The Strong Stoic Podcast
Episodes
432 episodes
AI Could Kill Us by 2030. But That’s Not the Real Problem
A former Anthropic researcher recently went on CNN and made a startling claim: AI could pose an existential threat to humanity within the next few years.I’m not an AI researcher, and I’m not here to tell you whether that prediction is r...
Is Ryan Holiday Wrong About Stoic Success? | Episode 430
Ryan Holiday has introduced millions of people to Stoicism. But is what he teaches about success actually consistent with what the ancient Stoics taught?In this episode, I take a closer look at several of Holiday’s claims about su...
The Soul Is Dyed by Its Thoughts | Marcus Aurelius | Episode 429
If someone could hear your thoughts for a week, who would they expect you to become?Marcus Aurelius wrote that “the soul becomes dyed with the color of its thoughts.” But not every thought stains us. An unwanted impulse is not character....
David Goggins: Strength or Self-Punishment? | Episode 428
David Goggins believes in scheduled suffering, rejecting motivation and refusing to stop before the work is done. His philosophy has helped millions confront comfort, excuses and unrealized potential.But is Goggins actually a Stoic—and w...
Choose Your Regrets: How to Live Intentionally | Joshua Bertolotti | Episode 427
Living intentionally does not mean avoiding regret. It means deciding which regrets you are willing to carry.In this episode, Brandon is joined by Joshua Bertolotti for an honest conversation about busyness, rest, vulnerability and the d...
Why Certain People Get Under Your Skin | Episode 426
Why do certain insults stay with us while others have no effect at all?In this episode of The Strong Stoic Podcast, I examine what our emotional reactions reveal about us—and how to respond to difficult people without becoming passive, ...
Boundaries Are an Act of Connection | Episode 425
Resentment often begins where an important boundary remains unspoken.In Episode 425, we examine why boundaries exist in every healthy relationship—and why setting one is not necessarily an act of rejection. A clear boundary tells another...
When You Stop Loving What You Once Loved | Episode 424
Have you ever stopped enjoying something that once gave your life meaning?Maybe it's the guitar that now gathers dust. The running shoes that haven't left the closet. The books you used to devour but can't seem to pick up anymore....
Becoming Someone You Respect | Episode 423
Have you ever looked in the mirror and realized you’ve become someone you don’t respect?I have.In this deeply personal episode, I share a chapter of my life I’ve rarely talked about—the years after university when I slowly ...
You’ve Never Seen What You’re Truly Capable Of | Episode 422
Most people believe they know their limits.The truth is, they only know where they’ve chosen to stop.In this episode, I explore one of the biggest lies we tell ourselves—that discomfort equals incapability. Whether it’s grief, par...
Corey Robinson | Who Are You When the Crowd Is Gone? | Episode 421
Most of us don’t wake up wanting to be selfish, impatient, or unkind.So why is being good so difficult?In this conversation, I sit down once again with Corey to explore one of the oldest questions in philosophy, faith, and everyda...
The Courage to Chase the Life That's Calling You | Episode 420
Most people hear Walk on the Moon and think about astronauts.I think about ordinary people doing extraordinary things.The father holding his newborn. The recovering alcoholic walking into their first meeting....
Give Your Past Self Some Grace | Episode 419
We all know we should learn from our mistakes.But somewhere along the way, many of us confuse self-reflection with self-punishment.In this episode, I explore the difference between shadow work and self-loathing. Drawing from Stoic...
Everything You Have Is Borrowed (Including Your Strength) | Episode 418
As we grow stronger, wiser, healthier, and more disciplined, a subtle danger emerges: contempt.It's easy to celebrate strength. It's much harder to remain compassionate toward weakness—especially the weaknesses we once saw in ourselves.<...
Kyle Sarka | The Strange Comfort of Mortality | Episode 417
What happens when someone you love dies?In this conversation, I sit down with a returning guest shortly after the loss of his father. We explore grief, mortality, legacy, and the strange reality that every person we meet was once a child...
How to Move Forward When Everything Feels Heavy | Episode 416
Sometimes the hardest part isn’t the workout, the meeting, the difficult conversation, or the grieving process.It’s the first step.In this episode, Brandon reflects on a lesson shared by Jeff Nippard following the tragic loss of h...
You Will Be Forgotten - And That's Beautiful | Episode 415
Most extraordinary people are never famous.History remembers a few names — Marcus Aurelius, Churchill, Dostoevsky — but civilization itself is carried forward by ordinary people doing small things faithfully. Good fathers. Loyal friends....
The Difference Between Solitude and Loneliness | Episode 414
Most people think the worst thing in the world is being alone.But the Stoics made an important distinction between loneliness and solitude.Loneliness is the painful feeling of disconnection — the sense that you do not belong, that...
The Root Cause of a Bad Life | Episode 413
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...
Not Everyone Is Meant to Be Your Friend | Episode 412
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...
You Forgot You’re Going to Die (And It’s Costing You) | Episode 411
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...
You’re Not Overwhelmed—You’re Unprioritized | Episode 410
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...
Your Old Life is Running You | Episode 409
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...
Advice for Your 20s That Actually Survives Pressure | Episode 408
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...
Most of Your Life Is Boring — That’s Where It Gets Good | Episode 407
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...