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Ever feel like you're drifting through life without a clear moral compass? The ancient Stoics had an answer: four timeless virtues that can transform how you handle stress, make decisions, and find meaning.

In this episode of Stoic Handbook, Jon Brooks breaks down wisdom, courage, justice, and temperance – the four cardinal virtues that philosophers like Marcus Aurelius and Epictetus used to navigate everything from personal anxiety to leading empires.

You'll discover:

• Wisdom: How to see reality clearly and focus on what you can control (with a modern work deadline example)
• Courage: Why acting on your principles matters more than physical bravery (plus the truth about Stoic tattoos!)
• Justice: How treating others fairly becomes the source of all other virtues
• Temperance: The art of balance in a world of excess and distraction

Jon shares practical daily exercises, modern examples, and explains why these 2,000-year-old principles are more relevant than ever in our chaotic world. Whether you're dealing with anxiety, seeking clarity, or just want to be a better human, this episode gives you a framework that actually works.

Perfect for: Anyone new to Stoicism, people struggling with emotional resilience, or philosophy enthusiasts looking for practical wisdom.

Resources mentioned: Marcus Aurelius' Meditations, Epictetus' Enchiridion, Modern Stoicism website

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Reclaim your calm in a world of group chat drama and endless notifications. This 12-minute guided practice breaks down Epictetus' 20 social rules from the Enchiridion Chapter 33—ancient Stoic wisdom for modern chaos.

Learn to pause before reacting, redirect gossip into growth, disarm critics without ego, and curate connections that elevate your energy. Perfect for high-stakes meetings, family dinners, or digital detox.

Each rule includes reflection prompts and breath anchors. Stoic Week research shows 25% less daily stress after one week of practice.

Ideal for: Anyone tired of reactive conversations, people-pleasing, or social media drain.

🎧 Related: How to Handle Difficult People: Stoic Strategies, Empathy vs. Compassion, and Communication Techniques

💌 Join 9,000+ readers: The Stoic Handbook newsletter → stoichandbook.co

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Let me guess: you've read Marcus Aurelius. You know some things are up to you and some aren't. And yet... you still lie awake replaying conversations, spiraling over outcomes, or feeling like a failure when things don't go your way.

Yeah. Me too.

Here's the problem: the dichotomy of control is brilliant philosophy—but it's terrible instructions for real life. People hear "focus on what you control" and either become passive ("guess I'll just accept everything") or confused ("wait, don't my actions influence outcomes?").

Today I'm fixing that.

I'm walking you through the Epictetan Control Framework (ECF)—a 6-step process that upgrades Stoicism's most famous tool into something you can actually use without your brain short-circuiting.

We're covering:

• Why even smart people misuse the dichotomy
• The one question that instantly clarifies what's "up to you"
• How to plan like a strategist and evaluate like a Sage
• Real examples: job hunting, tough conversations, and everything in between
• The "reserve clause" that makes you bulletproof
• A field exercise to run the framework on YOUR stressor (right now)

By the end, you'll have a tool you can use in two minutes, any time anxiety or frustration tries to hijack your day.

This is Stoicism that actually works. No fluff. No philosophy-speak. Just clarity, action, and peace.

Let's go.

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What if the secret to genuine confidence isn't positive affirmations or fake-it-till-you-make-it energy—but five ancient skills the Stoics spent centuries perfecting?

In this episode, we explore how clarity of purpose, non-attachment to outcomes, radical authenticity, unshakeable self-worth, and enjoyment of your own company create the kind of confidence that doesn't need external validation.

You'll discover:

• Why clear intentions make you magnetic (and how to develop them)
• The Stoic practice of releasing outcomes without abandoning effort
• How to close the gap between who you are and who you pretend to be
• Why self-worth isn't arrogance—it's philosophical truth
• The biofeedback loop that shapes your personality when you stop performing

These aren't traits you can fake. They're practices you cultivate. And when you do? You become someone who walks through the world with self-sovereignty—unbothered by rejection, unshaken by external chaos.

Stop twisting yourself into shapes that don't fit. Start here.

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You know that moment when the craving is right here, right now—and it feels like the only choice is to give in?

That pull toward the drink, the scroll, the binge, the text you'll regret, the purchase you don't need. The sensation is real. The urgency feels absolute. But here's the Stoic truth the ancient philosophers knew:

The craving is an impression, not a command.

This 5-minute guided drill teaches you to insert one radical act between impulse and action: the pause. Using the Stoic practices of prosoche (attention), epochê (suspension of judgment), and prohairesis (deliberate choice), you'll learn to:

• Name the urge without obeying it
• Test the impression with three razor-sharp questions
• Choose freely—whether that's abstaining proudly or proceeding mindfully (never as a hostage)
• Seal your decision so you walk away knowing you chose, you weren't dragged

This isn't about willpower white-knuckling. It's about inserting your rational mind into the split second where freedom lives—the gap between stimulus and response that Viktor Frankl called our greatest power.

Marcus Aurelius wrote: "You have power over your mind—not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength."This practice makes that power real, in real time, when it matters most.

Use this drill when:

• The craving for a substance hits hard
• You're about to rage-text someone
• The urge to binge (food, Netflix, doomscrolling) takes over
• Procrastination disguised as "just one more video" whispers
• Any impulse threatens to hijack your day and your dignity

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Most “men’s advice” teaches tactics. In this conversation, Adam Rice shares a deeper path: becoming untriggerable, relating consciously, and integrating the masculine and feminine so you can lead, love, and live without the drama spiral.

We cover how to spot ego flares in your body, the language of conscious communication, why intimacy beats performance, how to use rituals and rest without sliding into apathy, and when (and how) plant medicines are used in a safe, ethical container.

You’ll learn:

• A 3‑step trigger protocol you can use mid‑argument
• The difference between performance sex vs. intimacy‑building sex
• Right Thought • Right Speech • Right Action—applied to daily life
• How to challenge a partner without escalating
• Why rest and “softness” are part of true masculine strength
• Ceremony vs. recreation and the role of integration

Guest:

Adam Rice — evolution coach, yoga teacher, shamanic guide, and men’s work facilitator.

• Instagram: @adamriceyoga.
• Co‑founder of Activate Your Alchemy.
• Co-founder Order of Honorable Men

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If “be nicer” hasn’t fixed your toughest conversations, try Nonviolent Communication (NVC) in the wild. Coach Hans Nav Neev shows how to turn trigger moments into clarity, how to stop taking things personally, and why conflict—done well—becomes a portal to connection.

What you’ll learn

• The OFNR model (Observations, Feelings, Needs, Requests) that actually de-fogs conflict
• Jackal vs. Giraffe ears: hearing judgments vs. hearing needs
• The guilt process (“the art of being torn”) to end inner civil wars
• Enemy images and how to dissolve them
• When to set boundaries (and use protective force)
• Bridging NVC with BIFF (Brief, Informative, Friendly, Firm) for high‑conflict exchanges

Timestamps

00:00 Cold open, intentions, how we’ll talk
02:40 What NVC is: surface techniques vs. deep worldview
05:40 Taking things less personally; the guilt process
08:10 Inner work vs. changing the world
10:05 The OFNR model explained (Observations–Feelings–Needs–Requests)
13:15 Practicing OFNR + the floor exercise
14:50 Hardest skill: observations without interpretations (Krishnamurti)
16:20 Anger = story about the event (not the event)
18:30 Jackal vs. Giraffe ears (with props)
21:20 Chronic “jackal mode,” boundaries, and dignity
24:40 Needs, requests, and withdrawing from harmful dynamics
26:30 Needs vs. rationalizations; congruence
28:00 Language: “need” vs. “value/prefer”; needs as “frequencies”
31:10 Family impact, social ripple of communication
33:20 Trusting conflict; repair vs. rug-sweeping
35:20 Intergenerational trauma; “enemy images”
39:10 Avoiding the “obnoxious giraffe” (NVC police)
41:30 Stoicism link: embody, don’t preach
44:10 External validation; “seeds grow in the dark”
45:50 Where NVC applies; protective use of force
49:10 BIFF for high-conflict exchanges; bridging to NVC
53:20 Filtering vs. entrenched relationships
56:20 “Warm bath of empathy” and relationship risks
59:30 Practice in low‑stakes settings first
1:02:00 Resources and Insight Timer courses
1:04:30 Two mantras: it’s never personal; guess the need
1:06:40 Empathic guessing as a question (not a label)
1:08:50 Measuring progress; conflict may rise first
1:10:00 Positive gossip; humility as embodiment
1:15:20 Self-image, overcorrection, and growth
1:18:50 Vulnerability as success
1:21:40 Beginner’s mind in communication
1:24:10 Sensitivity with equanimity
1:25:06 Rosenberg’s “tragic expression”; the third compassionate voice
1:27:20 Metta vs. Tonglen; Michael Taft guidance
1:30:27 Wrap-up, thanks, next steps

Guest:
Hans Nav Neev — NVC coach and Insight Timer teacher with practical courses and tracks.

• Insight Timer (teacher page)

https://insighttimer.com/hansvanv1

• Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/nondualcommunication/

• Website (bio + offerings)

https://www.nondualcommunication.net/bio

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Host:
Jon Brooks — The Stoic Handbook (stoicism + practical tools).
• Site: https://stoichandbook.co
• Newsletter (Nous): nous.xyz • YouTube: youtube.com/jonbrooks

If this helped, follow the show, share the episode with a friend, and join the newsletter for weekly tools.

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When your child’s “No!” sparks your own surge, this guided reset helps you find your soft voice again. We begin with 4–6 breathing to settle the nervous system, set a one‑line intention, and repeat the cue phrase “Good kid, tricky moment.” Then we practice holding two truths—kind and firm—so you can keep connection first and offer clear guidance once the charge is gone. You’ll choose one calm sentence or boundary, visualize setting the shaken “snow globe” down, and close with a simple, honest repair script you can use later: “I’m sorry I snapped. I’m on your side.”

Use this any time the day feels heavy—before pick‑up, after a meltdown, or when you want to stop the spiral and lead with steadiness. For parents and caregivers of kids of any age. If this helps, share it with a fellow parent who could use a calm reset today.