Occasional reflections on the wisdom of Ancient Greek and Roman philosophers with Prof. Massimo Pigliucci. Complete index by author and source at https://massimopigliucci.org/stoic-podcast/. (cover art by Marek Škrabák; original music by Ian Jolin-Rasmussen). Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/stoicmeditations/support
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Gesamtlänge aller Episoden: 1 day 23 hours 40 minutes
episode 301: 301. Not all indifferents are created equal
Seneca reminds us that there is a difference among the so-called indifferents. Life, health, and education, for instance, are a bit more highly ranked than your favorite gelato flavor.
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/stoicmeditations/supportepisode 302: 302. Too much logic is not good for your health
Seneca reminds us that logic is crucial in order to figure out how to live a good life. But logic chopping is actually deleterious to it.
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/stoicmeditations/supportepisode 303: 303. Life is more like wrestling than dancing
We take a look at one of the most famous metaphors in Stoicism, the notion put forth by Marcus Aurelius that life is a bit like wrestling: we need to be prepared and alert, because the next move may be unexpected.
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/stoicmeditations/supportepisode 304: 304. Pay attention to the past in order to tackle the future
Seneca reminds us that -- although we live in the here and now -- we profit from reflecting on our mistakes, so long as we do not indulge emotionally on them. Regret is not a Stoic value. Learning is.
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/stoicmeditations/supportepisode 305: 305. Read books, it's good for you
Seneca gives this most sensical of advices: read books by others, especially if they disagree with you. Turns out, it's a good way to improve our judgments of things, a major goal of Stoic training.
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/stoicmeditations/supportepisode 306: 306. If you want to understand things, write them down
Seneca suggests that we should alternate between reading and writing in order to truly understand and internalize new concepts. Which, of course, is yet another way to achieve a major goal of Stoic training: arrive at better and better judgments.
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/stoicmeditations/supportepisode 307: 307. The orchestra of your mind
Seneca draws a beautiful analogy between the harmonious sounds of an orchestra and the harmonious thinking of a well structured mind.
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/stoicmeditations/supportepisode 308: 308. Planning is more important than worrying about outcomes
Epictetus wonders why people pay attention to outcomes, which are outside of their control, and not so much to planning, which very much is under their control.
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/stoicmeditations/supportepisode 309: 309. Moderate insanity is not a good thing
Seneca directly takes on the Peripatetics, followers of Aristotle, and criticizes their notion that virtue always lies in the middle. Some things, like insanity, or anger, are not good even in small quantities.
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/stoicmeditations/supportepisode 310: 310. Treat yourself as you would a sick friend
Seneca dispels the stereotype of Stoics as going through life with a stiff upper lip. Stoic training doesn't insulate us from sufferings. It gives us tools to deal with suffering.
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/stoicmeditations/support