Stoa Conversations: Stoicism Applied

Caleb and Michael read through Marcus Aurelius’s Meditations. Specifically: Meditations 2.6-2.10.

There are several essential themes in these passages: the importance of self-examination, maintaining focus on what matters, and the philosophical underpinnings of Stoicism. in the Meditations we get to see Marcus Aurelius rehearsing Stoic maxims – and apply that practice to our own life too.

(04:51) Meditations 2.6

(12:04) Meditations 2.7

(18:45) Meditations 2.8

(26:11) Meditations 2.9

(34:34) Meditations 2.10

(48:20) Summary

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Thanks to Michael Levy for graciously letting us use his music in the conversations: https://ancientlyre.com/

This one is different.

Caleb reads from his essay, Why Stoicism Is True. It’s a short encapsulation of the what he takes to be the three most important ideas of the philosophy – as well as a philosophical defense of their veracity.

Let us know what you think.

https://calebontiveros.substack.com/

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If you try the Stoa app and find it useful, but truly cannot afford it, email us and we'll set you up with a free account.

Listen to more episodes and learn more here: https://stoameditation.com/blog/stoa-conversations/

Thanks to Michael Levy for graciously letting us use his music in the conversations: https://ancientlyre.com/

In this episode, Michael presents the Stoic idea of "indifferents." It’s one of the key ideas behind Stoicism, one’s that often misunderstood but necessary to know in order to understand Stoicism.

(02:52) The 3 Value Categories

(06:22) Defining Good

(15:32) Defining Indifferents

(37:32) Total Indifferents

(39:06) How To Live With Indifferents

(51:22) Summary

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Subscribe to The Stoa Letter for weekly meditations, actions, and links to the best Stoic resources: www.stoaletter.com/subscribe

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If you try the Stoa app and find it useful, but truly cannot afford it, email us and we'll set you up with a free account.

Listen to more episodes and learn more here: https://stoameditation.com/blog/stoa-conversations/

Thanks to Michael Levy for graciously letting us use his music in the conversations: https://ancientlyre.com/

“Moderation is subdivided into good discipline, seemliness, modesty, and self-control.”

The ancient Stoic breakdown of moderation is essential for becoming more disciplined. It will help you think about the ideas of moderation, discipline, and self-control more deeply and generate strategies for how to becoming more moderate in your life today.

Stoic Courage

(00:22) The Meaning Of Moderation

(07:17) David Goggins Can't Hurt Me

(12:06) Moderate Role Models

(18:08) Stoic Sources

(22:15) Self-Discipline

(27:17) Propriety

(34:58) Modesty

(41:13) Self-Control

(44:27) Improving Day By Day

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Subscribe to The Stoa Letter for weekly meditations, actions, and links to the best Stoic resources: www.stoaletter.com/subscribe

Download the Stoa app (it’s a free download): stoameditation.com/pod

If you try the Stoa app and find it useful, but truly cannot afford it, email us and we'll set you up with a free account.

Listen to more episodes and learn more here: https://stoameditation.com/blog/stoa-conversations/

Thanks to Michael Levy for graciously letting us use his music in the conversations: https://ancientlyre.com/

In this conversation, Michael and Caleb discuss Epictetus’s chapter On Attention (Discourses 4.12). It’s an essential reading from the Stoic master on an essential topic.

Buddhism 101

Stoicism and Mindfulness

Caleb and Michael also preview an upcoming conversation on Moderation…Stay tuned. It will be released in the next few weeks.

(01:04) The Importance of Attention
(06:07) Pay Attention Now
(08:48) Attention Fuels the Fire
(10:27) Always On
(15:08) What's Wrong With Phones
(20:41) Moderate Shoutout
(22:17) What Are You Attending To?
(31:45) What Else Should You Pay Attention To
(34:59) The Meaning of Life Is Game
(37:48) Attention Is a Habit
(45:31) The Soul Becomes Dyed With the Color of Its Thoughts
(48:45) Reactive Focus

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Subscribe to The Stoa Letter for weekly meditations, actions, and links to the best Stoic resources: www.stoaletter.com/subscribe

Download the Stoa app (it’s a free download): stoameditation.com/pod

If you try the Stoa app and find it useful, but truly cannot afford it, email us and we'll set you up with a free account.

Listen to more episodes and learn more here: https://stoameditation.com/blog/stoa-conversations/

Thanks to Michael Levy for graciously letting us use his music in the conversations: https://ancientlyre.com/

The Stoics promoted the four cardinal virtues: courage, moderation, justice, and wisdom. In this episode, we talk about Stoic courage. Caleb and Michael discuss what it is and how the Stoics broke it down into different subdisciplines.

Their breakdown still provides an effective framework for building the skill of bravery today.

(01:03) What Is Courage?

(10:19) Aristotle

(14:14) The Subcomponents Of Courage

(15:36) Endurance

(19:03) Confidence

(21:23) Greatness Of Soul

(27:34) Vitality

(33:54) Love Of Work

(39:07) Not Just Overcoming Fear

(40:59) Seneca Motivation

(46:18) Summary

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Subscribe to The Stoa Letter for weekly meditations, actions, and links to the best Stoic resources: www.stoaletter.com/subscribe

Download the Stoa app (it’s a free download): stoameditation.com/pod

If you try the Stoa app and find it useful, but truly cannot afford it, email us and we'll set you up with a free account.

Listen to more episodes and learn more here: https://stoameditation.com/blog/stoa-conversations/

Thanks to Michael Levy for graciously letting us use his music in the conversations: https://ancientlyre.com/

Do you want to learn how to Journal like Marcus Aurelius?

Parker Settecase explains different approaches to journaling, writing, and recording your thoughts. He and Michael take a deep dive into how and why to think about journaling.

Use these strategies to organize your thinking, and be the best version of yourself.

Park Notes

Michael and Parker on Parker's Pensées

(01:32) Journaling As A Philosophical Practice

(18:24) Transformative Journaling

(22:32) Self-Dialogue

(31:44) Why You Need A Catch All

(34:32) Journaling To Be Present

(38:09) Diary Vs Journal

(44:35) Marcus Aurelius Had A Journal Not A Diary

(45:45) Commonplace Book Vs Compendium

(57:17) Recommendations

(59:18) Michael Pushes Back

(01:02:08) Creation Over Consumption

(01:08:40) Nature Log

(01:12:02) Learn More

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Subscribe to The Stoa Letter for weekly meditations, actions, and links to the best Stoic resources: www.stoaletter.com/subscribe

Download the Stoa app (it’s a free download): stoameditation.com/pod

If you try the Stoa app and find it useful, but truly cannot afford it, email us and we'll set you up with a free account.

Listen to more episodes and learn more here: https://stoameditation.com/blog/stoa-conversations/

Thanks to Michael Levy for graciously letting us use his music in the conversations: https://ancientlyre.com/

"The thought for today is one which I discovered in Epicurus; for I am wont to cross over even into the enemy's camp, – not as a deserter, but as a scout."

In this conversation, Caleb and Michael talk about lessons from Epicureanism. To do this, use Seneca’s quotations of Epicurus and other Epicureans as a source. The Epicurean tradition has a lot of wisdom about how to relate to wealth, master desire, and study philosophy.

(00:26) Introduction

(02:38) What Epicureanism Is

(07:54) The Enemy's Camp

(17:37) Philosophy Matters

(22:18) Urgency

(26:10) Money Money Money

(32:01) Desire

(38:06) Drugs

(40:05) Friendship

(49:24) Summarize

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Subscribe to The Stoa Letter for weekly meditations, actions, and links to the best Stoic resources: www.stoaletter.com/subscribe

Download the Stoa app (it’s a free download): stoameditation.com/pod

If you try the Stoa app and find it useful, but truly cannot afford it, email us and we'll set you up with a free account.

Listen to more episodes and learn more here: https://stoameditation.com/blog/stoa-conversations/

Thanks to Michael Levy for graciously letting us use his music in the conversations: https://ancientlyre.com/

Why did talking about virtue fall out of fashion – and why is it coming back now?

In this conversation, Caleb speaks with Judith Stove about that very question, providence, and Marcus Aurelius as God.

Judith Stove is a Sydney, Australia, researcher and writer, focusing on Jane Austen and her reception, as well as on Stoicism and other classical virtue ethics.  Along with Simon J.E. Drew, she co-hosts the podcast 'Soul Searching With Seneca' at The Walled Garden philosophical community. She is currently assistant editor of the online journal 'Stoicism Today.' Judith is part of the organising team for Stoicon-X Melbourne, which is preparing its fourth in-person event in October 2024. Having published two books on Jane Austen's life and times, she is working on her third, about the legacies of Marcus Aurelius, to appear in 2025.

This is How We Become Godlike: Marcus Aurelius and His Monuments

(00:57) What is Stoicism?

(04:21) Community

(09:49) Finding Stoicism

(18:34) Where Did Virtue Go?

(30:09) Providence

(41:20) Does Caleb Believe In The Stoic God?

(46:15) Marcus Aurelius As God

(54:46) Resources

The ancients talked about Nature, Reason, Zeus, and God – but what did they mean by it?

In this conversation, Michael tells us who or what the Stoic God is.

We’re here to tell you – and share how the Stoic’s beliefs about God influenced their practice and picture of Stoicism.

(00:58) Why The Stoic God Matters

(03:21) The Agenda

(05:40) Stoic Physics

(08:29) Is This Like Aristotle?

(14:13) God Is Fire

(23:35) The Forms of God

(28:53) God Is Everything

(31:52) The Divine In Us

(37:15) Reason

(38:31) The Cyclic Universe

(45:36) The Problem Of Evil

(54:18) Living In Accordance With Nature

(56:25) Summary

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Subscribe to The Stoa Letter for weekly meditations, actions, and links to the best Stoic resources: www.stoaletter.com/subscribe

Download the Stoa app (it’s a free download): stoameditation.com/pod

If you try the Stoa app and find it useful, but truly cannot afford it, email us and we'll set you up with a free account.

Listen to more episodes and learn more here: https://stoameditation.com/blog/stoa-conversations/

Thanks to Michael Levy for graciously letting us use his music in the conversations: https://ancientlyre.com/