The Strong Stoic Podcast

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  #423 - Becoming Someone You Respect 21.07.2026 14分

  Have you ever looked in the mirror and realized you’ve become someone you don’t respect? I have. In this deeply personal episode, I share a chapter of my life I’ve rarely talked about—the years after university when I slowly drifted into complacency. What began as well-earned rest became laziness, comfort, and eventually shame. One day I looked at the man I was becoming… and I didn’t like him. This episode is about the long, humbling process of rebuilding your character. We explore: Why good ...
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  #422 - You’ve Never Seen What You’re Truly Capable Of 14.07.2026 11分

  Most people believe they know their limits. The truth is, they only know where they’ve chosen to stop. In this episode, I explore one of the biggest lies we tell ourselves—that discomfort equals incapability. Whether it’s grief, parenthood, illness, failure, or unexpected responsibility, history shows that ordinary people repeatedly rise to challenges they once believed impossible. Like the reserve tank in your vehicle, human beings often have far more left than they realize. Drawing from Sto...
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  #421 - Corey Robinson | Who Are You When the Crowd Is Gone? 07.07.2026 1時間 16分

  Most of us don’t wake up wanting to be selfish, impatient, or unkind. So why is being good so difficult? In this conversation, I sit down once again with Corey to explore one of the oldest questions in philosophy, faith, and everyday life. Beginning with Rudyard Kipling’s timeless poem If—, we unpack what it really means to choose goodness when life becomes uncomfortable. We discuss why ego fights humility, why justice feels so personal, why suffering can either harden us or deepen us, and wh...
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  #420 - The Courage to Chase the Life That's Calling You 30.06.2026 17分

  Most people hear Walk on the Moon and think about astronauts. I think about ordinary people doing extraordinary things. The father holding his newborn. The recovering alcoholic walking into their first meeting. The woman rebuilding her life after divorce. The man finally leaving the job that’s been draining him for years. We all have a “walk on the moon.” In this episode, I use one of my favorite songs as a lens to explore courage, regret, fear, Stoicism, and what it re...
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  #419 - Give Your Past Self Some Grace 23.06.2026 14分

  We all know we should learn from our mistakes. But somewhere along the way, many of us confuse self-reflection with self-punishment. In this episode, I explore the difference between shadow work and self-loathing. Drawing from Stoicism, Carl Jung, Seneca, Dostoevsky, and Tolkien, I examine why looking honestly at our flaws is necessary—and why beating ourselves up for them isn’t. The goal isn’t to ignore your mistakes. The goal is to face them honestly, learn from them, and move forward witho...
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  #418 - Everything You Have Is Borrowed (Including Your Strength) 16.06.2026 17分

  As we grow stronger, wiser, healthier, and more disciplined, a subtle danger emerges: contempt. It's easy to celebrate strength. It's much harder to remain compassionate toward weakness—especially the weaknesses we once saw in ourselves. In this episode, I explore a paradox at the heart of Stoicism: how to pursue excellence without developing disdain for those who are still struggling. From the gym floor to leadership, from courage to cowardice, the Stoics remind us that virtue should produce...
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  #417 - Kyle Sarka - The Strange Comfort of Mortality 09.06.2026 1時間 1分

  What happens when someone you love dies? In this conversation, I sit down with a returning guest shortly after the loss of his father. We explore grief, mortality, legacy, and the strange reality that every person we meet was once a child, a son, a daughter, and a dream in someone else’s mind. We discuss Stoic perspectives on death, why history remembers some people and forgets others, the danger of judging people without understanding their circumstances, and what it means to leave something...
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  #416 - How to Move Forward When Everything Feels Heavy 02.06.2026 18分

  Sometimes the hardest part isn’t the workout, the meeting, the difficult conversation, or the grieving process. It’s the first step. In this episode, Brandon reflects on a lesson shared by Jeff Nippard following the tragic loss of his partner and explores how a simple idea—just take the first step—can help us navigate grief, fear, depression, and resistance. Drawing on personal experiences from the isolation of the COVID lockdowns and the Stoic understanding of courage, Brandon explains why m...
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  #415 - You Will Be Forgotten - And That's Beautiful 26.05.2026 16分

  Most extraordinary people are never famous. History remembers a few names — Marcus Aurelius, Churchill, Dostoevsky — but civilization itself is carried forward by ordinary people doing small things faithfully. Good fathers. Loyal friends. Honest workers. Men and women who plant trees whose shade they will never sit under. In this episode, I reflect on anonymous greatness, mortality, forgotten ancestors, war, courage, and why being forgotten may actually be one of the most beautiful truths abo...
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  #414 - The Difference Between Solitude and Loneliness 19.05.2026 14分

  Most people think the worst thing in the world is being alone. But the Stoics made an important distinction between loneliness and solitude. Loneliness is the painful feeling of disconnection — the sense that you do not belong, that no one truly sees you, understands you, or stands beside you. Solitude, however, is something entirely different. Solitude is peace within yourself. It is the ability to sit quietly in your own company without needing distraction, validation, or noise. In this epi...
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  #413 - The Root Cause of a Bad Life 12.05.2026 14分

  Most people are trying to fix symptoms instead of causes. You miss the gym and think you lack discipline. You eat poorly and think you have weak willpower. You feel exhausted and think you’ve become lazy. But what if those aren’t the real problem? In this episode, I talk about root causes — the foundational issues underneath the visible struggles in our lives. I use my recent work travel and disrupted sleep routine as an example of how one weak pillar can quietly affect everything else: mood,...
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  #412 - Not Everyone Is Meant to Be Your Friend 05.05.2026 12分

  Most people think Stoicism means being friends with everyone. It doesn’t. In this episode, we break down a hard truth: not everyone is meant to be your friend. Some people, by their nature, won’t align with you. Others, by their roles, can’t. And trying to force those relationships doesn’t make you more virtuous—it makes you more confused. We talk about: The difference between kindness and friendshipWhy your inner circle should be smallHow leadership changes relationshipsAnd how t...
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  #411 - You Forgot You’re Going to Die (And It’s Costing You) 21.04.2026 12分

  You’re busy. Life is good. Things are flowing. And that’s exactly when you’re most likely to forget something critical: You’re going to die. In this episode, I break down why thinking about death—especially when life feels good—is one of the most practical Stoic tools you have. We talk about: Why feeling good doesn’t mean you’re living well How comfort quietly leads to wasted timeThe connection between mortality and urgencyWhy procrastination thrives when you feel like you have “more time”How...
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  #410 - You’re Not Overwhelmed—You’re Unprioritized 15.04.2026 12分

  You’re not overwhelmed—you’re unprioritized. In this episode, I break down why the feeling of overwhelm isn’t always about having too much to do, but about trying to hold everything to the same standard. We talk about: Why life always feels “too full” as you take on more responsibilityThe concept of being functionally clean, fit, and presentWhen it’s appropriate to lower standards—and when it’s notThe idea of Minimum Viable Product applied to real lifeHow to decide what actually deserves exce...
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  #409 - Your Old Life is Running You 07.04.2026 14分

  You start something new—and it feels wrong. Not clearly wrong. Just… off. In this episode, I break down why that happens and why it’s not a signal to quit—but a signal to stay. Your nervous system is still calibrated to your old environment. And if you’re not careful, you’ll try to reshape your new life to match the one you left. We talk about: Why your instincts are unreliable during changeThe Stoic idea of controlling your response, not your first reactionWhen to stay vs. when to leaveThe 3...
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  #408 - Advice for Your 20s That Actually Survives Pressure 24.03.2026 18分

  Most advice for your 20s is designed to comfort you—not prepare you. In this episode, I break down 12 lessons that don’t sound good… but hold up when life gets difficult. We talk about: Why integrity costs more than people admitThe tension between ambition and relationshipsThe loneliness that comes with leadershipWhy decisiveness matters more than certaintyHow comfort quietly weakens youAnd why strength—physical and mental—is your real advantageThis isn’t motivation. It’s preparation.
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  #407 - Most of Your Life Is Boring — That’s Where It Gets Good 17.03.2026 13分

  Most of your life is going to feel… repetitive. Wake up. Work. Eat. Train. Sleep. Repeat. And if you’re not careful, you’ll start to believe something is wrong with that. In this episode, I break down why that feeling exists—and why it’s misleading. We talk about: Why movies distort your expectations of life The difference between monotony and meaninglessnessHow to actually enjoy the ordinary parts of your dayAnd why the “boring” parts are where your life is really builtThis isn’t about forci...
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  #406 - Dyeing the Soul: How Repeated Thoughts Shape Your Identity 10.03.2026 11分

  Marcus Aurelius wrote, “The soul becomes dyed with the color of its thoughts.” In this episode, we break down what that really means — and why it’s more psychological than poetic. Your character isn’t shaped by random thoughts. It’s shaped by repeated ones. The ones you rehearse. The ones you circulate. The ones you give attention to daily. We explore: How repeated thoughts build identity Why resentment, fear, and insecurity are trained habitsThe physical analogy of cupping and circulationHow...
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  #405 - Wealth Without Arrogance, Loss Without Panic 03.03.2026 24分

  Money stresses almost everyone. But Stoicism doesn’t tell us to ignore wealth — it tells us to rank it correctly. In this episode, I break down: Why money isn’t arbitrary (it represents reciprocity and contribution) Why living below your means is philosophical disciplineThe Stoic case for saving and investingThe difference between stewardship and obsessionWhy generosity requires orderWealth is a preferred indifferent. But mismanaging it is not neutral. Receive prosperity without arrogance. Be...
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  #404 - The Story You Tell to Sleep at Night 24.02.2026 16分

  Every man has his excuses. And the more vile the man becomes, the more touching the story has to be. In this episode of The Strong Stoic, we explore a brutal truth: no one thinks they’re the villain. From The Blade Itself to Game of Thrones to Breaking Bad, we examine how the human mind protects itself with narrative. We talk about: Why evil rarely feels evil from the insideHow rationalization becomes identityWhy dictators loved dogs and went home to dinnerThe Stoic discipline of self-interro...