The What Is Stoicism? Podcast

This episode tackles one of life’s most enduring questions: why do misfortunes so often strike those who seem least deserving of them? Drawing on Seneca’s On Providence and the poetry of Octavio Paz, we look at suffering not as injustice but as a form of moral training and self-discovery. Hardship, in this view, isn't a detour from the good life but the very terrain on which character is formed. 👇 👇 👇 📻 FOR MORE STOIC AUDIO CONTENT Check out one of my latest daily Micro Morning Meditations here on Substack: ☀️ Micro Morning Meditation: It Does No Good To Rage At Circumstance https://whatisstoicism.substack.com/p/micro-morning-meditation-it-does Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode explores how expectation quietly robs us of the only time we ever truly have: today. Through a wry story from John O’Donohue and Seneca’s sharp warning about waiting on tomorrow, we see how imagined futures colonize the present and dull our awareness of what’s already here. Drawing unexpected parallels with Ecclesiastes and Marcus Aurelius, the episode clears away what ultimately doesn’t matter. What remains is an invitation to let go of borrowed worries and actually live the day that’s unfolding. 👇 👇 👇 📻 FOR MORE STOIC AUDIO CONTENT Check out one of my latest daily Micro Morning Meditations here on Substack: ☀️ Micro Morning Meditation: We Can Rise To Greater Heights https://whatisstoicism.substack.com/p/micro-morning-meditation-we-can-rise Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode is a quiet pause at the start of the day—a meditation on mornings as gifts rather than obligations. Drawing on Stoic gratitude and four short poems by Billy Collins, Mary Oliver, Rumi, and Frank O’Hara, it invites us to meet the day with attentiveness instead of haste. Each poem becomes a way of honoring the simple fact of waking up, before goals, worries, or noise rush in. It’s an offering of stillness, meant to be lingered with and returned to, one morning at a time. 👇 👇 👇 📻 FOR MORE STOIC AUDIO CONTENT Check out one of my latest daily Micro Morning Meditations here on Substack: ☀️ Micro Morning Meditation: We Can Rise To Greater Heights https://whatisstoicism.substack.com/p/micro-morning-meditation-we-can-rise Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode examines a quietly radical insight: that much of our suffering comes not from pain itself, but from our attempt to escape it. Drawing a line between Alan Watts’ observation and Stoic acceptance, we explore how resistance to reality keeps distress alive long after the moment has passed. Epictetus helps sharpen the lesson by showing how misplacing “the good” in things we can’t control guarantees frustration and conflict. 👇 👇 👇 📻 FOR MORE STOIC AUDIO CONTENT Check out one of my latest daily Micro Morning Meditations here on Substack: ☀️ Micro Morning Meditation: We Can Rise To Greater Heights https://whatisstoicism.substack.com/p/micro-morning-meditation-we-can-rise Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode reframes Stoicism not as a quest for unreachable perfection, but as a practice of steady progress. Drawing on the ancient idea of the prokoptōn—the one who makes progress—we explore why even Seneca, Epictetus, and Marcus Aurelius saw themselves as students rather than sages. Stoic philosophy, we discover, is less about arriving and more about returning: again and again, to reflection, correction, and effort. To live as a Stoic is simply to desire progress, and to keep good company along the way. 👇 👇 👇 📻 FOR MORE STOIC AUDIO CONTENT Check out one of my latest daily Micro Morning Meditations here on Substack: ☀️ Micro Morning Meditation: Don’t Always Be Beginning To Live https://whatisstoicism.substack.com/p/micro-morning-meditation-dont-always-94c Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode reflects on how awareness of mortality sharpens our sense of what truly matters, through the unforgettable lesson Randy Pausch taught with a spilled soda and Marcus Aurelius’s reminder that every day arrives with a due date. When time is no longer assumed to be endless, possessions lose their grip and postponed priorities come into focus. Far from being morbid, this clarity is freeing—it helps us release what doesn’t matter and act on what does. The question left hanging is simple and urgent: how will you use today’s opportunity before it quietly expires? 👇 👇 👇 📻 FOR MORE STOIC AUDIO CONTENT Check out one of my latest daily Micro Morning Meditations here on Substack: ☀️ Micro Morning Meditation: Don’t Always Be Beginning To Live https://whatisstoicism.substack.com/p/micro-morning-meditation-dont-always-94c Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode explores the Stoic art of decatastrophizing—learning to meet fear by stripping events down to what they really are, rather than what our imagination makes of them. From Socrates calmly facing death to Seneca’s reminder that we suffer more in imagination than in reality, we see how clarity dissolves panic. The practice isn’t denial or blind optimism, but disciplined attention to the present moment. With repetition, the Stoics show, fear loses its grip and the mind regains its power. 👇 👇 👇 📻 FOR MORE STOIC AUDIO CONTENT Check out one of my latest daily Micro Morning Meditations here on Substack: ☀️ Micro Morning Meditation: The Art of Self-Retrieval https://whatisstoicism.substack.com/p/micro-morning-meditation-the-art-4d8 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode explores an often-overlooked Stoic lesson: that even wisdom, effort, and reflection must be practiced in moderation. Through David Hume’s gentle warning against burnout—and his nuanced engagement with Stoic exercises—we see how pushing too hard, whether in work or in contemplating life’s fragility, can undermine the very growth we seek. Seneca’s counsel to rest the mind and Hume’s reminder that “going slower” can get us there sooner converge on a timeless truth. Flourishing isn’t found in relentless strain or constant gloom, but in the measured balance that preserves both health and gratitude. 👇 👇 👇 📻 FOR MORE STOIC AUDIO CONTENT Check out one of my latest daily Micro Morning Meditations here on Substack: ☀️ Micro Morning Meditation: The Art of Self-Retrieval https://whatisstoicism.substack.com/p/micro-morning-meditation-the-art-4d8 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode dives into the Stoic idea of the “passions”—those powerful storms of anger, fear, envy, and grief that arise not from events themselves but from the judgments we attach to them. Epictetus teaches that emotional turmoil begins in the domain of desire, where unexamined impressions harden into false beliefs about what is good or bad. By learning to pause, test our impressions, and assent only to what is true, we reclaim mastery over our inner world. The work is gradual but transformative: each moment of careful attention becomes a step toward clarity, resilience, and the deep calm that comes from governing one’s own mind. 👇 👇 👇 📻 FOR MORE STOIC AUDIO CONTENT Check out one of my latest daily Micro Morning Meditations here on Substack: ☀️ Micro Morning Meditation: The Art of Self-Retrieval https://whatisstoicism.substack.com/p/micro-morning-meditation-the-art-4d8 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode explores listening as a form of courage and clarity—an active practice that shapes how we understand the world and ourselves. From Zeno’s simple reminder that we have “two ears and one mouth” to Epictetus’s deeper lesson on assent, we learn that true listening isn’t passive reception but deliberate attention. It invites empathy, reveals uncomfortable truths, and creates the space in which wisdom can emerge. When we listen with patience and discernment—to others, to nature, to our own inner signals—we reclaim our freedom to choose our responses and, in doing so, walk a wiser path through life. 👇 👇 👇 📻 FOR MORE STOIC AUDIO CONTENT Check out one of my latest daily Micro Morning Meditations here on Substack: ☀️ Micro Morning Meditation: Virtue Doesn't Need To Signal https://whatisstoicism.substack.com/p/micro-morning-meditation-virtue-doesnt-f2d Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode brings haiku and Stoicism into conversation, showing how both traditions teach us to savor fleeting moments while also meeting life with energy and purpose. Bashō’s delicate images remind us to slow down and truly see the world, while Seneca urges us to “hold every hour in your grasp.” And in a surprising twist, modern research reveals that Stoic practice doesn’t dull the spirit—it ignites zest, the vigor that makes life feel vivid again. Together, haiku’s quiet attention and Stoicism’s joyful readiness form a blueprint for living fully in every passing instant. 👇 👇 👇 📻 FOR MORE STOIC AUDIO CONTENT Check out one of my latest daily Micro Morning Meditations here on Substack: ☀️ Micro Morning Meditation: Run Back Over Your Actions https://whatisstoicism.substack.com/p/micro-morning-meditation-run-back Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode turns the Stoic lens toward the illusions of power and wealth, as Epictetus and Cicero expose the tyranny of desire and the poverty of excess. Through the figure of the boastful ruler and the self-satisfied rich man, both philosophers reveal how dependence on externals—on fortune, status, or approval—enslaves the soul. True mastery, they argue, lies not in ruling others but in ruling oneself. The person content with virtue alone, free from craving and fear, is richer and stronger than any tyrant alive. 👇 👇 👇 📻 FOR MORE STOIC AUDIO CONTENT Check out one of my latest daily Micro Morning Meditations here on Substack: ☀️ Micro Morning Meditation: The Meaning of Life https://whatisstoicism.substack.com/p/micro-morning-meditation-the-meaning Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, I talk to Shermin Kruse, a globally recognized negotiation consultant, law professor, author, and TEDx producer. In her latest book, Stoic Empathy, Shermin blends neuroscience, philosophy, and her own personal journey to provide actionable insights into cultivating influence, self-leadership, and emotional regulation. It was a pleasure to speak to Shermin, I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did. 👇 👇 👇 📻 FOR MORE STOIC AUDIO CONTENT Check out one of my latest daily Micro Morning Meditations here on Substack: ☀️ Micro Morning Meditation: Virtue Doesn't Need To Signal https://whatisstoicism.substack.com/p/micro-morning-meditation-virtue-doesnt-f2d Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode weaves together the wisdom of Michel de Montaigne and Seneca—two thinkers separated by centuries yet united in their answer to life’s oldest question: how should we live? For Montaigne, the key was freedom from the fear of death. For Seneca, freedom from the waste of life. One teaches acceptance, the other intention. Together, they remind us that peace comes not from prolonging our days, but from inhabiting them fully—to stop dreading the end and start honoring the present as life’s most sacred gift. 👇 👇 👇 📻 FOR MORE STOIC AUDIO CONTENT Check out one of my latest daily Micro Morning Meditations here on Substack: ☀️ Micro Morning Meditation: This Is True Temperance https://whatisstoicism.substack.com/p/micro-morning-meditation-this-is-2fa Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we look at the beauty of balance through Seneca’s counsel on plain living and Max Ehrmann’s Desiderata. Seneca reminds us that philosophy calls for simplicity, not self-punishment—a life both modest and graceful, grounded yet open to the world. Echoing this, Ehrmann’s gentle verses urge calm, kindness, and humility amid life’s noise and haste. Together, these voices teach that wisdom is not withdrawal but harmony: to live earnestly, serve humbly, and never lose sight of the quiet joy found in life’s simplest things. 👇 👇 👇 📻 FOR MORE STOIC AUDIO CONTENT Check out one of my latest daily Micro Morning Meditations here on Substack: ☀️ Micro Morning Meditation: Remain Human in an Inhuman Time https://whatisstoicism.substack.com/p/micro-morning-meditation-remain-human Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode explores Epictetus’s radical vision of strength—one rooted not in anger or domination, but in mastery of the self. Through his reflections on thieves, insults, and injustice, the former slave turned philosopher shows that true invincibility lies in compassion, clarity, and control over our own judgments. When we cease giving power to what others do and focus instead on how we respond, we become untouchable in the deepest sense. The Stoic’s triumph is not over enemies or circumstance, but over the impulse to surrender peace of mind to anything beyond our will. 👇 👇 👇 📻 FOR MORE STOIC AUDIO CONTENT Check out one of my latest daily Micro Morning Meditations here on Substack: ☀️ Micro Morning Meditation: When To Stop Listening https://whatisstoicism.substack.com/p/micro-morning-meditation-when-to Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode traces the Stoic lineage back to Socrates, whose probing questions revealed that health, wealth, and reputation are not inherently good or bad—their value lies in how we use them. From Xenophon’s dialogues to Cicero’s reflections, we see how wisdom became the touchstone for discerning what truly matters. Fortune’s gifts and losses come and go, but virtue remains unshakeable. The Stoic message endures: our real possessions are inward ones, the moral resources that no change of fate can ever take away. 👇 👇 👇 📻 FOR MORE STOIC AUDIO CONTENT Check out one of my latest daily Micro Morning Meditations here on Substack: ☀️ Micro Morning Meditation: A Prayer to Nature https://whatisstoicism.substack.com/p/micro-morning-meditation-a-prayer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode shines a light on Temperance—the often-overlooked Stoic virtue that quietly anchors all the rest. Far from being dull restraint, Temperance is freedom: the ability to enjoy life without being ruled by appetite or impulse. It’s the steady discipline that transforms courage into integrity, justice into fairness, and wisdom into clarity. In a culture that celebrates excess, this virtue reminds us that moderation is not denial but mastery—the calm art of keeping life in balance so that joy, reason, and harmony can flourish together. 👇 👇 👇 📻 FOR MORE STOIC AUDIO CONTENT Check out one of my latest daily Micro Morning Meditations here on Substack: ☀️ Micro Morning Meditation: A Reliable Companion https://whatisstoicism.substack.com/p/micro-morning-meditation-a-reliable Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode turns to two of the Stoics’ deepest insights: that everything outside us is in constant motion, and that within us lies a freedom nothing can touch. Using Zeno’s vision of happiness as “a good flow of life,” we explore how change and death are not disruptions but essential parts of the rhythm that makes life meaningful. Epictetus then reminds us that while we can’t control the tune, we are always free to choose how we respond to it. Together, these lessons reveal a path to resilience—accepting impermanence without fear, while safeguarding the will that makes us truly free. 👇 👇 👇 📻 FOR MORE STOIC AUDIO CONTENT Check out one of my latest daily Micro Morning Meditations here on Substack: ☀️ Micro Morning Meditation: A Motto For The Courageous https://whatisstoicism.substack.com/p/micro-morning-meditation-a-motto Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode explores the quiet courage it takes to ask for help—and the deeper Stoic truth that vulnerability is not weakness but strength. From Marcus Aurelius’s reminder that “there is no shame in being helped” to Ryan Holiday’s call for bravery in admitting our needs, we see how openness creates stronger bonds and shared resilience. Woven through is the Stoic commitment to justice, empathy, and fellowship: by leaning on others and extending our hand in turn, we transform isolation into connection. True strength, as the Stoics remind us, lies in building a world where courage and compassion circulate together. 👇 👇 👇 📻 FOR MORE STOIC AUDIO CONTENT Check out one of my latest daily Micro Morning Meditations here on Substack: ☀️ Micro Morning Meditation: A Motto For The Courageous https://whatisstoicism.substack.com/p/micro-morning-meditation-a-motto Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.