The Strong Stoic Podcast

Joshua W. Bertolotti is the host of the In Search of Wisdom Podcast and the Perennial Podcast where he talks about all kinds of ancient wisdom and engages in meaningful conversations with modern thinkers. He also manages the Perennial Leader Project, which includes these podcasts along with a weekly newsletter and blog posts. Josh is a regular guest on the podcast. In this episode, we talk about leading a life - how to determine where you're going by having a "philosophy as a way of life". You can find Josh at: https://www.perennialleader.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Many of us “go-getters” struggle with the notion of patience. Patience is naturally a hard thing for us. When we want something, we don’t want to wait for it. No, we want it now! If you just started a new business, for example, I’m sure you can’t wait until you get your first 100 customers. Or maybe you just started going to the gym, and you find yourself looking into the mirror every day thinking “when will I see the gains?”. In this episode, I want to go over why patience is actually not an option in life; it’s inevitable and necessary. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“The philosophers say that there is a God, and that his Will directs the Universe. But the more important lesson is to discover God’s nature.” Sometimes you’ll hear an atheist say something like: “the way I see it is god doesn’t exist, but if he does exist, he’ll let me into heaven if Im a good person.” Really what this means is: I don’t really care if there is a supernatural god or not. I have a set of values that I deem divine, and if, by chance, there IS a god, because I know his nature, his values, he’ll look on me favourably. We can bicker back and forth between whether or not there is a god. However, to Epictetus, it doesn’t really matter. We don’t need to know if God exists. All we really need to know is God’s nature 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 Aleksander Solzhenitsyn, the spiritual journey (which we deem the existential journey), losing faith, finding faith, and much more. I absolutely loved this conversation so I hope you dig it too. Please welcome Dr. Brian Russell. You can find Brian here: https://www.brianrussellphd.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hurricane Fiona is just about to hit my home province of Nova Scotia. I thought that this might be a good opportunity to discuss how a Stoic deals with such things. Of course, a Stoic always has the dichotomy of control to implement, and this is a foundational practice in Stoic practice. However, is this the only consideration while awaiting a hurricane? And should we prepare for that which is not within our control? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We often focus on the so called “cardinal virtues” of Stoicism – justice, wisdom, courage and temperance, but there are actually many virtues in Stoicism. The cardinal virtues are called as such because they are the virtues that all of the others hinge upon. They are pure – they are never bad. For example, courage is never bad (though sometimes courage entails retreating if it’s wise). Another virtue that’s brought up often in religious circles is generosity. So is generosity a virtue that we should aim for as Stoics? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Judith Stove is an Australian writer and philosopher, as well as a regular contributor to The Walled Garden. She has published two books on the life and times of Jane Austen, and many articles on history and literature. In this episode, Judy and I talk about strength, and how maybe it’s best to conceptualize the idea of virtue – the aim of life, at least in some capacity for many traditions – as strength. I really enjoyed speaking with her so without further ado, please welcome Judith Stove. You can find Judith at: Judith Stove | Author, Researcher - The Walled Gardenhttps://thewalledgarden.com › judithstove Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most of us catch ourselves complaining from time to time. Certainly, I'm sure we can all point out a complainer who we find incredibly annoying. Despite us deeming it annoying, we naturally find ourselves complaining from time to time. There is a distinction, though, between pointing out a problem and complaining. But where is that line? Is complaining universally bad or is there a bit of room for it in there? And is complaining harmless if you're doing it alone? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Stoic life is characterized by a move towards virtue and away from vice. In Stoicism, virtue is the ONLY good. However, we are all deeply flawed individuals, which the Christians have appreciated for a very long time. We inevitably miss the mark, sometimes unintentionally and sometimes intentionally. But is there a place for vice in a virtuous life? Is it wise to incorporate some vice, and would that lead to a more virtuous lifestyle, or is this just a justification for vice? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Kevin Vost is a clinical psychologist, professor, and speaker, and an author of over 20 books. His work covers a wide array of topics from ancient philosophy, theology, and even strength training. In this episode, we geek out on one of our shared passions: strength training, and what lessons we can extract from physical activity. We also talk about humility – the backbone of any growth – his latest book, Humble Strength, and much more. Without further ado, please welcome Kevin Vost. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices