Interpersonal Expectations and the Stoic Burden

Caleb explores why anger works as social currency. If you're not angry when someone hurts your friend, do you really care about them?

People aren't wrong to read meaning into your emotional responses. If most angry people care and most calm people don't, anger becomes useful data. The Stoic who stays calm has to work harder to prove they care.

(00:00:00) Introduction and context from Donald Robertson episode(00:02:10) Anger as social emotion vs internal emotions(00:03:10) Political case study: anger as tribal signal

(00:04:50) How anger serves as political signaling(00:05:10) Social incentives to express anger(00:06:00) The difference between expressing and feeling anger

(00:07:00) When loved ones expect your rage(00:07:20) The logic of anger as caring(00:08:00) Why people use emotional heuristics

(00:09:40) How Stoics must prove they care(00:10:00) The burden of showing character through actions(00:10:40) Why managing emotions is just the beginning

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

https://ancientlyre.com/