The What Is Stoicism? Podcast

This episode explores Marcus Aurelius’s ten reminders for keeping anger from taking control.His advice centres on perspective: remember that people act from their own beliefs, that we make mistakes too, that we rarely know the full story, and that anger often harms us more than the original offence.If you’d like to practice these principles, this Micro Morning Meditation will be helpful:☀️ Micro Morning Meditation: The Attributes of a Calm and Gentle Personhttps://whatisstoicism.substack.com/p/micro-morning-meditation-the-attributes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode explores the balance between solitude, good company, and independent judgment.Hume and Seneca both saw value in stepping away to think clearly, then returning to relationships that strengthen character and enrich life.The danger is not society itself, but surrendering our judgment to the crowd and mistaking popularity for wisdom.If you’d like to practice these principles, this Micro Morning Meditation will be helpful:☀️ Micro Morning Meditation: Do You Value Both Solitude and Company?https://whatisstoicism.substack.com/p/micro-morning-meditation-do-you-value Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode explores how remembering mortality can sharpen both attention and freedom.Oliver Burkeman and Alan Watts show why the present matters precisely because it cannot be repeated, while John O’Donohue and Epictetus use the same awareness to put fear, status, and authority into perspective.Life’s brevity asks us to be more present with the people we love and less willing to surrender our inner freedom to temporary pressures. Remembering death, in this sense, is not about withdrawing from life, but entering it more fully.If you’d like to practice these principles, this Micro Morning Meditation will be helpful:☀️ Micro Morning Meditation: Focus on the Joy, Not the Poignancyhttps://whatisstoicism.substack.com/p/micro-morning-meditation-focus-on Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does it mean to truly know yourself? This reflection explores building character through everyday choices, staying consistent when no one is watching, and protecting your judgment, integrity, and intentions when circumstances turn difficult. Socrates and Epictetus illuminate how a life of daily practice can prepare us for adversity.

Why does complaining make frustration feel even worse? Drawing on Seneca and Epictetus, this reflection explores how repeated grievances amplify negativity and hand power to external events. It offers a practical three-step approach: pause, assess without drama, and reframe irritation into constructive action, while distinguishing useful resistance from simply suppressing emotion.

This episode examines wealth, desire, and the freedom that comes from needing less.Seneca warns that fortune’s gifts often become traps, because external success can deepen dependence rather than satisfy the soul.Anthony de Mello sharpens the same insight: many of our chains are imaginary, formed by false ideas about what we need before we can truly live.If you’d like to continue the practice, you might also find this Micro Morning Meditation helpful:☀️ Micro Morning Meditation: You're Free Alreadyhttps://whatisstoicism.substack.com/p/micro-morning-meditation-youre-free Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

They explore how plans are disrupted and why we react the way we do. The Stoic reserve clause is presented as a tool to plan without illusion. Shakespeare, Seneca, and Suzuki Shōsan bring mortality into view as a practical reminder. The conversation ties memento mori to living with humility, readiness, and fearless energy today.

This episode uses Seneca’s image of the road to ask whether we are moving with purpose or merely following the crowd. A clear destination helps us resist distraction, while Epictetus shows where our attention truly belongs: on our judgments, choices, desires, and actions. The Stoic task is to be cautious with what depends on us and confident toward what does not👇 👇 👇📻 FOR MORE STOIC AUDIO CONTENTCheck out one of my latest daily Micro Morning Meditations here on Substack:☀️ Micro Morning Meditation: The Stories of Insecurityhttps://whatisstoicism.substack.com/p/micro-morning-meditation-the-stories Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Animals become unlikely teachers in a reflection on staying grounded in the present. Drawing on Pierre Hadot and Marcus Aurelius, the discussion explores how rumination, anticipation, resistance, and outrage can turn one event into a chain of disturbances. It also considers how accepting reality creates room for reason, justice, kindness, and clearer action.

Explore conversation as care for the soul, inspired by Socrates’ commitment to honest dialogue and self-examination. The discussion connects kindness with Stoic justice, humane cooperation, and everyday character. Discover how asking, listening, sharing openly, and withholding judgment can transform uncertain moments into opportunities for connection and healing.