The Strong Stoic Podcast

Peterson is known to say some crazy stuff from time to time. When looking at a quote like the above, it’s easy to get a little hesitant - how can we alter the structure of reality? I think there’s a lot to unpack in this quote. Firstly, it does seem to be the case that our thoughts form our reality, at least in some part. There is an objective reality out there, though we mere humans don’t always know what it is. That is what science aims to define. However, there are also our subjective views on the world. Many moderns struggle with this element (or, rather, the alignment of this element with the objective world that exists). Make no mistake - our subjective views on situations do, indeed, change our state. That is the principle that Stoicism is built on. Find this episode on: https://linktr.ee/Strongstoic The Strong Stoic Podcast is a raw, honest, and unapologetically deep podcast about philosophy and self-improvement. Join your host, Brandon Tumblin, as he breaks down a wide variety of complex and difficult topics aimed at provoking thought and opening your perspective. 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  You can also find me at my website and on social media: Podcast Website: www.brandontumblin.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thestrongstoic  Twitter: https://twitter.com/thestrongstoic  Medium: https://thestrongstoic.medium.com/    Telegram Channel: https://t.me/strongstoicpodcast  Telegram Chat: https://t.me/strongstoicchat  The Walled Garden: www.thewalledgarden.com  The Stoic Gym: https://thestoicgym.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We have a tendency to take everything that we already have for granted. Perhaps you spend months craving the latest iPhone. You save your money and when the day comes, you trade it in for that shiny, shiny model. However, come next year, you have the same feelings. Now, the iPhone that, at one point in time you felt would make you happy ‘till the end of your days simply blends in with the rest of your “bland” life. But where is the balance between seeking a better life and gratitude? Find this episode on: https://linktr.ee/Strongstoic The Strong Stoic Podcast is a raw, honest, and unapologetically deep podcast about philosophy and self-improvement. Join your host, Brandon Tumblin, as he breaks down a wide variety of complex and difficult topics aimed at provoking thought and opening your perspective. 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 You can also find me at my website and on social media: Podcast Website: www.brandontumblin.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thestrongstoic Twitter: https://twitter.com/thestrongstoic Medium: https://thestrongstoic.medium.com/    Telegram Channel: https://t.me/strongstoicpodcast Telegram Chat: https://t.me/strongstoicchat The Walled Garden: www.thewalledgarden.com The Stoic Gym: https://thestoicgym.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It isn’t uncommon for the thought to cross one’s mind “damn, time goes fast!”. Though perhaps Seneca wouldn’t have cursed (but who knows?), he had contemplated much on the shortness of life. Perhaps paradoxically, Seneca also writes on how life can actually be quite long if it is lived properly. What are we to make of these seemingly contradictory ideas from Seneca? The Strong Stoic Podcast is a raw, honest, and unapologetically deep podcast about philosophy and self-improvement. Join your host, Brandon Tumblin, as he breaks down a wide variety of complex and difficult topics aimed at provoking thought and opening your perspective. 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  You can also find me at my website and on social media: Podcast Website: www.brandontumblin.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thestrongstoic  Twitter: https://twitter.com/thestrongstoic  Medium: https://thestrongstoic.medium.com/    Telegram Channel: https://t.me/strongstoicpodcast  Telegram Chat: https://t.me/strongstoicchat  The Walled Garden: www.thewalledgarden.com  The Stoic Gym: https://thestoicgym.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Megan McElheran is a Clinical Psychologist and the Chief Executive Officer of Wayfound Mental Health Group, practicing in Calgary, AB. Her work over the last 16 years has been exclusively in the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of Operational Stress Injuries (OSI) in active-duty military, Veterans, and public safety personnel (e.g., police, firefighters, paramedics, corrections, etc.). Megan does extremely important work in the world, and I was very happy for her to sit down and chat with me, this time face-to-face, as she was visiting Halifax at the time. In this episode, which is one of my longest yet seemed to fly by, Megan and I talk about working hard but not too hard, exercise as a catalyst for learning Stoicism, mental strength, intimacy and vulnerability in relationships, and much more. I hope you enjoy this conversation just as much as I did. Without further ado, please welcome Dr. Megan McElheran. You can find Megan at: https://wayfound.ca/leadership_team/dr-megan-mcelheran/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Truth is an obvious virtue, though it’s not a cardinal virtue. A cardinal virtue is pure; it’s always good, while the truth is not. Still, truth plays a very significant part in any philosophical journey. It is the handmaiden of love. But what does this really mean? 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 You can also find me at my website and on social media: Podcast Website: www.brandontumblin.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thestrongstoic Twitter: https://twitter.com/thestrongstoic Medium: https://thestrongstoic.medium.com/    Telegram Channel: https://t.me/strongstoicpodcast Telegram Chat: https://t.me/strongstoicchat The Walled Garden: www.thewalledgarden.com The Stoic Gym: https://thestoicgym.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, I have the privilege of speaking with Will Johncock. Will studies how an individual’s thoughts, actions, and attributes, are products of their environments. He works within the fields of continental philosophy, ancient and modern Stoic philosophy, social theory, and sociology. He is also an author, and his newest book Beyond the Individual: Stoic Philosophy on Community and Connection is available right now, and I highly recommend picking it up. In this episode, Will and I talk about the cosmopolitan aspect of Stoicism, the idea that the cosmos is an organism, individualism vs. community, the daimon (ooh what’s that?), and much more. I hope you enjoy this discussion as much as I did. Without further ado, please welcome Will Johncock. You can find Will here: www.willjohncock.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Emerson said "the only way to have a friend is to be one". This quote is particularly insightful in today’s hyper-connected world. I use the word “connected'“ loosely, for although many of us have lots of online friends, genuine in-person connections seem to have become rare. So how do we best aim towards making friends? And how can we BE a friend? 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wisdom is one of the four cardinal virtues, so it makes sense why the Stoics spent so much time thinking and writing about it. It is often seen as abstract, and hence, it can cause confusion as to what it really is. But what is wisdom? How can we become more wise? Is there a difference between "wisdom" and "knowledge"? And why is humility important in wisdom? Find this episode on: https://linktr.ee/Strongstoic The Strong Stoic Podcast is a raw, honest, and unapologetically deep podcast about philosophy and self-improvement. Join your host, Brandon Tumblin, as he breaks down a wide variety of complex and difficult topics aimed at provoking thought and opening your perspective. 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 You can also find me at my website and on social media: Podcast Website: www.brandontumblin.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thestrongstoic Twitter: https://twitter.com/thestrongstoic Medium: https://thestrongstoic.medium.com/    Telegram Channel: https://t.me/strongstoicpodcast Telegram Chat: https://t.me/strongstoicchat The Walled Garden: www.thewalledgarden.com The Stoic Gym: https://thestoicgym.com Paradoxically Speaking: https://paradoxicallyspeaking.substack.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brian is the author of the new book Centering Prayer: Sitting Quietly in God’s Presence Can Change Your Life. He’s an award-winning professor of biblical studies and a transformational coach for pastors and spiritually-minded professionals and also hosts the Deep Dive Spirituality Conversations podcast. In this episode, Brian and I discuss personality, teamwork, relationships, leadership, and much more.  There are two parts to this interview – the first is the standard Strong Stoic guest conversation followed by a 20-minute interview talking about Brian’s career and his road to success. The second interview will be exclusively released on my Patreon and Substack, so consider joining there if you’re interested. Please welcome Dr. Brian Russell.  You can find Brian here: https://www.brianrussellphd.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Logos is a very abstract and difficult idea to understand. It’s present in many ancient philosophies as well as Christianity. One of the confusing aspects is the fact that the definition changes to some degree depending on which philosophy you are talking about. Despite it’s complexity (or perhaps because of it), I think an understanding of what Logos is is crucial for the practicing of Stoicism, as it is the spirit of the entire philosophy. So what is Logos, and why should we trust in it? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices