What to Teach a Head of State from Backgammon

In this episode I talk with Jason Pack — a world-class backgammon grandmaster, geopolitical analyst, and host of Disorder, a podcast about what he calls “the global enduring disorder.” It’s an unexpected mix of topics: the psychology of high-stakes decision-making, the Stoic discipline of attention, and how lessons from the game board apply to politics, leadership, and life. What starts as a conversation about dice and probability evolves into a reflection on courage, restraint, and rational focus — the same virtues Stoicism trains in us every day.

Key takeaways from this episode include:
— Backgammon teaches Stoic focus: attention belongs to the present move, not to past mistakes or imagined futures.
— “Tilting” in games — or in life — is what happens when emotion overruns reason; Stoic practice helps restore composure and clear judgment.
— The best players (and the best leaders) understand their own dispositions — courage, restraint, or excess — and correct for them.
— Stoicism and strategy both demand discernment between what’s up to us (our choices, our attitude) and what isn’t (chance, luck, politics).
— In a chaotic world — Jason’s “enduring disorder” — wise cooperation and measured risk are the antidotes to reactive nationalism and impulsive power.
— Whether in global politics or a roll of the dice, fortune favors those who prepare reasoned courage and act decisively when the moment comes.

For an ad-free version of this podcast please visit https://stoicismpod.com/members

For links to other valuable Stoic things, please visit https://links.stoicismpod.com

--

You can listen to Jason Pack's Disorder podcast here: https://linktr.ee/disorderpod and learn more about it here: https://disordershow.com/

Why Backgammon Can Help us Order the Disorder Marc Olsen and Jason Pack on what BG teaches us about life: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/ep-132-why-backgammon-can-help-us-order-the-disorder/id1706818264?i=1000718750592

For more on Backgammon Galaxy visit - https://www.backgammongalaxy.com/ 

For a very fun video produced by Marc and featuring Jason about the World Backgammon Championship and what BG teaches about Life: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TebkgCNS7OI 

--

If you'd like to provide feedback on this episode, or have question, you may do so as a member. Email sent by non-members will not be answered (though they may be read). This isn't punitive, I just cannot keep up. Limiting access to members reduces my workload. You're always invited to leave a comment on Spotify, member or not.

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