The What Is Stoicism? Podcast

This episode uses Seneca’s image of the road to ask whether we are moving with purpose or merely following the crowd. A clear destination helps us resist distraction, while Epictetus shows where our attention truly belongs: on our judgments, choices, desires, and actions. The Stoic task is to be cautious with what depends on us and confident toward what does not👇 👇 👇📻 FOR MORE STOIC AUDIO CONTENTCheck out one of my latest daily Micro Morning Meditations here on Substack:☀️ Micro Morning Meditation: The Stories of Insecurityhttps://whatisstoicism.substack.com/p/micro-morning-meditation-the-stories

This episode uses animals as a reminder to return to the present moment. Hadot and Marcus Aurelius show that life is lived only in the now, where we can think clearly, act justly, and avoid adding needless disturbance to events. Animals offer a simple model of presence: they don't argue with the past or rehearse the future, but inhabit what's directly before them.👇 👇 👇📻 FOR MORE STOIC AUDIO CONTENTCheck out one of my latest daily Micro Morning Meditations here on Substack:☀️ Micro Morning Meditation: The Stories of Insecurityhttps://whatisstoicism.substack.com/p/micro-morning-meditation-the-stories

This episode explores conversation and kindness as forms of care for the soul. Socrates saw dialogue as essential to self-knowledge, a way of bringing hidden thoughts into the open and examining them honestly. Phil Hammond’s story of kindness as “the most powerful drug” adds a practical modern echo: when we don’t know what to do, kindness nearly always improves the situation.👇 👇 👇📻 FOR MORE STOIC AUDIO CONTENTCheck out one of my latest daily Micro Morning Meditations here on Substack:☀️ Micro Morning Meditation: The Stories of Insecurityhttps://whatisstoicism.substack.com/p/micro-morning-meditation-the-stories

This episode explains Epictetus’s three disciplines as a practical way of returning to the present moment.The Discipline of Assent helps us judge clearly, the Discipline of Desire teaches us to want only what is within our power, and the Discipline of Action directs us toward justice and the common good. Hadot’s account of the reserve clause adds an important final step: act with firm intention, but accept that outcomes are not fully yours to command.👇 👇 👇📻 FOR MORE STOIC AUDIO CONTENTCheck out one of my latest daily Micro Morning Meditations here on Substack:☀️ Micro Morning Meditation: Allow Yourself To Livehttps://whatisstoicism.substack.com/p/micro-morning-meditation-allow-yourself

This episode uses the thought of a “last day” to test the distance between our values and our actions.Montaigne, Seneca, and Lucretius show how reflecting on death can sharpen our sense of what matters now, not later. Simone Weil then offers a modern example of philosophy lived with unusual seriousness and conviction.The question is simple but demanding: are we merely admiring good ideas, or are we becoming the kind of person who lives them?👇 👇 👇📻 FOR MORE STOIC AUDIO CONTENTCheck out one of my latest daily Micro Morning Meditations here on Substack:☀️ Micro Morning Meditation: When Emotion Clouds Judgmenthttps://whatisstoicism.substack.com/p/micro-morning-meditation-when-emotion

This episode looks at how the chase for novelty and the habit of overextension both unsettle the mind. Cicero reminds us that possessions and technologies are not good in themselves—their value depends on how we use them. Seneca adds that taking on too much leaves us primed for frustration and anger. 👇 👇 👇📻 FOR MORE STOIC AUDIO CONTENTCheck out one of my latest daily Micro Morning Meditations here on Substack:☀️ Micro Morning Meditation: When Emotion Clouds Judgmenthttps://whatisstoicism.substack.com/p/micro-morning-meditation-when-emotion

This episode treats life’s difficulties as assignments rather than interruptions. Epictetus reminds us that we don’t get to choose every task Fortune sets, but we do choose how well we meet it. Each challenge becomes a chance to practice courage, patience, justice, or self-control—and, when handled well, to encourage others by example.👇 👇 👇📻 FOR MORE STOIC AUDIO CONTENTCheck out one of my latest daily Micro Morning Meditations here on Substack:☀️ Micro Morning Meditation: When Emotion Clouds Judgmenthttps://whatisstoicism.substack.com/p/micro-morning-meditation-when-emotion

This episode explores the Stoic partnership between foresight and acceptance. Preparing for setbacks doesn’t mean expecting misery—it means building the resilience to meet difficulty without being overwhelmed. With Philo’s calm readiness, Rumi’s guest house, and Marcus Aurelius’s reminder that obstacles can become part of the path, we can meet whatever arrives with confidence and imagination.👇 👇 👇📻 FOR MORE STOIC AUDIO CONTENTCheck out one of my latest daily Micro Morning Meditations here on Substack:☀️ Micro Morning Meditation: Let Us Cherish Old Agehttps://whatisstoicism.substack.com/p/micro-morning-meditation-let-us-cherish