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Practical Stoicism

Practical Stoicism

By: Evergreen Podcasts
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About this listen

 Stoicism is the pursuit of Virtue (Aretê), which was defined by the Ancient Greeks as "the knowledge of how to live excellently," Stoicism is a holistic life philosophy meant to guide us towards the attainment of this knowledge through the development of our character. While many other Stoicism podcasts focus on explaining Ancient Stoicism in an academic or historical context, Practical Stoicism strives to port the ancient wisdom of this 2300-plus-year-old Greek Philosophy into contemporary times to provide practical advice for living today, not two millennia ago. Join American philosopher of Stoicism Tanner Campbell, every Monday and Friday, for new episodes.Evergreen Podcasts 2025 Philosophy Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Growing Into Roles We're Not Good At Yet

    Growing Into Roles We're Not Good At Yet
    Nov 21 2025
    In this episode I talk about what it’s like to take on a large number of new roles in a very short period of time, and how doing so can leave you feeling detached from yourself unless you approach those roles with clear thinking, humility, and attention. Over the last few years I became a husband, a father, an immigrant, and a practitioner in a new career field — all while continuing the roles I already had. That much change, that fast, forced me to build a framework for integrating new roles without losing who I am or slipping into unreasonable self-judgment. Key takeaways from this episode include: Roles come with duties — and the more life you live, the more roles you’ll have. That’s normal, but it demands active attention. You will not be good at a new role at first — and that’s not a sign that you shouldn’t take it on. It’s a sign that you should start like a student, with humility. You must “titrate” your expectations — judge yourself only according to what is reasonable for your stage of development in that role. Define the “counting to 10” version of any new role — focus on performing the simplest, most fundamental parts well before anything else. Habituation shapes character — who you are today is the sum of what you’ve gotten comfortable with; who you’ll become depends on the habits you build now. For an ad-free version of this podcast please visit https://stoicismpod.com/members For links to other valuable Stoic things, please visit https://links.stoicismpod.com If you'd like to provide feedback on this episode, or have questions, you may do so as a member. Email sent by non-members will not be answered (though they may be read). This isn't punitive, I just cannot keep up. Limiting access to members reduces my workload. You're always invited to leave a comment on Spotify, member or not. Thanks for listening and have a great day! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    17 mins
  • Living Well on a Hot Planet [The COP30]

    Living Well on a Hot Planet [The COP30]
    Nov 14 2025
    In this episode I take a current headline—the opening of COP30 in Belém, Brazil—and sit with it like a philosopher, not a pundit. Instead of debating policy language or political victories, I look at what a global event like this means for people trying to live excellently right now. How do we face something as vast as climate change without falling into despair, apathy, or outrage? How do we care well within the limits of what’s up to us? Through the lens of Stoicism, I explore how the virtues of wisdom, justice, courage, and temperance apply to the climate crisis. You’ll hear how to use premeditatio malorum as a calm, practical exercise for readiness; how to transform grief and anger into usefulness; and how to translate anxiety into daily, deliberate action. Key takeaways from this episode include: The dichotomy of control is not a license to stop caring; it’s a guide for caring well. Virtue lives in the roles we already occupy—parent, neighbor, citizen—not in waiting for permission from global summits. Temperance, courage, and wisdom are not abstract ideals but habits that build resilience and trust where you live. For an ad-free version of this podcast please visit https://stoicismpod.com/members For links to other valuable Stoic things, please visit https://links.stoicismpod.com If you'd like to provide feedback on this episode, or have questions, you may do so as a member. Email sent by non-members will not be answered (though they may be read). This isn't punitive, I just cannot keep up. Limiting access to members reduces my workload. You're always invited to leave a comment on Spotify, member or not. Thanks for listening and have a great day! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    26 mins
  • Gender Roles and the Rational Soul

    Gender Roles and the Rational Soul
    Nov 5 2025
    In this episode I take on a listener question about gender roles and Stoicism — whether they exist, how the Stoics would have defined them, and what any of it means for modern relationships. We look closely at Musonius Rufus, the so-called “fourth head” of the Stoic school, who argued that women and men share reason, virtue, and moral responsibility in equal measure — but who also, being a man of his time, fell back on some outdated assumptions about what that equality should look like in practice. From there, I unpack how we can read those ancient ideas without either dismissing them or accepting them wholesale. What would a Stoic say about “fifty-fifty” relationships today, about who pays for dinner, or who does the dishes? We’ll explore how justice and reason — not gender — define our roles, and how mutual care can guide modern partnerships without falling into pathos or ideology. Key takeaways from this episode include: Musonius Rufus saw virtue as genderless, even if his society didn’t. Stoicism asks us to perform our chosen roles justly, not conform to old scripts. Rational partnership — not cultural expectation — is what makes a relationship Stoic. For an ad-free version of this podcast please visit https://stoicismpod.com/members For links to other valuable Stoic things, please visit https://links.stoicismpod.com If you'd like to provide feedback on this episode, or have questions, you may do so as a member. Email sent by non-members will not be answered (though they may be read). This isn't punitive, I just cannot keep up. Limiting access to members reduces my workload. You're always invited to leave a comment on Spotify, member or not. Thanks for listening and have a great day! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    22 mins
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