Stoic Meditations

Epictetus reminds his students that engaging in a wrong act, even one done in response to an injustice, stains our own character, and therefore hurts us first and foremost. Stoics don't favor retributive justice systems. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/stoicmeditations/support

Marcus Aurelius gives some commonsensical advice on how to interact with other people, which leads us to a brief discussion of what counts as "Stoic" advice in the first place. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/stoicmeditations/support

Seneca argues that we can force Fortuna, the goddess of luck, to deal with us on equal terms, by not being slaves to external things we cannot control. Cultivate equanimity, and Fortuna will play fair with you. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/stoicmeditations/support

Seneca advices his friend Lucilius to pay attention to people who act right, not just talk right. When we pick a role model to improve our character, let's pick someone whose actions we want to imitate, they are a better guidance to virtue. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/stoicmeditations/support

Seneca tells us that philosophy, understood as a way of life, cannot be relegated to spare moments. Just like someone can't be a Christian only on Sunday mornings, so a Stoic applies her principles at every opportunity, big or small. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/stoicmeditations/support

Seneca agrees with Epicurus: death is a state of non-existence, therefore we do not feel anything, and there is nothing to be afraid of. Moreover, it is no different from the aeons before we were born, and we don't regret those, do we? --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/stoicmeditations/support

Seneca challenges the common assumption that someone is self-sufficient if he has enough money, a nice place to live, and so forth. True self-sufficiency requires serenity, which comes from inner strength, not from externals. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/stoicmeditations/support

Seneca reminds us that real tranquillity comes from a relaxed mind with a clear conscience. Which is why Stoics engage in an evening meditation on the major events of the day, learning from their mistakes, and filing them away before going to sleep. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/stoicmeditations/support

Seneca nicely explains what a proto-emotion is, and we discuss how proto-emotions can then develop into fully formed healthy or unhealthy emotions. It all comes down to what cognitive judgment we apply to our initial response. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/stoicmeditations/support

A splendid example of Epictetus' sarcasm by way of a bit of dialogue with one of his students. In the course of which we learn about the virtue of practical wisdom, the discipline of desire, and the dichotomy of control. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/stoicmeditations/support