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

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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

Listen to our live How to Think Like Socrates book launch from 19th Nov. Phil Yanov was kind enough to send me this recording of the event.

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.

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

In this episode, I talk with Kane, who hosts a podcast for Australian first responders. Kane interviewed me for his podcast and kindly agreed to allow me to crosspost the interview to my audience. We talk about my forthcoming book How to Think Like Socrates, and how Socratic and Stoic philosophy can help us to improve our lives today, in the modern world.

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.

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 Dr. Walter Matweychuk. Dr. Matweychuk is a practicing psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania Health System, and has an independent telehealth practice in Manhattan with clients worldwide. He is also an adjunct professor of Applied Psychology at New York University. He has personally worked with both of the two main pioneers of cognitive-behavioral therapy: Albert Ellis and Aaron T. Beck. He is the author of several books on Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT), including Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy: A Newcomer's Guide and The REBT Pocket Companion for Clients.

Every Saturday at 9 AM in New York City on Zoom, he does a demonstration of REBT with a volunteer willing to discuss a real problem, which has now surpassed 218 consecutive weeks; go to his website REBTDoctor.com to register for the link.

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 Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy?

* Why he chose to focus on REBT rather than Beck’s cognitive therapy

* Mindfulness and acceptance based approaches in relation to REBT

* What’s the future of REBT?

* The key similarities are between Stoicism and REBT

* The REBT model of anger

* What would a philosophy of life based on REBT look like?

Links

* REBTdoctor.com

* The REBT Pocket Companion for Clients

* Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy: A Newcomer's Guide

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In this episode, I speak with Dr. Gad Saad. (Apologies for the room reverb on my mic!) Dr. Saad is a well-known public intellectual, champion of free speech, and renowned evolutionary psychologist. He is Professor of Marketing at the John Molson School of Business, at Concordia University, in Montreal, and has recently also been appointed Visiting Professor and Global Ambassador at Northwood University. Gad has a popular YouTube channel, and a podcast called The Saad Truth, and he’s the author of several best-selling books; the latest one is titled The Saad Truth about Happiness: 8 Secrets for Leading the Good Life. Yesterday was the four-year anniversary of the release of his most widely-known book The Parasitic Mind: How Infectious Ideas Are Killing Common Sense. Gad is currently working on his next book Suicidal Empathy.

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 happiness? Are some people confused about what it means to be happy?

* What makes us so unhappy today?

* Do consumerism and celebrity culture make us unhappy? .

* The relationship between emotional resilience and happiness

* Secrets to living a happy life

* What problems are caused by woke culture and political correctness?

* For and against anger

Links

* Gad Saad’s Personal Website

* Gad Saad’s Twitter

* Psychology Today Blog

* YouTube Channel

* Facebook Public Page

* The Parasitic Mind

* The Saad Truth about Happiness

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In this episode, I’ll be reading a brief excerpt from my new biography, Marcus Aurelius: The Stoic Emperor, which is available as an audiobook as well as in hardback and ebook formats. The book was chosen as an editor’s pick by Barnes and Noble and currently has 4.7 stars on Amazon. You can hear a sample from the studio-recorded audiobook, and read reviews, on Audible. Also see Goodreads for reviews.

* “Given the erratic, not to say murderous, behavior of many of [Marcus’s] predecessors, . . . how did so sterling a character as Marcus come about? That is the subject of Donald J. Robertson’s excellent biographical study.”—Joseph Epstein, National Review

* “Addictively written, this riveting visitation of the fascinating figure of Marcus Aurelius is as comprehensive as it gets, covering everything from his reign to his philosophy.”—“Notes from Your Bookseller,” barnesandnoble.com

* “Eminently readable. . . . A leading light in the modern revival of Stoic philosophy, Robertson directly and elegantly draws out the connections between Marcus’ experiences in the unforgiving crucible of Roman imperial politics and the philosophical ideas he expresses in the Meditations. . . . An invaluable companion to the Meditations itself.”—Peter Juul, Liberal Patriot

* “Few historical figures are as fascinating as Marcus Aurelius, the emperor-philosopher. And few writers have been so effective at bringing his complex life and character to the attention of modern readers as Donald Robertson.”—Massimo Pigliucci, author of How to Be a Stoic: Using Ancient Philosophy to Live a Modern Life

* “[Robertson] thoughtfully and readably capture[s] the essence of this great man and his great life. It’s a must read for any aspiring Stoic.”—Ryan Holiday, coauthor of #1 New York Times bestseller The Daily Stoic

* “Robertson has written a very thorough and very readable account of Marcus’s life and the events and people that shaped him. Anyone who wants to understand the author of Meditations should read this book.”—Robin Waterfield, author of Marcus Aurelius, Meditations: The Annotated Edition

* “Donald Robertson guides us into the world of a philosopher-emperor whose humility and Stoic teachings fill the pages. We are indebted to Robertson for this wonderful account of the emperor who penned notes to himself while in battle that would be later known as the Meditations and read by millions for philosophical inspiration. Simply spellbinding.”—Nancy Sherman, author of Stoic Wisdom: Ancient Lessons for Modern Resilience

* “Robertson’s biography provides a compelling narrative of Marcus’ life, carefully based on the primary sources. He brings out very clearly the life-long significance of Stoicism for Marcus and the interplay between philosophy, politics, and warfare.”—Christopher Gill, author of Learning to Live Naturally: Stoic Ethics and Its Modern Significance

* “This highly readable biography is the perfect place to begin for anyone who wants to learn more about the man behind the Meditations.”—John Sellars, author of The Pocket Stoic

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.

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