The What Is Stoicism? Podcast

In this episode I talk to Benny Voncken, a writer, speaker, and practicing Stoic who's originally from the Netherlands.He's also the co-founder of an online Stoicism platform called Via Stoica, which offers personalized Stoic coaching services, an online Stoic community, live conversations on X, and their own Via Stoica podcast.I really enjoyed talking with Benny. In the conversation, he shares some of the difficulties he's been through that led to him taking Stoicism seriously as a philosophy of life and how he now uses that experience to help others in his work as a Stoic coach. I hope you enjoy the episode.📻 FOR MORE STOIC AUDIO + EMAIL CONTENTCheck out What Is Stoicism? on Substack:https://whatisstoicism.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The most common misunderstanding about Stoicism is that it’s all about suppressing or burying our emotions.This tends to come from the confusion between Stoicism (upper case ‘S’) and stoicism (lower case ‘s’); the former is the ancient Greek philosophy that we learn about and practice, the latter is simply a “stiff-upper-lip” coping style.In this episode, we look at why it's better to understand and process our emotions rather than dismiss and suppress them.📻 FOR MORE STOIC AUDIO + EMAIL CONTENTCheck out What Is Stoicism? on Substack:https://whatisstoicism.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Discover how modern art, like a Red Hot Chili Peppers song, mirrors Stoic principles of personal growth and confronting destructive thoughts. The discussion dives into the importance of introspection, showing how it relates to both Stoicism and today's culture. The conversation also challenges traditional individualism, illustrating the need for community and cooperation in embracing a Stoic mindset. Explore these refreshing perspectives on age-old philosophy brought into contemporary life!

Explore Seneca's insights on managing disappointment and the unpredictability of fortune. Learn how to maintain balanced expectations by using a 'reserve clause' in your daily life. Delve into the essence of Stoic philosophy, focusing on the stark difference between what we can control and what we can't. Embrace losses as opportunities for growth and resilient thinking, drawing on wisdom from Epictetus and Elizabeth Bishop. This discussion encourages a perspective shift that helps navigate life's uncertainties.

If we practice philosophy, it’s up to us to get to know ourselves. It’s up to us to know the principles by which we live and, by extension, what we find reasonable and unreasonable.In this episode, we look at what Epictetus had to say about this responsibility and how our efforts each day can help us live an examined life.📻 FOR MORE STOIC AUDIO + EMAIL CONTENTCheck out What Is Stoicism? on Substack:https://whatisstoicism.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When those unfamiliar with Stoicism learn about the four cardinal virtues of Wisdom, Justice, Temperance, and Courage, they are sometimes disturbed that kindness isn’t among them.Kindness, however, is indeed a huge part of Stoicism. In this episode, we look at how it is essentially a subdivision of the virtue of Justice, which governs how we should treat others.📻 FOR MORE STOIC AUDIO + EMAIL CONTENTCheck out What Is Stoicism? on Substack:https://whatisstoicism.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It can sometimes be challenging to remember what it actually means to “do philosophy.” To some, it’s an abstract concept. When it comes to Stoicism, however, it’s very much a practical pursuit that impacts our daily lives.In this episode, we look at how we can achieve a productive balance between theory and practice.📻 FOR MORE STOIC AUDIO + EMAIL CONTENTCheck out What Is Stoicism? on Substack:https://whatisstoicism.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we examine Stoic ways of mentally preparing for the unexpected events that each day presents.It's then possible to resolve to meet them with acceptance rather than struggling against them and creating difficulty for ourselves.📻 FOR MORE STOIC AUDIO + EMAIL CONTENTCheck out What Is Stoicism? on Substack:https://whatisstoicism.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"If you seek tranquillity, do less. More accurately, do what’s essential...and in the requisite way.Which brings a double satisfaction: to do less, better. Because most of what we say and do isn’t essential. Ask yourself at every moment, Is this necessary?"—Marcus Aurelius, 4.24📻 FOR MORE STOIC AUDIO + EMAIL CONTENTCheck out What Is Stoicism? on Substack:https://whatisstoicism.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Stoics liked to draw parallels between the practice of philosophy and other, more physical pursuits that require concentrated effort to improve one’s ability.One popular analogy was to present Stoicism as a type of training similar to that an athlete would undertake.In this episode, we reflect on Epictetus's comparison of life to the Olympic Games, and Musonius Rufus's use of Stoicism as a means of strengthening one’s soul.📻 FOR MORE STOIC AUDIO + EMAIL CONTENTCheck out What Is Stoicism? on Substack:https://whatisstoicism.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.