Philosophies for Life

Philosophies for Life

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Philosophies for Life episodes

  • 135: 8 Life Lessons from Jean-Paul Sartre (Existentialism)
    In this podcast we will be talking about 8 Life Lessons from Jean-Paul Sartre. Sartre was one of the leading philosophers who followed the philosophy of Existentialism. 

    One of Sartre’s key-concepts that is discussed or prevalent in almost all of his existentialist works is the notion of “Bad Faith”, which he uses to describe and critique how most people tend to deny their own freedom. Alongside his notion of Bad Faith, Sartre has discussed many aspects of existentialism and ideas on human life that are extremely helpful.

    So with that in mind, in this video we bring you 8 important life lessons derived from the works of Sartre. 
    01. Dare to act
    02. Face your freedom
    03. Take responsibility 
    04. Set an example
    05. Embrace your fears
    06. Don’t let others define you
    07. Don't follow a doctrine 
    08. Embrace your nothingness 
    I hope you enjoyed watching the video and hope these 8 Life Lessons From Sartre will add value to your life. 

    Jean-Paul Sartre was a French playwright, screenwriter, political activist, literary critic, and one of the leading philosophers who followed the philosophy of Existentialism: the philosophy that says that humans are born a blank slate and are free to determine their own identity, behavior and goals. Sartre was born in Paris at the beginning of the twentieth century and when he was around sixty years old, he was awarded the1964 Nobel Prize in Literature. He however refused the prize, claiming that “a writer should never allow himself to become an institution.” Sartre wrote many fictional and non-fictional books, essays and gave lectures on Existentialism. Some of his noted works are: Nausea, Being and Nothingness, Existentialism is a Humanism, and No Exit. 
    25 min
  • 134: Why Modern Dating Feels So Empty (So Choose Yourself First)
    Why Modern Dating Feels So Empty (So Choose Yourself First).
    Do you feel like you’re constantly swiping but never connecting? Modern dating often feels less like romance and more like a marketplace. We have more options than ever, yet we feel more disconnected and lonely. In this video, we explore the deep psychology behind why we keep attracting the wrong people and why "swiping right on yourself" is the only way to break the toxic cycle.

    Picture this: you open a dating app, and instead of swiping right on someone else, you swipe right on becoming the better version of yourself. How would that change the way you show up?
    Today, our dating culture runs on quick swipes and fast decisions. We move from one profile to the next, hoping the right match will appear. But in all the searching, we’re so focused on finding the right person that we rarely stop to ask if we’re actually ready to be one.
    This matters because today we feel more disconnected than ever. Ghosting has become routine. Conversations stay on the surface. And a lot of us leave dates feeling confused or drained instead of understood. The issue isn’t only the apps - it’s the mindset we bring into them. Many of us go in without a clear sense of who we are, what we want, or what we’re ready to give.
    In this video, we’ll talk about what it really means to choose yourself first in a stronger, healthier way..
    And just to be clear, we are not against dating apps or modern ways of meeting people. It’s about using them from a place where you’ve already chosen yourself first.

    Topics covered in this podcast - 
    00:00 – 02:05 – Introduction
    02:05 – 05:34 - Why Dating Feels Different Today
    05:34 – 07:49 - How Dating Apps Changed Us
    07:49 – 10:09 - The Psychology Behind It
    10:09 – 15:23 - What Philosophy Teaches Us About Love
    15:23 – 18:03 - Putting This Into Practice
    18:03 – 20:48 - The Barriers That Hold You Back
    20:48 – 22:24 - Conclusion
    I hope you enjoyed listening to this podcast and hope after watching this, you will start choosing yourself first. 

    23 min
  • 133: How To Live A Long And Happy Life - Philosophy of Ikigai
    Lagom is the Swedish lifestyle philosophy, translating as ‘not too much and not too little, It means to have just the balanced choice between two extremes. In order to know how to balance your life, you need Lagom, as it embraces a balanced, sustainable lifestyle.

    In order to understand how to  balance your life using Lagom approach, we have  broken up this video into four main categories - 
    01. Lagom at work.
    02. Lagom at home
    03. Lagom for health
    04. Lagom and nature

    Lagom, the Swedish word for a lifestyle that encourages balance and mindfulness in everything that you do. Lagom is a thread that ties many parts of Swedish society and culture together, the cornerstone of personal behaviour, design ethos and community. Applying a sense of lagom to our everyday lives – be it in what we eat, what we wear, how we live, how we work – might just be the antidote to our modern, consumption-led world as it embraces a more balanced, sustainable lifestyle that embraces the pleasures of existence rather than those of consumption. Lagom celebrates the idea of “just enough” which is the perfect space between minimalism and living in excess and this particular brand of socialism is partly the reason why Sweden consistently ranks top ten in the happiest countries in the world. 


    22 min
  • 132: 8 Life Lessons From Epicurus (Epicureanism)
    In this podcast we will be talking about 8 Life Lessons From Epicurus. His philosophy is often referenced as Epicurean hedonism or simply Epicureanism. Epicurus was most famous for his skilful insights into the concept of happiness. 

    To understand more about Epicurus’ teachings and how we can apply them into our own lives, here are 8 life lessons from the philosophy of Epicurus - 
    01. Be content with little
    02. Study philosophy all your life
    03. Learn to rely on yourself 
    04. Develop courage through adversity
    05. Get great friends
    06. Do not try to be popular
    07. Don’t fear death
    08. Strive to achieve peace of mind
    I hope you enjoyed listening to this podcast and hope these 8 Life Lessons From Epicurus will add value to your life. 

    Epicurus is one of the most important figures in the history of philosophy, as well as of science. He is less known than Plato or Socrates, but, nonetheless, his teachings are precious and timeless. He lived between 341 to 270 BC, and wrote more than 300 works during his lifetime. Most of his work has been lost, but what remains is extremely relevant even today. In science, he was one of the first to describe the natural world as made of atoms and he rightly understood that all the natural phenomena are in fact based on the movement of atoms. Also, he strongly stressed the importance of basing our beliefs on empirical evidence and logic. In philosophy, he was part of the hedonist movement and he was most famous for his skilful insights into the concept of happiness, starting his own School of Happiness, also known as Epicurean hedonism or simply Epicureanism. If stoics believed that living justly and virtuously is the highest good and that we should be indifferent to pleasure and pain, Epicureanism believed that we should seek to maximise the pleasures in life. There were some rumours that in his school people lavished  themselves in orgies, luxury and decadence, but these rumours were unfounded. Epicurus didn’t have any interest in orgies and expensive meals. His idea of pleasure is far from the classical one. He departed from the classical school of hedonism for which pleasure is the highest good, adding that the pleasure of the mind, not the pleasure of the senses, is the true ‘highest good’. He believed that the greatest happiness comes from reducing suffering, achieving an inner state of peace which he called ataraxia. Ataraxia means being content with simple things in life, like having philosophical conversations about the meaning of life, in your small garden, with your best friends. According to Epicurus, the pleasure from pursuing wisdom is the highest form of pleasure, and the most valuable as it is the one that leads us to true happiness. 
     
    23 min
  • 131: How To Be A Stoic - Epictetus (Stoicism)
    In this podcast we will be talking about 12 practical exercises, as per the book How to be a Stoic by Massimo Pigliucci that uses Epictituse’s Enchiridion, which we can use in the modern world while mastering the four stoic virtues. 

    So here are 10 important insights for being a stoic from Epictetus.
    01. Examine your impressions
    02. Remind yourself of the impermanence of thing
    03. The reverse clause
    04. How can I use virtue here and now
    05. Pause and take a deep breath
    06. Other-ize
    07. Speak little and well
    08. Choose your company well
    09. Respond to insults with humor
    10. Don’t speak too much about yourself
    11. Speak without judging
    12. Reflect on your day

    I hope you enjoyed listening to this podcast and hope you find these exercise helpful if you wish to pursue Stoicism. 

    The Enchiridion is a short read on stoic advice for living. Epictetus’ practical precepts might change your life.
    16 min
  • 130: Carl Jung - Why Turning 40 Becomes Your Superpower (Jungian Philosophy)
    Carl Jung - Why Turning 40 Becomes Your Superpower (Jungian Philosophy).

    Carl Jung, one of the most respected psychologists of the 20th century, believed that life doesn’t truly begin when we are young. In fact, he said, “Life really begins at forty. Before then, you are just doing research.” What he means by this is that the first part of life is mainly preparation. In our twenties and thirties, we are learning how the world works. We try to build a stable life - we work, we build relationships, we try to be responsible, to succeed, and to fit in. We form an identity based on what we think we should be. During this phase, we are busy figuring things out and trying to prove ourselves. This is normal. Jung believed this part of life is necessary. But when we get close to forty, something starts to change. And this is where many people misunderstand what’s happening. Our culture often makes turning forty sound like the beginning of decline - like youth is over and everything after that is just a race to the grave. We’ve all heard the phrase “midlife crisis,” as if anyone who questions or changes their life at this stage is falling apart. Jung said the opposite. He believed that the feelings that show up around forty - the restlessness, the questioning, the sense that something is missing - are not signs of failure… but signs of growth. It’s not that life is ending. It’s that the first version of your life has done its job. You have built a life on the outside - now you are ready to understand your life on the inside. So when Jung said life begins at forty, he meant that this is the age when experience finally allows you to see yourself more clearly. It’s the point where life shifts from trying to prove who you are to simply living as who you are. So in this podcast we’re going to explore why life really begins… at forty.

    So here are 6 reasons why life truly begins at 40 according to Carl Jung - 
    01. We Spend Early Life Building a Persona
    02. Midlife Opens the Door to the Inner Self
    03. We Finally Understand Ourselves
    04. Dreams Become the New Language
    05. Opposites Seek Reunion
    06. Spiritual Questions Emerge Naturally
    I hope you enjoyed listening to these 6 reasons why life truly begins at 40 according to Carl Jung. 

    Carl Jung, together with Sigmund Freud and Alfred Adler, is one of the 3 founders of psychoanalysis which is a set of psychological theories and methods aiming to release repressed emotions and experiences - in other words, to make the unconscious conscious. Jung was born in Switzerland in 1875 and died in 1961, leaving behind great works in the fields of psychiatry, anthropology, archaeology, literature, philosophy, psychology and religious studies. Jung had Freud as a mentor for a good part of his career but later he departed from him. This division was painful for Jung and it led him to found his own school of psychology, called analytical psychology as a comprehensive system separate from psychoanalysis. If classical psychoanalysis focuses on the patient’s past, as early experiences are very important in personality development, analytical psychology primarily focuses on the present, on mythology, folklore, and cultural experiences, to try to understand human consciousness. One of the most important ideas of analytical psychology which Jung founded is the process of individuation, which is the process of finding the self - something Jung considered an important task in human development. While he did not formulate a systematic philosophy, he is nonetheless considered a sophisticated philosopher - his school of thought dubbed “Jungian philosophy”. Its concepts can apply to many topics covered in the humanities and the social sciences. A good part of his work was published after his death and indeed there are still some articles written by him that to this day have yet to be published. Some of his most important books are: “Psychology of the Unconscious”, “Man and His Symbols”, “The Archetypes and The Collective Unconscious”, “Modern Man In Search of a Soul”, “The Psychology of the Transference”, “Memories, Dreams, Thoughts”, and “The Relations Between the Ego and the Unconscious”. Besides being a great writer and a researcher, he was also an artist, a craftsman and even a builder. His contribution is enormous and there is a great deal we can learn from his works.

    25 min
  • 129: Carl Jung - 7 Shadow Clues That Reveal Your True Calling (Jungian Philosophy)
    7 Shadow Clues That Reveal Your True Calling - Carl Jung (Jungian Philosophy).

    Carl Jung was a Swiss psychiatrist who believed that the human mind has two layers - the conscious, which is everything we’re aware of, and the unconscious, which holds the thoughts, emotions, and memories we’ve pushed out of awareness. And deep within that unconscious lies what Jung called the shadow - the hidden side of ourselves. We suppress these parts because, at some point, we learned they weren’t acceptable. Maybe we were told to stay quiet, to be “good,” or to hide our emotions - so we buried whatever didn’t seem to fit. But Jung believed that if we truly want to understand who we are, we have to stop running from those hidden parts and start listening to them. Because here’s the thing - your shadow isn’t just the darkness you try to hide.
    It also carries your unlived potential: your creativity, your voice, your courage, your power -  and often, the clues to your real calling. Jung’s philosophy is often referred to as “Jungian Philosophy”. He has also published multiple books like  The Psychology of the Unconscious, Man and His Symbols, The Archetypes and The Collective Unconscious, Modern Man In Search of a Soul, The Psychology of the Transference, Memories, Dreams, and Thoughts, and The Relations Between the Ego and the Unconscious. In this podcast, we’re going to explore 7 shadow clues that reveal your true calling.

    So here are 7 shadow clues that reveal your true calling from the philosophy of Carl Jung -
    01. Feeling Stuck, Numb, or Disconnected
    02. Strong Reaction to Someone Else’s Behaviour
    03. Repeating Patterns or Failures 
    04. Messages from the Dreams
    05. Stories, Movies, or Characters You’re Drawn To
    06. When Life Mirrors Your Inner World
    07. Self-Sabotage and Avoidance
    I hope you enjoyed listening to these 7 shadow clues that reveal your true calling from the philosophy of Carl Jung. 

    Carl Jung, together with Sigmund Freud and Alfred Adler, is one of the 3 founders of psychoanalysis which is a set of psychological theories and methods aiming to release repressed emotions and experiences - in other words, to make the unconscious conscious. Jung was born in Switzerland in 1875 and died in 1961, leaving behind great works in the fields of psychiatry, anthropology, archaeology, literature, philosophy, psychology and religious studies. Jung had Freud as a mentor for a good part of his career but later he departed from him. This division was painful for Jung and it led him to found his own school of psychology, called analytical psychology as a comprehensive system separate from psychoanalysis. If classical psychoanalysis focuses on the patient’s past, as early experiences are very important in personality development, analytical psychology primarily focuses on the present, on mythology, folklore, and cultural experiences, to try to understand human consciousness. One of the most important ideas of analytical psychology which Jung founded is the process of individuation, which is the process of finding the self - something Jung considered an important task in human development. While he did not formulate a systematic philosophy, he is nonetheless considered a sophisticated philosopher - his school of thought dubbed “Jungian philosophy”. Its concepts can apply to many topics covered in the humanities and the social sciences. A good part of his work was published after his death and indeed there are still some articles written by him that to this day have yet to be published. Some of his most important books are: “Psychology of the Unconscious”, “Man and His Symbols”, “The Archetypes and The Collective Unconscious”, “Modern Man In Search of a Soul”, “The Psychology of the Transference”, “Memories, Dreams, Thoughts”, and “The Relations Between the Ego and the Unconscious”. Besides being a great writer and a researcher, he was also an artist, a craftsman and even a builder. His contribution is enormous and there is a great deal we can learn from his works.
    24 min
  • 128: Lao Tzu - 7 Taoist Morning Habits for (Almost) Limitless Energy (Taoism)
    Lao Tzu - 7 Taoist Morning Habits for (Almost) Limitless Energy (Taoism). 
    In this podcast, we will talk about 7 Taoist Morning Habits for (Almost) Limitless Energy from the philosophy of Lao Tzu. Lao Tzu was an ancient Chinese philosopher who is known to be the founder of Taoism and the writer of Taoism’s most sacred text, the Tao Te Ching.

    So with that in mind, here are 7 Taoist Morning Habits for (Almost) Limitless Energy from the philosophy of Lao Tzu - 
    01. Rise with the Mao Hour
    02. Open The Gates
    03. Practice Zuo Wang
    04. Nourish Simplicity
    05. Inner Cultivation Practice
    06. Connect with Nature
    07. Seal the Qi
    We hope you enjoyed listening to this podcast and hope these 7 Taoist habits, from the philosophy of Lao Tzu, will help you change your energy.

    Taoism is a Chinese philosophy attributed to Lao Tzu which contributed to the folk religion of the people primarily in the rural areas of China and became the official religion of the country under the Tang Dynasty. Taoism is therefore both a philosophy and a religion. Taoism teaches to embrace wonder and the joy in living gracefully with style. Lao Tzu was an ancient Chinese philosopher and writer who is known to be the founder of Taoism. He is also credited as the writer of Taoism’s most sacred text, the Tao Te Ching and his words can apply to people all over the world.
    23 min
  • 127: Why ‘Finding Yourself’ Is a Big Lie - Albert Camus (Absurdism)
    Why ‘Finding Yourself’ Is a Big Lie - Albert Camus (Absurdism).
    Albert Camus was a French-Algerian writer, and Nobel Prize laureate  who lived through war and loss, and he saw how life doesn’t always offer clear answers. Instead of turning away from that uncertainty, he chose to face it. He wanted to understand what it really means to be alive in a world that doesn’t hand us a ready-made purpose. We’re often told to “find your purpose” or “find yourself,” as if who we are is already out there waiting  for the right moment, the right people, the right place. But Camus questioned that. He didn’t believe there was a perfect version of us hidden somewhere, waiting to be discovered. And there’s a real sense of relief in that. If there’s no single identity we’re supposed to uncover, then we’re not late. We’re not falling behind. We’re not missing out on some secret everyone else already understands. We’re not lost - we’re simply becoming, shaping who we are through the choices we make and the life we live. We learn by living. We change. We try things. We let go of what doesn’t feel true anymore and slowly build a life that feels more honest. When we stop believing there’s one “correct” self we must find, we no longer wait for a dramatic moment of clarity. We start paying attention to what’s right in front of us - the next small step, the next experience, the next chance to grow. In this video, we’re going to explore why searching for a “true self” is a lie - how that belief can keep us stuck, and why embracing life’s uncertainty can actually help us move forward, all from the philosophy of Albert Camus. 

    So here’s Why ‘Finding Yourself’ Is a Lie from the philosophy of Albert Camus
    01. Understand the Absurd
    02. Stop Waiting to “Find Yourself”
    03. Rebel against the absurd
    04. Rebel with Passion
    05. Define Your Values, Not Labels
    06. Experiment Boldly 
    I hope you enjoyed listening to why searching for a “true self” is a lie - how that belief can keep us stuck, and why embracing life’s uncertainty can actually help us move forward, all from the philosophy of Albert Camus.
    23 min
  • 126: How To Deal With Suffering In Your Life - Buddha (Buddhism)
    In this podcast we will be talking about how to deal with suffering in life from the philosophy of the Buddha. Gautama Buddha was a philosopher, a spiritual leader and is credited as the founder of Buddhism.
     
    The teachings of Buddha revolve around Duhkha, which means suffering, and the end of Duhkha, which is regarded as the state of Nirvana.  The philosophy’s most essential teaching includes the Three Marks of Existence, which are as follows: 
    01. Annica which means that life is in a constant flux, we have already made a video on this, the link for this is in the description.
    02. Duhkha which means that life is painful and causes suffering, and
    03. Anatta which means that the self is always changing

    After the Buddha gained enlightenment, he traveled to Sarnath in the present-day district of Varanasi, where he met with five monks, he previously practiced with and gave his first sermon, the four noble truths. These four Noble Truths are the foundational tenets of Buddhism, which spark awareness of suffering as the nature of existence, its cause, and how to live without it. In this video we are going to talk about dukha, the second mark of existence, to better understand the suffering that we all go through and how we can use these 4 noble truths to deal with suffering in our modern day life.

    The four noble truths  are as follows - 
    01. The truth of Dukha 
    02. The truth of Samudaya
    03. The Truth of Nirodha
    04. The truth of Magga
    I hope you enjoyed listening to this podcast and hope these lessons from Buddha will help you in dealing with changes in your life. 

    The Buddha was a philosopher, meditator, spiritual teacher, and religious leader who is credited as the founder of Buddhism. He was born as Siddhartha Gautama in India in 566 BC into an aristocratic family and when he was twenty-nine years old, he left the comforts of his home to seek the meaning of the suffering he saw around him. After six years of arduous yogic training, he abandoned the way of self-mortification and instead sat in mindful meditation beneath a bodhi tree. On the full moon of May, with the rising of the morning star, Siddhartha Gautama became the Buddha, the awakened one. The Buddha wandered the plains of northeastern India for 45 years more, teaching the path or Dharma he had realized in that moment. Around him developed a community of people, drawn from every tribe and caste, devoted to practicing this path. Nowadays, he is worshiped by most Buddhist schools as the enlightened one who has escaped the cycle of birth and rebirth, transcending Karma. Their main teachings focus on their insight into duhkha meaning “suffering” and into Nirvana, which means the end of suffering. 
    19 min

About Philosophies for Life

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Philosophies for Life is all about giving ancient wisdom for modern living.

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