Stop pushing the boulder of the past. Discover the practical tools to break the cycle of resentment using ancient philosophy and modern brain science.

Are you carrying a grudge that feels like a weight you just can’t shake? In this episode of The Synapse and the Stoa, host John Sampson explores why holding onto resentment is like the Myth of Sisyphus: you’re pushing a boulder of past wrongs up a hill, only to have it roll back and crush your mental well-being every single day.

We dive deep into the three pillars of a fulfilling life—Philosophy, Psychology, and Neuroscience—to provide you with a blueprint for letting go.

In this episode, you will learn:

• The Psychology of the "Anger Loop": Why rumination is a "biological debt" that causes chronic stress, heart disease, and immune dysfunction.
• The Stoic Shield: How Seneca, Epictetus, and Marcus Aurelius viewed forgiveness not as a weakness, but as a calculated move for personal power and rational agency.
• The "Medical Model" of Plato: A radical perspective shift that views wrongdoers as "sick souls" rather than villains, allowing you to replace bitterness with pity.
• The Neuroscience of Forgiveness: What happens in your prefrontal cortex and amygdala when you choose to forgive, and how it resets your nervous system.
• Viktor Frankl’s Secret: How to find the "space" between stimulus and response to reclaim your freedom.

Practical Takeaways: We wrap up with five actionable steps you can use today to identify your "boulders," reframe your injuries, and move forward. Remember: Forgiveness doesn’t mean you’re okay with what happened—it means you refuse to let it control you any longer.

Stop being Sisyphus. Drop the weight. Reclaim your life.

Key Figures Mentioned:

• Viktor Frankl (Man’s Search for Meaning)
• Seneca (On Anger)
• Epictetus
• Marcus Aurelius (Meditations)
• Plato & Aristotle