Pub and Porch: Applied Stoicism

Adam and Mick

A conversational podcast about Stoicism and its application in modern life. Co-hosted by Mick Mulroy and Adam Piercey, episodes centre around topics from modern life like dealing with anger, ethics, lessons to take from the philosophy, and many others.

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20 episodes
Updated Monday

Episodes20

Newest first

Monday · 41 min
Rumors
In today's episode, Adam and Mick discuss the impact of rumors and how Socrates devised a three-step plan for deciding when to say anything called the Three Sieves. Adam and Mick start off with the first sieve: Is it true? and discuss situations both theoretical and personal. The conversation moves back and forth between whether or not you are the one sharing the information, or the information shared is about you. Then the team covers the final two sieves: Is it good? and is it useful? Personal experiences and theories abound in this episode. URL: pubandporch.com Email: info@pubandporch.com X: @PubandPorch Substack: Pub and Porch Applied Stoicism YouTube: @pubporch PPAS Logo Provided by: Mike Golka All music provided by Heath Cantu from epidemicsound.com
July 20 · 47 min
Burnout
In today's episode, Adam and Mick discuss a very practical topic which is the discussion of burnout. The episode begins by discussing what burnout is, what it might mean to different people, and we hear from Adam on his personal reasons for bringing this up as an episode topic. The we delve into how Stoics would probably view burnout, and discuss some key themes as to why burnout needs to be taken seriously. Podcast referenced: Practical Wisdom by Massimo Pigliucci URL: pubandporch.com Email: info@pubandporch.com X: @PubandPorch Substack: Pub and Porch Applied Stoicism YouTube: @pubporch PPAS Logo Provided by: Mike Golka All music provided by Heath Cantu from epidemicsound.com
July 13 · 42 min
Raising Kids 4
In this penultimate episode on raising kids, Adam and Mick dive into the topics of fostering and adoption. Mick shares personal stories of his first-hand experience of fostering, and the relationship that he built that still exists today. Adoption is also a major topic in today's episode, and Adam and Mick both share personal stories related to that topic from their own lives. URL: pubandporch.com Email: info@pubandporch.com X: @PubandPorch Substack: Pub and Porch Applied Stoicism YouTube: @pubporch PPAS Logo Provided by: Mike Golka All music provided by Heath Cantu from epidemicsound.com
July 6 · 29 min
Raising Kids 3
Today's episode continues our series on Raising kids with episode 3, focussing on the last 3 rules from Musonius Rufus on raising children: praise character and effort more than achievement, teach responsibility and accountability, choose friends and influences wisely, teach that happiness comes from character not possessions. Adam and Mick talk about the important topics from Stoicism including how we only control our own actions not the outcome of events, experiencing controlled hardship and adversity through sports and other activities, and choosing to set boundaries for who you wish to be friends with. URL: pubandporch.com Email: info@pubandporch.com X: @PubandPorch Substack: Pub and Porch Applied Stoicism YouTube: @pubporch PPAS Logo Provided by: Mike Golka All music provided by Heath Cantu from epidemicsound.com
June 29 · 45 min
Raising Kids 2
In today's episode, recorded on Father's Day itself, Mick and Adam delve further into Musonius' rules about raising kids. The episode starts out by talking about what it means to "provide" as a father, referencing the Kelly Brothers and their experience as children. Then the topic of the "fatherlessness" problem comes up, and the hosts step back into the rules as they are themselves represented by Musonius Rufus. Topics of virtue before wealth, leading by example, and raising sons and daughters equally in virtue and education, are all discussed today. Today's translations of Musonius Rufus come from the Cora E. Lutz translation of 1947. URL: pubandporch.com Email: info@pubandporch.com X: @PubandPorch Substack: Pub and Porch Applied Stoicism YouTube: @pubporch PPAS Logo Provided by: Mike Golka All music provided by Heath Cantu from epidemicsound.com
June 22 · 45 min
Raising Kids 1
To honour Father's Day, today's episode centres around raising kids. We focus on the teaching of Musonius Rufus and his rules about raising children, and start to discuss the first few rules from Musonius' teachings. Discussions in this episode move from the past to the present, and discuss some of the modern challenges of being a parent while Adam and Mick share their own views on the subject. Stay tuned for parts 2 and 3 coming soon! URL: pubandporch.com Email: info@pubandporch.com X: @PubandPorch Substack: Pub and Porch Applied Stoicism YouTube: @pubporch PPAS Logo Provided by: Mike Golka All music provided by Heath Cantu from epidemicsound.com
June 15 · 31 min
Epictetus
In this week's episode, Adam and Mick discuss one of the "Big Three" of Stoicism: Epictetus. In discussion is Epictetus' origins, what we know (or don't really know) about his early life, how he came to become a slave, and how he ended up in Rome. The discussion turns to some of his core views, and where they might have originated based on the experience that we know that he went through. Epictetus' fame in the classical world, and his eventual connections to Marcus Aurelius, rounds out the discussion as well as Epictetus' connection to some more modern Stoics as well. Referenced works in this episode: Lives of the Stoics - Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman Epictetus: Discourses and Selected Writings - Penguin URL: pubandporch.com Email: info@pubandporch.com X: @PubandPorch Substack: Pub and Porch Applied Stoicism YouTube: @pubporch PPAS Logo Provided by: Mike Golka All music provided by Heath Cantu from epidemicsound.com
June 8 · 26 min
Selecting Leaders Part 2
In this week's episode, Adam and Mick continue the conversation in part 2 of the main topic for this week's episode which is the selection of leaders, be it political, industry, military, or otherwise. Concepts around the current trends we are seeing in the world, and some of the responsibilities that citizens and Stoics have when looking to select their leaders, are a prevalent theme in today's discussion. URL: pubandporch.com Email: info@pubandporch.com X: @PubandPorch Substack: Pub and Porch Applied Stoicism YouTube: @pubporch PPAS Logo Provided by: Mike Golka All music provided by Heath Cantu from epidemicsound.com
June 1 · 26 min
Selecting Leaders Part 1
In this week's episode, Adam and Mick open with a little life update to each other and also talk a little bit about some recent space program events going on. Then, the conversation shifts to part 1 of the main topic for this week's episode which is the selection of leaders, be it political, industry, military, or otherwise. Concepts around the current trends we are seeing in the world, and some of the responsibilities that citizens and Stoics have when looking to select their leaders, are a prevalent theme in today's discussion. URL: pubandporch.com Email: info@pubandporch.com X: @PubandPorch Substack: Pub and Porch Applied Stoicism YouTube: @pubporch PPAS Logo Provided by: Mike Golka All music provided by Heath Cantu from epidemicsound.com
May 25 · 40 min
Freedom of Speech
In today's episode, Mick and Adam discuss a topic that has become quite prevalent in these past few years: freedom of speech. Concepts around what is means by definition, but also what it means in practice, are major topics throughout the podcast today. The idea of freedom of speech also coincides the idea of freedom to disagree or debate, and that is another key topic in today's discussion as Adam and Mick discuss what is better for a society - to be open and ready for discussion, or to hide and ignore. URL: pubandporch.com Email: info@pubandporch.com X: @PubandPorch Substack: Pub and Porch Applied Stoicism YouTube: @pubporch PPAS Logo Provided by: Mike Golka All music provided by Heath Cantu from epidemicsound.com
May 19 · 31 min
Musonius Rufus - Epictetus' Teacher
In today's episode, Adam and Mick continue our episodes on the classical Stoics. Today's episodes covers Musonius Rufus, a prominent Stoic in Rome during the time of Octavian and Nero and also the teacher of one of the "Big Three" Stoics, Epictetus. Key parts of Musonius' life are discussed, as well as some of the key tenets of Musonius' teachings that make him both modern-thinking and timeless. We finish off with discussions about the upheaval in Rome at the time that Musonius and his peers rose in prominence as people looked for guidance in a tumultuous world. URL: pubandporch.com Email: info@pubandporch.com X: @PubandPorch Substack: Pub and Porch Applied Stoicism YouTube: @pubporch PPAS Logo Provided by: Mike Golka All music provided by Heath Cantu from epidemicsound.com
May 11 · 44 min
Zeno - Founder of the Stoics
This week, Adam and Mick start a new series of episodes one the original Stoics of history. In this first episode, their topic is Zeno the original founder of Stoicism. The story of his origins, how he came to be in Athens, how he lost everything and then founded the first Stoic school all take place in this episode, but Adam and Mick also talk about the different motivations and some key points in Stoicism's early history. Stick around for a blooper that made the final cut, where Mick's phone decides to join in on the conversation also! URL: pubandporch.com Email: info@pubandporch.com X: @PubandPorch Substack: Pub and Porch Applied Stoicism YouTube: @pubporch PPAS Logo Provided by: Mike Golka All music provided by Heath Cantu from epidemicsound.com
May 4 · 32 min
Temperance; Do you have it?
In this week's episode, Adam and Mick discuss the Stoic virtue of Temperance. Opening with some initial definitions of the word, Adam and Mick discuss their views on temperance meaning self-control and the choices we make versus temperance as a sort of demeanor or appearance of character. Also discussed are ideas around humility and modesty, and how temperance can help shape how we view ourselves in the world. Final discussions compare this virtue to the other three, and how sometimes it's seen as a "lesser virtue" even though it shares an equal importance with the other virtues of the philosophy. URL: pubandporch.com Email: info@pubandporch.com X: @PubandPorch Substack: Pub and Porch Applied Stoicism YouTube: @pubporch PPAS Logo Provided by: Mike Golka All music provided by Heath Cantu from epidemicsound.com
April 27 · 47 min
Change
In this week's episode, Adam and Mick talk about change. The conversation starts by focussing on how change is constant, and an expected part of the universe, and how we can approach that as Stoics and as human beings. Then, Adam and Mick focus on the idea of choice and action, and Mick delves into the topic of resilience and how we can use those tools to address change as it expectedly comes into our lives. Lastly, Adam and Mick talk about our societal obligations and how we must teach youth about how to deal with the change that comes as part of anyone's life. URL: pubandporch.com Email: info@pubandporch.com X: @PubandPorch Substack: Pub and Porch Applied Stoicism YouTube: @pubporch PPAS Logo Provided by: Mike Golka All music provided by Heath Cantu from epidemicsound.com
April 20 · 34 min
Relationships
Today's episode revolves around relationships, and how Stoics approach them. Historical references to Stoicism's stance on relationships are where we start, with clear discussions on Stoicism's key tenets and beliefs around them even in relation to other philosophies. Relationship discussions go from marriage, to friendship, as well as other relationship types like family and work colleagues. Discussions around the social aspects of being human, as well as the full experience of emotions we have as humans, and we relate these things to some historic marriages for Stoics from the past. Books referenced today include: A Guide to the Good Life - William B. Irvine Socrates in Love - Armand D'Angour Verissimus - Donald J. Robertson URL: pubandporch.com Email: info@pubandporch.com X: @PubandPorch Substack: Pub and Porch Applied Stoicism YouTube: @pubporch PPAS Logo Provided by: Mike Golka All music provided by Heath Cantu from epidemicsound.com
April 13 · 42 min
Street Philosophy
In this episode, Mick and Adam discuss the current and historical context of Stoicism as a "street philosophy". Stoicism's origins, and how it spread to the streets of Rome and beyond, are discussed, as well as historical examples of how Stoicism arrived in a time of other new philosophies. Examples from related practices, and examples of other prominent philosophers of the time period, are discussed. What people first see when they come to the arrive at the philosophy is another prominent subject, and we close with some nerdiness about Space. URL: pubandporch.com Email: info@pubandporch.com X: @PubandPorch Substack: Pub and Porch Applied Stoicism YouTube: @pubporch PPAS Logo Provided by: Mike Golka All music provided by Heath Cantu from epidemicsound.com
April 6 · 33 min
Book Bans: A Stoic Opposition
In this week's episode, Adam and Mick discuss some of the recent, alarming activity around the banning of certain books for their being deemed "inappropriate" in some shape or form. Wisdom, and our ability to think rationally and change our minds is key to the Stoics. The later discussion then focusses on the fact that censorship in any form comes with its own challenges, and the best way to fight dangerous or inappropriate ideas is to combat them with better ideas and better discourse. Adam closes with a history lesson from the space program, and how the presence of multiple, differing ideas actually makes us and those around us better. NOTE: There are some audio and video issues in the episode, so we apologize for some of the odd edits you might hear and see. URL: pubandporch.com Email: info@pubandporch.com X: @PubandPorch Substack: Pub and Porch Applied Stoicism YouTube: @pubporch PPAS Logo Provided by: Mike Golka All music provided by Heath Cantu from epidemicsound.com
April 1 · 47 min
Stoicism and Space
In today's special episode, Adam gets a chance to talk about his work and industry as Mick asks him questions about the space program, space exploration, and the upcoming Artemis II launch. Adam talks about the upcoming Artemis II mission, as well as the history of lunar exploration programs from the past as well as upcoming lunar missions that are being planned. The conversation closes on topics of how Stoicism relates to the space program in different ways. All views and opinions expressed in this episode are solely those of the speaker. URL: pubandporch.com Email: info@pubandporch.com X: @PubandPorch Substack: Pub and Porch Applied Stoicism YouTube: @pubporch PPAS Logo Provided by: Mike Golka All music provided by Heath Cantu from epidemicsound.com
March 30 · 34 min
Stoicism's Future
Today, Mick and Adam discuss their views on the future of Stoicism and where they hope this philosophy will go next. Ideas for the philosophy to act as a political movement, movement for social justice, and ways in which it can be used to shape the direction for humanity all come to the fore. Use of the philosophy across the political spectrum also become a prevalent topic, as the philosophy is discussed as a tool for deciding the degree to which political movements can use it to shape their decisions. URL: pubandporch.com Email: info@pubandporch.com X: @PubandPorch Substack: Pub and Porch Applied Stoicism YouTube: @pubporch PPAS Logo Provided by: Mike Golka All music provided by Heath Cantu from epidemicsound.com
March 23 · 56 min
Against Toxic Masculinity
In today's episode, Mick and Adam discuss the idea of "toxic masculinity" and how it is both negative and harmful in society today. Chauvinism, sexism, and racism are discussed as aspects of this movement, as well as the ideas of certain emotions being singled out as "right" while others are not. The Stoic concepts surrounding anger as a "temporary madness" are discussed, as well as both historical and modern examples of Stoic views on the subject. URL: pubandporch.com Email: info@pubandporch.com X: @PubandPorch Substack: Pub and Porch Applied Stoicism YouTube: @pubporch PPAS Logo Provided by: Mike Golka All music provided by Heath Cantu from epidemicsound.com

Pub and Porch: Applied Stoicism

Rumors

Burnout

Raising Kids 4

Raising Kids 3

Raising Kids 2

Raising Kids 1

Epictetus

Selecting Leaders Part 2

Selecting Leaders Part 1

Freedom of Speech

Musonius Rufus - Epictetus' Teacher

Zeno - Founder of the Stoics

Temperance; Do you have it?

Change

Relationships

Street Philosophy

Book Bans: A Stoic Opposition

Stoicism and Space

Stoicism's Future

Against Toxic Masculinity