Stoicism and the Art of Happiness with Donald Robertson

Even though I haven't lived in the U.S. for 10 years, I've been in Italy and England for most of this time, I still pay close attention to my home country.

At the time of this recording, it's 2020. The U.S. just ended the most contentious and vitriolic political campaign season I've seen in my lifetime.

I see the divisiveness and bitter partisanship. People are becoming more tribal. Canceling out opposing views. At the same time people seem desperate for connection and to be part of something greater than themselves.

And then I look around and see what they're gravitating toward. If they're not religious, it seems social media and YouTube are sucking them into extremist groups, gangs, and conspiracy theories.

I wondered what it would it look like if we could offer them a peaceful, compassionate, hopeful alternative idea to believe in.  Then I realized this idea already exists in Stoicism, a 2,300-year old philosophy that essentially says: Live your values. Don’t worry about things that are beyond your control. Be a person of good character who looks out for other people.

It's a practical philosophy on how to live a good life and will be one of the primary ideas I'll discuss on this show. Because like the Enneagram, Stoicism gives us the tools we need to increase our self awareness, be more present, and to respond to life in a mindful way and not out of emotion or habit.

Consider this episode Stoicism 101.

I couldn't think of a better person to talk to about this than Donald Robertson, a Stoic expert and a cognitive behavioral therapist. He's written my favorite books on modern Stoicism, including Stoicism and the Art of Happiness and How to Think Like a Roman Emperor. AND, he's an expat/world wanderer: a Scotsman who moved in Canada but has been appropriately hanging out in Athens for a good part of this year.

Enjoy the show!

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