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Stoic Coffee Break

Erick Cloward

"Act on your principles, not your moods." A weekly meditation on how Stoic principles can help you be a better human. https://stoic.coffee
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26 episodes
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Avg 24 min
English

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#391
September 9 · 14 min
Why Socrates Would Hate AI | 391
AI seems to be everywhere at the moment. You can’t go a single day without someone posting about how AI sped up their work and solved all their problems. But with every technology there are downsides that aren’t apparent when it first shows up. Today we’re going to talk about some of those downsides from a Stoic perspective and consider what Socrates might think of AI. “No man was ever wise by chance.” — Seneca
#390
September 2 · 13 min
Inner Critic vs. Inner Coach | 390
Beating yourself up doesn’t make you better person. Hating yourself doesn’t motivate you more. So what’s the difference between holding yourself high standards and punishing yourself for failure? In this episode we discuss the two warring voices in each of us — the inner critic and the inner coach. “If you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid.” ― Epictetus
#389
August 28 · 1 hr 33 min
The Pressure Code: Interview with Performance Coach Jason Stacy | 388
Jason Stacy is a performance coach and author of The Pressure Code. He works with high performers including world tennis champion Aryan Sabalenka. In this episode we talk about how coming from living on the streets to being a top performance coach. We also discuss his formula of energy, emotions, and environment, and how the right combination of those leads to reaching your highest potential.
#417
August 23 · 11 min
The Game You Didn't Know You Were Playing | 388
So much of our lives are governed by rules that we aren’t even really aware of. Many of them we never even really question because we just assume that’s the way things are. But what if by questioning those rules, we can live with more agency, leading to a life we choose? “The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane. “ — Marcus Aurelius
#387
August 12 · 18 min
The Danger of Certainty | 387
Certainty and hubris have always been part of being human. It feels good to be certain, to believe that your opinion is the right one. We like leaders who sound certain and shun those that don’t. But sounding right isn’t the same thing as having the truth. What if the actual way to truth is not through being certain, but by embracing uncertainty? “It is impossible for a man to learn what he thinks he already knows.” ― Epictetus
#386
August 5 · 1 hr 11 min
Michael Lukich: The Stoic System Thinker | 386
How do you deal with complexity in daily life? How do get a more holistic picture of a problem in your life? In this episode we're diving into the intersection of Stoicism and systems thinking with Michael Lukich the author of The Stoic Systems Thinker.
#385
July 29 · 13 min
Keystone Habits: How One Good Habit Can Change Everything | 385
Habits are a key part of our lives. We have helpful habits that help us accomplish what we set out to do. We also have some that we’d like to get rid of. But what if I told you that sometimes one good habit is all it takes to reorient our lives and make lasting changes? In this week’s episode we’ll discuss the importance of keystone habits and how you can find yours. "All our life, so far as it has definite form, is but a mass of habits." — William James
#384
July 23 · 16 min
The Virtue of Reading | 384
When was the last time that you read a book. A serious book. Something stretched your mind? Something that you had to stop and go back and reread a sentence or paragraph to make sure you understood it? Maybe even learned some new words? New ideas? In this episode, let’s talk about why you should read deeper — not just so you can check another book off your list, but as a tool to help you deal with the complexities of life. “Friends, the school of a philosopher is a hospital. When you leave, you
#383
July 14 · 1 hr 5 min
Interview with Jon Brooks: Stoicism and Emotions | 383
Jon Brooks is the host of the Stoic Handbook podcast and Substack page. In this episode we talk about the dangers of over-managing your emotions and finding ways to be a good Stoic while not shutting yourself off emotionally.
#382
June 21 · 15 min
What Does It Actually Take to Be Courageous? | 382
Courage, one of the four cardinal virtues of Stoicism, is what I consider the fuel for virtue, and really for living a good life. But what does courage actually look like? Are we born courageous or it it something we can develop? In today’s episode we’re going to dive into what Stoics taught about courage and how it’s backed up by modern science. "Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point." —C.S. Lewis
#381
June 15 · 1 hr 8 min
Interview with Kelly McGinnis: What it Takes to Really Lead | 381
Kelly McGinnis spent two decades navigating the most complex systems in the Fortune 100 arena, from driving digital transformation to unlocking billion-dollar opportunities as a CFO and President. I have worked with teams all over the world. Today, she help leaders stop "getting back to themselves" and start integrating their professional superpowers with their personal reality. She focuses on what truly matters so you can stop sweating the small stuff and start leading from a place of steadines
#380
June 5 · 10 min
What's the Worst that Could Happen? | 380
“What’s the worst that could happen?” We’ve all heard this before. Usually it’s tongue in cheek just before something really bad does happen. But counterintuitively, it’s actually one of the most powerful questions that we can ask ourselves when we’re stuck in anxiety. So let’s talk about how imagining the worst can you you be your best. “The mind that is anxious about future events is miserable.” — Seneca
#379
May 28 · 10 min
Why Searching for Meaning Is Keeping You Stuck | 379
Do you live a meaningful life? Not "are you successful" or "are you productive" or "are you optimizing your mornings”, but does your life actually feel like it means something? Marcus Aurelius was the most powerful man on Earth. He had every external condition for a meaningful life — wealth, status, purpose handed to him by birth. And yet, his private journals are full of reminders he had to write to himself just to keep going. Which tells you something important: meaning isn't a thing you find
#388
May 19 · 16 min
Collaborating with Reality: The Stoic Art of Being Present | 378
Far too often we’re never really in the moment. Maybe we’re stuck ruminating in the past over what we wished would have happened, or projecting out into the future our hope of what will happen. Maybe we distract ourselves with our phones, with entertainment, or alcohol or drugs. Anything that can relieve boredom or the discomfort of our present reality. But what if you leaned into that boredom? What if embracing discomfort is the key to really experiencing your life? In this episode I want to ab
#377
May 6 · 19 min
The Power of Paradox: The Stoic Art of Holding Two Truths at Once | 377
Can two things be true at the same time? Can you hold two opposing ideas at the same time? Today I want to talk about how learning be be comfortable with opposites can widen your thinking and help you see reality a little more clearly. "The opposite of a correct statement is a false statement. But the opposite of a profound truth may well be another profound truth." — Niels Bohr
#376
April 28 · 21 min
How Fear Creates the Failure It Fears | 376
Are you motivated by fear? What if that fear is actually at the root of why you’re not getting the results you’re going after? In this week’s episode I want to talk about how to stop fear from sabotaging your best work. “What I advise you to do is, not to be unhappy before the crisis comes; since it may be that the dangers before which you paled as if they were threatening you, will never come upon you; they certainly have not yet come."
#375
April 21 · 21 min
Before You Book the Therapist, Build the Foundations | 375
Do you need therapy in order to have a good life? What is the difference between therapy and philosophy? Today I want to discuss the differences and how you need to right tools to build a good life. “We should not use philosophy like a herbal remedy, to be discarded when we're through. Rather, we must allow philosophy to remain with us, continually guarding our judgements throughout life, forming part of our daily regimen, like eating a nutritious diet or taking physical exercise.” ― Musonius
#374
April 15 · 10 min
Why You'll Never Reach Your Ideal Self (And Why That's the Point) | 374
Do you have a clear picture of the person you want to become? And what happens when you fall short of that person — not once, but again and again? Today I want to talk about what you should do when you fall short of reaching your ideal self. “Give yourself fully to your endeavors. Decide to construct your character through excellent actions and determine to pay the price of a worthy goal. The trials you encounter will introduce you to your strengths.” — Epictetus
#373
April 7 · 13 min
The Busy Trap: Seneca on Why You're Optimizing the Wrong Thing | 373
Are you too busy? Are you working too hard to be productive with every minute of your time? In today’s episode I want to talk about the perils of over-optimizing your life, and what the Stoics had to say about managing your time. “So, concerning the things we pursue, and for which we vigorously exert ourselves, we owe this consideration – either there is nothing useful in them, or most aren't useful. Some of them are superfluous, while others aren't worth that much. But we don't discern this an
#372
March 30 · 15 min
Skeptical, not Cynical: How to Think in an Age of Misinformation | 372
In today’s media environment do you know how to think well? How do you know who to trust? Today we’re going to talk about how Stoicism can help you to think critically about what you consume, and how be skeptical without being cynical. “You become what you give your attention to…If you yourself don't choose what thoughts and images you expose yourself to, someone else will.” — Epictetus

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