The Stoic Handbook with Jon Brooks

By Jon BrooksSociety & Culture Health & Fitness Mental Health Education Self-Improvement Philosophy

The Stoic Handbook with Jon Brooks episodes

May 28, 2021 Stoic Guide to Navigating Troubled and Toxic Relationships
Difficult people are one of the most reliable sources of suffering we have, and the Stoics knew it. Marcus filled his private notes with reminders to stay tolerant and kind with the people who tested him.
His famous line about waking up expecting to meet the meddling and ungrateful, and choosing patience anyway, runs through this whole episode. I share how I try to apply that in my own troubled relationships, without pretending it is easy.
Free 7-Day Stoic Challenge: stoicchallenge.co
The Stoic Vault: stoicvault.com
29 min
May 08, 2021 Difference Between "Would" and "Could"
One Marcus Aurelius line has stuck with me more than most: stop arguing about what a good person should be, and just be one. It cuts straight through the temptation to theorise instead of act.
In this one I sit with that quote and the way it feeds into self-discipline and getting free of approval addiction. The distinction I keep coming back to is the gap between what you would do and what you could do. It works as both a reality check and a quiet push toward what actually matters.
Free 7-Day Stoic Challenge: stoicchallenge.co
The Stoic Vault: stoicvault.com
11 min
April 16, 2021 Stoicism is Martial Arts for the Mind
I have trained martial arts for years, but my real love is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. It has changed how I relate to my body, my sense of who I am, and the world around me. More than anything, it taught me how to learn.
That is what got me thinking about the overlap with Stoicism. In this one I make the case that you absorb Stoic ideas far faster when you treat the philosophy like a martial art you drill, rather than a theory you read.
Free 7-Day Stoic Challenge: stoicchallenge.co
The Stoic Vault: stoicvault.com
12 min
March 31, 2021 How Stoics Interpret Reality
Epictetus had a deceptively simple claim: it is not events that disturb us, but our judgements about them. Sit with that long enough and it changes how you meet almost everything.
In this lesson I break down his view of the emotions and how we work with them in a world that is often cruel and chaotic. The idea sounds plain, but I would argue it is the single most important principle in all of Stoic thought.
Further reading: stoichandbook.co
Free 7-Day Stoic Challenge: stoicchallenge.co
The Stoic Vault: stoicvault.com
6 min
March 24, 2021 Meditation: The Stoic Daily Mindful Review
One of the best meditation books I have read is The Mind Illuminated by John Yates, who writes as Culadasa. He holds a doctorate in neuroscience and tens of thousands of hours on the cushion, and it shows on every page.
In the appendix he shares a practice he calls the Daily Mindful Review, the strongest method he found for carrying mindfulness into ordinary life. I adapted it with Stoic elements, and this is the result. It is a slow, guided reflection you can return to each day. Find somewhere quiet and let it take its time.
Free 7-Day Stoic Challenge: stoicchallenge.co
The Stoic Vault: stoicvault.com
14 min
March 17, 2021 Reading Books is a Bad Way to Learn
I read a lot, so it feels strange to say this, but reading books is a poor way to actually learn something. Exposure to ideas is not the same as living them.
In this one I lay out how I think about learning, and why a book only earns its keep once you already have a framework to hang it on. Read without that, and you finish the book having met the ideas but changed nothing.
Free 7-Day Stoic Challenge: stoicchallenge.co
The Stoic Vault: stoicvault.com
10 min
March 05, 2021 Overcoming Pornography Addiction
A Stoic Handbook reader wrote in about pornography addiction, and I do my best to give it the careful answer it deserves. It is a nuanced subject and I try not to flatten it.
Part of what makes it hard is that it is a continuum addiction, with no clean line marking when it becomes a problem, which sets it apart from more binary habits. If you struggle with any kind of compulsive behaviour, I think this one will be useful.
Related posts and resources:
On Aversion and Desire: stoichandbook.co
How to Gain the Powers of a Stoic God: stoichandbook.co
Daily journalling tool: 750words.com
Compassion meditation: Insight Timer
Free 7-Day Stoic Challenge: stoicchallenge.co
The Stoic Vault: stoicvault.com
26 min
March 01, 2021 Work/Life Balance is an Illusion
Work-life balance gets talked about as if it were a fixed point you could reach and hold. I think that framing sets us up to fail. In this one I share how I actually approach it.
It should be useful for anyone busy who wants to get more done while carrying less stress. Along the way I point to a few things that shaped my thinking, including Alain de Botton on success, Greg McKeown on essentialism, and Henry Cloud on boundaries.
Related posts:
My Stoic Morning Routine: stoichandbook.co
How to Turn Stress into Tranquility: stoichandbook.co
Free 7-Day Stoic Challenge: stoicchallenge.co
The Stoic Vault: stoicvault.com
18 min
February 24, 2021 The Stoic 60-Minute Power Hour Routine
One of the prompts in my morning writing is simple: what three things will make up my power hour? It is the question that decides whether a day actually moves forward.
In this short one I explain what a power hour is and how I use it to get real work done while looking after a two-year-old half the week and running several business projects on the side. If you are short on time and tired of feeling scattered, give it a listen.
My Stoic Morning Routine: stoichandbook.co
Free 7-Day Stoic Challenge: stoicchallenge.co
The Stoic Vault: stoicvault.com
9 min
November 06, 2020 The Complete View From Above Stoic Meditation
Have you ever had a moment that made it suddenly obvious how much of what you worry about does not matter? For me it was the instant my son was born. The view from above is a way to reach for that clarity on purpose.
It is one of the most powerful Stoic practices. By stepping back from a difficult situation in the mind, you see it with more perspective and less stress, which makes for calmer judgement and steadier decisions. This is the full guided version. Find somewhere quiet and let yourself rise slowly above it all.
Free 7-Day Stoic Challenge: stoicchallenge.co
The Stoic Vault: stoicvault.com
10 min

About The Stoic Handbook with Jon Brooks

From the publisher's feed

You've read the books. You know what Marcus Aurelius would do. But when life gets hard, the philosophy disappears. This podcast is for people who want to close the gap between knowing Stoicism and…