The Strong Stoic Podcast

It's a common phrase, isn't it? And it makes sense: after all, many things in other people's lives are none of your business. This mentality, therefore, can be very powerful in many situations.However, is it ALWAYS powerful? Does it always 'work', or are there certain situations in which saying that it is none of your business is completely irrelevant to the situation at hand? Today, we'll dive into this common phrase and dig into what it really means. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sam Thiara is a professional who has created a personal journey as a storyteller, writer, workshop facilitator, problem solver, educator and entrepreneur. In this episode, we discuss identity: how to accept your past, define who you are now, and create your future. We also discuss humility, and the role it plays in success. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're often told when we are graduating high school that those days are "the best days of your life". In a similar way, we are also told that the first "honey-moon" phase of a relationship is the best, the first year at work is the best, and so on. There seems to be this idea that the initial part of anything is the best, but is this true? Well... that really depends, doesn't it? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The ancient Stoics were great people; truly. They pushed Stoicism forward, but, more importantly, they pushed critical thinking forward. Something that you will often read in the Stoic texts is a focus on contemplation, on philosophizing.Yet, the ancient Stoics were not Gods; they were people, and so were inherently flawed just like you and I. Seneca in particular knew this, and in one of his letters to Lucius, he directly states that we should actually think about things other Stoics said, like Zeno and Cleanthes, as opposed to just quoting them.Stoicism is an amazing philosophy, but as modern Stoics, we must be careful to not simply accept everything the ancient Stoics said as if they were Gods. That doesn't make us philosophers; that makes us ideologically possessed. Today, I'll cover why, though there is nothing wrong with quoting the ancient Stoics, one's argument must first be built on logic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the trends I've noticed throughout my lifetime is the increasing desire for pleasure. This is manifested in many different ways, from excessive partying to hook-up culture. Certainly, short-term pleasure is, well, pleasurable, but is it the best thing for you?Stoicism and Epicureanism share a significant amount of philosophical ideas, but a key difference is how they view pleasure. The Epicureans would say that pleasure is of utmost importance, whereas a Stoic would say that virtue must come first.But does that mean that pleasure, from a Stoic perspective is always wrong? In this episode, I discuss pleasure from both a Stoic and Epicurean perspective. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kai Whiting is a lecturer in sustainability and Stoicism, and the co-author of the book Being Better: Stoicism For a World Worth Living In. Today, we discuss the difficult topic of humanity's relationship with animals.Has the general hypocrisy in which we view animals ever crossed your mind? For example, we categorize pigs as "food" and dogs as "family", despite pigs and dogs being quite similar animals. In fact, pigs are generally more intelligent than dogs!What about the questionable multi-special relationships we see on TV, such as on Star Wars? Is this immoral? Certainly, many today would look at inter-special relationships as immoral, yet when we see this on TV we don't bat an eye.This conversation wasn't easy, nor will it be easy to listen to, but both myself and Kai deem this conversation as a necessary one for society. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Many adopt philosophy because they want to live a care-free life with no stress, and nothing to worry about. Many modern Stoics, in particular, adopt Stoicism because they think it will make them "cool, calm, and collected."There is certainly value in this aspect of Stoicism (and philosophy in general), but life is much more complicated than that. In fact, an ancient Stoic practice is that of meditating on every possible thing that could go wrong. We can do this broadly in life, ensuring we don't go down a horrible path, but also more locally, such as with an upcoming work project.In this episode, I'll be talking about the practice of Premeditatio malorum - premeditation of evils. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Should you completely limit your ambitions and desires, or should you strive for excellence? Should you throw away your newest iPhone and get a flip phone, or should you eagerly await next years model?Such questions may seem simple, but they are far from it. In fact, finding the right balance (if a balance is even to be found) can be quite difficult. In this episode, I'll be talking about how to be content with what you have while taking no shame in success. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Many Stoics begin Stoicism because they believe it's all about "cool, calm' and collected" and staying home, oblivious to the outside world since, after all, it's "out of their control".Of course, those aspects of Stoicism is important, but a particular idea that often gets overlooked is that of being pro-social. Stoicism promotes being social for the same reason why we must be social for self-improvement - it helps us interact with the outside world in a way that we can enact a positive change.Today, I'll be talking about the pro-social aspects of Stoicism and self-improvement in general. So, go make some friends and engage with the world! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today I have the privilege of talking with Daniel Vargas, who is the host of The Stoic Sage Podcast and owner of his corresponding Instagram page. Daniel's podcast centres around Stoicism, but his focus is on teaching people how to think as opposed to what to think, which is an approach I can certainly get behind.Today we talk about how to reconcile the issues of your past, how to choose a partner and have a good relationship, and much more. I hope you enjoy it, and please check out Daniel's podcast and Instagram page. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices