Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life Podcast Stoic Empathy – Compassion Without Burnout
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Jul 24, 2025 
Shermin Kruse, a negotiation consultant and law professor, discusses the intriguing concept of Stoic Empathy and how it can help maintain compassion without leading to burnout. She differentiates Stoic Empathy from traditional compassion models, exploring common misconceptions about empathy and its relationship with anger. Shermin shares practical tools for fostering healthy emotional engagement and emphasizes the importance of journaling and mindfulness practices. This transformative approach offers insights for facing global injustices while preserving emotional resilience.
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Use Stoic Courage Selectively
- Use Stoic courage to face uncomfortable emotions selectively: embrace discomfort when it serves your values.
- Decide rationally which emotions to engage with and practice courage to act despite discomfort.
Anger As Informational Input
- Anger informs about injustice but must be weighed against context, power, and long-term consequences.
- Allow anger to be information without letting it dominate decisions that betray your values.
Role Shapes Emotional Targeting
- Therapists who deeply empathize with criminal clients often feel less personal anger because role and understanding redirect outrage.
- Target outrage at the injustice, not necessarily at the individual in the helping role.
