In this episode, I chat with Erick Cloward. Erick is an executive coach, based in Amsterdam, who helps leaders build more resilient teams and make better decisions. He is a former tech CTO and software developer. Erick started the Stoic Coffee Break podcast in 2018, to provide people with practical advice on applying Stoicism to their lives –- it now has more than 9 million downloads. He has his first book coming out on 4th February, from Adams Media, titled Stoicism 101: From Marcus Aurelius and Epictetus to the Role of Reason and Amor Fati, an Essential Primer on Stoic Philosophy.

Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Highlights

* How did you first become interested in Stoicism?

* Misconceptions people have about Stoicism

* Why Stoicism is important today

* How did you get started doing your podcast and what have you learned from the experience?

* What’s your book, Stoicism 101, about?

* What aspects of Stoicism do you think are most relevant to executive coaching?

* What can Stoicism tell us about leadership?

* How Stoicism might help people to avoid getting so angry

Links

* Stoic Coffee Website

* Stoicism 101

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In this episode, I chat with Benny Voncken, a life coach, and the co-founder of the Via Stoica website and Podcast. He reached out to me saying he’d love to share his experience putting Stoic philosophy into practice because it greatly reduced his anxiety, worries, and helped him deal with problems such as anger and frustration.

Thanks for reading Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life! This post is public so feel free to share it.

Highlights

* How did you become interested in Stoicism?

* Tell us about your website and podcast.

* Why do you think Stoicism is important today?

* How do you see the value of Stoicism in relation to life coaching?

* What are some ways Stoic ideas or techniques can help people?

* What do you think Stoicism tells us about coping with worry and anxiety?

* I’m very interested in anger, how do you think Stoicism might help people to avoid getting so angry?

* What’s a good way for people to begin learning about Stoicism and applying it in their life?

Links

* Via Stoica Website

* Via Stoica Podcast

Thanks for reading Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life! This post is public so feel free to share it.

In this episode, I speak with Igor Grossmann, a professor of psychology, and renowned researcher in the field of wisdom. Prof. Grossmann directs the Wisdom and Culture Lab at the University of Waterloo, where he investigates the factors that contribute to wise reasoning. He is also the co-host of the On Wisdom podcast. His work has significantly advanced our understanding of how wisdom can be fostered and applied in everyday life.

Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Highlights

* What is wisdom?

* Is wisdom more like a static trait or a dynamic process?

* How does wisdom make use of abstract versus concrete thinking?

* What’s the role of intellectual humility in wisdom?

* Can you explain what’s meant by open-mindedness, perspective-taking, and compromise-seeking?

* How does distanced (third-person) reflection help us to exercise wisdom?

* What potential insights could psychotherapists glean from your work?

* How does wisdom-based thinking about problems differ from unhealthy forms of thinking about problems such as depressive rumination or anxious worrying?

* Are there ways that research on wisdom can help us to cope with problems such as anxiety or depression?

* Are you aware of any links between your research on wisdom and what ancient philosophers have said about wisdom?

* What’s the relationship between wisdom and inter-group hostility or antisocial attitudes?

* Does wisdom lead to co-operation and prosocial attitudes?

Links

* The Wise Mind Balances the Abstract and the Concrete

* Explaining contentious political issues promotes open-minded thinking - ScienceDirect

* Igor Grossmann

* On Wisdom Podcast