quebec, Canada. He’s been on the senior national team for 6 years, he holds 5 senior Canadian national records, and he’s competed in the world championships. In this episode we talk about what it means to grow up and be one with something, the importance of criticism in training yet confidence in competition, how to stay focused on your goals, and much, much more. Please welcome Alex Bellemarre. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Human life is set up to make all of us mentors and role models in some way, from parents to bosses to coworkers to basic members of our community! Having someone to look up to is important for development. It's helpful to have something to aim at and virtues to try and live up to. But what about vices? Should we be teaching others about ONLY strength, courage, and success, or also weakness, cowardice, and failure? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Human beings are not natural listeners, even though we have 2 ears and 1 mouth to remind us to listen more than we speak! However, like anything else, you can become better with time and practice. But why is listening even important in the first place? Isn't it by speaking that we show others who we are? And how does one even listen properly and get better over time? Listen up, and I'll tell you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jacob Saunders is an Olympic sailor who grew up in Nova Scotia, Canada, which is my home province. He competed in sailing twice, first at Rio in 2016 and again at Tokyo in 2020. In this episode we talk about what it’s like to represent one’s country internationally, how to find meaning in life after a sports career, what lessons we can extract from sailing (i.e. boat analogy), and much more. Please welcome Jacob Saunders. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the age-old lines of wisdom is "know thyself" or "to thyself be true". These maxims have stuck around for good reason but, like many maxims, it isn't always obvious what they mean or how to implement such wisdom in your daily life.Carl Rogers is a well-known clinical psychologist who talked about becoming a person - what it meant, how to achieve it, and what one could expect afterwards. In this episode, I'll be talking about what Rogers found in his clinical work while also relating it back to Stoicism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Can human beings do whatever they want? Can we just make up our own values or are there objective moral principles that we are forced to contend with? In other words, are we Gods? Some philosophers seemed to think so. Nietzsche famously stated that "God is dead", and although he was far from celebrating this fact, he still believed that we could formulate our own values and that that was the way forward. Was he right or is that just man's ego? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joe Bakhoutski is a cancer survivor and the author of two books – finding hope in times of uncertainty and simplify cancer, as well as the host of the Simplify Cancer Podcast. In this episode we talk about what it’s like to be confronted with your mortality, how to find meaning in life despite the suffering, communicating what you need from people in your life, and much more. Please welcome Joe Bakhoutski. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I've often said that intentions are everything, but why? One may think that the action is what ultimately matters, or maybe even the outcome. After all, if someone has bad intentions but it results in a positive outcome isn't that good? Actually... no. Intentions ARE everything, and in this episode I will explain why that is the case. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Harmony is a word that we don't use very often, but I think we need to use it more. In fact, one could argue that ancient philosophy, especially Stoicism, is all about harmony! What harmony means can be simplified as "fitting in with the world in a beautiful and orderly manner". The Stoics would say to "live according to nature". In this episode, I'll be discussing harmony - what it means, why it's important, and how to live harmoniously. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chris Fisher is the host of the Stoicism On Fire Podcast and the owner of the website Traditional Stoicism where he writes articles on the traditional practice of Stoicism (as the ancient Stoics would have practiced). In this episode, we discuss the differences between traditional and modern Stoicism, spirituality, Stoic determinism, why Stoicism is gaining popularity, and much more. Enjoy!Find Chris at:https://traditionalstoicism.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Grief is one of the more challenging human emotions to deal with, as it is normally in response to a significant loss. Stoics are sometimes mistakenly seen as emotionless, yet there are historical accounts of Marcus Aurelius, for example, weeping in public at funerals.At the same time, externals are indifferent to Stoics, so why is it acceptable to grieve at all? In sum, what does Stoicism actually say about grieving? Fortunately, I had a great role model to teach me how to grieve, and these are the Stoic lessons I learned from her. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Relationships are tricky, and romantic ones are no exception. In any relationship, there is bound to be some tension around certain topics. Some may consider this to be bad - after all, how could tension possibly be good? However, I do not think that it necessarily is.All romantic relationships need to balance masculine and feminine energies. In a traditional relationship, for example, there is generally a mostly masculine partner and a mostly feminine partner. Because sometimes these different energies have different approaches to problems, there is a natural tension sometimes. But could that tension actually be a good thing? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

David Fideler is a philosopher and author of Breakfast with Seneca, where he explains Seneca's ideas. In this episode, we discuss Seneca, and whether he was actually a Stoic, the importance of harmony in Stoicism and life, lessons from Seneca's life that we can apply to modern politics, and much more.Check out David at:https://www.davidfideler.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We are faced with challenging times. We're two years into a pandemic and, as if that wasn't enough, there's conflict left, right, and center in regards to government overreach, mandates, and pretty much everything else under the sun. Though such times aren't a walk in the park, it's worth considering that every generation has its own challenges. And, no matter how wonderful we make the world, future generations will have their own challenges. There's wisdom in considering that these challenges are yours and, perhaps, that they were "meant" for you. So what do we have to decide? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Giving up often gets a bad rep, but is that justified? Are there situations where giving up is not only acceptable but even virtuous? It's certainly not as simple as saying that it is inherently "good" or "bad". Throughout life, we give up a lot - on our goals, on bad habits, on good habits, on relationships - the list goes on and on. So how do we know if giving up is justified? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Juliet Rose is a fiction author with a passion for helping people improve their lives and become happier through story-telling. Her work is deep, honest, and often brutally painful (kind of like life sometimes!), but offers hope to those who are struggling with modern problems. We had a wonderful talk about the differences between fiction and non-fiction, the therapeutic aspect of writing and reading, and the possibility of redemption for past transgressions. Enjoy!Please check out Juliet's work:https://www.authorjulietrose.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aristotle defined three types of friendship: friends for pleasure, friends for benefit, and true friends. Each type of friends has a place in most people's lives, but what would the Stoics say about such friends? Is there a particular type of friend that appeals to Stoics more in general? And then there's personality: are some personality types drawn to particular types of friends? Finally, is being "friends forever" a thing, and should we value this? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Paleolithic Shamans believed that articulate language could literally perform magic. It held real religious signifigance as well, which is well demonstrated in religions such as Christianity which places a huge value on speech. The Stoics, as well, held dialogue to be of foundational importance which can be seen through their use of dialogue and journaling.The ability to use the word - to communicate in a sophisticated manner - has allowed human beings to accomplish miraculous things. Modern humans look at cellphones without much amusement, but to our primate ancestors who stayed in the trees, even the ability to form communities would have seemed magical. What is it about the word, then, that provides us with this seemingly magic power? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Shane Trotter is an educator, writer, and high school Strength & Conditioning Coordinator who has been challenging youth development norms for over a decade. He recently released his new book - Setting the Bar: preparing Our Kids to Thrive in an Era of Distraction.In this episode we talk about the importance of challenge, strength, the importance of barbarian virtues, what it really means to love people, and much, much more. Enjoy!Find Shane at:https://trottershane.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Monopoly is notorious for destroying families and relationships. It's a game with many frustrations built right into it - the element of chance, for example. What's interesting is that many of the elements built into Monopoly are reflected by life itself. Perhaps that explains why it's so frustrating!In this episode, I talk about the nature of play and games, why it's important, and what the preconditions are for te game to be playable in the first place. I also discuss life lessons from one of the best boardgames ever made: Monopoly. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I see many shy away from Stoicism because they feel that they can't enjoy life. They feel Stoicism is a philosophy is never enjoying anything. That simply isn't the case. The Stoics were very particular in how they viewed things, and it is no different with "externals", which were thought to be indifferent.That being said, how does Stoicism view the passionate areas of life, such as music, or fiction, or art, or even simple pleasures like brownies? Can a Stoic "have their cake and eat it too", or must one sustain from all simple pleasures? In this episode I discuss Stoicism through the lens of a passionate musician and lover of fiction. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sean Lind is a strength and conditioning coach with a specialization in gymnastics. A former Competitive Gymnastics Coach and  Professional Circus Artist, in 2010 Sean became Crossfit coach & Athlete, who also has designations and experience in weight lifting practices. In this episode, myself and Sean discuss what it really means to make progress, the gift of injury and failure, and the importance of coaching and mentoring in sports as well as in life. Sean can be found at the below links:https://www.instagram.com/seancarllind/?hl=en https://twitter.com/SeanCarlLind  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What would you do if you had one day left to live? Who would you see? How would you feel? Such a question is nauseating to contemplate, truly, but it does offer some keen insight. It extends quite naturally into the question of: what does it mean to really live?Many of us have long-term goals in life and are dead-focused on achievement. At the same time, life is filled with all kind of extraordinary moments happening every single day that seem to pass us by. So which is greater: the big things, or the little things?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Motivation isn't particularly hard to come by. It's easy to watch documentaries of people climbing mountains, for example. This commonly motivates people. We think "man, if he can do it so can I!". Though that is most definitely true, you are feeling that motivation from your couch. Actually climbing the mountain is a whole other story.Yes, it will be physically challenging, but there is another challenge that may just be greater and that is facing social adversity. Manifested today as online trolls, there has never been a shortage of people ready to tear you down when you start becoming successful. But why? And what's the solution? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Robertson is a writer, cognitive-behavioural psychotherapist and trainer. He's written several books, inclusing How to Think Like a Roman Emperor, and has a new graphic novel coming out on Marcus Aurelius called Verissimus: The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius.In this episode we talk about Marcus Aurelius, Stoicism, cognitive behavioural therapy (and how we may be bringing up kids opposed to its teachings), and anger. Enjoy!You can find Donald at:https://donaldrobertson.name  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Every now and then, an artist releases something that takes the world by storm. Fame has something to do with it, but not all. After all, not every single song a famous musician releases rises to the top. So then, what else is it?Art generally has different layers of meaning - a high level meaning, and a much deeper one. What makes a particular work of art great is that it represents a fundamentally deep and archaic idea in a modern way. Most recently, Adele has done this with her song "Go Easy On Me.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 perspective. Podcast Website: www.brandontumblin.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thestrongstoic/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/thestrongstoic  Medium: https://thestrongstoic.medium.com/   Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/thestrongstoic Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/strongstoic?fan_landing=true Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Life is tough. It's full of pain and suffering, but more particularly, grief, loss, our own inadequacies and evil, embarrassing moments from our past (just to name a few). These things weigh your heart down over time. It's a burden, each and every one. Unfortunately, your heart will only get heavier over time; that is something you cannot change. But that doesn't mean you are powerless.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 perspective. Podcast Website: www.brandontumblin.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thestrongstoic/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/thestrongstoic  Medium: https://thestrongstoic.medium.com/   Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/thestrongstoic Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/strongstoic?fan_landing=true Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Human beings are rational, right? We can control our emotions and reason our way through morality. At least that's what many of us think and feel. The truth is much more complicated. In fact, in many ways, our rationality is not ultimately in charge, especially when it comes to morality. Moral psychologist Jonathan Haidt developed an analogy to explain how our moral psychology actually works - the elephant and the rider. The elephant is your intuition - what you are inclined to think - and the rider is your rationality. In such an arrangement, who is in charge: the elephant or the rider? Is the rider simply a slave to the elephant's wishes or can it tighten the reins and direct the elephant anywhere? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kai Whiting is a lecturer in sustainability and Stoicism. This is the third time Kai has been on the podcast, and in this episode we tackle (yet again) a rather controversial topic: is it stupid for modern man to believe in God?As always, the intent here isn't to sway you to believe in God or not but rather to offer perspective. Enjoy, and check out Kai's work including his co-authored book, Being Better: Stoicism for a World Worth Living In.www.StoicKai.comStoicism Thailand talk on the Stoic God: https://youtu.be/uYPWCQc96-8The Stoic God on the Walled Garden Podcast:  https://youtu.be/_25myi-rBhk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One thing that humans universally struggle with is dealing with life's inevitable suffering and pain, so much so that we often catch ourselves and others purposefully avoiding the beautiful aspects of life because we are afraid of the negative emotions that will follow.For example, have you ever thought that relationships are to be avoided because at least you won't get hurt? Or that working hard is not worth it because of the failure that accompanies it? These are thoughts that we easily fall victim to. One way of phrasing this dilemma is: is the dance worth the pain? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2021 was a ride. The podcast has evolved over the years while, at least I hope, maintaining the spirit with which I began. This episode will be a compilation of some of the best moments from 2021. Enjoy, and here's to the New Year! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Merry Christmas! Or should I be saying Merry Couch Potato Time! Yes, it is indeed that time of year where many of us are taking some (hopefully) much-needed rest. I'm sure you're settling into that couch dent rather nicely and have developed a nice system for keeping snacks within reach yet fresh.If you're looking for justification on being a sloth this holiday break, well... I'm going to give it to you! I'm not an absolutist, and I do believe that some lazy time is not even okay but necessary.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Merry Christmas and Happy New Years, friends! :) This will be a short, chill episode. I want to go over gratitude, family, and what's to come for 2022.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fools seem to come up oddly often in stories. In hero stories, for example, there is bound to be at least one stumbling fool. On the other end, comedy shows and movies are centered around a fool, such as The Simpsons. We can't help but to be drawn to Homer Simpson despite his lack of, let's say, wisdom. But what draws us to fools? Why do we like them? And do we ALWAYS like them? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Simon Drew is an alignment coach, poet, author, musician, and photographer. He has a Bachelor of Music Performance and is currently studying for a Master of Divinity. He is most well known for his work with the Practical Stoic Podcast, which has since evolved into The Walled Garden. His first book recently got released - The Poet & The Sage.Please check out Simon's work at:https://www.simonjedrew.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nobody likes someone who does a good deed and immediately tells the world of their virtue. There are certainly conspicuous examples, such as announcing to your coworkers that you've contributed to a charity. There are also more subtle examples, such as politicians discussing climate change. For some reason, virtue signalling seems to make the virtuous act not-so-virtuous. But why? Firstly, why are we drawn to virtue signalling, and secondly, why are we turned off when we see it? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The world has been at peace for quite some time. Historically speaking, this certainly isn't the norm. War has been the norm, not peace. Obviously, cooperation is of tremendous value. We all grow together when we are united towards a common goal. But is this always an option? Or is there a place for, dare I say it, conflict and war?It's a really complicated question. Of course we should all desire to avoid war, but what happens if large acts of injustice are committed and we deeply value justice? By committing to war we inevitably commit to the loss of lives, many of which will be innocent. Is it worth it? And how can we know? Is there a right choice here or just better and worse ones? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joshua  is the host of he podcasts In Search of Wisdom  and Philosopher, Monk, & Mystic where he engages in meaningful conversations on how to live in a complex world. In addition to the podcasts, he also writes articles on wisdom, has a weekly email called PATH, and offers coaching and consulting. All of his work is captured under "The Perennial Leader Project", which can all be found at the links below:https://www.perennialleader.comhttps://www.instagram.com/searchofwisdompodcast/?hl=en Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You often hear people saying that you should "stand up straight". Likely, they are talking about the health benefits of having good posture - reduced pain over time being one. However, is there more to this than just the physical aspects? Is standing up straight actually representative of some deeper philosophical idea?On this episode, I talk about why you absolutely should stand up straight, and not solely for the physical benefits. We'll throw in some evolution, psychology, and fitness. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The word "hierarchy" comes up quite often, but what does it really mean? Is it just those at the top oppressing everyone else below? Or is it something that, perhaps, even has some good aspects? And is it even possible to eliminate the bad aspects of the hierarchy, or hierarchies in general?In this episode, I explore the tangly topic of hierarchies. My goal is not to offer any judgement on whether it's good or bad but rather the benefits and drawbacks of being in a hierarchy as a species and the inevitability of them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today I speak with Tim Ash, a recognized authority on evolutionary psychology and marketing and the author of the recently released book Unleash Your Primal Brain: Demystifying How We Think and Why We Act.Tim and I had a great discussion on the human condition. We cover sleep, group dynamics, being an individual, evolution, and much more. You can find Tim at the below links:Website: https://timash.com Book: https://www.amazon.com/Unleash-Your-Primal-Brain-Demystifying/dp/1631952684/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1637160150&sr=8-1 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You're here because you think I've found the immortality code, right? Or maybe you think I know a good place to buy psychedelics? Though those may be true, this episode will actually be covering a philosophical view of conquering death.Interestingly enough, this idea is a very, very old idea. It dates back to Ancient Egypt with a story that you may not be directly familiar with but one that you are very likely indirectly familiar with... the Osiris myth! So, how did Osiris conquer death? And is there a way for us to do it as well? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the West, we highly value the individual. Surely, all of our laws are built on the individual. However, human beings have evolved in groups, and so our psychology is fundamentally built on tribes. This can create a conflict: should we conform to the group or be an individual?If we always conform to the group, we risk group destruction. At the same time, if we always speak up against the group, we find ourselves ostracized and alone which, evolutionarily speaking, means death. The answer, of course, is a balance between the two. But where exactly is that balance? And how do we find it? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Language is an interesting thing. We don't choose our mother tongue in the same way that we don't choose where we are born, yet the language we speak literally shapes our lives. Human beings have been speaking for a very, very long time. So long that you could even say that our whole identity is built on the language we speak.In this episode, I talk with a quebecois (from Quebec) friend of mine, Luc. Luc and I met while I was living in Quebec City and we quickly became friends. We talk often about Quebec, Canada, and, of course, language. Is there real conflict between Francophones and Anglophones in Canada, or is it a simple misunderstanding? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ad hominem is a very common logical fallacy which can be simply stated as a character attack. Essentially, when a person does not have an actual rebuttal to an argument, they will often try to derail the conversation to focus on the character flaws of the person making the argument.BUT does that mean there is no room for character evaluation? Should you care about people's character at all? Although there's no escaping the logical fallaciousness of a character attack, perhaps there are some potential use cases for evaluation character.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The movie "Moana" is an archetypal story that was told incredibly well (and with a bit of good humour thrown in). Like many archetypal stories, the origins can be traced back to ancient religions and very old philosophical ideas, such as that of Chaos and Order.Moana is the hero, of course, who is able to save her island and her people using their foundational values... but it wasn't all fun and games. Moana truly had an adventure, one in which she came very close to giving up on. So, who is Moana? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the things that doesn't paint humanity in a good light is how we deal with good news from others. Good news in our own lives? Well, that's just amazing! Good news for someone else? Meh.It turns out that there's actually a reason behind it, and, dare I say, a logical one. However, it is truly a shame that we can't be truly happy for others when they tell us good news. Likewise, imagine how great it would be if you could truly tell someone good news about you and have them genuinely be happy for you. In this episode, I hope to provide an antidote for this innate toxic behaviour. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John Giordano is an expert in the treatment of addiction, mental health, and the founder of The National Institute For Holistic Addiction Studies (NIFHAS). He is also the author of several books on addiction and recover. Over twenty years ago Giordano founded the prestigious G & G Holistic Addiction Treatment Center in North Miami Beach, Florida — a 62 bed in-patient/out-patient JCAHO accredited addiction treatment facility.Find John at:https://johnjgiordano.com 786 271 5732 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How often have you heard the advise: "just be you", or some variation it? "Just do you", "to thyself be true", etc. It's actually great advice! We absolutely SHOULD be true to ourselves, but there's a problem... it isn't always easy.Sometimes it is. That is, when society's expectations align with you being you. A lot of times, however, it is not easy. Those are the times when society's expectations conflict with you being you. In these cases, it begs the question: what should we do? Should we stay true to ourselves, or should we conform to the group? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Taos believed that life is divided between Chaos and Order. Too much order? No challenge. Too much Chaos? Well... Chaos. Though they believed the best life is lived right in the middle, it's rare that we are exactly in the middle. In fact, we often sway in between Chaos and Order throughout our lives. That means that sometimes, unfortunately, we find ourselves falling into Chaos.In this episode, I discuss falling into Chaos; how it happens, why it happens, and how it's possible to make the fall hurt a little bit less. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Play - it's all about having fun, right? Well, yes... and no. Play is actually vitally important for our development. In fact, it is very crucial in how we ingrain ourselves in society. Playing teaches us how to win, how to lose, how to court the opposite sex, our own physical limitations, and much more.In learning about play in humans, it's interesting to consider what "winning" looks like. For example, is the winner the one who wins the most games? And, if one is a winner, does that mean that everyone always wants to play with that person? To further that, what does play look like in adults? In this episode, I'll be going through the very important topic of play in humans. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thuraya is the host of the Burnt Sugar Podcast. She was born in the Middle East into Islam and immigrated into a Western country when she was still a young girl. Having recognized the conflicts in many of the basic tenets of Islam and the West, she was challenged to question religion, values, and identity.In this episode, we discuss Thuraya's journey in determining her own identity and defining her own values. As we all struggle with these things that truly make us human, there's certainly much value in considering her perspective. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Imagine the most bitter, resentful, spiteful person. They stay inside all day, yet crave society. They have no friends, yet when they meet someone they instantly want to take advantage of them. They both love and hate themselves. This person is the character Dostoevsky created in his book "Notes From Underground". In all truth, we all have a little piece of this person inside of us. This book is filled with so much psychological depth that reading it will make you feel disgust and pity. But that's really the point! Dostoevsky wanted to create a character that embodied the worst parts of humanity... and he absolutely did it. In this episode, I'll be going over the major themes in this masterpiece. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Don't you just love it when people tell you to "not be so naive"? This is actually good advice - being naive leaves you very vulnerable, and there are undoubtedly people who will take advantage of that. At the same time, we must steer away from bitterness and resentment, and this mentality seems to be at odds with being naive.It's a bit of a conundrum: if we are naive, we get hurt, but if we are bitter, we are in hell. However, there's something beyond the bitterness and comes from being taken advantage of. It's an act of courage and is done from a place of strength, and this is what people should strive for in life. In this episode, I'll be discussing this very thing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's not uncommon to hear advice that presumes that people are entirely logical. In other words, they we are "slaves to our rationality". Examples of this include things like "just pull yourself up by your boot straps" or "just DO it!".Though things like discipline and perseverance are undeniably important, this advice doesn't consider humanity's basic primal emotions. You see, we're simply not just one big ball of rationality. We are unbelievably complex beings with underlying emotions that are incredibly powerful. This episode may be more accurately titled "you are to a slave... to yourself", and it's absolutely true. In this episode, I'll be discussing how to use that to your advantage. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are "epochs" in life where we are essentially different people. Many of us, for example, are vastly different (hopefully so) than the teenage version of ourselves. Life goes on, and we are forced to go with it, but do we always do so with grace?Of course not! In fact, teenagers in adult bodies are a regular sight. This is a bloody shame, as they aren't living up to their potential, yet it's entirely understandable. Growing up is hard, after all, and we don't always do so willingly. In this episode, I want to discuss transitioning through the stages of your life and why it's so important. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Naya is a psychologist and cognitive behavioural therapist. She works with patients in her daily life where she helps her patients change their behaviour through changing their thoughts. CBT is actually built on Stoic principles, and so Naya is very knowledgeable about Stoicism as well.In this episode, we discuss psychology, the biggest problems she sees as a therapist, Carl Jung, accepting your own evil, nerdiness, and much more. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Self-improvement is important for happiness in life, but also for the maintenance of society. We need competent people to keep the plumbing going! However, it's not all rainbows and sunshine. Improving oneself comes with a cost.As you become better, you inevitably lose people around you. This makes sense philosophically but also mathematically. There's less space at the top of the pyramid, after all!The journey can get lonely, but is it worth it? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We all want to be the hero! Of course we'd rather be like Mufasa than Scar, or Luke Skywalker than Darth Vader. The list goes on, but the essence is the same.In fact, not only is the archetype of "hero and villain" common, but it's really the only story that exists. Complex fiction is able to create complex characters with both good and evil within them, such as Batman, but many of the original stories split the nature of good and evil into two separate characters; Christ and Satan, for example.The question is: should you always be relating with the hero? And if you relate to the villain in some way, does that make you evil? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We all have mothers, at the very least, maternal mothers. But what actually is "mother"? What does it represent? And, does it always have to be from our maternal mothers?"Mother" is really feminine energy. That isn't to say female energy, per se, but rather the symbolic representation of the feminine: chaos, nurturance, love, empathy, and so on. We absolutely need this form of energy in our lives to be a complete person, and fortunately, it doesn't necessary have to come from your maternal mother. In any case, a person cannot be complete without some form of "mother". Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, I am joined by Shane Sorensen, who is most well-known by his Instagram page on philosophy, Renaissance Wisdom. Shane is also an author with a book coming out early next year. This is his second appearance on the podcast, and in this episode we talk generally about philosophy and the importance of (and danger in) questioning everything. Are some philosophies better than others? Is there a single philosophy good for all mankind? Does life have any meaning? Can drugs give you a spiritual experience? Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you are a human being, you probably don't enjoy being wrong. It sucks, right? It kills our ego and makes us get off our intellectual high horse and think things through all over again. In the worst case, being wrong about something can completely dissolve our identity.Although there's no solution for the initial horrible feeling after being wrong, there is a certain perspective that can allow us to be more susceptible to it. In fact, there's a mentality that can allow us to see being wrong as a benefit as opposed to something bad. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There's never been a shortage of conspiracy theories. Many people are fascinated by conspiracies, sometimes to the point of obsession. But are conspiracies always the reason behind things like government manipulation? Do democracies always fall because of some diabolical person?A modern and current example is the COVID pandemic. Many are sceptical of things like vaccines, mask mandates, and restriction of travel. The truth is that we are all afraid, and fear causes us to act irrationally. However, is that fear real or is a conspiracy? And does it even matter? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

No human being is perfect. We make mistakes. Sometimes, we do bad things on purpose. Such things are a part of life, but evil acts aren't always easy to come back from. Some sins are so bad that they are completely irredeemable.In this episode, I talk about a particular story in The Lord of the Rings. And no, you don't need to be a fan to understand this episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jeremy Sherman is a researcher and writer studying the origins of life and the nature of jerks: why they exist and how we can stop ourselves from becoming one ourselves!He is also a philosopher who is familiar with many different philosophies, including Stoicism. This episode is a mix of science and philosophy, and myself and Jeremy tackle a vary wide array of topics while bringing together many perspectives. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It doesn't take much research into history to know that it is filled with unbelievable evil. Humans have been committing horrific acts to each other for as long as history has been recorded.The most recent atrocities happened in the 20th century less than 100 years ago. In this episode, we will be going through two perspectives: one from a Jewish side, and one from the Nazi side. Though I would never claim to be able to fully comprehend how either party felt, hopefully this episode will give some idea. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The dichotomy of control is one of the first things people learn about Stoicism, and what a powerful mentality it can be! However, it is often misunderstood in terms of its complexity. I've heard it argued from beginner Stoics that, unless it is 100% within your control, you should not worry about it. The follow up question to such a statement can only be: "but what is 100% within your control?""My attitude, my perspective, my thoughts, etc." you may be inclined to say. However, that isn't entirely true. In today's episode, I add layers of complexity to a seemingly simple idea. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joesphine Tite is a care-giver innovator, coach, and activist who promotes rethinking how we deal with death. Being exposed to aspects of death and mortality on a daily basis, she witnesses first-hand the issues we seem to have in dealing with, not just our own mortality, but the mortality of our loved ones.I'm not going to lie - this episode gets heavy, and we cover some very emotional topics. However, I sincerely think that these conversations need to happen. Death is a natural part of life, and it should not be taboo for us to talk about it. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode, we reach 100 episodes! This was a large milestone I set way before the first episode. I felt it would be a great time to discuss where the podcast has been and, most importantly, where it's going. I'll also be talking about goal-setting and how to do it so that you are both motivated to improve yet detached from the results at hand. Enjoy, and stay tuned for 100 episodes more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's a common phrase, isn't it? And it makes sense: after all, many things in other people's lives are none of your business. This mentality, therefore, can be very powerful in many situations.However, is it ALWAYS powerful? Does it always 'work', or are there certain situations in which saying that it is none of your business is completely irrelevant to the situation at hand? Today, we'll dive into this common phrase and dig into what it really means. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sam Thiara is a professional who has created a personal journey as a storyteller, writer, workshop facilitator, problem solver, educator and entrepreneur. In this episode, we discuss identity: how to accept your past, define who you are now, and create your future. We also discuss humility, and the role it plays in success. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're often told when we are graduating high school that those days are "the best days of your life". In a similar way, we are also told that the first "honey-moon" phase of a relationship is the best, the first year at work is the best, and so on. There seems to be this idea that the initial part of anything is the best, but is this true? Well... that really depends, doesn't it? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The ancient Stoics were great people; truly. They pushed Stoicism forward, but, more importantly, they pushed critical thinking forward. Something that you will often read in the Stoic texts is a focus on contemplation, on philosophizing.Yet, the ancient Stoics were not Gods; they were people, and so were inherently flawed just like you and I. Seneca in particular knew this, and in one of his letters to Lucius, he directly states that we should actually think about things other Stoics said, like Zeno and Cleanthes, as opposed to just quoting them.Stoicism is an amazing philosophy, but as modern Stoics, we must be careful to not simply accept everything the ancient Stoics said as if they were Gods. That doesn't make us philosophers; that makes us ideologically possessed. Today, I'll cover why, though there is nothing wrong with quoting the ancient Stoics, one's argument must first be built on logic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the trends I've noticed throughout my lifetime is the increasing desire for pleasure. This is manifested in many different ways, from excessive partying to hook-up culture. Certainly, short-term pleasure is, well, pleasurable, but is it the best thing for you?Stoicism and Epicureanism share a significant amount of philosophical ideas, but a key difference is how they view pleasure. The Epicureans would say that pleasure is of utmost importance, whereas a Stoic would say that virtue must come first.But does that mean that pleasure, from a Stoic perspective is always wrong? In this episode, I discuss pleasure from both a Stoic and Epicurean perspective. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kai Whiting is a lecturer in sustainability and Stoicism, and the co-author of the book Being Better: Stoicism For a World Worth Living In. Today, we discuss the difficult topic of humanity's relationship with animals.Has the general hypocrisy in which we view animals ever crossed your mind? For example, we categorize pigs as "food" and dogs as "family", despite pigs and dogs being quite similar animals. In fact, pigs are generally more intelligent than dogs!What about the questionable multi-special relationships we see on TV, such as on Star Wars? Is this immoral? Certainly, many today would look at inter-special relationships as immoral, yet when we see this on TV we don't bat an eye.This conversation wasn't easy, nor will it be easy to listen to, but both myself and Kai deem this conversation as a necessary one for society. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Many adopt philosophy because they want to live a care-free life with no stress, and nothing to worry about. Many modern Stoics, in particular, adopt Stoicism because they think it will make them "cool, calm, and collected."There is certainly value in this aspect of Stoicism (and philosophy in general), but life is much more complicated than that. In fact, an ancient Stoic practice is that of meditating on every possible thing that could go wrong. We can do this broadly in life, ensuring we don't go down a horrible path, but also more locally, such as with an upcoming work project.In this episode, I'll be talking about the practice of Premeditatio malorum - premeditation of evils. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Should you completely limit your ambitions and desires, or should you strive for excellence? Should you throw away your newest iPhone and get a flip phone, or should you eagerly await next years model?Such questions may seem simple, but they are far from it. In fact, finding the right balance (if a balance is even to be found) can be quite difficult. In this episode, I'll be talking about how to be content with what you have while taking no shame in success. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Many Stoics begin Stoicism because they believe it's all about "cool, calm' and collected" and staying home, oblivious to the outside world since, after all, it's "out of their control".Of course, those aspects of Stoicism is important, but a particular idea that often gets overlooked is that of being pro-social. Stoicism promotes being social for the same reason why we must be social for self-improvement - it helps us interact with the outside world in a way that we can enact a positive change.Today, I'll be talking about the pro-social aspects of Stoicism and self-improvement in general. So, go make some friends and engage with the world! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today I have the privilege of talking with Daniel Vargas, who is the host of The Stoic Sage Podcast and owner of his corresponding Instagram page. Daniel's podcast centres around Stoicism, but his focus is on teaching people how to think as opposed to what to think, which is an approach I can certainly get behind.Today we talk about how to reconcile the issues of your past, how to choose a partner and have a good relationship, and much more. I hope you enjoy it, and please check out Daniel's podcast and Instagram page. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Let's say you decide that you hate your job. It's not providing any meaning in your life and you know you need a change. Great! It's not great that you hate your job, but it's certainly great that you are aware that you hate your job.The only thing to do now is to storm into you boss's office and quit your job. But is that the wise approach? Is that the practical approach?We can talk all day about how things should be; we should all find meaning in our work, for example. However, we also must be wise and realize that we need to be practical throughout life. So, before you quit your job, join me in discussing how to first make sure it's practical. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Which kind of person are you: one who likes to re-watch and re-read fiction, or one who does not? Some absolutely love to re-watch their favourite movies. Others see it as a complete waste of time.If you have ever watched your favourite movie a second time, you'll quickly see that you notice more things the second time. Part of the reason is that you understand the overall story now, but another reason is that you are not the same person anymore! That's right: even though the film is the same, you have changed! In other words, you could say that you get more depth the second time around.So: Is it worth going back for a second act? A third? A millionth?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you're a fan of this podcast, you're likely a fan of self-improvement. It is a core theme. There's an interesting thing, though, that happens when we get better; our past self gets worse!Yes, as our current self improves, we are bound to look back and find things in our past behaviour which makes us cringe. I'm sure I'm not the only one that gets embarrassed sometimes just thinking about something I said when I was 15. This can be a burden, but it doesn't have to be! The alternative, after all, is not improving at all, and that will surely lead to depression. In this episode, I'll be talking about how to come to terms with the mistakes your past-self made. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, I have the privilege of speaking with Dr. Kai Whiting who is a lecturer and researcher in sustainability and Stoicism. Kai also just released a book, Being Better: Stoicism For A World Worth Living In, which he co-authored with Leonidas Konstantakos. One of my core values with this podcast is keeping it open to discuss any topic, especially those that may not be the easiest to discuss (or hear). Myself and Kai definitely test those boundaries. We cover Stoicism (including the not-so-nice bits), ideologies, relationships of all sexualities, the moment when everything changed for Kai, etc. Life isn't always easy, but Stoicism is a great model for how to navigate that complexity. My hope is that we demonstrate that through this discussion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Assumptions are generally not good; they leave you vulnerable. Imagine, for example, that you are crossing the road and you assume there are no cars coming. Guess what? You could easily find yourself in a hospital shortly after.However, in life, sometimes we need assumptions. In fact, some assumptions are fundamental to life. It's also worth pointing out that we see whatever we aim at, which is a useful philosophical idea to know. This may sound metaphysical, but it's really not. In today's episode, I'll be discussing why you need to be careful with what you are aiming at and the assumption that you should absolutely be making to live the best possible life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If I could give you everything you've ever wanted right now, would you accept it? I'm not talking about material things like cars and cool looking key chains. No, I'm talking about the things that really matter in life: a loving partner, great kids, meaningful work, etc.We should all fear the darkness inside of us, however, we often fail to recognize that we also fear our light. We find ways to self-sabotage more frequently than we may think. The question is: why? This episode will talk about the idea of fearing the ultimate good in life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"Who cares if one more light goes out in a sky of a million stars? Who cares if someone's time runs out if a moment is all we are?"I'm sure we've all thought similar thoughts before. What is the purpose of life if it comes to an end? Why does one life matter if there are billions others? Such questions are easy to contemplate in the face of such a tragic life. Truly, there is only one response: to care anyway.In this episode, I'll be discussing the tragedy of life and why you should be happy and find meaning despite that. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Memento mori translates as something like "remember that you will die". I'm sure many people, upon first finding Stoicism, think of this as quite the depressing statement. However, there's a lot to unpack with meditating on one's mortality.Death comes to us all, and so the acceptance of one's death is an invaluable thing for living a good life. It's not just the accepting that matters though; in fact, memento mori should scare you into action. It should push you to do whatever you want in life and to not put too much emphasis on what other people think. Join me in this episode as I discuss the lovely topic of death. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are you a nerd? "No, of course not!" you may think. Or maybe you're thinking "hell yes!". The very word - nerd - can cause embarrassment and/or pride depending on who you're talking to. Though high school probably made you believe that being a nerd is something worth being picked on for, I beg to differ! Being a nerd is great, and we should all work on embracing our inner nerd. Listen in on this episode to understand why! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What do you think about when you think of art? Is it famous paintings and sculptures? Or perhaps it's some modern abstract compilations?Actually, art is a very broad term. It's hard to define, truly. Perhaps we can say it is "the expression of beauty" or "the expression of the soul." In any case, art should play at least some part in your life. In fact, I would argue that you should aim to be an artist of some kind. So, if you're looking to get creative and feel the muse, check out this episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What's more powerful: nature or nurture? Is it always in the blood, or can we wash it out in the water? Fortunately for us, modern neuroscience sheds some much-needed light on this question.We now understand that, generally speaking, who we are is 50% nature and 50% nurture. Though, each specific trait isn't half, and it can vary considerably! In fact, the better way of thinking about it is that nature provides the potential in the world while nurture manifests this potential. In this episode, I'll be going over the tangly question of: is who I am within my control? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Virtue and justice are two of the four pillars of Stoicism. In fact, it's a core idea in many philosophies, though they don't all agree on what that really means. Aiming for the good is, well, good! However, is there ever a situation in which doing an "unethical act" is actually ethical?Life is bloody complicated; that much is for sure. The line between moral acts and immoral acts isn't exactly black and white. How, then, do we know if an act is truly ethical? What criteria can we use in such ethical grey areas? These are the questions I will be addressing in this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today I have the privilege of speaking with Shane from Renaissance Wisdom. Shane runs a popular Instagram page titled "Renaissance Wisdom" where he shares ancient philosophical wisdom. He also provides his personal input and analysis to many of the ideas so that they can be applied to modern life.Shane is also an author. He is currently writing a book with a focus on the importance of personal responsibility and how to find eudaemonia - the flourishing life. If you enjoyed the conversation, please look him up on his Instagram page and also check out his website at https://www.renaissance-wisdom.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the key moments in our history and our individual lives is the moment we become conscious of our individual power. It wasn't always this way! There were points in time when people relied on external dogma - such as religion - to determine what is right and wrong.Would it surprise you to know that we are actually heading back towards this Group Think?That's right: we are losing the ability to critically think for ourselves and instead are becoming more and more consumed by ideology and the "mob mentality". So, what do we do? In this episode, I'll be discussing the importance of self-reliance and what it really means to be great. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the hardest things we will ever have to deal with in our lives is the death of our parents. We all dread it, whether we are conscious of it or not. Still, many find strength in such times, and are able to get through this rough patch and move on with their lives.In this episode, I'll be talking about the importance of meaning in one's life, and why, though happiness is important, meaning is actually the most important thing you can hope to achieve in your life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Picture this: you get arrested for no apparent reason. You tell yourself that it must be a mistake and it'll get sorted out, but before you know it you're being tortured into a confession for political crimes, and you're off to work in a labour camp for 10 years.It may horrify you to know that this is not fiction, but rather historical fact for millions of Russian citizens during the Soviet Union. Solzhenitsyn documents it quite well in "The Gulag Archipelago". He also documents the spiritual growth that accompanied this imprisonment for him personally.He addresses beautifully questions such as: are people good or evil? Who has it worse, the prisoners or the prison guards? And, is the "day of liberation" what we should all be waiting for? In this episode, I hope to shed some light on such topics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Humility, a core value for anyone interested in self-improvement, is tied in closely with modesty. But what's the difference? What does it mean to "live modestly", and why should you do it?We can define living modestly financially as "spending less than you make". The bottom limit is spending just enough to survive. Though, should you sell your nice clothes and wear rags? Should you only drink the bare minimum amount of water you need? Is this extreme, or is it living modestly? In this episode, I'll address such questions and explain in detail why you should live modestly, if not for psychological reasons than certainly for practical reasons. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Disagreement can be very uncomfortable for everyone. However, it is important because the alternative to discussing controversial issues is war, and none of us should want that!Unfortunately, it seems that we are slipping away from being able to have productive conversations with those we disagree with. People are becoming ideologically possessed, and it seems to be the norm to simply disregard those who have differing opinions than you. How, then, can we bring dialogue back? Fundamentally, we need to understand that we all likely agree much more than we disagree. We also need to change our perspective from one of  defending our position to seeking the truth. Only then, if we are lucky, can we bring back the art of dialogue.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Self-improvement is obviously a good thing... or is it? I mean, if it's such a good thing, then why isn't everyone doing it? Why do many people live their comfortable lives, never concerned about getting better at anything?The truth is that self-improvement, by definition, is done by oneself. And so, in order to truly self-improve, you have to be willing to judge yourself. You have to be willing to note your own flaws and work on them. This can be emotionally draining, which is why many don't want to do it. However, the benefits of self-improvement are astronomical. So, are you willing to judge yourself? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have you ever gone down a path in life only to realize at some point on that path that it was simply the wrong one?Sometimes we go down a path because we think it will be easier; other times, because we truly feel it is the right one. Given the difficulty of staying on your "optimal life path" without ever veering off, this is a common human experience.With that being said, why do we go down these paths? How bad can it actually get? And how do we best avoid them and get back on the right path ASAP? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's everyone's favourite (or least favourite) season: let's pay our taxes! Or, as many do, you can choose to complain about taxes. The government is stealing your money, right? Well yes, but perhaps there is a benefit to this.Complaining about taxes is like complaining about a lot of things in life: we don't like the cost associated with it, but we reap the benefits, even if we don't realize it. This points to a deeper idea present in all hierarchies: any leader is both just and tyrannical. Of course, it can be far too tyrannical, but it's worth considering that protection can only be proper balanced with oppression.Before we complain about something then, shouldn't we first consider what we are getting back by paying this cost? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Having good mentors and role models in our lives is a necessary part of self-improvement. It is difficult, after all, to get somewhere if you don't have an idea of where you want to go!But mentors are human beings, not Gods, and so they come with inherent flaws. These flaws are hard to accept and deal with, in a similar way that our own flaws are. What is interesting is how many people idolize others who are no longer living. In our heads, they are perfect Gods when, in reality, they were just as flawed as any other person. Accepting this is hard, but also cleansing, as it is the realistic truth and can serve us better to deal with the flawed reality that we still live in.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When people are given power, especially absolute power, something seems to psychologically click in their brain. There are numerous historical examples of this - the "Organs" in the Gulag example, or those minorities in Nazi Germany who were responsible for rounding the other minorities up for slaughter. There is even a well-known study on this phenomenon - the Stanford Prison Experiment - where some students were given absolute power over the others. The results were shocking and disturbing. It's clear that every human has both good and evil within them, but is there a point where the evil can no longer be justified by the good? Is there a threshold that, once crossed, we can never return from? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

So, you've fallen off the bandwagon and are looking to get back on the horse? You've come to the right episode! Failing is a natural part of the process leading towards success, but it still sucks every time. However, like all negative aspects of life, there are ways in which to make the fall hurt less and to change our perspective to a more productive one. This episode will talk about how to lick your wounds and pick up the reins again. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Everyone wants to play the guitar like Hendrix, or have the peace of mind like the Buddha. These masters - and masters they are - motivate us to improve at what we enjoy with the ultimate goal of becoming a master ourselves. Is being a master all fun and games, though, or is there a side most people don't see? In fact, becoming really good at something places a large burden on our shoulders. It is our duty, after all, to pass on what we have learned so that others may continue to carry the torch. Sometimes students do well, and other times they fail miserably. That success (or failure) is our burden, as masters, to carry.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Believing in equality is seen as a noble thing, and for good reason. Inequality has been present for as long as anyone can remember. The definition of equality is clear enough, but what does it practically mean? And what exactly are we talking about in terms of equality? Income? Vacation days? Opportunity? Height? Weight?The discussion gets quite tangly really quick, especially if we add in the dreaded term "equity", which is discussed much but understood little. However, the difficulty of a topic is no excuse for not discussing it, so let's have a go at it! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I'm going through a tough time right now. Let's talk about how I personally deal with such things. Hopefully, you'll be pleased to hear that many of the things I preach on this podcast I actually DO. That doesn't make it any easier; no, in fact it's always difficult.This episode isn't perfect or complete, but it is real. I'm sure there are a few things worth learning that you can hopefully apply to your own life when you experience tough times. Keep looking up! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How would you define a good job? Would it be how high you are in the corporate hierarchy? Or, perhaps, it would be how much money make. Another option is how much good you do for the world.The wonderful thing about that third option is that it is available to all of us. Regardless of what job we work, we can find meaning in it and do a good job or a poor job. We can give off the feeling of misery to those around us or we can be a shining light in an already dark enough world.In essence, we could say that it doesn't necessarily matter what job you have but what work you do; that's what really matters. This episode will discuss what truly constitutes a "good job" and why you can take pride in doing just about anything. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have you ever had a mantra? That is, have you ever meditated on a short phrase with the goal of improving your life in some way?Mantras are great for self-improvement. They can help change your perspective as you need it but embedding an idea repeatedly in your head. What's great about mantras, also, is that you can have more than one! That's right; you can have several for different situations.I've been settling on a new mantra and, with the help of some journaling, I came to find one. This episode will explain what mantras are, how to use them, and what my most recent one is! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Many (if not most) celebrities have an issue with ego. They are proud and sometimes arrogant.  This seems to be worse, though, with child celebrities. Harry Potter - though fictional - was a child celebrity, however, he was actually quite humble. How is it that he was able to acquire and maintain his humility amongst such fame while others seem to fall into the abyss of it?Humility is a tough thing to master (if it can be mastered at all), but it is of upmost importance if you are concerned with being successful and making the world a better place. In this episode, I go over Humble Harry in detail and provide some insight on how you, too, can remain humble, especially as a muggle! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"You can be whatever you want to be". Many people in my generation have heard such a thing constantly and consistently while growing up. Certainly, we all have unique strengths and weaknesses, but there is something to be said about hard work and passion.However, what happens shockingly often is we end up accomplishing much less in life than we thought that we would. We graduate high school destined for great things only to end up 45 years old having barely accomplished anything. Why is this the case? And, perhaps more importantly, how can we best stop this from happening to us? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are most people good? Are interactions between two people who do not know each other predominantly positive or negative? Perhaps put in a more practical question, should you assume that strangers you meet are good?Of course, there is no easy answer. After all, many interactions between people (most, in fact) are positive. However, there are those few interactions that result in catastrophe, or at the least, personal trauma. To answer this question, it may be best to explore evolutionary biology and draw upon current research. This episode discusses talking with strangers. I dive into trust issues, biology, and some interesting examples.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Corruption is bad, right? If people were to only stay true to who they are, the world would be better... wouldn't it? Though I've argued this very point in the past, the truth is that this viewpoint - though correct under a certain reference frame - is actually incomplete.If you really think about it, any socio-cultural affects on our personality are essentially corruption to our "true selves". You can imagine if one were to grow up in purgatory how different one's perspective, thoughts, etc. would be. In no way am I implying this is a bad thing - indeed, some corruption is actually required. Why? It's all explained here, in this podcast episode.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Talk about self-improvement is all over social media, however, what does it really mean to improve? And, perhaps even deeper, why is it even important to us to improve in the first place? Sure, most people would agree that self-improvement is a good thing, but few actually work on it. Many of us spend our days in quiet desperation, no challenge and no improvement. Imagine the best possible person in the world. You can define them however you wish - strong, compassionate, hard-working - truly, whatever you would like to be. We call this an "ideal", as it is the ideal way a person could be.Listen in on today's episode as I discuss the idea of an ideal, why we need it, how to get there, and why you actually can't get there.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We all value freedom, especially in our Westernized world. As a result, we all tend to believe that more freedom is always better, but is this really the case? Is there such a thing as "too much freedom"?For example, what about commitment? By committing to some endeavour or person you are essentially voluntarily enslaving yourself to it. In other words, you are taking away your own freedom. However, commitment has a large number of benefits.This episode will discuss the topic of freedom and the value of imprisoning your heart. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A question that every person struggles with is: is life worth living? We can easily extend this to those considering having children: is it ethical to bring children into this cruel world?Such is a question that each must answer themselves; no one can answer it for you. However, this thought pattern can be dangerous, as it is the same one that leads to genocide and mass killing.Listen in today as I discuss this often cruel world and what you should be thinking about if you are considering having children. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cancel culture is running wild in the 21st century, especially in the USA! We can think about this as a modern form of ostracism, in which your tribe kicks you out for being a weirdo. However, cancel culture isn't good, and it is actually a manifestation of the polarizing of America - left vs. right, maskers vs. anti-maskers.It seems rather odd to cancel people just because they offer a differing opinion or perspective than you. I mean, don't you want to understand the counter arguments to your argument?What's even more odd is how we disregard people because we deem them "controversial". Isn't controversial topics the very ones that we need to discuss? Aren't people who are willing to publicly discuss these issues brave, given that half of the population will hate them?Listen in as I talk (probably controversially) controversy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you want to get better at something, there are certainly specific things you must consider depending on what it actually is. However, the essence of how to improve is actually the same no matter what you are considering.This is because everything is a skill. What this means is that you can really improve on anything you want given that you practice it. Many think about things like carpentry skills or computer skills, but social skills and emotional skills are also things that you can practice and get better at.On this episode, I talk about how to get better at pretty much anything, what you must consider, and, most importantly, what you must do. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We all love to play the blame game. Whether it's pointing the finger at our coworker who delayed the project, or at our parents for putting us through too much trauma, "it's not my fault" is something we all think and say probably a bit too much.The unfortunate thing is that this is true - a lot of the situations we are in are not our fault. However, just because something isn't our fault does not mean that it isn't our responsibilityto fix it.Listen in today as I discuss the idea of fault and why, even though the fault may not be yours, it is still your responsibility to fix it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learning to enjoy the process is something that is commonly said in the fitness industry as well as in the entrepreneurial world. What this essentially means is that you should learn to focus on the process itself as opposed to achieving a specific goal. Goals are important, however, if you only allow yourself to be happy upon realizing a goal, then you will find yourself deeply unhappy throughout most of your life. Enjoying the process allows you to focus on perfecting the craft, which will lead to success, but to also be happy throughout it.Like anything, enjoying the process is something that must be learned. Listen in today to figure out how! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Life is imperfect. People are imperfect. Every situation is imperfect. The flawed reality we live in can be very hard for us to accept. What makes it worse is that we tend to focus on the negative, since our brains are always looking for ways to make things better.This is a good thing! However, it has its drawbacks. Because everything is imperfect and inherently has flaws, even the best life, person, or situation has some things that we wish weren't there. Unfortunately, this can sometimes cause us to turn good situations into worse situations.Listen in today as I discuss how to accept the imperfections of life by asking yourself a simple question: what's the alternative? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From the time we are a child, we become mesmerized by stories. In our cavemen days, these stories would be told over a camp fire, perhaps with some graffiti on the cave walls. Now, many kids get it from Disney movies.In either case, stories seem to teach us how to act in the world (and also how not to act). Of all the various ways we can consume media, reading has its own benefits. Join me today as I discuss why you should be reading more and how you can live a thousand lives! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It is no simple thing to know what people deserve and if what they deserve is in alignment with what they think they deserve. What does seem to be true is that on some deep level we all want to get what (we think) we deserve.We either want to be recognized by our boss for working late on a Friday or, and possibly simultaneously, we want to suffer for the wrong things we've done. Sometimes, this manifests itself in bitterness and resent, and other times as guilt.So, friends, what do you deserve? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There's one thing that's certain when it comes to success in anything you do: there will be both good times and bad times. As difficult as the bad times are when things just don't seem to be going right and when the results don't reflect the hard work you put in, persevering through these troughs is the only way to reach the peak on the other end.This is easier said than done. Listen in today to learn how to have the right mindset in these low points so that you can ride the trough to the success that awaits you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We all seem to fear old age and, of course, death. However, it seems that we fear old age more than death. Perhaps this is because we have more reasons to fear old age - immobility, death of our loved ones, and, above all, regret.Many people who reach old age homes regret things that they didn't do, which may be why we all fear it so much. So, how do we ensure that we don't end up like this? Check out this episode to find out! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There's a popular idea that we should all "live in the moment" and "live each day as if it's your last". Indeed, this quote may make sense to us and so we hit "share" on that FaceBook post without even thinking about it.The question is: is this actually a good motto? Does it really make sense? Is it practical? Listen in today as I cover the topic of living in the moment, how it has it's place, but why it isn't something you should do 24/7. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At this stage in the COVID pandemic, the Canadian government is imposing very strict stay at home regulations. Some are applauding this, while others are claiming this is taking away basic human liberties.The truth is that there are reasons for both and they are in many ways related. You see, responsibility is linked with oppression. It's been said before that "with great power comes great responsibility", and it's true.Today's episode I'll be discussing the link between oppression and personal responsibility specifically in regards to the COVID pandemic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering." All of you Star Wars nerds out there will recognize this quote from Master Yoda. If you are NOT a Star Wars nerd, don't fret! There's still much to learn from this very wise quote.Fear is our body's reaction to a potential threat. Anger is sometimes a useful response to this, however, over time it can lead to hate. With enough hate, we suffer. Such was the path of Darth Vader, and such has the potential to be your path if you don't get your fear under control. Join me today as I discuss this quote and how it applies to daily life.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The world appears to be dominated by extroverts, whereas introverts seem to rarely ever be in the public spotlight. Is this real, or just the perception? Is introversion real, or are people just shy and insecure?This episode will discuss the difference between introverts and extroverts and provide some guidance for both sides if you want to optimize your success in life. Will this episode fill your tank, or empty it? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you were to go to the gym and wish for the weights to be lighter rather than yourself to be stronger, people would call you crazy. It is ridiculous to say the least. However, it is common for us to wish for many aspects of our life to be easier. We seem to want everything to be handed to us.Is it any less ridiculous than asking for weights to be lighter? Join me today as I cover this topic. Hopefully, you'll choose strength over an easier challenge! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you're interested in listening to The Strong Stoic Podcast, check out this trailer to get an idea of what to expect! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What's the truth about truth? Is it subjective or objective? If an objective truth exists, why are all of our subjective truths not the same?Listen in today as I talk about truth; what it means, why it's important, and how we can all move towards whatever the objective truth really is. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We will be called constantly throughout our lives to start something new, to challenge ourselves, to go on an adventure. However, most of these calls go unanswered. Why? Because we're scared of failing, of being laughed at, at sucking at it.The truth is that sucking at something is part of the process and should be embraced. It isn't a bad thing; in fact, it's quite normal. So, what excuses are you making to not chase your dreams? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Discrimination is a huge topic in our modern world, and for good reason. Much discrimination is unjust and unfair treatment of individuals, however, is discrimination all bad?While digging into the history of the word, it became clear that discrimination is actually a neutral term. Today, we often discuss unjust discrimination while taking for granted all of the just discrimination.Join in on today's episode and learn how discrimination can actually be quite neutral and fair, and how you partake in it on a regular basis! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I've talked before about how solitude can be beneficial, as it sparks creativity and also brings out any issues you are subconsciously dealing with. However, like anything, too much solitude can wreck havoc on your life and can negatively effect your mental health.On this episode, I go through what you can learn from the COVID pandemic in terms of solitude as well as tips for improving your situation when the forced solitude of the pandemic becomes too much. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If there is one piece of advice that you could give someone about how to live life, the best would probably be something like "be a hero." Luckily, we can decide exactly what that means, however, it begs the question: why isn't everyone a hero? Why doesn't everyone want to be a hero?I found the answer to this question when I watched the live version of Mulan. The answer is more simple than one may think. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Happy New Years everybody!Today I cover the (cliche) topic of New Years resolutions, why it may not be the best idea, and what you should do instead. This isn't your stereotypical resolution advice! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our modern world is constantly offended about something. As such, what we feel free to say is increasingly restricted, even if it is only meant as a harmless joke. It wasn't so long ago that people would be told to "toughen up" in such situations and to "grow some thick skin". Which is the right way? Should we stop everyone from being offensive or should we all work on having thick rhino skin? Listen in today as this topic is discussed. I hope you don't get offended! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Merry Christmas, everyone!Today's episode will be discussing how this Christmas is quite different than recent years and how we can work on changing our perspective to make the best of this year, even if it isn't how you would like to spend the holidays.An east coast alcoholic recipe will also be featured along with a description on what "Tibb's Eve" is.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Humanity tends to share some pride in their place of origin. We are all told growing up the accomplishments of our people and how special we are. However, how much truth is there to this? And is this actually a good thing?Join in on today's episode as the topic of human uniqueness and commonality is discussed. Other topics include why you should really be travelling and how best to grow as an individual. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We all face particularly dark and hard times in our lives where we are really tested. Perhaps two or more bad things have happened, and before you know it evil is staring you directly in the face.I'd describe this as "The Great Test" and it will come for you at least several times throughout your life. That being certain, what is the best response? How can we effectively go through such times when everything seems against us and come out with our spirit and character intact?Listen in as this topic is discussed. Bring your strongest whiskey and a little bit of hope! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The battle between faith and reason (that is, between "religion" and "science" has been ongoing for years, and there is no doubt that it will continue to be a battle for years to come. As such, claiming to have a definite answer on this is arrogance at its finest.However, a very interesting perspective is offered in a famous work of literature, The Brothers Karamazov. In it, Dostoevsky cleverly  presents arguments on both sides with a conclusion that is definitely worth thinking about.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The world we live in is filled with awful deeds. The gulag and the holocaust are but 2 examples. A hard thing to accept is that such deeds were committed by our fellow humans, of which we all share the vast majority of our genes. However, along with our capacity for great evil, we seem to have a great capacity to maintain our goodness despite all of the awful things that happen to us, and so it begs the question: what is the worst thing that can happen to us? In other words, what is the worst misfortune?Listen in today on this topic as we tie in lessons from the history of the twentieth century. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

According to the Tao, life can be divided between Chaos and Order. The Stoics call this a little differently; they divide life into things that you cannot control, and things that you can. However, it's the same overall message. The Stoics also say that we shouldn't worry about things that we cannot control. Makes sense! But is the division between Chaos and Order clear?Listen in on today's episode as we go over this simple yet involved topic. There will even be a personal story to bring the message home! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ego is a huge problem for many people. We all know people who are too into themselves, and it's rather off-putting isn't it? Despite this, many people still struggle with a big head. Perhaps one of the reasons for this is that ego grows slowly under the radar; just a little bit every day. Eventually, we reach a point where we definitely need humbling. Listen in on today's episode as the practice of humbling oneself is discussed with a personal story and example. Learn also about how this practice isn't new; rather it's been practiced throughout history by famous Stoics, and even Kings. Stay Humble! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Christianity has, more or less, fallen! This is rather interesting, considering it was and still is the dominating religion in the world. One of the biggest modern criticisms of Christianity is that it is, well, ridiculous! After all, how could a virgin have a baby, and how could Jesus perform miracles? Still, it begs the question: how has it historically resonated with so many people?Listen in on this episode as Jesus (who is NOT your saviour, whether you're a Christian or not) is discussed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We all have different opinions and perspectives on what the best way to live is. Many of us even have different ideas on what a good way of living looks like. Regardless of our differing opinions, most of us would agree that a person needs a philosophy to live by. The question is: how do we choose the best one? And why doesn't it work for everyone?Today's episode will discuss this very matter, diving into why we need a philosophy in the first place, how this ties in with the law, and why we can't have one, single, governing, enforced philosophy.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The idea of saving your father occurs frequently throughout works of fiction. It would seem that this archetype has some significance which resonates with so many people; but what is it exactly?Grab your favorite marionnette and get cozy as this archetypical story is discussed and what the true meaning behind it is. Note: Brandon's nose did NOT grow during the recording of this episode!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Compassion is something that most people could have more of. It allows you to act in an unselfish way, as you are more likely to understand other people and the bigger picture. However, does compassion have a blind spot?Listen in as the topic of compassion and empathy are discussed. We'll be covering what it truly is, the positive aspects of it, and any (if any at all) blind spots.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Winter is Coming! This phrase has been popularized by Game of Thrones.  Apart from its literal meaning (winter indeed comes), there is a broader message here which dates back to ancient times. Listen in as this phrase is discussed along with its modern (and non-fantasy) applications. "The King in the North!" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We are in a strange political time. The division between left and right is quite drastic, which is making many individuals nervous. Let's talk the fall of democracy!We tend to believe that we are always moving forward morally, politically, and so on. Is this always true? Historically, many societies have risen and fallen, from Rome to Nazi Germany. How is this possible coming from a democratic civilization?Listen in as liberty is discussed and how it can slowly disintegrate into chaos and ultimately a dictatorship. Learn how silence can be quite loud, and why you should be careful with what you are applauding. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We often associate time alone as solitude, but is this truly the case? In order to be in solitude, you must be away from society and people, but also away from your room, books, and any other external influence!There are HUGE benefits to solitude, from improved creativity to peace of mind, yet modern humans have little to no solitude. It is also not easy, as often the things that are subconsciously bothering us comes to the surface. Are you afraid of your demons?Listen in today as the topic of Solitude is discussed. Find out why we need it, what it can do for us, and how we can get it in a modern world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What exactly is a Strong Stoic? This is indeed The Strong Stoic Podcast! Stoicism is a philosophy on the art of living. There have been a number of historical stoic figures historically, including Marcus Aurelius, and Seneca, and the philosophy has stood the test of time! It is still a popular philosophy with the overall messaged based in living in harmony with nature, accepting what you can't control, and so on.But a philosophy is nothing without strength; intentions are nothing without action, and strength is required to act on the philosophy given. Listen in on the discussion to learn more about strength, stoicism, and The Strong Stoic! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A philosophy that is true in one area of life is generally true in all other areas of life, and that is true for today's topic. Respect light weights, or heavy weights won't respect you. How are you working on the basics? Are you throwing together the warm up? Do you ignore the value in having a strong foundation? Join in on the discussion on why it's important to respect everything in life that is "beneath" you and how putting effort into the basics can have HUGE impacts on your life! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you were to think back on the last year and pick out which days you went to bed that night feeling alive and fully fulfilled, what would be the common habits that you did that day? This episode will go over some that are worth considering in your quest for a fulfilled and happy life.Not meant to be complete or inclusive but rather to spur some thought, we'll be going into some depth on each of these habits and why they may be worth incorporating (and also why they may work!)What would be on your list? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Men and women have seemed to become more similar in recent years, with many of the traditional gender roles being removed or even reversed in some situations. This is modern - but are the differences in men and women ONLY socio-cultural, or is there more to the picture?To answer this question, the topic of evolutionary biology is discussed  (in layman terms). In addition, we'll be looking to see if modern science (psychology and the humanities) lines up with what evolution would predict. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hakuna matata! It means, of course, no worries for the rest of your days. There are few people who grew up in the Disney era who wouldn't recognize this phrase. It was heavily popularized by The Lion King.Although this is arguably the most recognizable part of this classic, what if this isn't the main moral of the story? In fact, what if the moral of the story is the exact opposite of this saying?Listen in as The Lion King is discussed, including all of it's main themes and teachings. You may also feel some nostalgia! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is anger and aggression purely evil? Can no good ever come from being upset and angry? While it certainly must be under control in day to day life, perhaps there is a purpose for this.Join Brandon as he discusses anger, the consequences of letting your anger get the best of you, Carl Jung's psychology, and his little green friend, Yoda. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Shrek is a hilarious movie - but is there more to this than meets the eye? What you perceive is what you believe, and what you believe is, in a very real way, your reality. So then, could it be that your perception is actually the reason why you are miserable?Join Brandon as he discusses the deep theme behind the movie Shrek, and ties this in with modern psychiatry and psychology. We'll talk how to make sure your perception of reality is true and why it may not be.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of the Strong Stoic Podcast, the topic of controlling your own destiny is discussed. Do you find yourself and/or others complaining about how things are? In these situations, it's crucial that you ask yourself if you have done anything, big or small, that could have possibly manifest this result. The Stoics say to divide things into those which you CAN control, and those that you CANNOT control. Then, you must simply take responsibility for those you can, and do your best to ignore those you cannot.Join Brandon as he discusses this topic and learn how to OWN your own problems and fate, empowering yourself to make your life the best it can be. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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What boxes are you in? What categories do you associate with? Perhaps the better question is which boxes are you forcing others into?Listen in on today's episode as Brandon discusses the aspects of making assumptions on people based on a single aspect of their life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is wisdom? Why are some considered wise while others are not? Does it simply come with time, or is there something else?Tune in to today's episode as Brandon discusses what wisdom is, where it comes from, and whether or not you can be wise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The meaning of "safe spaces" has seemed to change over the years. It's been distorted into being a place where you feel good about everything, but is this what it should be? Listen in as Brandon discusses safe spaces, how they are useful, what they should be, and how you can find one. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is a heavy one! Listen in while Brandon discusses the tragedy of life and how we're all truly victims. It may sound gloomy (and it is) but there's a simple solution presented at the end... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have you ever thought about the fact that time is life's currency? And that, ultimately, we only have 1 decision to make: how we wish to spend out time?Today's discussion opens with the concept of time, and continues with how we should consider how we spend life's currency.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are you in a stage in your life where you are caught in between 2 choices and you're not sure which road to go down?Listen in today as Brandon delves into the process of decision making, including how to make the "best" decision, what it means for your future, and what you should REALLY be focusing on. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do you find yourself bothered by small things in your day-to-day life that seem insignificant? Are you looking for ways to overcome the burden of getting pissed off?Join me as I cover the topic on how to let things go! We'll talk about why this is so detrimental to your life, why and how it happens, and how we can learn to Let It Be in the short-term and also the long-term. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is a big one! On this episode, Brandon covers the large, complex topic of humility, with ego and self-esteem as sub-topics. We'll be discussing the issues with having too low confidence OR too high confidence (ego), what humility really is, why it's important, and how to maintain an optimal balance of confidence for success. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How does lifting a heavy barbell make you feel? Strong? Humble? Deeply meaningful?Today, Brandon will be discussing why lifting heavy weight appeals to so many people and how strength training in general can make one's life ultimately better.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices