A lot of us get into philosophy and self-improvement not to actually become wiser, but to be seen as wise. Epictetus spotted how badly that backfires. In this lesson I sit with one of his sharper passages and what it asks of us. Epictetus put it this way: “If you want to make progress, put up with being perceived as ignorant or naive in worldly matters, don’ ... Show More
Jun 26
Marcus Aurelius Morning Preparation: Stoic Affirmations from the Meditations
During the 170s of the common era, while ruling an empire and often away from Rome, Marcus Aurelius wrote notes to himself in Greek. What survived is not a public book. It is a private notebook, the Meditations, sentences a man wrote to remind himself how to live.This is a short ... Show More
8m 10s
Jun 15
Are Stoics Emotionless? Erick Cloward, Author of Stoicism 101
Are Stoics really emotionless? It is the most common thing people believe about Stoicism, and it puts a lot of people off the one idea that might actually help them.In this conversation I sit down with Erick Cloward, host of the Stoic Coffee Break podcast and author of Stoicism 1 ... Show More
1h 35m
Nov 2025
Why humblebragging is never a good idea, with Övül Sezer, PhD
We all want to be liked and respected. But sometimes, our intuitions about how to make a good impression lead us astray. Övül Sezer, PhD, talks about common mistakes, including humblebragging and hiding our accomplishments; whether the rules of making a good impression are differ ... Show More
43m 3s
<p>People-pleasing is engrained into so many of us. In attempts to be nice, we neglect our own needs, trading authenticity for approval.</p>
<p>You will learn how to...</p>
<ul>
<li>be honest with other people</li>
<li>how people-pleasing relates to self-trust</li>
<li>tips for a ... Show More
