The philosophy of stoicism teaches that humans are capable of enduring any hardship by focusing on what is in their control and by accepting the things they cannot change. In the investing world, this means not getting caught up in market noise and instead focusing on the long term. 

In this episode, Rusty and Robyn talk with William B. Irvine, professor of philosophy at Wright State University and author of several books, including A Guide to A Good Life and The Stoic Challenge. William is an internationally acclaimed author whose work explores philosophy and stoicism.

William talks with Rusty and Robyn about the philosophy of stoicism, how it can help investors navigate the market, how it can be applied in everyday life, and how it can help people cope with setbacks.

Key Takeaways

Quotes

[08:50] - "Focus your attention on the things you can control. Because if you focus your attention on the things you cannot control, you're wasting your time and your emotion." - William B. Irvine

[11:50] - "One of the ways to increase the number of positive emotions you experience and to make whatever you're now experiencing vastly more tolerable is to take a moment to think about how things could be worse." - William B. Irvine

[19:32] - "Emotions are your biggest enemy and you are your biggest enemy. You are your biggest obstacle to successful investing. And the problem is your emotions are gonna give you all the wrong answers." - William B. Irvine

[30:09] - "Insults are just words. It's your response to an insult that does you the harm." - William B. Irvine

Links 

Connect with our hosts

Subscribe and stay in touch

0856-OPS-5/17/2022