Plutarch’s Diagnosis: What Causes People to Cave?

Ever say yes when you meant no?

Caleb and Michael explore Plutarch’s guide to resisting pressure and not being a pushover.

Plutarch identifies the root problem as oversensitivity to shame. You care too much about violating social norms.

The conversation covers when to respect social convention versus when to break it. They examine historical examples of caving gone wrong, from Creon and Medea to murdered dinner guests. The key insight is that caving makes things worse while standing firm with tact makes things better.

(04:47) The Pushover: Oversensitivity to shame versus shamelessness

(12:20) Mythical and historical examples of caving to pressure

(22:20) Starting small: Rejecting social drinking and suffering fools

(26:10) Giving honest feedback despite discomfort

(32:10) Ten reflections on resisting pressure

(41:30) Personal examples of caving and standing firm

(43:40) Rules for not giving in

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Thanks to Michael Levy for graciously letting us use his music in the conversations:

https://ancientlyre.com/