Where The Problem Lies & Practice Care Instead of Judgment (13m) – Episode 060

Episode 060 looks at two Stoic topics: the first from Marcus Aurelius who wrote, “If someone is slipping up, kindly correct them and point out what they missed. But if you can’t, blame yourself—or no one.”; and the second from r/Stoicism, a post by daviddigit, which started, “I wanted to share a practical exercise that really rocked my world this week. I am inherently an extremely critical person, of myself and others. So this week I was at the airport and decided this would be the perfect opportunity to practice care/love instead of judgment.”

Sweating the Small Stuff & Influencing Others (22m) – Episode 057

Episode 057 looks at two Stoic topics: the first from Marcus Aurelius who wrote, “It is essential for you to remember that the attention you give to any action should be in due proportion to its worth, for then you won’t tire and give up, if you aren’t busying yourself with lesser things beyond what should be allowed.”; and the second from r/Stoicism, a post by EricHennigan, which started, “I was thinking about Epictetus’ reminder that some things are under our control and others not. If we push this idea really hard, there are many things that I might naively consider under my control, but which, when examined more closely are not. For example, thoughts randomly bubble into my mind and I do not control that. Emotions can overwhelm my rational faculties, causing me a temporary insanity. Many external factors control the direction of my life. The simple, naive, lowercase stoic advise seems to recommend that I not try to control things which I cannot. I think this interpretation would be a disastrous mistake.”

Your Actual Needs are Small & The Pressure of Time (27m) – Episode 054

Episode 054 looks at two Stoic topics: the first from Seneca who wrote, “Nothing can satisfy greed, but even a small measure satisfies nature. So it is that the poverty of an exile brings no misfortune, for no place of exile is so barren as not to produce ample support for a person.”; and the second from r/Stoicism, a post by Ok_Intern_4405, which started, “I’m in my late twenties and I feel I am constantly pressuring myself to make good use of time, whether it is a conscious decision or not. I imagine a number of you could relate. Maybe it’s the rat race that has gotten into me, I’m not sure. But looking at the success of my peers, I can’t help but feel the need to not waste any second of my life.”

Mutual Interdependence & Efface Opinions (28m) – Episode 051

Episode 051 looks at two Stoic topics: the first from Marcus Aurelius who wrote, “Meditate often on the interconnectedness and mutual interdependence of all things in the universe. For in a sense, all things are mutually woven together and therefore have an affinity for each other—for one thing follows after another according to their tension of movement, their sympathetic stirrings, and the unity of all substance.”; and the second from r/Stoicism, a post by Anderson Silver (yourusermanual), which began with another Marcus Aurelius quote, “Efface the opinion, I am harmed, and at once the feeling of being harmed disappears; efface the feeling, and the harm disappears at once.”

The Truly Educated & This is The Way (24m) – Episode 048

Episode 048 looks at two Stoic topics: the first from Epictetus who wrote, “The beautiful and good person neither fights with anyone nor, as much as they are able, permits others to fight . . . this is the meaning of getting an education—learning what is your own affair and what is not. If a person carries themselves so, where is there any room for fighting?”; and the second from artwork by mjhiblenart involving a character from The Mandalorian, a television series on Disney+. The episode begins with sad news about Carl Watner (RIP), the person who introduced Skyler to Stoicism.

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”.

King or Tyrant & The Jurisdiction of Fate (16m) – Episode 042

Episode 042 looks at two Stoic topics: the first from Seneca who wrote, ““Our soul is sometimes a king, and sometimes a tyrant. A king, by attending to what is honorable, protects the good health of the body in its care, and gives it no base or sordid command. But an uncontrolled, desire-fueled, over-indulged soul is turned from a king into that most feared and detested thing—a tyrant.”; and the second from r/Stoicism, a post by answersamir, who started off with, “Its true that fate has jurisdiction over your birth and death. It can also be argued that fate confines you within some realm of possibilities throughout your life.”

No Excuses & It’s Not about You (17m) – Episode 039

Episode 039 looks at two Stoic topics: the first from Marcus Aurelius who wrote, “It is possible to curb your arrogance, to overcome pleasure and pain, to rise above your ambition, and to not be angry with stupid and ungrateful people—yes, even to care for them.”; and the second from r/Stoicism, a post by mussel_bouy, who started off with, “Have you ever received a venomous insult? Words that stuck in your head? A look that you can’t erase from your memory? Maybe it was on your appearance, your character, your actions? Well it wasn’t about you. It never was.”

What We Train For & Poor Expectations (20m) – Episode 036

Episode 036 looks at two Stoic topics: the first from Epictetus who wrote, “But what is philosophy? Doesn’t it simply mean preparing ourselves for what may come? Don’t you understand that really amounts to saying that if I would so prepare myself to endure, then let anything happen that will? Otherwise, it would be like the boxer exiting the ring because he took some punches. Actually, you can leave the boxing ring without consequence, but what advantage would come from abandoning the pursuit of wisdom? So, what should each of us say to every trial we face? This is what I’ve trained for, for this my discipline!”; and the second from r/Stoicism, a post by Throwawaymykey9000 who started off with, “Whenever you find yourself upset, pay close attention to what false appearance/expectation you had that led to the discomfort. This is how you grow as a Stoic.”

Seeing Our Addictions & Don’t Be a Slave (29m) – Episode 033

Episode 033 looks at two Stoic topics: the first from Seneca who wrote, “We must give up many things to which we are addicted, considering them to be good. Otherwise, courage will vanish, which should continually test itself. Greatness of soul will be lost, which can’t stand out unless it disdains as petty what the mob regards as most desirable.”; and the second from Demetrius the Cynic who wrote, “If I cherish my body, I make a slave of myself, if I cherish my property, I make a slave of myself; because I’ve disclosed the means to make me captive.”; also a story of devastation experienced by Skyler due to his attachment to some of his property.