Sobering Thoughts & Stoic Habits (25m) – Episode 045

Episode 045 looks at several Stoic topics: the first from Epictetus who wrote, “Keep death and exile before your eyes each day, along with everything that seems terrible—by doing so, you’ll never have a base thought nor will you have excessive desire.”; and the rest from lists shared by gdm41 and austinthebean to r/Stoicism introduced as, “Hi guys, maybe you are already aware of DailyStoic.com, they send out a daily newsletter with Stoic topics. Last week they sent a good summary of Stoic virtues/habits to avoid”.

Brenden’s Journey, MasterTalk, Knowledge, & Personal Development (1h10m) – Episode 429

Episode 429 welcomes Brenden Kumarasamy to the podcast to chat with Skyler on the following topics: his YouTube channel “MasterTalk”; living in Montreal, Canada; Stoicism and sphere of control; older kids still living at home; parenting and kids leaving the nest; knowledge and truth; religion and the afterlife; his favorite anime “Death Note”; collecting stories and trying to live a mistake free life; his top 3 podcasts: “Akimbo” by Seth Godin, “The School of Greatness” by Lewis Howes, and “Impact Theory” by Tom Bilyeu; Warrent Buffet’s focus framework; the value of attending personal development conferences; his book recommendation: Thirst by Scott Harrison; and more

ARK3 Returns, Trauma and Rage, PTSD, & Violent Parenting (1h3m) – Episode 428

Episode 428 welcomes back Alex R. Knight III to chat with Skyler on the following topics: finally making the connection between his former alcoholism and trauma he experienced in childhood and adolescence; accepting failure as okay, and not as shameful; post-traumatic stress disorder experienced by both of them; family disfunction and divorce; the roots of authoritarianism in violent (physically and psychologically/emotionally) parenting; laws against spanking; the effects of prolonged brain exposure to stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline; stress in infancy, such as “cry-it-out”; evolutionary reasons why kids protest bedtime; Skyler’s family bedroom; and more.

AIER, Cost of Lockdowns: A Preliminary Report (28m) – Episode 427

Episode 427 has Skyler giving his commentary on a new report by the American Institute of Economic Research titled, “Cost of Lockdowns: A Preliminary Report”. It begins: “In the debate over coronavirus policy, there has been far too little focus on the costs of lockdowns. It’s very common for the proponents of these interventions to write articles and large studies without even mentioning the downsides. Here is a brief look at the cost of stringencies in the United States, and around the world, including stay-at-home orders, closings of business and schools, restrictions on gatherings, shutting of arts and sports, restrictions on medical services, and interventions in the freedom of movement.”