The Strong Stoic Podcast

Brandon Tumblin
  • 4.8 (42)
  • Self-Improvement
  • Updated Biweekly

The Strong Stoic Podcast is a raw, honest, and unapologetically deep podcast about philosophy and self-improvement. Join your host, Brandon Tumblin, as he breaks down a wide variety of complex and difficult topics while bringing together different philosophies, sciences, and perspectives.

  1. 2d ago

    Choose Your Regrets: How to Live Intentionally | Joshua Bertolotti | Episode 427

    Living intentionally does not mean avoiding regret. It means deciding which regrets you are willing to carry. In this episode, Brandon is joined by Joshua Bertolotti for an honest conversation about busyness, rest, vulnerability and the difficult work of examining your own life. They discuss why we often plan ordinary tasks more carefully than our futures, how constant activity can conceal exhaustion, and why slowing down is sometimes the most responsible thing we can do. The conversation also explores emotional honesty, the relationship between vulnerability and toughness, and the courage required to acknowledge when we are struggling. Every meaningful path demands a sacrifice. The question is whether you are choosing yours—or simply accepting the one life gives you. This episode includes sensitive emotional and mental-health-related themes.

  2. Aug 11

    Why Certain People Get Under Your Skin | Episode 426

    Why do certain insults stay with us while others have no effect at all? In this episode of The Strong Stoic Podcast, I examine what our emotional reactions reveal about us—and how to respond to difficult people without becoming passive, cruel, or emotionally numb. Sometimes anger exposes an insecurity. Sometimes contempt points toward a version of ourselves we fear becoming. Sometimes we suffer because we decided another person owed us respect, recognition, affection, or fairness. The Stoic response is not to pretend that pain is unreal. It is to examine the judgment, take responsibility for what remains within our control, and refuse to let another person’s lack of character determine our own. In this episode: Why the same words affect people differentlyThe danger of using self-hatred as motivationHow ego turns harmless comments into personal attacksWhy acceptance does not mean approvalWhen walking away is an act of disciplineHow compassion and boundaries can coexistWhy physical health affects emotional controlWhat Stoicism actually teaches about emotions The goal is not to feel nothing. The goal is to handle what you feel without surrendering your character. If this episode helped you, share it with someone who might need it. Subscribe for grounded conversations about Stoicism, strength, leadership, physical training, and personal responsibility. Support the show: https://strongstoic.substack.com #Stoicism #EmotionalControl #SelfDiscipline

  3. Aug 4

    Boundaries Are an Act of Connection | Episode 425

    Resentment often begins where an important boundary remains unspoken. In Episode 425, we examine why boundaries exist in every healthy relationship—and why setting one is not necessarily an act of rejection. A clear boundary tells another person what matters, what you are willing to participate in, and what you will do if the line is crossed. We also explore the difference between boundaries and preferences, the discomfort of receiving someone else’s boundary, and the danger of becoming so rigid that healthy limits turn into walls. The goal isn’t to create relationships where boundaries are never crossed. The goal is to communicate clearly, follow through without cruelty, and leave a path back when repair is possible. Boundaries cannot control another person. They can only govern how you choose to respond.

  4. Jul 28

    When You Stop Loving What You Once Loved | Episode 424

    Have you ever stopped enjoying something that once gave your life meaning? Maybe it's the guitar that now gathers dust. The running shoes that haven't left the closet. The books you used to devour but can't seem to pick up anymore. In this episode, I explore why our interests naturally change throughout life, why there's nothing wrong with losing a passion, and what Stoicism has to teach us about work, play, gratitude, and non-attachment. Sometimes the healthiest thing we can do isn't force ourselves back into an old hobby—it's to let it go, trust the season we're in, and welcome it back if life ever calls us there again. We discuss: • Why we don't choose what fascinates us  • The difference between work and play  • Why joy is deeply Stoic  • Letting go without losing yourself  • Following curiosity instead of obligation  • Why gratitude is wiser than possession

  5. Jul 21

    Becoming Someone You Respect | Episode 423

    Have you ever looked in the mirror and realized you’ve become someone you don’t respect? I have. In this deeply personal episode, I share a chapter of my life I’ve rarely talked about—the years after university when I slowly drifted into complacency. What began as well-earned rest became laziness, comfort, and eventually shame. One day I looked at the man I was becoming… and I didn’t like him. This episode is about the long, humbling process of rebuilding your character. We explore: Why good people can slowly become complacentHow your environment quietly shapes your characterThe danger of becoming comfortable with mediocrityWhy you must start much smaller than you thinkThe Stoic idea that character is built through daily choices, not grand momentsIf you’ve been feeling stuck, unmotivated, or disappointed in who you’ve become, this episode is a reminder that your story isn’t over. You don’t have to become a different person overnight. You just have to take the first small step.

  6. Jul 14

    You’ve Never Seen What You’re Truly Capable Of | Episode 422

    Most people believe they know their limits. The truth is, they only know where they’ve chosen to stop. In this episode, I explore one of the biggest lies we tell ourselves—that discomfort equals incapability. Whether it’s grief, parenthood, illness, failure, or unexpected responsibility, history shows that ordinary people repeatedly rise to challenges they once believed impossible. Like the reserve tank in your vehicle, human beings often have far more left than they realize. Drawing from Stoic philosophy, personal stories, and everyday examples, this episode explores why suffering often reveals strengths that comfort never could. In this episode: Why discomfort isn’t the same as your limitThe “reserve tank” metaphor that changed how I think about resilienceWhat grief, parenthood, and hardship reveal about human capabilityMarcus Aurelius and Epictetus on preparing for difficultyWhy you’ve probably underestimated yourselfPerhaps the strongest version of you isn’t someone you have to build. Perhaps it’s someone difficult circumstances reveal.

  7. Jul 7

    Corey Robinson | Who Are You When the Crowd Is Gone? | Episode 421

    Most of us don’t wake up wanting to be selfish, impatient, or unkind. So why is being good so difficult? In this conversation, I sit down once again with Corey to explore one of the oldest questions in philosophy, faith, and everyday life. Beginning with Rudyard Kipling’s timeless poem If—, we unpack what it really means to choose goodness when life becomes uncomfortable. We discuss why ego fights humility, why justice feels so personal, why suffering can either harden us or deepen us, and why character is built in the ordinary moments no one else sees. Along the way we explore marriage, wrestling, strength training, silence, comparison, purpose, shared suffering, and even Eminem’s Walk on Water as a reflection on identity after success. Goodness isn’t a feeling. It’s a practice. And perhaps the greatest victory isn’t over other people—but over ourselves.

  8. Jun 30

    The Courage to Chase the Life That's Calling You | Episode 420

    Most people hear Walk on the Moon and think about astronauts. I think about ordinary people doing extraordinary things. The father holding his newborn.  The recovering alcoholic walking into their first meeting.  The woman rebuilding her life after divorce.  The man finally leaving the job that’s been draining him for years. We all have a “walk on the moon.” In this episode, I use one of my favorite songs as a lens to explore courage, regret, fear, Stoicism, and what it really means to chase the life that’s calling you. We’ll discuss:  • Why “someday” often becomes “never”  • The games we regret never playing  • Why courage almost always looks like trembling  • The thousands of small steps behind every giant leap  • How to identify your own walk on the moon You’ve got one life. The question isn’t whether you’ll ever walk on the moon. The question is whether you’ll have the courage to walk toward yours.

    The Courage to Chase the Life That's Calling You | Episode 420
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4.8
out of 5
42 Ratings

About

The Strong Stoic Podcast is a raw, honest, and unapologetically deep podcast about philosophy and self-improvement. Join your host, Brandon Tumblin, as he breaks down a wide variety of complex and difficult topics while bringing together different philosophies, sciences, and perspectives.

Information

  • Creator
    Brandon Tumblin
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    428
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Strong Stoic Podcast
  • Show Website
    The Strong Stoic Podcast

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