In this episode I sit down and talk with comedian and comedy writer Ori Halevy. Ori, originally from Israel, is prominent in the large English speaking comedy in Berlin. We had a fun conversation talking about philosophy, comedy, anxiety, and why you need to laugh at life. You can find him on instagram at https://instgram.com/orihalevy_bigoldjew and https://instagram.com/epicomedyberlin A transcript of the audio will be posted on the podcast website at https://stoic.coffee . Hosted on Acast. See...
Mar 20, 2024•2 hr 39 min•Transcript available on Metacast Do you think that you have strengths and weaknesses? What if I told you that you don’t? Today I want to talk about how strengths and weaknesses are all a matter of perspective and context. "Strive for excellence, not perfection, because we often find excellence in our imperfections." —Harriet Braiker Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Mar 13, 2024•11 min•Transcript available on Metacast Do you think that Stoics are too serious and all business? Do you think that if you adopt Stoic principles that you can’t have fun? Today I want to talk about humor and some of the misconceptions of Stoicism. “It’s better for us to laugh at life than to cry over it.” — Seneca When you picture a Stoic, you might imagine someone with the emotional range of a sloth, but surprise! The Stoics weren't the ancient world's equivalent of grumpy cat. They actually had quite a bit to say about living "acco...
Mar 05, 2024•11 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week's episode is an interview with Mark Tuitert, an Olympic gold medalist speed skater and Stoic author. We sat down in his home outside of Amsterdam and had a wonderful conversation about discipline, handling stress, forgiving parents, and about his new book The Stoic Mindset. I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I enjoyed the conversation. You can find out more about Mark Tuitert at https://marktuitert.nl You can also watch the interview on YouTube . Episode Transcript: Erick: Hello ...
Feb 28, 2024•1 hr 9 min•Ep 289•Transcript available on Metacast Are you new to Stoicism and want to know where to get started in learning about it and how to apply it in your life? Then this episode is for you. One of the things that I appreciate about Stoicism is that it’s very practical philosophy, and there are a lot of ideas and principles that have stood the test of time because they work in helping you live a good life. There are also misconceptions about what stoicism is and what it isn’t so today I’m going to walk you through the basics of what...
Feb 20, 2024•16 min•Transcript available on Metacast Erick: Hello friends, my name is Erick Cloward and welcome to the Stoic Coffee Break. Stoic Coffee Break is a weekly podcast where I take aspects of Stoicism and do my best to break them down to the most important points. I share my experiences, both my successes and my failures, and hope that you can learn something from them all within the space of a coffee break. So this week's episode is an interview with Constantin Morin, and Constantin has a podcast called Unleash Thyself. And Constantin a...
Feb 13, 2024•2 hr 40 min•Transcript available on Metacast How often do you think about your death? Do you go through your life just ignoring it and thinking that it’s always a long way off? Today I want to talk about why considering your death each day can make your life richer, fuller, and happier. “You could leave life right now. Let that determine what you do and say and think." — Marcus Aurelius One of the most important things that the Stoics teach is to be aware of death, that we too will die one day. The term the Stoics use is Memento Mori...
Feb 06, 2024•11 min•Transcript available on Metacast One of the key aspects of stoicism is to be content with what we have. So how does this balance with ambition? If you are content, does that mean that you shouldn’t be striving to accomplish your goals? Today I want to talk about how stoicism can help you accomplish your goals while still finding contentment in your daily life. "The whole future lies in uncertainty: live immediately." — Seneca One question that I get from time to time is how do balance ambition with the stoic teaching of content...
Jan 30, 2024•13 min•Transcript available on Metacast Hello friends, my name is Erick Cloward and welcome to the Stoic Coffee Break. The Stoic Coffee Break is a weekly podcast where I take an aspect of Stoicism and do my best to break it down to its most important points. I share my experiences, both my successes and my failures, and hope that you can learn something from them all within the space of a coffee break. So this week's episode is going to be a little bit different. I've been traveling quite a bit. I am now in Amsterdam. And so I p...
Jan 23, 2024•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast I'm sorry there is no transcript for this episode. I ran it through the usual service I use and it came out so poorly, that it wasn't worth putting up here. This weeks episode is an interview with Gavan Wilhite. Gavan has been an entrepreneur for over a decade and has had a few successes and a few misses. His most successful exit was when his company AltSpaceVR was purchased by Microsoft. We discuss how to use stoicism in entrepreneurship and person life to manage emotions, take risks and follow...
Jan 14, 2024•1 hr 27 min•Transcript available on Metacast Far too often we’re focused on the things that change in this world and in our lives. But what are the things that don’t change? Today I want to talk about things we can build on that can help us through the ever flowing tide of changes that happen in our lives. "Everything is in a state of flux, and nothing remains the same. So be prepared for change, and embrace it as a natural part of life." — Marcus Aurelius What Doesn’t Change? The other day I was listening to Tim Ferriss’ podca...
Jan 06, 2024•10 min•Ep 282•Transcript available on Metacast What do you think of when you hear the term “self-care”? Do you think of indulgences like triple chocolate ice cream or a bottle of wine? When you think of self-discipline, do you think of depriving yourself of the things you enjoy? Today I want dig a little deeper and think about what self-care really means and why it’s important for us to take time out and pay some attention to ourselves. “The mind must be given relaxation. It will rise improved and sharper after a good break. Just as rich fie...
Dec 22, 2023•11 min•Ep 281•Transcript available on Metacast Ryan Bush is the author of Designing the Mind and Become Who You Are. We sat down and had an interesting conversation about an understanding self esteem and the positive case for depression. You can find more information at his website designingthemind.org --- Hello friends! Thanks for listening. Want to take these principles to the next level? Join the Stoic Coffee House Community ! Stop by the website at stoic.coffee where you can sign up for our newsletter, and buy some great looking sh...
Nov 25, 2023•2 hr 47 min•Transcript available on Metacast Can you hold beliefs that are not true, but are useful? know that I talk a lot on here about trying to get as close to the truth as possible. But are there times when it is useful to believe something even if you’re not sure of it yourself? “Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.” — Marcus Aurelius A few weeks ago I was listening to Derek Sivers who was a guest on Tim Ferriss’ podcast. They talked about a few ideas that I found very...
Nov 16, 2023•14 min•Transcript available on Metacast Do you lie? Do you believe that everyone lies? Why are some lies acceptable? Why should we allow people to lie without repercussions? Today I want to talk about the different kinds of lies and deceptions, and what we can do to be a bit more honest, and a little more aware when others are trying to deceive us. “We tell lies, yet it is easy to show that lying is immoral.” — Epictetus Why do we lie? For most people, we lie because it gets us what we want. When we lie, it implies that we either want...
Nov 11, 2023•17 min•Transcript available on Metacast Do you fear the unexpected? Do you stress out when life throws you a curveball? Today I want to talk about how to handle, appreciate, and even look forward to the unexpected events that life brings your way. “All greatness comes from suffering.” — Naval Ravikant Unexpected Life is full of surprises. When we think that we’ve got things figured out and that things are going our way, something or someone pops up and throws a monkey wrench into our day to day that disrupts our lives and sends us spi...
Oct 27, 2023•15 min•Transcript available on Metacast Are you a patient person? Do you pay attention in your life or are you just rushing through your day? Today I want to talk about how patience is one of the most important attributes you need to live a full life, and reach your goals. "A man who is a master of patience is master of everything else." — Epictetus Fast We live in a world of instant gratification. We’re used to getting almost anything we want easily and quickly. When you buy something on amazon, you get it just a day or two. Yo...
Oct 20, 2023•16 min•Transcript available on Metacast Do you live in fear? Are there things in your life that you are afraid to try? Today I want to talk about why courage is the foundational virtue of stoicism, and how to develop a courageous mind. "Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the assessment that something else is more important than fear." — Franklin D. Roosevelt Courage One of the four virtues of Stoicism is courage. For me, this is the most important virtue. There are a lot of things in this world that cause us fear or ...
Oct 12, 2023•15 min•Transcript available on Metacast Listen to Jew-ish on Spotify Listen to episode 181 - Askers and Guessers Here's the transcript for this episode. Sorry if there are some bad translations. I tried to fix as many as I could. :) ----- [00:00:09] Erick: Hello, friends. My name is Erick Cloward and welcome to the Stoic Coffee Break. The Stoic Coffee Break is a weekly podcast where I take an aspect of stoicism and do my best to break it down to its most important points. I talk about my experiences, my successes and my failures...
Oct 06, 2023•56 min•Transcript available on Metacast Do you know that some problems are simple, while others are complicated, complex, or chaotic? Do you know the difference between them? Today I want to talk about how understanding the different types problems can help you face up to your challenges more effectively. "We must not let the impressions carry us away so that we are not in control of ourselves, but we must receive them in such a way as to be in control of ourselves." — Epictetus Types of Problems A few weeks ago I was list...
Sep 27, 2023•17 min•Transcript available on Metacast Do your opinions get in your way? Do your strong opinions cause issues in your relationships? What would happen if you weren’t so attached to your opinions? Today I want to talk about why we should be willing to let go of attachments to our opinions and how doing so can help you live a happier life. “Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.” — Marcus Aurelius Perspectives “Be disentangled from all perceptions. They are not you.” — Brian Tho...
Sep 20, 2023•13 min•Ep 272•Transcript available on Metacast Do struggle with loneliness? Have the last few years of lockdowns and isolation been hard on you? Today I want to talk about loneliness, why it’s something that shouldn’t be ignored, and why it’s important for us to reach out and connect to others. “We are waves of the same sea, leaves of the same tree, flowers of the same garden.” —Seneca Lonely The last few years have been a struggle for many of us. With the pandemic having made it necessary to curtail so much of social life, many of us have s...
Sep 14, 2023•17 min•Transcript available on Metacast Do you give others the benefit of the doubt? When other people disappoint you do you cut them some slack? Today I want to talk about why it’s important to give people some grace, and how it can make you happier with yourself. “Everywhere, at each moment, you have the option: to accept this event with humility; to treat this person as they should be treated; to approach this thought with care, so that nothing irrational creeps in.” —Marcus Aurelius My Story One of the things that went wrong in my...
Sep 06, 2023•12 min•Transcript available on Metacast Are you stuck in life? Do you feel like you can’t break out of the rut you’re in? Today I want to talk about why we get stuck and offer some ideas of how to get unstuck. “What upsets people is not things themselves, but their judgements about these things.” — Epictetus Getting stuck in a rut is a fairly common occurrence in modern life. To be honest, it’s often been a curse throughout the ages. Because we are all creatures of habit, we often find something that works, then we cling to it b...
Aug 30, 2023•15 min•Transcript available on Metacast What do you think the purpose of life is? Do you ever wonder why we’re here? Today I want to talk about some ideas of what we’re supposed to do with the one life that we have. So while I normally talk about something that is directly a stoic teaching, I want to veer off in a different direction on something that has been rattling around in my head for a while. I hope you enjoy this weeks departure. There are a lot of challenges in this life. Probably the hardest is to understa...
Aug 22, 2023•14 min•Transcript available on Metacast Are you a victim? Do you put yourself in the role of a victim rather than owning up to and taking responsibility for yourself? Today I want to talk about why we fall into the role of victim and how we can step up and be responsible for ourselves. “An ignorant person is inclined to blame others for his own misfortune. To blame oneself is proof of progress. But the wise man never has to blame another or himself.” — Epictetus Life Happens There are a lot of things that happen to us in life. As the ...
Aug 14, 2023•14 min•Transcript available on Metacast Do you think that life should be all pleasure and no pain? This week I want to talk about the balance between pain and pleasure and why if you want more pleasure, you may have to add more pain to your life. “If one oversteps the bounds of moderation, the greatest pleasures cease to please.” —Epictetus The Paradox of Pain and Pleasure A few weeks ago, I had an episode called Suffer Well, and in that episode I talked about how we should be willing to put ourselves in pain deliberately because it t...
Aug 02, 2023•14 min•Ep 266•Transcript available on Metacast Why do you set goals? Why is it important for you to accomplish those goals? Today I want to talk about why we should try to accomplish goals, even we never achieve them. “That which we desire lies across an ocean of hard won knowledge.” — @TheStoicEmperor (twitter) Achievement Because we live in an achievement driven culture we often feel like if we don’t achieve certain things that we are falling behind. Whether that’s getting a college degree, making a certain amount of money, or achieving a ...
Jul 27, 2023•12 min•Ep 265•Transcript available on Metacast Are you always looking for the lazy solution? Do you try to find “one and done” solutions to the problems in your life? Today I want to talk about how most progress is not just about knowing what to do, but about doing it consistently. “How do you move forward? One step at a time. How do you lose weight? One kilo at a time. How do you write a book? One page at a time. How do you build a relationship? One day at a time. In a world obsessed with speed, never forget things of real worth and value t...
Jul 19, 2023•14 min•Transcript available on Metacast Do you think of yourself as a “self”? What if we had no part of us that was an enduring self? How would that change how you acted in the world? Today I want to talk about the idea of how we would view the world different if there was no self. Who Am “I”? “It is not so much what happens to you as how you think about what happens.” ― Epictetus “Your happiness depends on three things, all of which are within your power: your will, your ideas concerning the events in which you are involved, and the ...
Jul 04, 2023•13 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
