The Strong Stoic Podcast #371 - False Progress & Stoic Luck
Jun 17, 2025
10:34
“Show me that you have your principles in order, not that fortune is currently favoring you.”
— Epictetus
As we get older, life tends to get better in some ways—at least materially. One of the most obvious examples is wealth. Most of us, over time, tend to accumulate more of it. That’s no surprise: if you’re working, saving, investing, and generally being responsible, your financial situation likely improves with age.
Now, here’s the Stoic question: if you’re practicing detachment from wealth while your wealth is increasing… are you really making philosophical progress? Are you actually becoming more Stoic—or are you just removing discomfort from your life?
This podcast is listener-supported; if you would like to support the Strong Stoic (as well as gain access to exclusive content), you can do so on Patreon or Substack:
Patreon: www.patreon.com/brandontumblin
Substack: https://strongstoic.substack.com
— Epictetus
As we get older, life tends to get better in some ways—at least materially. One of the most obvious examples is wealth. Most of us, over time, tend to accumulate more of it. That’s no surprise: if you’re working, saving, investing, and generally being responsible, your financial situation likely improves with age.
Now, here’s the Stoic question: if you’re practicing detachment from wealth while your wealth is increasing… are you really making philosophical progress? Are you actually becoming more Stoic—or are you just removing discomfort from your life?
This podcast is listener-supported; if you would like to support the Strong Stoic (as well as gain access to exclusive content), you can do so on Patreon or Substack:
Patreon: www.patreon.com/brandontumblin
Substack: https://strongstoic.substack.com