A couple summers ago, I was reading Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations on a plane ride back from Africa. I usually carry it with me, especially when I’m traveling. “What are you reading?” said the man next to me, who was flipping through a glossy Esquire, or something like that. “Meditations by Marcus Aurelius,” I responded. “Oh, […]
Alright, you’ve probably read a zillion articles about happiness online and you’re not a zillion times happier. What gives? Reading ain’t the same as doing. You wouldn’t expect to read some martial arts books and then go kick ass like Bruce Lee, would you? All behavior, all changes, must be trained. The ancient Stoics knew […]
I have “AMOR FATI” tattooed on the inside of my right forearm. When I went to have it done, after a full year of consideration, the tattoo artist asked me which direction I’d like to have it face. “Toward me,” I answered. “Upside down?” he responded looking at me with that face my puppy makes […]
There are certain individuals who can’t be put into a single category. Daniele Bolelli is one of those people. He is a successful author, a university professor, a professional martial artist and a podcast host (and a philosopher and a father and a historian). Perhaps you know him for his cult classic, On the Warrior’s […]
INTRODUCTION The great Galen, a prominent Greek physician in the Roman Empire, at one point suffered the loss of all his work and books. In a clear example of what we can call a virtuous Stoic response, he wrote that “the fact that, after the loss of the totality of my pharmaceutical remedies, the […]
For George Washington and the entire revolutionary generation, Cato was Liberty—the last man standing when Rome’s Republic fell. For centuries of philosophers and theologians, Cato was the Good Suicide—the most principled, most persuasive exception to the rule against self-slaughter. For Julius Caesar, the dictator who famously pardoned every opponent, Cato was the only man he […]
Very few ancient philosophies can be traced back to an entrepreneur, but one can: Stoicism. Around 304 BC, a merchant named Zeno was shipwrecked on a trading voyage. He lost nearly everything. Making his way to Athens, he was introduced to philosophy by Crates of Thebes, a famous Cynic, which changed his life. Within a […]
I initially connected with Jennifer Baker through her piece on Stoicism with the unexpected title “Can Charlie Brown be Happy?” I had a million questions and I’m sure you do too. Before we get to that, a bit of background. Jennifer is currently a professor at the College of Charleston where she teaches courses on […]
It was an honor to interview Donald Robertson about stoicism–as he’s been a selfless and prolific contributor to the world of stoic philosophy for a long time. If you are not yet familiar with his work, you should be. He is a cognitive-behavioural psychotherapist, trainer, and author who specialises in the treatment of anxiety and […]