In this episode, I talk with Raymond DiGiuseppe, Professor of Psychology at St. John’s University and Director of Professional Education at the Albert Ellis Institute. Professor DiGiuseppe is a renowned figure in the field of cognitive-behavioral therapy, particularly Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT). He’s also done extensive work on anger. This is a special episode in which we take a deep dive into the Stoic anger management strategies described in the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius. Ho...
Jun 05, 2025•1 hr 37 min
Donald speaks with Matthew Gindin, writer, editor, and former Buddhist monk. We talk about Buddhist teachings on anger and the parallels between Buddhist and Stoic contemplative meditation practices. Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Thanks for reading Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life! This post is public so feel free to share it. Get full access to Stoicism: Philoso...
Apr 17, 2025•1 hr 20 min
In this episode, I chat with Charif Ahmed of Study the Greats and Become Greater , about the Stoic approach to anger management found in Seneca’s On Anger. Links * Study the Greats and Become Greater Thanks for reading Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life! This post is public so feel free to share it. Get full access to Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life at donaldrobertson.substack.com/subscribe...
Apr 03, 2025•1 hr 23 min
Thank you The Plato's Academy Centre , Adam PT , Diane Kalen-Sukra , EHL , VeneerOfCivility , and many others for tuning into my live video with Anya Leonard of Classical Wisdom , discussing anger ! Join me for my next live video in the Substack app. Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. You can register free of charge for the Philosophy and Psychology of Anger event on Satur...
Mar 19, 2025•34 min
In this episode, I chat with Windy Dryden. Windy is Emeritus Professor of Psychotherapeutic Studies at Goldsmiths in the University of London. He has been working in the field of psychotherapy since 1975, and was one of the first people in Britain to be trained in Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT). He learned from pioneers such as Albert Ellis, Aaron T. Beck and Arnold Lazarus, among others. He is a very influential figure in the field himself, best-known as the UK’s leading expert on Rational-Em...
Mar 06, 2025•1 hr 2 min
Thanks to Jon Brooks for remastering my audio recording of the View from Above, a guided Stoic meditation exercise. Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Check out my article about the Acropolis and View from Above in the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius. You’ll also find an version of the script in this article… Thanks for reading Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life! This po...
Feb 27, 2025•20 min
In this episode, I chat with Chuck Garcia, the founder of Climb Leadership International. Chuck coaches executives of Fortune 500 companies on public speaking and emotional intelligence. He is an Adjunct Professor in Columbia University’s Graduate School of Engineering and teaches in their professional development and leadership program. Chuck is also a passionate mountaineer. He is the author of the book A Climb to the Top: Communication & Leadership Tactics to Take Your Career to New Heigh...
Feb 20, 2025•1 hr 1 min
In this episode, I chat with Erick Cloward. Erick is an executive coach, based in Amsterdam, who helps leaders build more resilient teams and make better decisions. He is a former tech CTO and software developer. Erick started the Stoic Coffee Break podcast in 2018, to provide people with practical advice on applying Stoicism to their lives –- it now has more than 9 million downloads. He has his first book coming out on 4th February, from Adams Media, titled Stoicism 101: From Marcus Aurelius an...
Jan 23, 2025•1 hr 22 min
In this episode, I chat with Benny Voncken, a life coach, and the co-founder of the Via Stoica website and Podcast. He reached out to me saying he’d love to share his experience putting Stoic philosophy into practice because it greatly reduced his anxiety, worries, and helped him deal with problems such as anger and frustration. Thanks for reading Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life! This post is public so feel free to share it. Highlights * How did you become interested in Stoicism? * Tell us...
Jan 16, 2025•1 hr 13 min
In this episode, I speak with Igor Grossmann, a professor of psychology, and renowned researcher in the field of wisdom. Prof. Grossmann directs the Wisdom and Culture Lab at the University of Waterloo, where he investigates the factors that contribute to wise reasoning. He is also the co-host of the On Wisdom podcast. His work has significantly advanced our understanding of how wisdom can be fostered and applied in everyday life. Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life is a reader-supported publi...
Nov 28, 2024•1 hr 27 min
Listen to our live How to Think Like Socrates book launch from 19th Nov. Phil Yanov was kind enough to send me this recording of the event. Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Thanks for reading Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life! This post is public so feel free to share it. Get full access to Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life at donaldrobertson.substack.com/subscri...
Nov 23, 2024•2 hr
In this episode, I talk with Kane, who hosts a podcast for Australian first responders. Kane interviewed me for his podcast and kindly agreed to allow me to crosspost the interview to my audience. We talk about my forthcoming book How to Think Like Socrates , and how Socratic and Stoic philosophy can help us to improve our lives today, in the modern world. Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free o...
Nov 14, 2024•58 min
In this episode, I speak with Dr. Walter Matweychuk. Dr. Matweychuk is a practicing psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania Health System, and has an independent telehealth practice in Manhattan with clients worldwide. He is also an adjunct professor of Applied Psychology at New York University. He has personally worked with both of the two main pioneers of cognitive-behavioral therapy: Albert Ellis and Aaron T. Beck. He is the author of several books on Ra...
Oct 24, 2024•1 hr 6 min
In this episode, I speak with Dr. Gad Saad. (Apologies for the room reverb on my mic!) Dr. Saad is a well-known public intellectual, champion of free speech, and renowned evolutionary psychologist. He is Professor of Marketing at the John Molson School of Business, at Concordia University, in Montreal, and has recently also been appointed Visiting Professor and Global Ambassador at Northwood University. Gad has a popular YouTube channel, and a podcast called The Saad Truth , and he’s the author ...
Oct 17, 2024•1 hr 6 min
In this episode, I’ll be reading a brief excerpt from my new biography, Marcus Aurelius: The Stoic Emperor , which is available as an audiobook as well as in hardback and ebook formats. The book was chosen as an editor’s pick by Barnes and Noble and currently has 4.7 stars on Amazon. You can hear a sample from the studio-recorded audiobook, and read reviews, on Audible . Also see Goodreads for reviews. * “Given the erratic, not to say murderous, behavior of many of [Marcus’s] predecessors, . . ....
Aug 08, 2024•10 min
This special episode contains a live recording of my recent talk for Conversations with Modern Stoicism, hosted by Phil Yanov . We were celebrating Marcus Aurelius’ birthday, and I spoke at length about what I think we can learn from ancient Greece about the dangers faced by democracy, and how Socrates and the Stoics could help us. I was speaking live from Athens, the birthplace of democracy. Thanks to Phil Yanov, for providing the audio recording for this podcast episode. Stoicism: Philosophy a...
May 09, 2024•34 min
In this episode, I speak with Mark Tuitert. Mark is an Olympic gold medallist in speed skating. He is the author of a new book called The Stoic Mindset: Living the Ten Principles of Stoicism . Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Highlights * How Mark’s accomplishments in speed skating shaped his life * How he first become interested in Stoicism and Marcus Aurelius inspire y...
May 02, 2024•1 hr 1 min
In this episode, I speak with Anthony Magnabosco a founder and the current Executive Director of the nonprofit Street Epistemology International, an educational organization that is committed to addressing dysfunction in public and private discourse by encouraging rationality through civil conversation. Anthony has been involved with Street Epistemology since 2013, and has given dozens of talks and workshops at conferences and events domestically and internationally. Many of his conversations ha...
Feb 13, 2024•1 hr 12 min
In this episode, I speak with Colin Elliott, Associate Chair in the Department of History at Indiana University. He describes himself as an economic and social historian with an interest in money, disease and ecology in the ancient Roman world. His latest book, Pox Romana: The Plague that Shook the Roman World was released on 6th Feb, the same day as my Marcus Aurelius: The Stoic Emperor . It is currently Amazon’s #1 New Release in Communicable Diseases. Colin is also the host of the Pax Romana ...
Feb 08, 2024•1 hr 8 min
In this episode, I read an exclusive excerpt from my latest book, Marcus Aurelius: The Stoic Emperor , published by Yale University Press, as part of the Ancient Lives Series. The book is a philosophical biography of the Roman emperor, which contains many references to the Meditations and how his philosophy shaped his life. You can help it reach a wider audience by pre-ordering now from Amazon , Barnes and Noble, or any other bookseller. While the First Marcomannic War was raging, Marcus Aureliu...
Jan 23, 2024•20 min
In this episode, I briefly discuss what Marcus Aurelius said about masculinity, and how it might differ from what some modern self-improvement influencers say, despite their claims to be influenced by Stoicism. Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Highlights * The resurgence of Stoicism and the manosphere * Stoic philosophy versus being “stoic” * Marcus Aurelius’ enemies acc...
Jan 18, 2024•12 min
In this episode, I speak with Brian Johnson, the Founder & CEO of Heroic Public Benefit Corporation. Brian is the author of a new book called Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential . Thank you for reading Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life. This post is public so feel free to share it. Highlights * What Brian’s new book Arete is about * How Brian has been influenced by Stoicism * What is “Targeted Thinking” – can you explain to listeners what you mean by that and why it’s so important? * Y...
Dec 07, 2023•1 hr 1 min
In this episode, I read an exclusive excerpt from my latest book, Marcus Aurelius: The Stoic Emperor , published by Yale University Press, as part of the Ancient Lives Series. The book is a philosophical biography of the Roman emperor, which contains many references to the Meditations and how his philosophy shaped his life. You can help it reach a wider audience by pre-ordering now from Amazon , Barnes and Noble, or any other bookseller. Marcus Aurelius did not have a heart of stone. When the ne...
Oct 26, 2023•9 min
In this episode, I speak about Socrates with Armand D'Angour, professor of classics at Oxford University. He is the translator of How to Innovate: An Ancient Guide to Creative Thinking ( 2021) and the author of Socrates in Love: The Making of a Philosopher (2020), among other works. Thank you for reading Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life. This post is public so feel free to share it. Highlights * Why should we care about Socrates today? * How reliable are our sources regarding Socrates? * Wh...
Oct 19, 2023•1 hr 19 min
In this episode, I speak about Clarity and Wisdom with executive coach, Jim Vaselopulos. Jim is co-host of The Leadership Podcast. We discuss his new book, Clarity: Business Wisdom to Work Less and Achieve More . Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Highlights * What is clarity? * What's the relationship between wisdom and clarity? * What are the benefits of having more clar...
Oct 12, 2023•50 min
In this episode, I speak about Stoicism and Buddhism with Matthew Gindin. Matthew is a former Forest Monk in the Thai Buddhist tradition. He taught meditation practices for 15 years, and has written extensively for Tricycle: The Buddhist Review . He is now the author of the Philosophy As Therapy newsletter on Substack. Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Highlights * How Ma...
Aug 24, 2023•1 hr 18 min
In this episode, I talk to Ryan A. Bush, author of Designing the Mind: The Principles of Psychitecture and the forthcoming Become Who You Are: A New Theory of Self-Esteem, Human Greatness, and the Opposite of Depression. Bonus: Ryan is generously offering listeners two free ebooks from his website , called the Psychitect’s Toolkit and The Book of Self Mastery . Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a f...
Aug 17, 2023•1 hr 10 min
Elliot Chung, a student at Phillips Academy Andover, interviewed me recently for his new Philosophy for the Modern Mind podcast, and we decided to share our conversation on this podcast as well. We talk in particular about how Stoicism could be of practical benefit to young people, and the challenges they face today. Thank you for reading Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life. This post is public so feel free to share it. Thank you for reading Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life. This post is ...
Jul 20, 2023•57 min
How to drink like a Roman emperor, if that emperor is Marcus Aurelius. In this episode I explore the relationship between Stoic philosophy and the Twelve Step Program of Alcoholics Anonymous, discussing how Stoicism can help those suffering from alcoholism, as well as their friends and families. I spot parallels between the Twelve Step advice and Stoic teachings, and give examples from the life of Marcus Aurelius. I talk about how his wayward brother, and co-emperor, Lucius Verus, was almost cer...
Jul 06, 2023•18 min
In this episode, I talk with Marc J. Victor, about Stoicism and politics. Marc is an attorney in the US, where he is a certified Criminal Law Specialist, and president of the Attorneys for Freedom law firm. He is also an activist and founder of the Live and Let Live global peace movement. Thank you for reading Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life. This post is public so feel free to share it. Highlights * Why Stoicism is attracting more interest today * Misconceptions * What is the Live and Let...
Jun 29, 2023•1 hr 26 min
