Perennial Wisdom

Simon Drew, a poet, musician, and philosopher from the Walled Garden Philosophical Society, discusses profound questions about life's meaning. He emphasizes the significance of finding purpose in everyday relationships and actions. The conversation explores the duality of happiness and suffering, advocating for resilience amid challenges. Drew reflects on the journey of self-discovery and the role of love, while highlighting the importance of humanities in understanding our shared human experience. The dialogue culminates in a call for continuous exploration of these essential questions.

📮 Want tools for the art of living? Sign up here: https://perennial.substack.com/subscribe Welcome to another episode of In Search of Wisdom. In today's episode, I share a Stoic meditation from the Dying Every Day series (from my Substack - Perennial Meditations). Each meditation provides a quote, a selected passage (from an original Stoic text), and a reflection prompt to consider. These meditations are designed to help you (and me) reflect on what it means to live a good life.   --- 🖇️ Stay Connected: Twitter: https://twitter.com/PerennialPods Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/perennialmeditations/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PerennialPods Website: https://www.perennialleader.com/ --- 🦉 Additional Resources Related to the Podcast: Explore the Perennial Meditations archive: https://perennial.substack.com/archive Listen to more podcasts: https://www.perennialleader.com/podcasts

📮 Want tools for the art of living? Sign up here: https://perennial.substack.com/subscribe In this episode of In Search of Wisdom, my guest is Dr. Dilip Jeste, author of Wiser: The Scientific Roots of Wisdom, Compassion, and What Makes Us Good. In this conversation, Dr. Jeste emphasizes the importance of social connections and compassion in developing wisdom and improving overall well-being. He also highlights the negative impact of loneliness on mental and physical health and suggests that wisdom can serve as an antidote to loneliness. The conversation concludes with insights on the importance of humility, self-reflection, and finding meaning and purpose in life.  Key Takeaways: Wisdom is a characteristic pattern of behavior that can vary in individuals and across different components. Social connections and compassion are essential for developing wisdom and improving overall well-being. Loneliness has a negative impact on mental and physical health, and wisdom can serve as an antidote to loneliness. Humility is essential for wisdom and involves recognizing our own ignorance and the limitations of our knowledge. --- 🖇️ Stay Connected: Twitter: https://twitter.com/PerennialPods Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/perennialmeditations/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PerennialPods Website: https://www.perennialleader.com/ --- 🦉 Additional Resources: Explore the Perennial Meditations archive: https://perennial.substack.com/archive Listen to more podcasts: https://www.perennialleader.com/podcasts

📮 Want tools for the art of living? Sign up here: https://perennial.substack.com/subscribe In this episode of In Search of Wisdom, we discuss a practice I usually refer to as the wisdom to know the difference. Specifically, we revisit and reflect on a previous meditation (from the Letters to a Young Seeker series) titled Neither Good Nor Bad. You can expect to learn what it means to discern between what matters and what doesn’t (in everyday life). Key Takeaways: The meaning of neither good nor bad Why we are wired to categorize and label How to get comfortable with ambiguity The wisdom of questions and clarity --- 🖇️ Stay Connected: Twitter: https://twitter.com/PerennialPods Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/perennialmeditations/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PerennialPods Website: https://www.perennialleader.com/ --- 🦉 Additional Resources: Explore the Perennial Meditations archive: https://perennial.substack.com/archive Listen to more podcasts: https://www.perennialleader.com/podcasts

📮 Want tools for the art of living? Sign up here: https://perennial.substack.com/subscribe In this episode of In Search of Wisdom, my guest is Todd May, author of A Decent Life: Morality for the Rest of Us. Todd is a philosopher and author of eighteen books, including A Significant Life, A Fragile Life, and a forthcoming book titled Should We Go Instinct?. Todd worked as a philosophical advisor on the hit show The Good Place and has written extensively on meaning, friendship, fragility, and other topics. Key Takeaways: The meaning of a moral life The art of knowing oneself Expanding our circles of compassion Practical wisdom for modern living --- 🖇️ Stay Connected: Twitter: https://twitter.com/PerennialPods Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/perennialmeditations/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PerennialPods Website: https://www.perennialleader.com/ --- 🦉 Additional Resources: Explore the Perennial Meditations archive: https://perennial.substack.com/archive Listen to more podcasts: https://www.perennialleader.com/podcasts

📮 Want tools for the art of living? Sign up here: https://perennial.substack.com/subscribe In this episode of In Search of Wisdom, I reflect on a previous meditation titled Think Like a Mortal (from Perennial Meditations on Substack) and explore what it means to live an intentional life. I discuss how realizing that we are “dying every day” can help us live in the present moment and lead more meaningful lives. Key Takeaways The wisdom of accepting life’s eternal truths The paradox of uncertainty The need for constraints and limits Happiness (and Life) is in the present --- 🖇️ Stay Connected: Twitter: https://twitter.com/PerennialPods Instagram: https://instagram.com/PerennialPods YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PerennialPods Website: https://www.perennialleader.com/ --- 🦉 Additional Resources: Explore the Perennial Meditations archive: https://perennial.substack.com/archive Listen to more podcasts: https://www.perennialleader.com/podcasts

Join renowned philosopher Jay Garfield, a professor at Smith College and Harvard Divinity School, as he dives into the transformative idea of losing oneself. He explores the profound distinction between conventional and ultimate truths and how understanding this duality enhances ethical living. Garfield humorously shares his unexpected journey into philosophy, discusses the varied perceptions of reality among different beings, and advocates for interdependence over individualism, emphasizing that gratitude fosters true happiness.

📮 Want tools for the art of living? Sign up here: https://perennial.substack.com/subscribe The Character Lab is a new series on In Search of Wisdom designed to explore various aspects of character development. The series is a joint venture with my friend and previous podcast guest, Shane Trotter (author of Setting the Bar). In this episode, Shane and I discuss the complex topic of objective morality and the shift towards moral relativism in society. We explore the role of judgment in ethics and the need for cognitive flexibility, the provisional nature of moral behavior, and the inherent insight humans have into right and wrong. We also touch on the tendency towards moral relativism, the need for clarity in virtues, and the importance of serving the greater good.  Key Takeaways Society has seen a shift towards moral relativism, where individuals believe that there is no objective good or bad. Moral objectivism suggests that there are universal truths of morality that humans have independently come to throughout history. The tension between pluralism and dogmatism highlights the need for open-mindedness and the recognition of competing moralities. Discerning right from wrong is challenging and requires wisdom, discussion, and the pursuit of excellence in character development. --- 🖇️ Stay Connected: Twitter: https://twitter.com/PerennialPods Instagram: https://instagram.com/PerennialPods YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PerennialPods Website: https://www.perennialleader.com/ --- 🦉 Additional Resources: Explore the Perennial Meditations archive: https://perennial.substack.com/archive Listen to more podcasts: https://www.perennialleader.com/podcasts

📮 Want tools for the art of living? Sign up here: https://perennial.substack.com/subscribe Perennial Lives is a new series on In Search of Wisdom exploring The Art of Living: From Socrates to Aquinas. Each episode examines the life and wisdom of one perennial figure in an attempt to keep learning how to live. 🔆 Read the transcript: https://perennial.substack.com/   --- 🖇️ Stay Connected: Twitter: https://twitter.com/PerennialPods Instagram: https://instagram.com/PerennialPods YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PerennialPods --- 🦉 Additional Resources: Explore the Perennial Meditations archive: https://perennial.substack.com/archive Listen to more podcasts: https://www.perennialleader.com/podcasts

📮 Want tools for the art of living? Sign up here: https://perennial.substack.com/subscribe In this episode of In Search of Wisdom, my guest is Samir Chopra, author of the new book Anxiety: A Philosophical Guide. Samir is a philosophical counselor and professor emeritus of Philosophy at Brooklyn College and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. In the conversation, we discuss the meaning of anxiety and how it can help us learn more about ourselves and the world around us. You can learn more about Samir’s work at Samirchopra.com. Key Takeaways Philosophy can provide comfort and insight in dealing with personal challenges and emotions like anxiety. Anxiety can be a teacher, providing self-knowledge and insight into our values and priorities. Medicating anxiety can be a complex issue, as it may suppress opportunities for self-discovery and growth. Wisdom is an ongoing process of acquiring a vision of our place in the world and understanding the unalterable aspects of existence. 🎧 For more wisdom, subscribe to The Wisdom School (Apple Podcasts or Spotify). --- 🖇️ Stay Connected: Twitter: https://twitter.com/PerennialPods Instagram: https://instagram.com/PerennialPods YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PerennialPods --- 🦉 Additional Resources: Explore the Perennial Meditations archive: https://perennial.substack.com/archive Listen to more podcasts: https://www.perennialleader.com/podcasts