The Strong Stoic Podcast
Episodes
414 episodes
#413 - The Root Cause of a Bad Life
Most people are trying to fix symptoms instead of causes.You miss the gym and think you lack discipline.You eat poorly and think you have weak willpower.You feel exhausted and think you’ve become lazy.But what if tho...
#412 - Not Everyone Is Meant to Be Your Friend
Most people think Stoicism means being friends with everyone.It doesn’t.In this episode, we break down a hard truth: not everyone is meant to be your friend.Some people, by their nature, won’t align with you...
#411 - You Forgot You’re Going to Die (And It’s Costing You)
You’re busy. Life is good. Things are flowing.And that’s exactly when you’re most likely to forget something critical:You’re going to die.In this episode, I break down why thinking about death—especially when life feels...
#410 - You’re Not Overwhelmed—You’re Unprioritized
You’re not overwhelmed—you’re unprioritized.In this episode, I break down why the feeling of overwhelm isn’t always about having too much to do, but about trying to hold everything to the same standard.We talk about:Wh...
#409 - Your Old Life is Running You
You start something new—and it feels wrong.Not clearly wrong. Just… off.In this episode, I break down why that happens and why it’s not a signal to quit—but a signal to stay.Your nervous system is still calibrated to your o...
#408 - Advice for Your 20s That Actually Survives Pressure
Most advice for your 20s is designed to comfort you—not prepare you.In this episode, I break down 12 lessons that don’t sound good… but hold up when life gets difficult.We talk about:Why integrity costs more than peopl...
#407 - Most of Your Life Is Boring — That’s Where It Gets Good
Most of your life is going to feel… repetitive.Wake up. Work. Eat. Train. Sleep. Repeat.And if you’re not careful, you’ll start to believe something is wrong with that.In this episode, I break down why that feeling exists—a...
#406 - Dyeing the Soul: How Repeated Thoughts Shape Your Identity
Marcus Aurelius wrote, “The soul becomes dyed with the color of its thoughts.”In this episode, we break down what that really means — and why it’s more psychological than poetic.Your character isn’t shaped by random thoughts. It’s...
#405 - Wealth Without Arrogance, Loss Without Panic
Money stresses almost everyone.But Stoicism doesn’t tell us to ignore wealth — it tells us to rank it correctly.In this episode, I break down:Why money isn’t arbitrary (it represents reciprocity and contribution)
#404 - The Story You Tell to Sleep at Night
Every man has his excuses.And the more vile the man becomes, the more touching the story has to be.In this episode of The Strong Stoic, we explore a brutal truth: no one thinks they’re the villain. From The Blade Itself t...
#403 - William C. Spears | Conflict, Leadership, and the Stoic Way
In this episode of The Strong Stoic, I sit down with an active-duty Navy submarine officer to explore Stoicism through the lens of military leadership, conflict, and responsibility.We discuss:Why Stoicism isn’t emotional suppressi...
#402 - Why I Stopped Buying Stoic Books (And Started Practicing Stoicism)
Most people don’t fail at Stoicism because they don’t know enough.They fail because they don’t practice enough.In this episode, I talk about why I stopped buying Stoic books, why fiction pulled me back into reading, and how the re...
#401 - Multitasking Is Ruining Your Life (The Stoics Warned Us)
Our culture glorifies multitasking—but the Stoics would call it a mistake.In this episode of The Strong Stoic Podcast, we explore why doing more at once often means experiencing less. Drawing on Marcus Aurelius and Seneca, we ex...
#400 - Internal vs External Regulation — And When Reflection Becomes a Trap
Not everyone regulates themselves the same way.Some people measure their actions by character. Others measure by consequences. In this episode, we explore the difference between internal and external regulation, why Stoics tend to...
#399 - Be Dangerous, But Leave Room for the Human
Most leadership failures don’t come from incompetence.They come from imbalance.Too much edge and people comply—but stop trusting you.Too much kindness and standards quietly collapse.Real leadership lives in the tensi...
#398 - Stoic Resilience: You're Stronger Than You Think | With Kyle Sarka
In this episode, Brandon sits down with an educator and school principal, Kyle Sarka, to explore Stoic resilience—not as brute toughness, but as endurance guided by wisdom.The conversation moves fluidly between Stoic p...
#397 - Why Does Progress Often Feel Like Failure?
In this episode of The Strong Stoic, I explore a Stoic paradox: the one making the most progress often feels it the least.Drawing from Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius, and real-world examples from leadership, fitness, and pe...
#396 - Life Isn’t Fair — And That’s the Point
Life isn’t fair — and Stoicism never said it would be.In this episode, we explore what it actually means to live with integrity in a world that doesn’t reward effort, honesty, or discipline in predictable ways. We talk about the differen...
#395 - Living Between Reaction and Intention
We all try to live with intention—but life keeps interrupting us.In this episode, I explore the tension between daily reactivity and long-term vision through a Stoic lens. Why do we keep returning to Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus...
#394 - The Stoic Warrior's Restless Night
Imposter syndrome doesn’t mean you’re weak.It often means you’re growing.In this episode of The Strong Stoic Podcast, I explore imposter syndrome through a Stoic lens—why it shows up during periods of growth...
#393 - Strong at the Broken Places: How Stoics Rebuild After Breaking
In this episode, Brandon explores Hemingway’s famous line: “The world breaks everyone.”But instead of treating breaking as failure, we look at it through the Stoic lens—as a natural part of being human, and the raw material for ...
#392 - Diogenes the Dog: Stress-Testing Stoicism with Inger Kuin
In this episode of The Strong Stoic, I’m joined by classicist and author Inger Kuin to dive deep into the wild, hilarious, and surprisingly practical life of Diogenes—the original Cynic and, in many ways, the “stress test...
#391 - The Path to Personal Growth
In this episode, Brandon discusses the journey of personal growth and self-improvement, emphasizing the importance of learning from past experiences and embracing change. He highlights how incremental improvements can lead to greater wisdom and...
#390 - Kai Whiting on Illness, Identity, and Practicing Stoicism When Life Collapses
After nearly two years away from the Stoic world, author and researcher Kai Whiting returns to share—candidly—what happened: sudden metabolic illness, becoming a father, career upheaval, a public rift, and rebuilding meaning from first p...
