Practical Stoicism

Tanner Campbell
Practical Stoicism

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.

  1. Habituation and the Practice of Stoic Virtue (Meditations 2.10)

    قبل ٦ أيام

    Habituation and the Practice of Stoic Virtue (Meditations 2.10)

    In this episode, I cover Meditation 10 from Book 2 of Meditations, where Marcus Aurelius reflects on the comparison between faults driven by anger and those driven by desire. He references Theophrastus, who argued that errors rooted in pleasure and appetite are graver than those caused by anger. I explore this idea, explaining how Stoics view actions driven by desire as more deliberate and habituated than those caused by reactive emotions like anger. When we act out of anger, it is often a response to external stimuli, a proto-emotion that we can manage. However, when driven by pleasure, it is a deeper habituation that reflects ongoing indulgence in vice, making it harder to correct. I also discuss the translation issues around the term "effeminate," which appears in some versions of this meditation. I explain how the term used in Greek more accurately means "morally weak" rather than a critique of femininity. Marcus’ message is not about gender but about the danger of succumbing to our desires without rational consideration, a habit that can lead to greater moral failings over time. The episode further delves into the concept of habituation as a critical Stoic tool. I emphasize that Stoicism is not just a philosophy but a practice that requires repeated, deliberate actions. Through consistent practice, our responses to situations become reflexive, turning virtuous behavior into a habit. This is why true Stoic progress involves moving beyond conscious effort to a stage where virtue becomes second nature, a goal that even I am still striving to achieve. "Like a true philosopher Theophrastus says, when comparing, as men commonly do compare, various faults, errors of appetite are graver than errors of temper. For clearly one who loses his temper is turning away from Reason with a kind of pain and inward spasm; whereas he who offends through appetite is the victim of pleasure and is clearly more vicious in a way and more effeminate in his wrong-doing." - Meditations 2.10 -- Go ad-free : https://stoicismpod.com/members Follow the print publication : https://stoicismpod.com/print Take the free course : https://understandingstoicism.com Order my book : https://stoicismpod.com/book Source Text : https://stoicismpod.com/far Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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  2. Embracing The Logic Of The Cosmos (Meditations 2.9)

    ١٢ ربيع الآخر

    Embracing The Logic Of The Cosmos (Meditations 2.9)

    In this episode, I reflect on Meditation 9 from Book 2 of Meditations. Marcus Aurelius reminds us to always remember the nature of the Cosmos and our place within it. He emphasizes that the Cosmos is a rational and self-sustaining system, and as part of it, we share in that logic and beneficence. Marcus urges us to act in accordance with Nature, meaning that we should strive to be rational and beneficent, just as the Cosmos is. I explore how the Cosmos, though not consciously acting like a human, sustains itself in a way that allows everything within it to exist and perform its roles. By understanding this, we realize that no external force can prevent us from making choices in line with our rational nature. While external circumstances may influence us, it is ultimately our choice how we respond to them. Marcus reminds us that it is not the external situation, but how we make choices, that determines whether we act with wisdom and virtue. I also touch on the Stoic concept of personal responsibility, explaining how we are always accountable for our choices. Even when provoked, such as by an unkind boss, it is our choice how we react, and only we can choose to act with virtue or vice. The key is not just in the choice itself, but in the reasoning behind that choice. By internalizing the understanding that we are in control of our responses, we can aim to align ourselves with the rational and beneficent nature of the Cosmos. "Always remember the following: what the nature of the Whole is; what my own nature is; the relation of this nature to that; what kind of part it is of what kind of Whole; and that no man can hinder your saying and doing at all times what is in accordance with that Nature whereof you are a part." - Meditations 2.9 -- Go ad-free : https://stoicismpod.com/members Follow the print publication : https://stoicismpod.com/print Take the free course : https://understandingstoicism.com Order my book : https://stoicismpod.com/book Source Text : https://stoicismpod.com/far Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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  3. Mind the business of your own mind (Meditations 2.8)

    ٤ ربيع الآخر

    Mind the business of your own mind (Meditations 2.8)

    In this episode, I discuss Meditation 8 from Book 2 of Meditations. Marcus Aurelius reflects on how people rarely suffer from not understanding the thoughts of others but are bound to suffer if they don’t observe their own thoughts. I explain how spending too much time worrying about what others think leaves us no energy to examine our own thoughts and work toward virtue. This meditation is not about ignoring others, but rather about prioritizing our mental energy wisely. We can care for others, but we must avoid wasting time on trivial judgments about why someone acts a certain way or holds an opinion about us. I tie this to a broader Stoic understanding of how most people are "sick" with ignorance, often chasing material desires or misconceptions about what is good. This lack of understanding causes people to live in private worlds of delusion, where their judgments are skewed by false perceptions. Stoicism, on the other hand, teaches that the only true good is virtue, and once we embrace that understanding, we gain clarity on how lost most people are. By focusing on our own character and its alignment with virtue, we avoid the misery that comes from spending too much time concerned with the faults of others. "Men are not easily seen to be brought into evil case by failure to consider what passes in another's soul; but they who do not read aright the motions of their own soul are bound to be in evil case." - Meditations 2.8 -- Go ad-free : https://stoicismpod.com/members Follow the print publication : https://stoicismpod.com/print Take the free course : https://understandingstoicism.com Order my book : https://stoicismpod.com/book Source Text : https://stoicismpod.com/far Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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  4. Are you focused on something useful? (Meditations 2.7)

    ٢٦ ربيع الأول

    Are you focused on something useful? (Meditations 2.7)

    In this episode, I discuss Meditation 7 from Book 2 of Meditations, where Marcus Aurelius advises us to give ourselves moments of quiet to focus on learning something good, while also warning against aimlessness. I explore how modern distractions—whether from media, politics, or content creators—are constantly vying for our attention. Marcus’ advice to focus on "something good" can be interpreted as learning about virtue, which helps quiet the noise of the world. Alternatively, it can mean focusing on something personally meaningful, not driven by fear of missing out, but chosen for its value. However, Marcus cautions that even when we think we are focusing on something good, we must beware of aimlessness. Those who live without broader goals, Marcus says, waste their lives in trivial pursuits. I analyze how this warning applies to modern content that distorts Stoicism, particularly hyper-masculine and red-pill ideologies that mislead young men by portraying women as distractions. These misguided ideas lead people to chase false solutions to non-existent problems, wasting time and attention. The meditation emphasizes that distractions are not external forces, but a result of our lack of attention management. A Stoic response is not to eliminate external influences, but to strengthen inner resolve and temperance. Marcus reminds us that a Stoic should not allow external events, like a breakup, to compromise moral character. Instead, the Stoic improves, recognizing that virtue is the only true good, and distractions—whether relationships or the noise of society—are indifferent unless we let them affect us. "Do things from outside break in to distract you? Give yourself a time of quiet to learn some new good thing and cease to wander out of your course. But, when you have done that, be on your guard against a second kind of wandering. For those who are sick to death in life, with no mark on which they direct every impulse or in general every imagination, are triflers, not in words only but also in their deeds." - Meditations 2.7 -- Go ad-free : https://stoicismpod.com/members Follow the print publication : https://stoicismpod.com/print Take the free course : https://understandingstoicism.com Order my book : https://stoicismpod.com/book Source Text : https://stoicismpod.com/far Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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  5. Making morally just decisions (Meditations 2.6)

    ٢٠ ربيع الأول

    Making morally just decisions (Meditations 2.6)

    In this episode, I explore Meditation 6 from Book 2 of Meditations, where Marcus Aurelius reflects on how we often fail to honor our own well-being, instead placing it in the hands of others. I dive into the Stoic concept of violence, explaining that true violence, in Stoic terms, is the damage we do to our own moral character through vice, not the physical acts we traditionally associate with violence. Using examples like murder, I explain how Stoicism teaches that no external action can harm another’s virtue, but choosing to act unjustly damages our own character. This episode also touches on the nuanced relationship between Stoicism, religion, and moral decision-making, emphasizing that for Stoics, the measure of uprightness is the quality of one’s character, aligned with Nature and the pursuit of virtue. "You are doing yourself violence, violence, my soul; and you will have no second occasion to do yourself honour. Brief is the life of each of us, and this of yours is nearly ended, and yet you do not reverence yourself, but commit your well-being to the charge of other men's souls." - Meditations 2.6 -- Go ad-free : https://stoicismpod.com/members Follow the print publication : https://stoicismpod.com/print Take the free course : https://understandingstoicism.com Order my book : https://stoicismpod.com/book Source Text : https://stoicismpod.com/far Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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  6. Act with precision, dignity, and love (Meditations 2.5)

    ١٣ ربيع الأول

    Act with precision, dignity, and love (Meditations 2.5)

    In this episode, I begin by correcting a mistake I made about the word "Prokoptôn," clarifying that it is the singular form, not the plural. We then dive into Meditation 5 of Book 2, which focuses on acting with precision, dignity, love, freedom, and justice in every moment, as if it were your last. I break down the importance of being aligned with nature and explain how Marcus Aurelius emphasizes the need to be in awe of the Cosmos, rather than "god-fearing" as some translations might suggest. I also touch on how we should fulfill our roles and responsibilities according to our nature, using the Stoic principle of Oikeiosis to live a life aligned with the Cosmos. "Each hour be minded valiantly as becomes a Roman and a man to do what is to your hand with preciseness . . . and unaffected dignity natural love freedom and justice; and to give yourself repose from every other imagination. And so you will if only you do each act as though it were your last freed from every random aim from willful turning away from the directing Reason from pretense self-love and displeasure with what is allotted to you. You see how few things a man need master in order to live a smooth and godfearing life; for the gods themselves will require nothing more of him who keeps these precepts." - Meditations, 2.5 -- Go ad-free : https://stoicismpod.com/members Follow the print publication : https://stoicismpod.com/print Take the free course : https://understandingstoicism.com Order my book : https://stoicismpod.com/book Source Text : https://stoicismpod.com/far Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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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.

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