In this episode, I talk with Raymond DiGiuseppe, Professor of Psychology at St. John’s University and Director of Professional Education at the Albert Ellis Institute. Professor DiGiuseppe is a renowned figure in the field of cognitive-behavioral therapy, particularly Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT). He’s also done extensive work on anger. This is a special episode in which we take a deep dive into the Stoic anger management strategies described in the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius. How valuable are these ancient strategies when viewed from the perspective of modern evidence-based psychotherapy.

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Highlights

* The Stoic theory of anger as a “desire for revenge”

* Avoid mind-reading: “[When getting offended:] remember that you can’t be sure that they are doing wrong, because many actions serve some other purpose. Generally speaking, a great deal of experience is needed before one can confidently express an opinion about what someone else is doing.”

* Consider the whole character: “Remember how they behave while eating, while reclining on their couches, and so on, and most importantly how their beliefs leave them no choice, and how they pride themselves on what they do.”

* Attribute actions to ignorance rather than malice: “For no soul is voluntarily deprived of the truth and by the same token no soul is voluntarily deprived of the ability to [judge the worth of things properly]. Indeed, people don’t like to be called unjust, discourteous, and avaricious, or, in general, to be thought of as someone likely to wrong their neighbors.”

* Contemplate impermanence: “When you’re too angry or impatient, remember that human life is fleeting and before long all of us will have been laid to rest.”

* Cognitive distancing: “Remember that it is not people’s actions that disturb us (because their actions are [their own business]), but our opinions of their actions. At any rate, eliminate the judgment that they’re doing something hurtful, and be willing to let go of it, and anger comes to an end.”

* Anger does us more harm than the things we’re angry about: “Remember that we suffer more from getting angry and upset about such things than we do from the things themselves.”

* Kindness and other virtues can replace anger: “Remember that kindness is unconquerable if it’s genuine, not phony or feigned. After all, what can even the most abusive person in the world do to you if you keep on being kind to him and, if the opportunity arises, gently offer him advice and take the time to show him the error of his ways right when he’s trying to do you harm?”

* Recognize your own flaws: “Remember that you yourself often do wrong and are no better than them. Even if you refrain from certain kinds of transgressions, you still have the capacity to commit them.”

* Do not demand perfection from others: “[And you can accept a tenth gift, from Apollo, the Leader of the Muses:] the proposition that it’s insanity to expect flawed men never to do wrong, because that would be desiring the impossible..”

* Remember, nature gave you the potential to overcome anger and conflict: “First, remember the various kinds of relationship I have with [others]: we were born to help one another.”

* Are there other relevant attitudes that Marcus Aurelius doesn’t mention?

Links

* Profile at St John’s University

* Profile at the Albert Ellis Institute

* Google Scholar Profile

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Donald speaks with Matthew Gindin, writer, editor, and former Buddhist monk. We talk about Buddhist teachings on anger and the parallels between Buddhist and Stoic contemplative meditation practices.

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

In this episode, I chat with Charif Ahmed of Study the Greats and Become Greater, about the Stoic approach to anger management found in Seneca’s On Anger.

Links

* Study the Greats and Become Greater

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Thank you The Plato's Academy Centre, Adam PT, Diane Kalen-Sukra, EHL, VeneerOfCivility, and many others for tuning into my live video with Anya Leonard of Classical Wisdom, discussing anger! Join me for my next live video in the Substack app.

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.

You can register free of charge for the Philosophy and Psychology of Anger event on Saturday via the link below.

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In this episode, I chat with Windy Dryden. Windy is Emeritus Professor of Psychotherapeutic Studies at Goldsmiths in the University of London. He has been working in the field of psychotherapy since 1975, and was one of the first people in Britain to be trained in Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT). He learned from pioneers such as Albert Ellis, Aaron T. Beck and Arnold Lazarus, among others. He is a very influential figure in the field himself, best-known as the UK’s leading expert on Rational-Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT). In a career spanning almost half a century, he has worked with thousands of clients, trained countless students, and written or edited 285 books on psychotherapy.

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 was different when you first began studying psychotherapy in the 1970s?

* Do you think anything was done better in the past?)

* In a nutshell, what is Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy?

* What the relationship is between REBT and CBT.

* What is single-session therapy?

* What information do you need to get from the client to make this approach work?

* Do you ask clients to do preparatory work before the session or homework afterwards?

* How can REBT help with anger?

* How do we distinguish healthy from unhealthy anger?

* What’s the simplest bit of good advice, in your view, that could be given to people struggling with anger?

Links

* Website: windydryden.com

* Amazon Author Profile

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

Thanks to Jon Brooks for remastering my audio recording of the View from Above, a guided Stoic meditation exercise.

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.

Check out my article about the Acropolis and View from Above in the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius.

You’ll also find an version of the script in this article…

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In this episode, I chat with Chuck Garcia, the founder of Climb Leadership International. Chuck coaches executives of Fortune 500 companies on public speaking and emotional intelligence. He is an Adjunct Professor in Columbia University’s Graduate School of Engineering and teaches in their professional development and leadership program. Chuck is also a passionate mountaineer. He is the author of the book A Climb to the Top: Communication & Leadership Tactics to Take Your Career to New Heights, and more recently, his latest book, The Moment That Defines Your Life: Integrating Emotional Intelligence and Stoicism when your Life, Career, and Family are on the Line.

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?

* What misconceptions do you think people might have about Stoicism?

* Why do you think Stoicism is important today?

* What’s your book The Moment that Defines your Life about?

* What is a moment that defines your life?

* Are there any connections, for you, between Stoicism and mountaineering?

* What aspects of Stoicism do you think are most relevant to executive coaching?

* How do you see the relationship between Stoicism and emotional intelligence

* 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

* Website: https://chuckgarcia.com/

* A Climb to the Top

* The Moment that Defines your Life

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

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

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

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

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 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