Podcasts about stoics

Corruption is everywhere, from politics and business to sports and universities. But as modern as it all feels, the Stoics saw the same thing happening thousands of years ago. So how did they resist it without becoming part of it themselves?

James and Jimmy sit down with Vance Taylor of Stoic Cigars. We catch up with Vance and find out how his first two yeas in the cigar industry have gone and what lessons he's learned in that time. We then turn our attention to the "dark side" of Stoicism. What does Stoicism and Nihilism have in common? Can James not road rage? How do Stoics look at tragedy. It is a high level conversation over different philosophies and how to approach life and business.

https://eggshelltherapy.com/podcast-blog/2026/07/30/frank/If you have searched for help with anxiety or overthinking, YouTube has probably offered you ten Stoic principles that will change your life, or Taoism explained as going with the flow, sometimes in an approximation of Alan Watts's voice.My guest is Frank P. Saunders Jr., a philosopher who works on Chinese thought and who has spent the past couple of years making videos about philosophy and public philosophy. We began with McStoicism, the version of Stoicism made to go down easily and keep you coming back. Of the distortions he identifies, the one he thinks does the most damage is the promise that this is not difficult. When the ten tips do not work, people conclude that Stoicism does not work for them, or that they are the kind of person for whom nothing works. His formulation is that the results were overstated and the effort was understated.The second thing that gets removed is God. Surrendering to a world that is indifferent to you is a different act from aligning yourself with a world that is going somewhere.On emotions, the Stoics did say you should let go of certain feelings, but only because they thought doing so would make you a genuinely better person, someone who could not be shaken by loss or circumstance. The popular version keeps the letting go and loses the point of it. Stoicism was about becoming brave, honest, fair, and useful to the people around you. Marcus Aurelius keeps saying you do this for your community, not for your own calm. However, these are rarely mentioned online in the fast food versions of Stoicism, which ask nothing of you, though they may also give little back. The second half of our chat turns to the problems with AI-generated Alan Watts video and perennialism. Watts would tell a Taoist story, then a Zen story, then something about a Christian choir, and make them all point the same way. Frank's objection is that the traditions are not saying the same thing.On wu wei: Frank argues that nothing done at an expert level is effortless. What changes with mastery is where the effort goes, because the expert knows what to attend to.  Eggshell Therapy and Coaching: eggshelltherapy.com/Imi Lo:  imiloimilo.comSister Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3Zcl8ZUsu4AePugDoWtXcgFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/eggshelltransformationsNewsletters: https://eepurl.com/bykHRzDisclaimers: https://www.eggshelltherapy.com/disclaimers  Trigger Warning: This episode may cover sensitive topics including but not limited to suicide, abuse, violence, severe mental illnesses, relationship challenges, sex, drugs, alcohol addiction, psychedelics, and the use of plant medicines. You are advised to refrain from watching or listening to the YouTube Channel or Podcast if you are likely to be offended or adversely impacted by any of these topics.Disclaimer: The content provided is for informational purposes only. Please do not consider any of the content to be clinical or professional advice. None of the content can substitute professional consultation, psychotherapy, diagnosis, or any mental health intervention.  Opinions and views expressed by the host and the guests are personal views, and they reserve the right to change their opinions. The opinions of the guest do not reflect the position of this channel or Imi. We also cannot guarantee that everything mentioned is factual and completely accurate. Any action you take based on the information in this episode is taken strictly at your own risk.  For a full disclaimer, please refer to: https://www.eggshelltherapy.c...

Hey friends, Chase here. Every summer, I revisit conversations from the archive that have stood the test of time. Not because I'm nostalgic, but because the best ideas don't expire. They deepen. This is another installment of Summer School—the set of episodes I personally return to the most when I'm stuck and need something true to lean on. This one with Ryan Holiday is high on that list. I've gone back to it multiple times this year alone. Ryan is a legend—author, media strategist, New York Times bestselling writer, and the person who brought Stoic philosophy into popular culture for a generation of creatives and entrepreneurs. This conversation is from 2017, before he'd fully hit the stride we know him for now. He'd already published something like six books in five years. He was already a force. And yet you can hear, in this episode, exactly where his work was headed. What stands out isn't just marketing tactics. It's framing. Good marketing isn't only writing good copy or taking a nice product photo. It's making work that starts a discussion. It's asking better questions before you begin. And it's using your own mindset—perception, action, will—to keep going when the creative path gets hard. Those tools were spot on then. They're truer now. Nobody cares what you're thinking about doing. Talk about your ideas after you've started them and then show people what you've done. Summer School: Ryan Holiday on Stoicism, Marketing, and Creating Work That Lasts Ryan dropped out of college at 19 to work with Robert Greene, became director of marketing at American Apparel, and later built Brass Check, advising clients like Google, Tim Ferriss, and Tony Robbins. Then he did something that looked, on paper, like career suicide: he wrote Trust Me, I'm Lying—a book about how marketers, companies, and politicians manufacture and manipulate attention online. Instead of burning his marketing career down, it opened writing as a profession. He began identifying as a writer first—keeping a hand in marketing so he wouldn't only comment from the sidelines. That tension runs through the whole episode: how information spreads, what it means to compete for attention, and how to build work that doesn't disappear after the launch week. At the center is Perennial Seller—the art of making and marketing work that lasts. Not the fidget-spinner hit. Not the trend piece. The Original Pantry Cafe that never closes. The book that sells more copies year after year because it solves a real problem. The boot that gets better the longer you wear it. If you're a creator, entrepreneur, or leader trying to make something that matters—and survive the noise long enough for it to land—this episode is still one of the sharpest in the archive. What You'll Hear in This Episode Why Ryan left New York for a cattle ranch outside Austin—and how distance, physical work, and humility made him better at the cerebral work How Trust Me, I'm Lying mapped the attention economy years before "fake news" became a daily phrase Why modern marketing is less about perfect product shots and more about starting conversations A practical crash course in Stoicism: perception, action, and will Ego vs. confidence—and how to market without marketing to yourself Austin Kleon's line: you can't be the noun without doing the verb What makes a perennial seller—and why industries obsess over "new" while most of their money comes from what lasts The "other 50%": craft gets you in the door; packaging, positioning, relationships, and community finish the race Two questions before every project: Who is this for? What does this do for them? Three Stoic Disciplines for Creatives Ryan's version of Stoicism is deliberately practical. Not academic debate—the art of living. Philosophy for the role you're already in: photographer, founder, writer, leader. He walks through three disciplines: 1. Perception How do you look at the situation? Someone is rude. Your company is in trouble. Your work isn't getting seen. Do you decide it's unfair, impossible, purely negative—or do you look for what you can actually use? The Stoics' move: there's no inherent good or bad—there's how we look at things. We don't control most of what happens to us. We do control the last crucial part: what we tell ourselves it means. Marcus Aurelius did that work through writing—Meditations as a private practice of catching your own mind in the act. 2. Action Seeing differently isn't enough. What do you do with the information? Ryan's favorite cut: Casey Neistat telling someone pitching a business idea, essentially—don't tell me the idea. Tell me when you've started it, then show me what you've made. Thinking about running a marathon doesn't count. Starting does. This is the discipline that kills the fantasy. Ideas are cheap. Execution is the only proof. 3. Will How do you handle the moments when life kicks your ass and you can't reverse them? Ryan tells the Edison story: factory on fire, son shell-shocked, Edison telling him to get his mother—she'll never see a fire like this again. Even what you can't control can still transform you. Hardship is often the filter that keeps everyone who doesn't want it as badly as you do from finishing. If it were easy, there'd be more amateurs—and less value. Perennial Seller (and the Other 50%) The face-palm insight behind Perennial Seller: the New York Times bestseller list doesn't track perennial sellers—yet a huge share of publishing income comes from books that came out years or decades ago. Industry attention chases "new." Durable value often lives elsewhere. Ryan's frame for durable work is almost annoyingly clear: This is a blank that does blank for blank. Who is it for—really? Not "everyone" or "smart people." Actual humans. Where they live. What they do. What does it do for them? His editor's line: it's not what a book is—it's what a book does. Then comes Chase's "other 50%," which Ryan amplifies: making the thing is a marathon. Finishing it doesn't mean you've won. There's a second marathon waiting—marketing, packaging, relationships, platform, the bridge from your desk into someone else's life. "If you build it, they will come" has killed a lot of great work. You're not just competing with peers who launched this week. You're competing with time-tested work that already lives on Netflix, in bookstores, in cultural memory. Title, cover, logo, copy, collaborators—these aren't afterthoughts. They're part of the creative expression. Books have covers because people judge them. Your work does too. And if you're already hunting for shortcuts before you've started? That's a signal. Principles over formulas. The shortcuts get exploited the moment they work for everyone. Timecodes So You Can Jump Around 00:00 – Welcome and why this episode is part of Summer School 04:52 – Ryan Holiday joins; life on a ranch outside Austin 09:14 – From renegade marketer to writer: Trust Me, I'm Lying and how attention spreads 15:05 – Why marketing today means starting a discussion 16:58 – Stoicism as a practical art of living 21:54 – Discipline one: perception 25:34 – Discipline two: action (start it, then show it) 28:47 – Discipline three: will (Edison's fire and transforming hardship) 31:36 – Ego vs. confidence; marketing without marketing to yourself 37:01 – Fall in love with the verb, not the noun 40:14 – Perennial Seller: the art of making work that lasts 47:08 – "This is a blank that does blank for blank" 51:07 – Habits of people who make great work (editors, collaborators, objectivity) 54:47 – The other 50%: craft plus packaging, relationships, and community 01:04:35 – Frameworks: Who is this for? What does this do? 01:19:05 – Daily Stoic, memento mori, and closing thoughts Why This Conversation Still Matters In 2017, Ryan was already describing an attention landscape where your best work competes with cats, outrage, porn, fake news, and infinite other options in the feed. That landscape didn't calm down. It accelerated. What still cuts through is the opposite of trend-chasing: work built on timeless problems, principles that survive platform changes, and the humility to keep doing the verb while everyone else celebrates the noun. When I'm stuck—when the world feels noisy and my own next project feels either too precious or too thin—I come back to this episode for the same reminders: Control how you see it. Take action. Let the hard parts transform you. Ask who it's for and what it does. Don't confuse finishing the making with finishing the work. Fall in love with the craft more than the identity. And don't wait until you feel safe to do the honest version of the thing. That's why it's Summer School material. The platforms changed. The books multiplied. The stakes got louder. The questions held. Keep Going Deeper If this conversation resonates: Perennial Seller: The Art of Making and Marketing Work That Lasts The Obstacle Is the Way Ego Is the Enemy Trust Me, I'm Lying Daily Stoic: dailystoic.com Ryan online: ryanholiday.net Follow Ryan: Website | X/Twitter | Facebook Questions to Reflect On Am I still stuck in "thinking about" the project—or have I started something I can show? Where am I treating a hard situation as a verdict, instead of as information I can act on? Am I marketing to an audience—or marketing to myself? Have I fallen in love with the noun (author, founder, photographer) more than the verb? If I had to fill in "This is a ___ that does ___ for ___," could I do it clearly—today? Where have I finished the making and abandoned the second marathon: positioning, packaging, relationships, community? Am I building on timeless problems—or on platforms and tactics that may not survive the next cycle? The Core Idea Work that lasts isn't the work that wins the news cycle. It's the work that keeps solving something real for someone specific—long after the launch adrenaline fades. Ryan's invitation in this conversation is both simple and demanding: sharpen your perception, take action before you announce, let difficulty refine you, kill the ego that wants applause without evidence, and build for durability instead of novelty. If there's one lesson worth carrying forward from this Summer School session, it's this: Make something that starts a conversation—and lasts long enough to deserve one.

Money isn't evil. It can do real good. But it is a tool, not a measure of life. It can tell you what something costs, but not what it is worth.

This lecture discusses key ideas from the ancient philosopher and biographer Plutarch's short work On Moral Virtue This episode focuses specifically on his discussion, early on in the work, of the composite nature of the human soul, which includes a rational part and an irrational part, the latter of which is further divided into a spirited (thumoeides) part and an appetitive part (epithumia). This will be relatively familiar to many as the Platonic tripartite conception of the soul, found in Plato's Republic. He also discusses Aristotle's position and that of the Stoics. You can find the copy of the text I am using for this sequence on Plutarch's On Moral Virtue here - https://amzn.to/3gpyrS3 To support my ongoing work, go to my Patreon site - www.patreon.com/sadler If you'd like to make a direct contribution, you can do so here - www.paypal.me/ReasonIO - or at BuyMeACoffee - www.buymeacoffee.com/A4quYdWoM You can find over 4000 philosophy videos in my main YouTube channel - www.youtube.com/user/gbisadler (Amazon links are associate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases)

According to the Stoics, we humans have a higher obligation—not to the gods but to each other.

A master does not actually master anything. The Stoics understood this.

The Stoics understood that the wealthiest person can still be a pauper—poor in peace, poor in contentment, poor in perspective.

The term was so fitting that it instantly caught on: The Anxious Generation. Anxiety has always been a part of our lives, but it seems to have skyrocketed in recent years. Where does anxiety come from, and what can we do about it? This third quality of Peace is not a mythical attribute reserved for Stoics and Cynics. The full life God wants to give you is a life of peace—the kind you don't have to control or create.   First time listening to our podcast? We'd like to get to know you! Do you have any prayer request? Send us a message.  Connect with Us:

You don't need to be an egotistical asshole to be successful. History is filled with powerful people whose pride ultimately destroyed them, from Caligula and Nero to Xerxes and Mussolini. The Stoics believed the antidote to ego was humility, self-awareness, reflection, and honest introspection. In this episode, Ryan explores the dangers of ego and the timeless practices that can help you keep it in check, stay grounded, and remain a good person as you become more successful.

On today's Fake the Nation, host and comedian Negin Farsad is joined by author and podcaster Manoush Zamarodi and podcaster Mila Atmos. Together they discuss some (good?) news about data centers and the complicated legacy of Senator Lindsey Graham. Plus, the cultural phenomenon that is the World Cup and the sociological phenomenon that is the sandwich generation. Warning: There's a lot of bread talk in this episode.Follow everyone!Manoush Zomorodi: @manoushz on IG/Substack & 'Manoush Minutes. LinkedIn. AND get her book: Body ElectricMila Atmos: @milaatmos & @futurehindsightpod on IG, @milaatmos on X & Substack. Check out the Future Hindsight YouTube channel and her new show OccupyNegin Farsad: Check out her piece in Progressive Mag on The Evolution of the Sandwich GenerationRob Heath - Our producer! Check out the new album from his band Automatic CandyRate Fake The Nation 5-stars on Apple Podcasts and leave us a review!Follow Negin Farsad on TwitterEmail Negin fakethenationpodcast@gmail.comHost - Negin FarsadProducer - Rob HeathTheme Music - Gaby AlterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

“First, say to yourself what you would be,” Epictetus says, “and then do what you have to do.”

"Life is too short." It is one of the most common things people say and, according to Seneca, one of the most misguided. In this episode of the Via Stoica Podcast we examine what the Stoics actually thought about time and why the problem is never how much of it we have.Welcome to the Via Stoica Podcast, the podcast on Stoicism. This episode draws on Seneca's On the Shortness of Life to make an argument that is uncomfortable and liberating in equal measure: life is not short. We spend most of it somewhere else.Seneca observed that people guard their money and possessions carefully but give their time to anyone who asks. Every second lost is gone for good and we do not know when the last one will come. The people who complain loudest about life being short are often the busiest, but busy with the wrong things.This episode also explores what it looks like to design your life around what actually matters. Not as a distant goal to arrive at, but as a direction you can begin moving in today. When your values and priorities are clear, every small decision becomes deliberate and the feeling that life is passing you by begins to fade.As Seneca wrote, "Life is long, if only you knew how to use it."Read the full article: https://viastoica.com/how-to-design-your-life/Support the showviastoica.comYouTube: @viastoicaProduced by: Badmic.com

Vulcan is back, and the smoke is officially clearing.

The Meditations of Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius are perhaps the best-selling self-help book of all time. Rooted in the rational philosophy of the Stoics, the 12 books offer a stream of personal musings on everything from cultivating self-discipline to being a successful leader. Following their episode on Resilience, Nadia, Keir and Jem offer a weird-left perspective on the Meditations, looking at their influence on western thought and current popularity among tech bros and the alt-right. Sign up to the ACFM newsletter: https://novaramedia.com/newsletters Help us build people-powered media: https://novara.media/support

The Meditations of Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius are perhaps the best-selling self-help book of all time. Rooted in the rational philosophy of the Stoics, the 12 books offer a stream of personal musings on everything from cultivating self-discipline to being a successful leader. Following their episode on Resilience, Nadia, Keir and Jem offer a weird-left perspective on the Meditations, looking at their influence on western thought and current popularity among tech bros and the alt-right. Sign up to the ACFM newsletter: https://novaramedia.com/newsletters Help us build people-powered media: https://novara.media/support

Donald Robertson is a cognitive behavioral psychotherapist, author of over nine books, and one of the founding voices in the modern Stoicism movement. He has spent over 30 years studying how ancient Greek and Roman philosophy intersects with contemporary psychology, and in this conversation we start where it all begins: the maxim carved into the temple of Apollo at Delphi. Know thyself. We explore what it actually meant, who said it, and why it still matters more than most self-help advice written in the last century.What We Dive Into:1. The Stoics drew a sharp line between what actually happens and the value judgments we add on top of it. To say something "is awful" treats our emotional reaction as a fact about the world.2. Of all the emotions that derail a life, anger gets the least attention in therapy, self-help, and honest self-reflection.3. In the ancient world, wisdom was not something you consumed or memorized. It was something you practiced daily. Collecting insights without changing your behavior is closer to what the Sophists sold than to what Socrates taught.Know Thyself, but not by yourself. A guided space to return home to yourself.https://www.knowthyselfcollective.com✨THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS:https://drinkLMNT.com/KnowThyselfTry LMNT & get a free sample pack https://www.timeline.com/KNOWTHYSELF Save 20% off your Mitopure® Gummies___________00:00 Intro01:53 Know Thyself: The Three Sayings at Delphi07:44 What Philosophy Actually Means11:17 Socrates vs. the Sophists: Wisdom vs. Appearance18:05 The Stoic U-Turn: Reorienting What We Value23:59 Self-Knowledge as a Mirror for the Soul26:59 Values Clarification and the Eulogy Exercise35:02 Ad: LMNT36:03 Eudaimonia: Flourishing, Not Just Happiness39:40 Hardship as Opportunity for Character45:31 A Brief History of Stoicism53:22 Ad: Timeline Mitopure54:33 The Stoics Were Way Ahead of Their Time59:30 Stoicism, India, and Alexander the Great1:06:31 Early Christianity and Greek Philosophy1:14:03 Marcus Aurelius: The Man Behind the Meditations1:19:17 Philosophy Born from Injury: Marcus and Donald1:32:52 Uppercase vs. Lowercase Stoicism1:38:28 The Two Phases of Emotion1:45:47 Prosoché: The Practice of Paying Attention1:50:40 Appearance vs. Reality: The Stoic Core1:56:34 Turning the Chinese Proverb into a Practice2:02:44 The View from Above and the Acropolis2:11:28 Premeditatio Malorum: Rehearsing Adversity2:17:27 Anger as Temporary Madness2:23:26 De-Romanticizing Desire2:36:58 Sophists, Rhetoric, and Modern Influencers2:44:47 Why Self-Help Isn't More Helpful2:56:17 The Socratic Method as Cure for Conceit3:13:19 The King Who Rules Himself3:17:50 The Oracle of Delphi and Socrates' Mission3:33:44 Injustice Harms the Perpetrator More3:36:51 Donald's Own Life: Philosophy as a Path3:38:46 The Eleusinian Mysteries and Marcus's Initiation3:48:21 Learning to Die as Liberation3:55:29 Marcus's Naked Soul: Transparency as Practice3:58:07 What the Stoics Taught About Love4:02:05 Rapid Fire: The Great Philosophers4:16:00 Closing Message: You Underestimate Your Resilience___________✨MORE FROM DONALD ROBERTSON↳Substack: https://donaldrobertson.substack.com/↳Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1732050.Donald_J_Robertson↳Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/donaldjrobertson/↳YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DonaldJRobertsonAuthor/featured↳https://donaldrobertson.name

Auto-generated transcript: Bismillāh ar-Raḥmān ar-Raḥīm. Alhamdulillāhi Rabbil-‘Alameen. Wa salātu wa salāmum ‘alā ashrafil anbiyā’ wal mursalin. Muḥammadur Rasūlullāh ṣallallahu ‘alayhi wa ‘ala alihi wa sahbihis-salam. Tasliman kathīran kathīran. My brothers and sisters, today one of the most dominant phenomena in the world is social media. And if you think about it, the simplest description of… Continue reading Advice from the Stoics

What are your emotions really telling you? In this episode of the Via Stoica Podcast, we take a closer look at one of the most misunderstood aspects of Stoic philosophy: the real Stoic view on emotions and what they can teach you about yourself.Welcome to the Via Stoica Podcast, the podcast on Stoicism. This episode challenges the popular belief that Stoicism is about suppressing emotions and replaces it with something far more useful: understanding them as a source of information about your beliefs, your fears, and who you are becoming.The Stoics made a clear distinction between the involuntary first flash of feeling and the full emotional response that follows. That gap between the two is where your agency lives. By learning to pause and examine what judgment you have added to an event, you begin to see what your emotions are actually pointing at. Not an enemy to defeat or a wave to ride out, but a signal worth reading.This episode draws on the Stoic concepts of pathos, eupatheiai and propatheia to show how emotions rooted in false judgments take us away from reason, while emotions rooted in accurate ones can guide us toward virtue, better decisions, and more authentic connections with the people around us.If you have ever felt taken over by a reaction you did not choose, this conversation is for you.Read the full article: https://viastoica.com/what-your-emotions-are-trying-to-tell-you/Support the showviastoica.comYouTube: @viastoicaProduced by: Badmic.com

Here's a question that might sting a little — who has power over you right now? Because if you're honest... it's anyone whose approval you need. Research shows that the human brain is wired to treat social rejection the same way it treats a physical threat. Your nervous system literally cannot tell the difference. But what if the most radical act of personal power wasn't fighting harder — it was wanting less? Today we're talking about strategic indifference: the IRS Process principle that the ancient Stoics figured out thousands of years ago — and that most people will never use. Stay with me     Follow Dr. JC Doornick and the Makes Sense Academy:► Makes Sense Substack - https://drjcdoornick.substack.com ► Instagram: / drjcdoornick ► Substack: / drjcdoornick ►Facebook:  / makessensepodcast ►YouTube:  / drjcdoornick     MAKES SENSE PODCAST Welcome to the Makes Sense with Dr. JC Doornick Podcast. This podcast explores topics that expand human consciousness and enhance performance. On the Makes Sense Podcast, we acknowledge that it's who you are that determines how well what you do works, and that perception is subjective and an acquired taste. When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at begin to change. Welcome to the uprising of the sleepwalking masses. Welcome to the Makes Sense with Dr. JC Doornick Podcast. SUBSCRIBE/RATE/REVIEW & SHARE our new podcast. FOLLOW Podcast: You will find a "Follow" button in the top right. This will enable the podcast software to alert you when a new episode launches each week. Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/makes-sense-with-dr-jc-doornick/id1730954168 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1WHfKWDDReMtrGFz4kkZs9?si=003780ca147c4aec Podcast Affiliates: Kwik Learning: Many people ask me where I get all these topics, which I've been covering for almost 15 years. I have learned to read nearly four times faster and retain information 10 times better with Kwik Learning. Learn how to learn and earn with Jim Kwik. Get his program at a special discount here: https://jimkwik.com/dragon OUR SPONSORS: Operly - Take Back Control of your Work Day and Get Rid of All Your AI Apps - Welcome to the new world of Time Freedom and Unlimited Scaling and Success with Operly -  https://go.getoperly.ai/video?ref=jean-claude-claude-d-2a95 Blue Blinds Bakery - Hand Crafted with all-natural ingredients - www.blueblindsbakery.com     0:00 - Teaser 0:20 - Intro 1:39 - Great Morning 4:23 - Who Owns You? 5:41 - Alexander the Great and Diogenes 9:47 - Indifference 10:39 - Carrency 14:09 - Who is standing in the way of your sun 16:39 - The Unveiling of True Friends 20:54 - Unfuckwithable 23:27 - 5 Habits of the Unfuckwithable 30:55 - Wanting vs Needing 32:45 - Who is your Alexander 33:29 - The World Will Always Try TO Negotiate for Your Attention 35:23 - What are you asking for that you already have Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Send us Fan MailWhat if the fun you're chasing is actually working against you? This week I'm digging into why some fun fades the second it's over, while other fun sticks with you for years — and it comes down to a couple of things researchers can actually explain.I'm also giving you my go-to system, VERITAS, for building fun into your life on purpose — even when things are hard, even when you're short on time. If you've ever felt like you "used to" have more fun, this episode is for you.In This Episode●     Why fun is more than just pleasure — the real ingredients behind it (joy, engagement, and meaning)●     The research on intrinsic motivation (Self-Determination Theory) and why fun you choose beats fun you're told to have●     What the Stoics actually believed about pleasure, and why it still applies today●     My VERITAS system for building real, intentional fun into your life — step by stepQuote of the Week"Very little is needed to make a happy life. It is all within yourself, in your way of thinking and in your way of living."— Marcus AureliusCitations & Sources●     Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. — Self-Determination Theory, on intrinsic motivation and autonomy●     Deci, E. L., Koestner, R., & Ryan, R. M. (1999). A meta-analytic review of experiments examining the effects of extrinsic rewards on intrinsic motivation. Psychological Bulletin.●     Csikszentmihalyi, M. — Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience, on flow states and optimal challenge●     Boothby, E. J., Clark, M. S., & Bargh, J. A. (2014). Shared experiences are amplified. Psychological Science.Let's go, let's get it done.Get more information at: http://projectweightloss.org

Get Weekly Leadership Blueprints in your inbox: https://mailchi.mp/mcfaglobal/leadership-blueprints-newsletter The story of America is the story of getting punched in the face and choosing to come back stronger. That is not just history. That is leadership. As the country turns 250, BJ sits down with Army Colonel Steve Messenger to unpack what that actually demands of you. Steve teaches a class called Failing with the Stoics and has spent his career building leaders inside the military's deliberate, hierarchical, brutal development system.In this episode, Steve and BJ get into the BRAG framework for servant leadership, why solid citizens and learners need totally different things from you, the three ropes every leader has to bounce off of, the moment a major stepped into a combatives ring and got slammed in the face, and the identity lie most leaders quietly believe. The line that stuck with BJ: chase people, not badges.Topics discussed:00:00 - Reagan, freedom, and the 250th birthday setup01:13 - Why America's story is the story of getting back up07:25 - Doing your best when life has split priorities10:07 - The Failing with the Stoics class11:04 - Solid citizens vs learners and what each one needs14:01 - The BRAG framework for servant leadership19:00 - The major who stepped into the combatives ring24:29 - Jack Hughes and the gold medal goal that says it all27:11 - The three ropes every leader needs to bounce off of35:02 - The identity lie most leaders quietly believeConnect with Stephen Messenger:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-messenger-866136a5/Website: https://themaximumstandard.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephenmessenger19/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100069227347214&locale=es_LAConnect with BJ Kraemer:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bj-kraemer-9a0855b/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bj_kraemer/Website: https://mcfaglobal.com/Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4bcvcAw0rigwymZCwZgfgN?si=45fc1e07c82742eeApple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leadership-blueprints/id1561090224Books mentioned:Why Not the Best by Jimmy CarterMeditations by Marcus AureliusNo Rules Rules by Reed HastingsAntifragile by Nassim TalebThis episode was produced by Podcast Boutique: https://www.podcastboutique.com

The Stoics studied powerful people not to worship them, but to learn from them. In this episode, Ryan looks at Elon Musk through the lens of courage, discipline, justice, and wisdom, and what his life reveals about the difference between success and virtue.

Happiness is a complex emotion and mental state that can be achieved through virtue or pleasure. But should it be for the good of the individual or society? Those in favor of virtue point to the Stoics and the Founding Fathers, saying you should strive for a life of moral virtue and rationality. Those in favor of pleasure say everyone should be able to experience it and define their sources of happiness. Now we debate: The Pursuit of Happiness: Virtue or Pleasure?  Arguing Virtue: Jeffrey Rosen, CEO & President of the National Constitution Center; Author of “The Pursuit of Happiness: How Classical Writers on Virtue Inspired the Lives of the Founders and Defined America”  Arguing Pleasure: Roger Crisp, Professor of Moral Philosophy at the University of Oxford; Uehiro Fellow and Tutor in Philosophy at St. Anne's College, Oxford  Nayeema Raza, Journalist at New York Magazine and Vox, is the guest moderator.  Join the conversation on Substack—share your perspective on this episode and subscribe to our weekly newsletter for curated insights from our debaters, moderators, and staff.  Follow us on YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, Facebook, and TikTok to stay connected with our mission and ongoing debates.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What does it mean to be both a Stoic and a skeptic?In this episode of the Via Stoica Podcast, philosopher and author Massimo Pigliucci returns to discuss his new book How to Be a (Happy) Skeptic: a guide to building a philosophy of life rooted in Stoic virtue and the ancient art of proportioning belief to evidence.Welcome to the Via Stoica Podcast, the podcast on Stoicism. Massimo Pigliucci is Professor of Philosophy at the City College of New York, a former evolutionary biologist, and one of the most important voices in modern Stoic philosophy. This is his second conversation on the show.The discussion moves from the foundations of a philosophy of life to the ancient debate between the Stoics and the Academic Skeptics, and then to one of the most compelling figures in Western history: Marcus Tullius Cicero. Not a Stoic himself, but deeply shaped by Stoic ethics, Cicero lived through the fall of the Roman Republic, exile, personal grief, and death at the hands of Mark Antony's soldiers. His life, Pigliucci argues, is a model for holding strong convictions while remaining honestly uncertain about what you know and why.The episode also explores how skepticism is not the enemy of commitment but its most honest companion: that our beliefs should be proportioned to evidence, and that a life examined with intellectual humility is not weaker but more durable.Read the full article here: https://viastoica.com/a-stoic-conversation-with-massimo-pigliucci/Support the showviastoica.comYouTube: @viastoicaProduced by: Badmic.comEpisode Outline:00:00 Introduction to Massimo Pigliucci02:30 The Importance of Personal Philosophy11:46 Key Ingredients of a Philosophy of Life15:12 The Evolution of Skepticism in Philosophy19:31 Understanding Skepticism: Pyrrhonism vs. Academic Skepticism29:52 The Evolution of Persuasion and Belief33:15 Stoicism vs. Skepticism: A Philosophical Rivalry42:49 Cicero: The Relatable Philosopher52:05 The Structure of Cicero's Philosophy58:53 Future Endeavors: Exploring New Philosophies

Last year, the President celebrated his birthday with a military parade. This year, he hosted a UFC cage match on the South Lawn of the White House. It's easy to compare it to the gladiator games honoring the Roman emperor, but Phil asks whether it's a sign that America would rather emulate pre-Christian Roman values than biblical ones. Americans can no longer agree on how to teach American history, so we're not teaching it much at all. Is it possible to recover a shared national story? Nijay Gupta is back to discuss his latest book, "Paul for the World," and why the Apostle would not recognize a modern Christianity that's focused on heaven rather than earth. Also this week—the science behind dad jokes. Holy Post Plus: Ad-Free Version of this Episode: https://holypost.substack.com/p/725-the-cage-match-for-americas-story Bonus Interview: https://holypost.substack.com/p/should-the-church-preserve-ethnic 0:00 - Show Starts 3:12 - Theme Song 3:35 -  Sponsor - PolicyGenius - Secure your family's tomorrow so you have peace of mind today. Go to https://www.policygenius.com/HOLYPOST to find the right life insurance for you 4:38 - Sponsor - Rocket Money - Find and cancel your old subscriptions with Rocket Money at https://www.rocketmoney.com/HOLYPOST 5:38 - Science Supports Dad Jokes 14:49 - UFC Fight at the White House 30:45 - Sponsor - Feeding America - Feeding America, led by neighbors! Give now to end hunger at https://www.feedingamerica.org 31:15 - Sponsor - BetterHelp - This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at https://www.betterhelp.com/HOLYPOST and get 10% off your first month! 32:17 - "American Dream" Finding Cuts 35:02 - What Story is America Telling? 52:16 - Interview 57:46 - Is Social Justice Christian? 1:06:20 - Epicureans and Stoics 1:14:33 - Bonhauffer and the Incarnate Church 1:28:15 - End Credits   Links Mentioned in News Segment: Sciences Supports Dad Jokes: https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2026/06/15/science-suggests-cringe-worthy-dad-jokes-may-serve-an-actual-purpose/   No Common American Narrative: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/2026/07/american-history-common-narrative/687301/   Other Resources: Paul for the World: A Grounded Vision for Finding Meaning in This Life—Not Just the Next (What Paul's Letters Say about Work, Friendship, Money, Wellness, Justice, and More) by Nijay Gupta: https://amzn.to/3RZR8ON   Holy Post website: https://www.holypost.com/   Holy Post Plus: www.holypost.com/plus   Holy Post Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/holypost   Holy Post Merch Store: https://www.holypost.com/shop   The Holy Post is supported by our listeners. We may earn affiliate commissions through links listed here. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.  

As we grow stronger, wiser, healthier, and more disciplined, a subtle danger emerges: contempt.It's easy to celebrate strength. It's much harder to remain compassionate toward weakness—especially the weaknesses we once saw in ourselves.In this episode, I explore a paradox at the heart of Stoicism: how to pursue excellence without developing disdain for those who are still struggling.From the gym floor to leadership, from courage to cowardice, the Stoics remind us that virtue should produce humility, not superiority. After all, everything we possess—including our strength—is borrowed.A reminder for anyone trying to improve themselves without losing their humanity.

Want to work with Muscle Intelligence?  Apply Now Most men try to out-discipline their emotions and wonder why they still snap, freeze, or stew at the worst possible moment. Donald Robertson, the cognitive-behavioral psychotherapist who wrote the book on thinking like a Roman emperor, has spent three decades proving there's a better operating system. Drawing on the same Stoic playbook that ran an empire, he and Ben discuss why composure isn't suppression, why the calmest man in the room is almost never the one trying hardest to stay calm, and where the real leverage hides inside every reaction you have. The edge, it turns out, lives in a gap most people never notice… the split second between what happens to you and what you make it mean. Robertson breaks down the two-phase machinery behind anger and anxiety, the reason your meditation practice keeps failing you the moment you actually need it, and the counterintuitive move Marcus Aurelius used to command loyalty when his own generals turned against him. If you've built the career, the body, and the bank account and still get hijacked by your own nervous system, this is the conversation that explains why — and what the most self-possessed men in history did about it. 5 Key Takeaways Why every emotion arrives in two phases and why elite composure is decided entirely in the second one The reason willpower backfires, and what Stoics trained instead Why your meditation and journaling don't transfer to high-pressure moments (and the fix) The leadership move that made Marcus Aurelius untouchable even during a civil war How to model real composure for your kids without pretending to be perfect Chapters 0:00 Meeting Donald Robertson 4:30 From Therapy to Stoicism 7:47 Virtue As the Only True Good 10:14 Why Success Can Feel Empty 14:25 Why Meditation Leaves You Exposed 16:00 The Pause Before You React 22:21 Why Only Three Stoics Survived 27:16 Marcus Aurelius: Power and War 38:08 How an Emperor Truly Led 45:44 Stoicism in the Therapy Room 50:49 Is Anything Really "Bad"? 55:13 The Socratic Test of Success 1:00:41 A Lightning Tour of Philosophy 1:09:42 Modeling Wisdom for Your Kids 1:16:00 The Two Phases of Emotion 1:21:50 Why Studying Stoicism from Soundbites Fail You 1:29:01 Where to Find Donald Connect with Donald Substack – https://donaldrobertson.substack.com Website – https://donaldrobertson.name

Guest: Mariana Alessandri, PhD — existentialist philosopher, author, and self-described "defender of dark moods"  If you've ever been told to "choose happy," "stay positive," or "look on the bright side" while your world was falling apart — this episode is for you.  Dr. Debi Silber sits down with philosopher Mariana Alessandri to explore why our society's obsession with toxic positivity is actually hurting the people who are suffering most. Mariana, author of a groundbreaking book on dark emotions (covering anger, sadness, grief, depression, and anxiety), brings a refreshing and deeply compassionate philosophical lens to the emotions we're taught to hide, suppress, or apologize for.  In this episode you'll discover:  Why the pressure to "be positive" has an insidious underbelly — and how it turns us against ourselves  The difference between saying "I'm broken" and "I'm in deep pain" — and why it matters  How souls connect more deeply in suffering than in joy (and the philosophy behind it)  The two wolves parable — and why starving the dark wolf may be keeping you stuck  Why anger deserves a hearing, not a judgment — and how it can be a form of self-care  The concept of "sympathetic resonance" and what heartstrings have to do with empathy  Why sharing your pain is a gift — not a burden — and how to find the people you can trust with it  How to talk about your pre-betrayal self with dignity, not shame  Mariana's two takeaways for everyone: It's not your job to cheer people up — and sharing pain is a gift, not a burden.  Connect with Mariana Alessandri:  Website: marianalessandri.com  Instagram: @mariana.alessandri  Resources mentioned:  Night Side of Nature (Mariana's book — chapters on anger, sadness, grief, depression, and anxiety)  Philosophers referenced: Miguel de Unamuno, Audre Lorde, Maria Lugones, Aristotle, the Stoics, Epicureans  The two wolves parable  Susan Caine's concept of "bittersweet" 

What did "materialism" actually mean to the ancients, and how does it differ from our modern scientific understanding? In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Max Wade (Ph.D., Boston College) to bridge the gap between ancient Greek ontology and modern philosophical debates.We dive deep into the "weirdness" of ancient thought, exploring why the Stoics believed in physical gods and why the Epicureans were the only true ancient materialists. Dr. Wade challenges the secularized modern reading of Socrates and Plato, revealing how their theories of divine design were actually a reactionary response to pre-Socratic natural philosophy.In this episode, we discuss:The Miriology of Being: Why the relationship between parts and wholes is the key to unlocking ancient ontology.Active vs. Passive Matter: The crucial distinction that separates Platonists, Aristotelians, and Stoics from the Epicureans.The "Swerve": Why materialism and determinism were considered incompatible in the ancient world.Plato's Atlantis & Egyptian Wisdom: Why reading Plato literally misses his point about the soul's forgetfulness and eternal truth.Marxism & Hegel: How modern materialism is often a misreading of ancient concepts through a German Idealist lens.About Our Guest: Dr. Max Wade is a scholar of ancient philosophy whose dissertation focused on Plotinus' Ontology of Artifacts. Follow his work at maxway.substack.com.Send us Fan Mail Musis by Bitterlake, Used with Permission, all rights to BitterlakeSupport the showCrew:Host: C. Derick VarnIntro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake.Intro Video Design: Jason MylesArt Design: Corn and C. Derick VarnLinks and Social Media:twitter: @varnvlogblue sky: @varnvlog.bsky.socialYou can find the additional streams on YoutubeCurrent Patreon at the Sponsor Tier: Jordan Sheldon, Mark J. Matthews, Lindsay Kimbrough, RedWolf, DRV, Kenneth McKee, JY Chan, Matthew Monahan, Parzival, Adriel Mixon, Buddy Roark, Daniel Petrovic,Julian, Drea, Free Beer 

Are Stoics really emotionless? It is the most common thing people believe about Stoicism, and it puts a lot of people off the one idea that might actually help them.In this conversation I sit down with Erick Cloward, host of the Stoic Coffee Break podcast and author of Stoicism 101, to take the myth apart. We get into why the word "stoic" came to mean cold and shut down, and why the Stoics actually felt their emotions fully. They just learned to be masters of them rather than ruled by them.Erick shares the example that makes it click: two people miss the same bus. One shrugs and reads a book, the other is furious. Same event, two reactions. The difference is never the event. It is the judgement you add to it. We also get into amor fati, the view from above, and what it really takes to react less and recover faster.Try this after listening: next time you react strongly, name the event in plain terms, then name the story you added on top. The gap between them is where the work happens.Erick's book and podcast: stoic.coffee Companion article: https://www.stoichandbook.co/podcast/are-stoics-emotionless/ Free 7-Day Stoic Challenge: stoicchallenge.coThe Stoic Vault: stoicvault.com

Join us at the intersection of Stoic philosophy and Masonic practice. Bro. Franklin Rings discusses how Marcus Aurelius' writings on “Vices” inform the use of our Working Tools. Learn how to view vices not as unique failures, but as common distractions that challenge the independence of the mind.Show notes and links: Join us on Patreon. Start your FREE seven day trial to the Craftsmen Online Podcast and get instant access to our bonus content! Whether it's a one time donation or you become a Patreon Subscriber, we appreciate your support.Visit the Craftsmen Online website to learn more about our FREE American History "Summer School" online course with Arizona State University, New York Masonic History, and our Masonic Education blog!Follow the Craftsmen Online Podcast on Spotify.Subscribe to the Craftsmen Online Podcast on Apple Podcasts.Follow Craftsmen Online on YouTube, hit subscribe and get notified the next time we go LIVE with a podcast recording!Yes, we're on Instagram.Get our latest announcements and important updates in your inbox with the Craftsmen Online Newsletter.Email the host, RW Michael Arce! Yes, we will read your email and may even reach out to be a guest on a future episode.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/craftsmen-online-podcast--4822031/support.

How much of the life you are living was actually chosen by you? In this episode of the Via Stoica Podcast, we explore authentic living: the practice of examining the scripts inherited from parents, culture, school, and social media, and deciding for the first time which ones are genuinely yours.Welcome to the Via Stoica Podcast, the podcast on Stoicism. This episode invites you to look honestly at the voices shaping your choices, not to blame them, but to see them clearly and to begin living from your own values rather than someone else's story.Most of us were handed a script before we could read it. Family wrote the early lines. School added more. Culture and religion filled in the gaps. And now social media rewrites it daily: feeding you someone else's version of success, happiness, and what a good life looks like. The Stoics called the faculty of conscious choice prohairesis, the one thing that has always been yours. Most people spend their entire lives using it to fulfil someone else's vision without ever noticing.This episode of the Via Stoica Podcast asks one of the most important questions in Stoic philosophy and in life: who wrote your script and why are you still listening to them? If you have ever felt that the life you are living belongs to someone else, this conversation is for you.Support the showviastoica.comYouTube: @viastoicaProduced by: Badmic.com

Looksmaxxing promises to make you more attractive, more confident, and more powerful. But at what point does self-improvement become obsession? In today's episode, Ryan looks at what the Stoics would say about this viral trend, the dangers of chasing external validation, and what it actually means to become your best self.

The Stoics remind us that everything has its compensation…if we choose to see it, if we choose to welcome it.

What does it really mean to love your fate? In this episode of the Via Stoica Podcast, we look at one of the most used phrases in modern Stoicism, where it actually comes from, and what Stoic philosophy says about acceptance, fate, and how to show up when life does not go as planned.Welcome to the Via Stoica Podcast, the podcast on Stoicism. Here, philosophy is not something you recite. It is something you practice, especially when the difficult moments arrive.Amor fati was never a Stoic phrase. Nietzsche coined it, and his version was radical: a total, eternal affirmation of everything that has ever happened, exactly as it happened. The Stoics had a different relationship with fate. They saw the world as a chain of cause and effect governed by the logos, and they asked a simpler question: Will you walk with it, or be dragged?That is where the real practice begins. Not in the good moments, when acceptance is easy, but in the ones that test you. The rejection, the injury, the plan that falls apart. Those are the moments Epictetus called the exam. The ones that show you how much you have actually learned.This episode will not tell you to love what hurts. It will show you how to welcome it anyway.Want to go deeper? Read the full guide: viastoica.com/how-to-practice-amor-fati/Support the show

Most morning affirmations ask you to declare a future you wish for. The Stoics did the opposite. They began the day by recollecting what was already true.This is a short guided practice built from eight lines drawn from Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus and Seneca. No manifestation, no raising your vibration. Just eight reminders, a little silence between each, a brief rehearsal of one difficulty you expect today, and a single quiet plan to carry into it.Best listened to first thing, before you open your phone. Find somewhere to settle, and let the day start a little steadier. Free 7-Day Stoic Challenge: stoicchallenge.coThe Stoic Vault: stoicvault.com

It is harder to be courageous when all you see are examples of cowardice. Well, the Stoics can help us with this.

Born in 103, he was a philosopher from the Samaritan town of Shechem in Palestine, who had devoted his life to the search for truth, trying many philosophical schools and sources of human wisdom: the Stoics, the Peripatetics, the Pythagoreans and finally the Platonists. One day an old man (whose name and origin are unknown) appeared to him and spoke to him of the Prophets and Apostles who had learned of God not by their own wisdom, but by revelation of God Himself. He read the scriptures and was convinced of the truth of the Faith, but he would not be baptised or call himself a Christian until he had tested all the pagans' arguments against Christianity. To this end he traveled to Rome, where he engaged in debate at philosophical gatherings, impressing all with his wisdom. In Rome he also witnessed the martyrdom of Sts Ptolemy and Lucian; this moved him to write an Apologia for the Christian faith and the Christian people, which he gave to the Emperor Antoninus and the Senate. They were so moved by this document that the Emperor ordered that persecution of Christians should cease.   For the remainder of his life, Justin devoted all his skills to the proclamation of the Gospel and the defense of Christians. To the end of his life, wherever he preached Christ, he always wore his philosopher's garb. In addition to his Apologia, he wrote a number of other learned defenses of the faith.   Eventually he was imprisoned following the false accusations of Crescens, a jealous Cynic philosopher. He died (one source says by beheading, another by poison) in Rome in 167 under the Emperor Marcus Aurelius, successor to Antoninus.

Stoic Morning Meditation — Ancient Wisdom for Anxiety Relief | Calm Your Mind | Guided Meditation━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

The more powerful our tools become, the more important our judgment becomes. In today's episode, Ryan talks with Jeremy Utley and Henrik Werdelin, hosts of Beyond the Prompt, about what the Stoics can teach us about AI, modern technology, and the skills we can't afford to outsource.Beyond the Prompt is hosted by Henrik Werdelin, an entrepreneur known for co-founding BarkBox, prehype, and other startups, and Jeremy Utley, a lecturer at Stanford and author of Ideaflow.

Memorial Day hits different when you slow down enough to feel it. We're honoring the men and women who paid the ultimate price, and the unofficial start of summer makes me a little contemplative. So today's a different show. I'm walking you through the three things I've been working on for years with every coaching client. Awareness. A peaceful base. And what I call the anticipation engine. Old Stoic ideas, dressed up new for the life you actually live. Pour the coffee. Sit with this one a minute. Then press play. Featured Story A client said to me the other day, "Scott, why don't you charge more?" Because I like you, I told him. You should charge more, he said. I don't really need to, I said. The way I work, my retention is something most coaches never see. My longest client is nine years old. I average about six years for personal clients. I average about six years for personal clients. That's why I rarely have openings. The reason it works is what I'm walking through today. We're always dialed in. It never gets old. We're always reaching for balance — and that balance has roots in something the Stoics figured out a long time ago. Important Points Awareness isn't the destination. It's the line that quietly shows you what's yours to carry and what never was. Put your worry on the calendar. Pick the day you'll actually deal with it, and stop renting suffering until then. Set goals from a solid base, not from grasping. Aim well, let the arrow go, and stop riding your peace on the outcome. Memorable Quotes Most of the wrecks you think will happen are just renting suffering in your brain because they aren't even real yet. Peace isn't something you generate. It's what's quietly left when you stop fighting for what was never in your hands. The archer's goal isn't to hit the target. His goal is to shoot well — all in, open-handed, and ready for what comes. Scott's Three-Step Approach First, build deep awareness of what's actually happening in your life — every little thing, processed, seen, named. Then use that awareness to build a peaceful base — solid ground that holds even when the day blows up around you. Finally, fire up the anticipation engine — aim at a goal, go all in, and let the result loop you back to awareness. Chapters 0:38 - Why we actually honor Memorial Day today 2:14 - The three things I work on with every client 3:19 - Awareness lives in the gap between thought and action 5:42 - The peaceful base nobody else is teaching 8:50 - Anticipation engine and the archer who lets go 11:31 - Pre-pay the worst case and walk in light 13:32 - The loop that keeps you growing for years Connect With Me Search for the Daily Boost on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify If you enjoy the Daily Boost, you might like Notes From Scott. A few mornings each week, I send a short note with something I've been thinking about or noticing lately. Sometimes those ideas turn into podcast episodes later. You can sign up at https://notesfromscott.com. Email: support@motivationtomove.com Main Website: https://motivationtomove.com YouTube: https://youtube.com/dailyboostpodcast Instagram: https://instagram.com/heyscottsmith Facebook Page: https://facebook.com/motivationtomove Facebook Group: https://dailyboostpodcast.com/facebook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Was Nero really that bad, or has history been telling the same story for 2,000 years without asking who started it? In today's episode, Ryan looks at the myths, accusations, and contradictions behind Nero's reputation, and asks whether he was really a monster, a scapegoat, or a warning.

The Stoics had high standards. They also understood that perfection was not possible.

In today's episode, Ryan shares timeless lessons from the ancients on how to ask better questions, think more clearly, and make the most of AI without losing your ability to discern what's true.

Cato's life was his philosophy, and the Stoics never stopped looking to his example. In today's episode, Ryan explores why Cato the Younger became one of Stoicism's most admired figures, and what his life can teach us about courage, character, and standing for what's right.

Arete. To the Greeks, it meant excellence. It was the ultimate expression of human greatness—moral, physical, spiritual. It's what the Stoics were chasing. It's what you're chasing today. But how do we get there?

These are impersonal forces. This is fortune and fate. It's not targeting you. It's not favoring or picking on you.

The terrible diagnosis. The betrayal. The broken heart. Are they Stoics really saying you should love that? Is that what it means to “amor fati”—to love your fate?