Podcasts about Stoicism

Most people remember exactly where they were the week of March 11, 2020. Life suddenly stopped. The world went quiet. And for a brief moment, everything about our routines, priorities, and pace of life was thrown into question. Six years later, the world is loud and fast again. But the real question is: what were we supposed to learn from the moment when everything slowed down?In this episode, Ryan talks with award-winning author Chloe Dalton about the strange stillness of those early pandemic months and how one unexpected encounter with a wild hare during lockdown completely changed the way she thought about time, work, and the life she was building. Later in the episode, novelist Susan Straight joins the conversation to reflect on why it's important that we don't rush to forget that time and what remembering the pandemic can still teach us.

There is beauty and peace in noticing. The world is filled with things to see and hear.

You will get knocked off course. You will fall off the wagon. You will get out of sorts. That's unavoidable. What matters is how quickly you return.SPECIAL OFFER | Go to dailystoic.com/spring and enter code DSPOD20 at checkout to get 20% off the Spring Forward Challenge! Challenge yourself to spring forward and become the person you aspire to be. The Spring Forward Challenge starts March 20, 2026.

We should think about where we have made our happiness conditional on this or that achievement, on this or that identity which lies outside our control.SPECIAL OFFER exclusively for podcast listeners

In this BigDeal rerun, Scott Galloway breaks down how the American Dream's playbook — degree, home, wealth — is broken. Housing costs have tripled relative to income. Two-thirds of young men aren't going to college. One in three men under 30 doesn't have a girlfriend. And the wealthiest generation in history is systematically extracting wealth from the youngest through tax policy, artificial scarcity, and a rigged economic structure most people never see. Scott Galloway has built and lost hundreds of millions. He's an NYU Stern professor, serial entrepreneur, and one of the most honest voices on what's actually happening in the economy and the future of young people. In this conversation, he breaks down the transfer of wealth from young to old, why loneliness and extremism are the biggest threats to society, and the formula for economic security that actually works. You'll learn why Social Security is the largest wealth transfer in history, how the tax code ballooned from 400 to 4,000 pages, why housing went from four years of salary to twelve, how elite institutions use rejection as a business model, why we're producing too few economically viable men, Scott's SCAF framework for fighting depression, and the four-part formula for financial security — plus why low-cost index funds beat 99% of hedge funds. If you're young, ambitious, or trying to win in a system that feels rigged, this episode will change how you see the game. Ready to turn your newsletter into a side hustle? Head to https://beehiiv.link/e2bp10 and use code CODIE30 for 30% off your first three months. ___________ 00:00:00 Introduction 00:01:32 The Elegant Transfer of Wealth: Young to Old 00:06:00 The College Admissions Scam: Artificial Scarcity 00:08:39 COVID's Intergenerational Theft: The $6 Trillion Giveaway 00:22:33 Your Economic Survival Guide: Focus, Stoicism, Time, and Diversification 00:47:30 The Rejection Superpower: Why Failure Is Your Edge 00:53:40 The Young Men Crisis: Loneliness, Dating, and Economic Viability 01:08:00 What Young Men Need: Guardrails, Plans, and Demonstration of Excellence 01:17:22 The LBO Boom and Corporate Concentration: Who Really Owns America 01:31:10 Elon Musk and the Tech Bro Problem: Post-America While Leveraging America ___________ MORE FROM BIGDEAL

After their conversation for The Daily Stoic Podcast, Ryan gave Jordan Klepper, comedian, writer, and correspondent on The Daily Show, a few book recommendations at The Painted Porch.Follow Jordan on Instagram @JordanKlepper and check out his upcoming live show dates on his website https://www.officialjordanklepper.com/

  #nationalinterest Trump has ushered in the age of humiliation. His method is to push around America's friends rudely and publicly. How do India and Modi respond to this? ThePrint Editor-In-Chief Shekhar Gupta argues that Modi's stoicism abroad needs much humility at home. Watch this week's #NationalInterest -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To read this week's National Interest: https://theprint.in/national-interest/trump-brings-the-age-of-humiliation-for-friends-modi-needs-stoicism-abroad-humility-at-home/2871925/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To visit ThePrint Store: https://store.theprint.in/ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Produced by: Mahira Khan

Do your emotions ever get the best of you? Someone says one thing and it ruins your whole day. A small frustration turns into a big deal. Travel anxiety spirals. Jealousy or irritation shows up before you even realize it. In this episode, you will learn the complete Stoic playbook for mastering your emotions so they don't end up mastering you.SPECIAL OFFER exclusively for podcast listeners

This video features an in-depth discussion between Michael Sartain and an Ivy League academic named "David", focusing on the scientific and practical aspects of human mating, dating, and social status from the perspectives of evolutionary biology, psychology, and sociology. The conversation bridges rigorous academic research with real-world application through the coach's extensive hands-on experience working with thousands of clients. 00:00- Intro 01:34 - Practical Field Experiments vs. Academia 04:19 - Evolutionary Attraction and Competency Triggers 08:22 - Hormones, Status Hierarchies, and Dominance 13:28 - The Winner Effect and TRT 20:23 - Mental Framing and Behavioral Confidence 27:21 - Socialization as an Evolutionary Advantage 33:07 - Paternal Hormonal Changes and Risk 40:04 - Modern Biohacking and Age Relevance 45:00 - Stoicism through Social Immersion Therapy 51:10 - Master Overcoming Chaos and Difficulty 57:51 - Evolutionary Origins of Approach Anxiety 1:03:30 - Mate Choice Copying in Humans 1:13:09 - Cheerleader Effect and Social Proof 1:21:37 - Assortative Mating and Time Effects 1:30:27 - Hypergamy and Modern Social Media 1:33:36 - Data-Driven Limitations of Dating Apps 1:47:11 - Using Apps to Build Social Circles 1:56:09 - Critiquing Modern Matchmaking and Services ————————————————————

When does belonging start to matter more than being right? In Part 2 of Ryan's conversation with Jordan Klepper, they dive into how mob thinking takes over, how cultural permission shifts what feels acceptable, why people double down even when the facts are clear, and how leaders shape the tone of an entire country.Jordan Klepper is a comedian, writer, and correspondent on The Daily Show. You can follow him on Instagram @JordanKlepper and check out his upcoming live show dates on his website https://www.officialjordanklepper.com/

Even though we can't control time or slow it down, even though we can't control external forces and external events—we can control ourselves, so we can control how we use our time. SPECIAL OFFER exclusively for podcast listeners

This episode is a replay from The Existential Stoic library. Enjoy! John Stuart Mill famously claimed that “is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied; better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied…” Do you often find that you're dissatisfied? When you are feeling satisfied, does it last? Why are we so prone to dissatisfaction? What can we do to be satisfied with our lives? In this episode, Danny and Randy discuss how to be satisfied.Subscribe to ESP's YouTube Channel! Thanks for listening!  Do you have a question you want answered in a future episode? If so, send your question to: existentialstoic@protonmail.com

Get your reps in…because none of us have any idea what life has in store for us in the future.SPECIAL OFFER exclusively for podcast listeners

This is a project I did for youtube. This was done over multiple videos. I clipped it all together here to share it with you. This is a break down of Meditations by Marcus Aurelius. Disclaimer: We are not professionals. This podcast is opinioned based and from life experience. This is for entertainment purposes only. Opinions helped by our guests may not reflect our own. But we love a good conversation.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/2-be-better--5828421/support.

What do you do when someone says something you completely disagree with or something that sounds totally detached from reality? Jordan Klepper, correspondent and host at The Daily Show, is known for walking into political rallies and calmly interviewing the most passionate people in the crowd. In this episode, he sits down with Ryan to explain why arguing almost never works, how silence can be more powerful than a comeback, and what most of us misunderstand about why people believe what they believe.Jordan Klepper is a comedian, writer, and correspondent on The Daily Show. You can follow him on Instagram @JordanKlepper and check out his upcoming live show dates on his website https://www.officialjordanklepper.com/

It's been a long winter. But now? Now you can feel something is in the air.

How your journey through BJJ can intersect with and is helped by Stoicism, with Adisa Banjoko. It gets pretty personal as we go beyond the sound bites of Stoicism and dig into the actual practices you can use to develop the four virtues of Stoicism, namely wisdom, discipline, justice and courage. Along the way, we also tackle the importance of character in jiu-jitsu, the recent spate of scandals in the sport, dealing with pain and loss, and the importance of your whys.   Check out Adisa on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bishopchronicles/ and subscribe to his Substack at https://adisabanjoko.substack.com/! Check out my book, Perseverance, Life and Death in the Subarctic.  It has a lot of overlap with today's discussion, and is available everywhere including Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Perseverance-Death-Subarctic-Stephan-Kesting/dp/1639368612 Thanks Stephan Kesting

This episode follows Epictetus's vivid portrait of Diogenes the Cynic—a philosopher who lived as a “spy” on false values, exposing how little we truly need to live freely. From Diogenes' fearless simplicity to Seneca and Gracián's insistence on self-respect even in solitude, we explore what it means to answer to yourself rather than to status, comfort, or applause.

BachelorClues and PaceCase break down Love Is Blind Season 10 Episodes 10–11 like a fourth-quarter collapse. From Alex's stoicism-coded MAGA reveal and chaotic two-on-one with Priyanka, to Chris' $280K debt confession and deeply unsettling voicemail behavior, this recap examines whether the show is casting villains by design. We analyze edit choices, producer intent, declining Instagram gains, and why these couples feel less like soul ties and more like structural red flags. Is this strategic storytelling—or a franchise identity crisis?Subscribe to Game of Roses: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrFYM8CvKhDvV8OLfnhvP0A/?sub_confirmation=1Patreon: https://patreon.com/gameofrosesMerch: https://gameofroses.orgListen on Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/gameofrosesListen on Spotify: http://bit.ly/spotifygameofroses Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We plan to do it. We mean to do it. We just tell ourselves that we'll do it tomorrow. The problem, as the Stoics remind us, is that we don't control tomorrow.

Join Prokoptôn, a private community of dedicated practicing Stoics working together to improve. Learn more at https://skool.com/prokopton -- Support my work for as little as $1 a month: https://stoicismpod.com/members -- Subscribe to my Stoic Brekkie newsletter: https://stoicbrekkie.com -- I pull heavily from Leonidas Konstantakos' "Stoicism and Just War Theory" doctoral dissertation in this episode. I encourage you to download it and read it yourself: ⁠https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/record/13724⁠ -- In this episode, I take up a difficult question: can war ever be just in Stoicism? Not justified. Not strategically useful. Not legal. But truly just — meaning virtuous and right. I begin by setting aside the two dominant modern frameworks for thinking about war: utilitarianism and deontology. Utilitarianism evaluates war based on consequences. If enough good results from it, the war can be defended. Deontology evaluates war based on rules. Some actions are always wrong, regardless of outcomes. Stoicism does neither. Using the firebombing of Dresden and the ticking time bomb scenario, I explain how the Stoic approach shifts the focus away from body counts and legal rules and onto character. For the Stoic, external outcomes — even death and destruction — are morally indifferent. What matters is the internal condition of the agents making decisions. Are they acting from justice, courage, and wisdom? Or from fear, ambition, pride, or the desire to dominate? Drawing on Cicero's On Duties and later Stoic interpretation, I outline the core criteria: right intention, proper authority, discrimination, and war as a last resort aimed at peace. A war undertaken from a corrupted value structure — where victory is treated as a good in itself — reflects vice. A war undertaken from rational concern for preserving the cosmopolis, after all other paths have been exhausted, may be just. I also address torture and why the Stoic rejects it, not because of rule-following or cost-benefit calculations, but because it corrupts the agent. It reflects disordered judgment and a failure of oikeiôsis — a failure to recognize another rational being as part of the same moral community. Stoicism is not rule-based. It is character-based. I then turn to the present. We cannot fully know the internal motives of national leaders. We can only infer. War may be just or unjust depending on the reasoning behind it. That reasoning is ultimately visible only to the agent and their daimon — their inner rational faculty. Finally, I bring the question home. Most of us are not heads of state. But the Stoic framework for just war is simply Stoic ethics scaled up. The same question applies in everyday conflict: am I acting from virtue, or from ego and fear? The work of the prokoptôn is constant self-examination, especially when stakes are high. War can be just in Stoicism. But only if it is conducted by people whose souls are ordered toward peace, whose intentions are clean, and whose reason has honestly left them no alternative. Listening on Spotify? Leave a comment! Share your thoughts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Go deeper in the Stoic Vault: stoicvault.com---You read that line in the Discourses and your brain goes straight to cravings. Appetites. The stuff you're ashamed of. But that's not what Epictetus meant — and the real meaning is more useful than any advice about willpower.In this episode I break down the Greek word orexis, explain why it has nothing to do with food or your phone, and walk through the three levels most people get stuck on: the demand, the indifference, and the preference with reservation. Only one of them is Stoicism.I also share a personal story about driving to pick up my son on a difficult morning — and how I caught myself staking my entire peace on outcomes I couldn't control.Includes a practical exercise you can try today: one question to ask yourself the next time a plan falls through.

Send a textWhat does it really mean to be a strong father?In this episode, I sit down with Marine Corps officer, children's book author, and founder of Parent Child Connect, Olaolu, to talk about raising daughters and sons in today's culture.We dive into:The power of community (especially in military life)Why perception shapes how kids see “present fathers”The difference between being stoic and being emotionally unavailableRaising boys with strength without shutting down empathyModeling masculinity in a healthy wayThis conversation is real, practical, and deeply relevant for dads trying to show up stronger, more mindful, and more present.Listen in — and let me know what part hit home.Parent Child ConnectOlaolu on InstagramOlaolu on YouTube00:00 Leadership for Each Child01:11 Podcast Welcome and Guest Intro03:08 Ola's Background and Marine Path05:40 Writing Children's Books07:16 Becoming a Dad at 1909:29 Military Life and Finding Community15:13 Why Community Drives Success19:08 Mentoring Girls and Trust Barriers22:38 How Men Can Show Up Safely27:23 When Good Dads Trigger Jealousy32:21 Handling Animosity32:43 Full Circle Perspective33:44 Perception of Richness35:46 Values Talk With Kids37:15 Returning Home Changes38:10 Becoming a Young Dad41:22 Spoiling Isn't Love43:17 Raising Son Among Sisters44:29 Masculinity and Emotions50:52 Stoicism vs Disconnection53:25 Modeling Healthy Reactions56:52 Books and Resources Plug59:00 Final Wrap and NewsletterGuest Disclaimer:The views and opinions expressed on this podcast are solely those of the guests. They do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the host, any organizations, companies, or institutions mentioned, or corporate entities represented by the host.Our aim is to provide a platform for diverse perspectives and open dialogue. While we strive for accuracy and balance, it's important to recognize that opinions may vary. We encourage critical thinking and further exploration of the topics discussed.Support the showCatch up w/ The Daughtered Podcast Oscar on Instagram Few Will Hunt. 10% OFF use GIRLDAD Want to be a guest on The DAUGHTERED Podcast? Want to collaborate? Send Oscar Pena a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/daughteredpodcast

What are you living for? — Via Stoica PodcastWhat are you actually living for, and have you ever stopped long enough to ask? In this episode of the Via Stoica Podcast, we sit with one of the most important questions a person can face, and explore what Stoic philosophy has to offer when the answer isn't clear.Welcome to the Via Stoica Podcast, the podcast on Stoicism. Each episode, we bring Stoic philosophy out of the books and into real life, not as theory, but as a practice for building self-awareness, clarity, and a life that feels genuinely yours.Most of us are living on a track we didn't consciously choose. Society sets the milestones. Social media distorts the comparison. And somewhere in the noise, the question of personal values gets buried under the need to keep up. Stoicism offers a different starting point: the examined life. The goal isn't accumulation or status, it's eudaimonia, the cultivation of good character and a sound inner life. When we understand what we're actually living for, the small daily decisions begin to align with who we are. That's where real change happens.If you've been feeling the gap between how you're living and how you want to live, this episode is a quiet invitation to close it, one honest question at a time.Read the related article: https://viastoica.com/what-am-i-living-for/Support the show

Haven't you been wrong before? Haven't you done stuff that in retrospect seems dumb or weird? Of course you have.

Running a business can feel like emotional whiplash. One minute you're celebrating a win, and the next you're questioning everything. Add in a military transition, a new identity, or the pressure to succeed, and it's easy to tie your worth to outcomes you can't control. In this episode, I talk with Ken Davenport about how Stoicism gives military entrepreneurs and service members a framework for navigating uncertainty, rejection, and identity shifts.  Ken is a San Diego–based entrepreneur, author, and co-founder of Mission Edge, where he supports nonprofits, social entrepreneurs, and underserved founders. Drawing on decades as a CEO and startup founder, he teaches how ancient virtues can help modern leaders manage emotions, handle rejection, and build resilient, mission-driven work.   For more MILMO, follow at: MILMO.co ItsMILMO on YouTube @itsmilmo on X @itsmilmo Instagram @itsmilmo LinkedIn @itsmilmo Facebook   For more information, visit the full show notes at https://milmo.co/podcast/stoicism-for-military-entrepreneurs 

Meditating on death isn't depressing, it's clarifying. In this episode, Ryan explains how the Stoic practice of Memento Mori will sharpen your priorities, push you to stop wasting time, and remind you to live with character now, not later.

The greatness of Antoninus and Marcus Aurelius was not perfection but progress. They were imperfect men committed to self-discipline and self-correction. Today's episode explores how Antoninus shaped Marcus through steady example and daily discipline, and what their lives reveal about the kind of character a person chooses to build.

Power doesn't wait for the perfect person to raise their hand. Someone will wield it. Someone always does.

This episode is a replay from The Existential Stoic library. Enjoy! Do you ever think about your own mortality? Are you afraid of dying? What happens after we die? In this episode, Danny and Randy discuss death and other stuff.Subscribe to ESP's YouTube Channel! Thanks for listening!  Do you have a question you want answered in a future episode? If so, send your question to: existentialstoic@protonmail.com 

What if it only took five minutes each morning to feel more in control of your life? In this conversation, Dr. Rangan Chatterjee shares the three daily questions he uses to stay grounded in alignment, contentment, and control.

Is this what we're here for? To be the passions' slave? To be the plaything of emotions and impulses? It can't be!

People are the way they are. They will always be this way. We don't control that.

How do you hold a country together when it's tearing itself apart? In this episode, Ryan sits down with Pulitzer Prize–winning historian Doris Kearns Goodwin to talk about Abraham Lincoln's self-education, his emotional discipline, and how he managed anger, ego, and public pressure without losing himself.Doris Kearns Goodwin is a Pulitzer Prize–winning presidential historian and bestselling author. Her latest #1 New York Times bestseller, An Unfinished Love Story: A Personal History of the 1960s, is being adapted into a feature film, while her earlier works, Team of Rivals, The Bully Pulpit, and No Ordinary Time, have won some of the nation's highest literary honors and inspired leaders worldwide. She has served as a White House Fellow to President Lyndon Johnson, produced acclaimed docuseries for the HISTORY Channel, and earned countless awards for her contributions to history and leadership.Doris has a new book out called The Leadership Journey: How Four Kids Became Presidents in which she shares the different childhood experiences of Abraham Lincoln. Theodore Roosevelt. Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Lyndon B. Johnson, and how they each found their way to the presidency.

Why is it that so many of us try to impress ambition on our kids? Why are we trying to push them to become famous or powerful? Have we not seen the people who tend to get to these positions? Have we not seen how it works out for them?

Sum 41 defined an entire generation of skate punk before they played their last show in January 2025. Their final LP, Heaven :x: Hell, was a feat, showing off their signature styles. The Heaven side called back to their snotty pop-punk days, whereas Hell channeled their metallic side that ramped up with 2004's Chuck. In the time since, Whibley has released a potent memoir, Walking Disaster, and a clothing brand with the same name, debuting at Warped Tour Orlando last year. Stopping by the Artist Friendly studio, they get into a raw, reflective conversation where Deryck opens up about his near-death experience, burnout, and what's next.  Chapters: (0:00) Joel welcomes Sum 41's Deryck Whibley (2:00) The Importance of Health (4:48) Sum 41 categorized as a Pop/Punk Band (9:36) The Mutual Respect Between Good Charlotte and Sum 41 (18:04) Designing and Creating Your Own Life (18:30) Deryck Whibley Opens Up About His Hospital Visit in 2014 (23:00) Navigating Addiction (26:55) Deryck on Recovery (34:01) Deryck on Stoicism (40:51) Joel and Deryck Discuss Meditation (45:29) Moving on From Sum 41 (50:48) Walking Disaster Clothing brand Listen to their conversation on Artist Friendly on ⁠Spotify⁠, ⁠Veeps⁠, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow Artist Friendly! IG: @artist.friendly TikTok: @artist.friendly YouTube: youtube.com/@artist.friendly ------- Host: Joel Madden, @joelmadden Executive Producers: Joel Madden, Benji Madden, Jillian King Producers: Josh Madden, Joey Simmrin, Janice Leary Visual Producer/Editor: Ryan Schaefer Audio Producer/Composer: Nick Gray Music/Theme Composer: Nick Gray Cover Art/Design: Ryan Schaefer Additional Contributors: Anna Zanes, Neville Hardman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The past is gone, and no amount of calculation will bring it back or make it fair. What we do have is agency right now.

What if the secret to truly living… is remembering you're going to die?We know — that sounds intense. But stay with us.We're joined by the brilliant, funny, and refreshingly real Karen Salmansohn — multi–bestselling author, behavioral change expert, and founder of NotSalmon.com, whose work has helped millions of people live happier, higher-potential lives.Robyn first met Karen years ago at Oprah, where she quickly became known for her ability to make deep spiritual wisdom feel modern, accessible — and yes, even funny. She blends psychology, neuroscience, philosophy, and humor in a way that makes you lean in instead of tune out.In her newest book, Your To-Die-For Life, Karen introduces the powerful concept of mortality awareness — not to be morbid, but to wake us up.Because nothing will motivate you to seize the day quite like realizing your days are numbered.In this episode, we talk about:Why remembering you will die can be the greatest productivity + purpose hackHow to stop “ripping the covers off” self-help and finally own your growthThe psychology behind procrastination (and how mortality snaps you out of it)Letting go of the nonsense that keeps you smallHow to design a life that feels deeply aligned and meaningfulThe difference between being busy… and being truly aliveKaren shares how she blends research with humor (think Psychology Today + Mad Magazine in a blender), why self-help needed a rebrand, and how to create what she calls a “to-die-for life.”This conversation is funny. It's practical. It's motivating in the best way. And it might just be the loving nudge you didn't know you needed.Because if you're listening to this… it's no accident.It's time to wake up.MORE FROM KAREN SALMANSOHNLatest Book: Youre To-Die-For Life The Stand Up Philosopher Substack: notsalmon.substack.comFollow her @notsalmon Visit seekingcentercommunity.com for more with Robyn + Karen and many of the guides on Seeking Center: The Podcast. You'll get access to live weekly sessions, intuitive guidance, daily inspiration, and a space to share your journey with like-minded people who just get it. You can also follow Seeking Center on Instagram @theseekingcenter.

We have a duty. Our nature—justice—demands something from us. It demands that we get up, get after it, and wear ourselves down doing it.

In today's episode of the Atheist Experience, Justin and Jon the Skeptic explore the shrinking "God of the Gaps" and the carnages of evolution! They challenge faith-based morality and the logical hurdles of deism in an eternal universe.Mark in FL argues biological codes require a creator as abiogenesis is undemonstrated. Hosts call this a "God of the Gaps" placeholder with no explanatory power. They compare his god to a unicorn. Is DNA really proof of divine intent?Alfie in TX asks if biblical morality has utility. Hosts identify these "high" values in Stoicism and Confucius. They argue against keeping the "rolls" with the "cyanide" of slavery. Did Jesus actually endorse harsh Mosaic laws?Ryan in PA seeks clarification on the burden of proof for faith. Hosts assert any claim requires evidence. They distinguish between religious faith and secular hope for a second chance. Is everyone technically agnostic?Hayden asks why the Bible uses water imagery for salvation. Hosts link baptism to ancient rituals where sin was treated as physical filth to be washed away with divine detergents. Can baptism truly cleanse a moral impurity?Thank you for joining us this week! We will see you next time!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-atheist-experience--3254896/support.

Life is a lot. It moves fast. It's easy to feel overwhelmed by what to do, what not to do, and whether you're even focusing on the right things. In today's episode, Ryan shares simple Stoic rules to live by that can help you live with more clarity, purpose, and steadiness right now.

If you think history is boring, irrelevant, or just not your "thing", this episode is for you. In today's episode, Ryan sits down with Kenny Curtis, host of the new podcast History Snacks, to make the case for history. They discuss why history isn't about memorizing dates or dusty textbooks, but a superpower that gives you perspective, clarity, and calm.

A conversation with American classicist, military historian, and conservative political commentator Victor Davis Hanson.We discuss:Why Epaminondas remains one of the most underrated commanders in Greek history, and how the loss of Plutarch's Life of Epaminondas has obscured his legacyThe pivotal liberation of Thebes in 378 BC: how a small band of conspirators overthrew the Spartan-backed oligarchy and sparked a democratic revolutionEpaminondas's strategic masterstroke at Leuctra — the deep oblique phalanx on the left — and how it shattered 200 years of Spartan military supremacyHow freeing the Messenian Helots and building Megalopolis, Mantinea, and Messene permanently encircled and emasculated Sparta as a great powerThe fatal miscalculation of 335 BC: why Thebes revolted against Alexander on the basis of a false rumor, and how every potential ally abandoned themThe recurring pattern of doomed civilizations — from Thebes to Carthage to Constantinople — that share delusions about allies, enemies, and their own declineWhat ancient history reveals about America's current strengths and vulnerabilities, from demographic pressures to the China threatSubscribe to the Cost of Glory newsletter for detailed maps, images, and analysis of this pivotal moment in ancient history: https://costofglory.substack.com/Get in touch at:Website: https://costofglory.comX: https://x.com/costofglory

It's discouraging. It's distracting. All the stuff that's happening in the world. But you know what you can't do? You can't give up your work, your freedom of thought, your freedom of choice pre-emptively.

We should pride ourselves on our ability to put up with these people, to be able to be nice to people who are not nice, to be able to turn the other cheek and not be made bitter and cynical.

Day to day, it's only our individual actions that are up to us: How we treat people, how we run our businesses, what we think about.

The Stoics knew that wanting less increases gratitude, just as wanting more obliterates it. "Freedom isn't secured by filling up on your heart's desire but by removing your desire." - Epictetus

It's not that you should never speak up. It's not that you should never speak truth to power. It's just that you should never do it while you're angry. Do it after you've calmed down. Do it after you've had time to think about it. Do it after you've slept on it.

All that we see must be illuminated by the calm light of mild philosophy. So we can see what it really is. So we don't do anything we regret.