Understanding Stoicism: Stoic Psychological Techniques for Living a Better Life (#33)

"Many of us have been persuaded that happiness is something that someone else, a therapist or a politician, must confer on us. Stoicism rejects this notion. It teaches us that we are very much responsible for our happiness as well as our unhappiness. It also teaches us that it is only when we assume responsibility for our happiness that we will have a reasonable chance of gaining it. This, to be sure, is a message that many people, having been indoctrinated by therapists and politicians, don't want to hear." —William Irvine, A Guide to the Good Life

In this episode, we dig deeper into the philosophy of Stoicism and work through some of the specific psychological techniques and exercises that will help you to adopt the Stoic viewpoint.

We also try to connect the growing popularity of Stoicism to the rise of victimhood culture over the last twenty years. As we said in the previous episode, Understanding Stoicism as a Philosophy of Life, much of Stoicism can be summed up by the psychological difference between viewing something as a blessing or as a curse.

Timestamps:

• [04:18] Negative visualization: The trick for appreciating what you already have
• [13:07] The Dichotomy of Control and how to more strategically set goals
• [17:44] Trans Life Meditation
• [19:14] The Last Time Meditation
• [22:04] The Storytelling Frame
• [22:59] The Stoic Test
• [25:33] Prospective Retrospection
• [29:41] Summarizing Stoic beliefs and techniques in comparison to today's growing victim culture
• [33:18] "Tranquility in the Storm": Julius Canus and following through on your philosophy of life

Links:

• Stoicism as a Philosophy of Life (Exploring Kodwari's in-depth article)
• Meditations by Marcus Aurelius (translated by Gregory Hays)
• A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy by William B. Irvine
• Daily Stoic: What is Stoicism?
• Author Terry Tucker—How to Embrace Suffering and Find Purpose in Life

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