340 - Is Free Will Just a Lie We Tell Ourselves?

This week's episode is a chapter from my book, Stoicism 101. It's the chapter about Seneca the Younger, one of the most famous Stoic philosophers and writers.  Seneca is remembered as one of the most popular stoic philosophers, partly because a lot of his writings survived and were passed through antiquity. But how much do you know about Seneca? Well, in this episode, you're going to learn some more about this colorful and interesting man and his lasting influence on stoicism.“Men do not care how nobly they live, but only for how long, although it is within the reach of every man to live nobly, but within no man’s power to live long.”—SenecaSend us a text My book Stoicism 101 is available! Order here!Find out more at https://stoic.coffeeWatch episodes on YouTube!Find me on linkedIn, instagram, twitter, or threads.Thanks again for listening!

This week I dive into philosophy, life, music, and addiction with my friend Derrick Zaworski. Derrick is a music producer and owner of Road Tripping Records. Derrick and I have been friends for several years and we've always enjoyed deep and interesting conversations, so I thought it would be worthwhile to get one of those conversations on record. I hope you enjoy!Send us a text My book Stoicism 101 is available! Order here!Find out more at https://stoic.coffeeWatch episodes on YouTube!Find me on linkedIn, instagram, twitter, or threads.Thanks again for listening!

Do you ever think about your future self? How would your choices in the present change if you took the time to consider those choices would impact future you? Today I want to talk about the power of getting to know the future you.“First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do.” — EpictetusSend us a text My book Stoicism 101 is available! Order here!Find out more at https://stoic.coffeeWatch episodes on YouTube!Find me on linkedIn, instagram, twitter, or threads.Thanks again for listening!

Do we have free will or are we destined to our fate? Do the Stoics believe that we have free will or are our lives pre-determined? Does is matter? Today I’m going to talk about the Stoic ideas behind free will and fate, and how it does or doesn’t impact our lives. “Lead me, Fate, wherever you will, and I will cheerfully follow. For even if I kick and wail, all the same I must follow.” —CleanthesSend us a text My book Stoicism 101 is available! Order here!Find out more at https://stoic.coffeeWatch episodes on YouTube!Find me on linkedIn, instagram, twitter, or threads.Thanks again for listening!

What if I told you that the thing you’re avoiding… is exactly the thing you need most? Today we’re going about why comfort might be the biggest lie we believe, and how leaning into resistance can actually be the path to everything you want.“The superior man thinks always of virtue; the common man thinks of comfort.” ― ConfuciusSend us a text My book Stoicism 101 is available! Order here!Find out more at https://stoic.coffeeWatch episodes on YouTube!Find me on linkedIn, instagram, twitter, or threads.Thanks again for listening!

In this week's episode, I take some time to answer a few questions:- What should I do when someone criticizes me and I know they’re right?- How do I know if I’m actually making progress in my personal growth—or just spinning my wheels?- What would Marcus Aurelius say about social media?- What’s one way I secretly avoid discomfort—even though I talk about embracing it?“Or is it your reputation that's bothering you? But look at how soon we're all forgotten. The abyss of endless time that swallows it all. The emptiness of those applauding hands. The people who praise us; how capricious they are, how arbitrary. And the tiny region it takes place. The whole earth a point in space - and most of it uninhabited.”—Marcus AureliusSend us a text My book Stoicism 101 is available! Order here!Find out more at https://stoic.coffeeWatch episodes on YouTube!Find me on linkedIn, instagram, twitter, or threads.Thanks again for listening!

Empathy has been called everything from a virtue to a weakness to a sin. But in an age of outrage, is empathy a liability? Or is it the very thing we need to preserve civilization? In this week's episode I talk about the importance of empathy and why we need more, not less empathy in the world.“Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for kindness.”—SenecaSend us a text My book Stoicism 101 is available! Order here!Find out more at https://stoic.coffeeWatch episodes on YouTube!Find me on linkedIn, instagram, twitter, or threads.Thanks again for listening!

The Stoics place a premium on rationality and objectivity to help manage our emotions. But how do we develop that objectivity? Why should we practice become more objective? In this week’s episode we’re going to dive into those questions and talk about how you can be more objective.“Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” — Stephen R. CoveySend us a textMy book Stoicism 101 is available! Order here!Find out more at https://stoic.coffeeWatch episodes on YouTube!Find me on linkedIn, instagram, twitter, or threads.Thanks again for listening!

What if your biggest obstacle in life isn’t a lack of knowledge, but something else? What if this one attribute is the one thing that can help you truly excel in life? In this episode, I want discuss what I think is the greatest attribute that any person should have who wants improve themselves and how to develop it.“I’m am neither clever nor especially gifted. I am only very, very curious.” —Albert EinsteinSend us a text My book Stoicism 101 is available! Order here!Find out more at https://stoic.coffeeWatch episodes on YouTube!Find me on linkedIn, instagram, twitter, or threads.Thanks again for listening!

How often to you spend time worrying about everything that is happening in the world? How can you create more joy into your life? Can a Stoic be happy and joyful? Today I want to talk about Stoicism and joy.“A cheerful disposition and serenity of mind are not the result of luck but of wisdom.” — Seneca(Here's the link to the sunshine video!)Send us a textMy book Stoicism 101 is available! Order here!Find out more at https://stoic.coffeeWatch episodes on YouTube!Find me on linkedIn, instagram, twitter, or threads.Thanks again for listening!