Socrates and Lao Tzu Probably Hate Us: Ancient Wisdom for a Dumb World Joey Victorino

"Nothing, to my way of thinking, is a better proof of a well ordered mind than one's ability to stop just where they are and pass some time in his own company." 

- Seneca, 2nd Letter (from Letters from a Stoic) 



focus on the present and just dwell on the good stuff bruh 







intro and closing song prod. by THAIBEATS 

LETS FUCK SHIT UP

This marks the start of a more irreverent podcast about Philosophy. I have decided to start having more fun with my podcasts! I used to think I'd lose the meaning of the lessons I try to give out but if you want to listen to serious Philosophy podcasts there are plenty out there! 

For this episode, we talk about the life of the Buddha and how Buddhism was established. We then connect the origins of Buddhism to what (I firmly believe) Buddhism is all about: an escape from human nature. 

"Do not try to use what you learn from Buddhism to be a Buddhist; use it to be a better whatever-you-already-are.” - The Dalai Lama



Follow me on instagram @socratesandlaotzuprollyh8us and @joeyvictorino if you have some questions or would like to point out things that I may have gotten wrong! 

Marcus Tullius Cicero was a Roman jack-of-all-trades type-a dude. He was a lawyer, a politician, and as we will discover today, a philosopher. However, unlike other prominent Stoic philosophers, Cicero preferred politics over the practice of Philosophy. What a loser. 

One of Cicero's writings the Paradoxa Stoicorum, is a work consisting of 6 different Stoic paradoxes that Cicero makes sense out of to prove that they are valid. Today we tackle Paradox No. 5: That the wise man alone is free, and that every fool is a slave. 

"How or over what free man will he exercise control who can not command his own passions? Let him in the first place bridle his lusts, let him despise pleasures, let him subdue anger, let him get the better of avarice, let him expunge the other stains on his character, and then when he himself is no longer in subjection to disgrace and degradation, the most savage tyrants, let him then, I say, being to command others. But while he is SUBSERVIENT to these, not only is he not to be regarded as a general, but he is by no means to be considered as even a free man. "

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"But you say, I have had the direction of important wars, I have presided over great empires and provinces!" THEN CARRY ABOUT YOU A SOUL WORTHY OF PRAISE."



For more, follow the page on instagram @socratesandlaotzuprollyh8us and my own account @JoeyVictorino if you want to discuss the content of the podcast and if there are any things you want to criticize or point out. I'm definitely still susceptible to mistakes and they'd be highly appreciated in the ~pursuit of truth~ or sum shit!

*Note: In the podcast, I referred to wei wu wei as non-action. However, I believe it is more accurate to translate it as action through non-action. Also just to note, Wu wei is seen as an abbreviation for the whole wei wu wei.*



Welcome to the beginning of the Tao Te Ching series! I'll be going through each passage/section of the Tao Te Ching as we try to analyze it and relate it to the bigger picture of Taoism.

Taoism, originating from China, is an ancient philosophy, religion, and way of life that believes that we all must live according to the Tao, or the Way, the natural order of the universe pioneered by Lao Tzu/Laozi. The Tao Te Ching is the landmark book accredited to Lao Tzu that showcases the main principles of Taoism, as confusing as it can be. What is the Tao (the Way) anyways? How do we get there? Who knows! Just let it go and enjoy the ride as we discover The Tao Te Ching together in this series. 



TAO TE CHING 1 (Gia-Fu Feng et al. Translation): 

The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao.
The name that can be named is not the eternal name.
The nameless is the beginning of heaven and earth.
The name is the mother of ten thousand things.
Ever desireless, one can see the mystery.
Ever desiring, one can see the manifestations.
These two spring from the same source but differ in name;
This appears as darkness.
Darkness within darkness.
The gate to all mystery



Second translation:

There are ways but the Way is uncharted
There are names but not nature in words;
Nameless indeed is the source of all creation
But things have a mother and she has a name.

The secret waits for the insight
Of eyes unclouded by longing;
Those who are bound by desire
See only the outward container.

These two come paired but distinct
By their names.
Of all things profound,
Say that their pairing is deepest,
The gate to the root of the world.







Follow and discuss on @socratesandlaotzuprollyh8us or @joeyvictorino on instagram for updates + questions/queries! Feel free to correct me!

"How cruel — to forbid people to want what they think is good for them. And that's just what you won't let them do when you get angry at their misbehavior. They're drawn towards what they think is good for them.

Show them that. Prove it to them instead of losing your temper."

- Meditations 6.27, Marcus Aurelius 



How do you treat those who have angered and wronged you? While the wicked are deserving of justice, what does it mean to understand them? 

Does Ancient Wisdom and Ancient Philosophy matter? Long has Ancient Philosophy been abandoned for far more complex subject matter when it comes to trying to know the world. But what kind of wisdom is best when it comes to knowing how to live our own lives?