1069. It doesn't matter what you bear, but how you bear it

1069. It doesn't matter what you bear, but how you bear it

Author: Massimo Pigliucci July 18, 2022 Duration: 2:39

Good people ought to act so as not to fear troubles and difficulties, nor to lament their hard fate, to take in good part whatever befalls them, and force it to become a blessing to them. It does not matter what you bear, but how you bear it.


In a world that often feels chaotic and demanding, the ancient philosophy of Stoicism offers a surprisingly practical framework for living with clarity and purpose. Stoic Meditations is a series of thoughtful, standalone episodes where professor and philosopher Massimo Pigliucci draws directly from the source material of thinkers like Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, and Epictetus. Each session focuses on a specific passage or idea, unpacking its meaning and, more importantly, its direct application to the challenges of modern life. You’ll hear Pigliucci’s calm and considered voice guiding you through these reflections, not as abstract history lessons, but as immediate tools for managing anxiety, making ethical decisions, and cultivating resilience. This isn't about academic lectures; it's about turning timeless wisdom into personal practice. The episodes are deliberately concise, designed to be absorbed during a quiet moment of your day, providing a grounded perspective that lingers long after the audio ends. For anyone curious about philosophy that is meant to be lived, not just studied, this podcast serves as both an accessible introduction and a deep, recurring resource. The production, with its original music, supports a contemplative atmosphere, making each meditation a genuine pause for reflection. Tune in to find a steady, reasoned companion for navigating complexity, one ancient insight at a time.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

Stoic Meditations
Podcast Episodes
1003. When we should decline a benefit to help a friend [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:38
Someone may be a worthy person for me to receive a benefit from, but it will hurt them to give it. For this reason I will not receive it, because they are ready to help me to their own prejudice, or even danger.
1002. Benefits should be freely received [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:44
No one incurs any obligation by receiving what it was not in his power to refuse; if you want to know whether I wish to take it, arrange matters so that I have the power of saying ‘No.’
1001. Sometimes the right thing to do is to say no [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:47
As we refuse cold water to the sick, or swords to the grief-stricken or remorseful, so must we persist in refusing to give anything whatever that is hurtful, although our friends earnestly and humbly beg for it.
1000. Be an anonymous benefactor [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:22
You should be satisfied with the approval of your own conscience; if not, you do not really delight in doing good, but in being seen to do good.
999. Don't let generosity degenerate into extravagance [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:46
Since no impulse of the human mind can be approved of, even though it springs from a right feeling, unless it be made into a virtue by discretion, I forbid generosity to degenerate into extravagance.
998. A hierarchy of needs and benefits [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:45
The next point to be defined is, what kind of benefits are to be given, and in what manner. First let us give what is necessary, next what is useful, and then what is pleasant, provided that they be lasting.
997. Do we make moral progress? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:35
Our ancestors before us have lamented, and our children after us will lament, as we do, the ruin of morality, the prevalence of vice, and the gradual deterioration of mankind; yet these things are really stationary.
996. Why are you doing what you are doing? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:46
Seneca reminds us that virtue ethics is about motivations and the improvement of one's character, not just about material help, as much as the latter may be needed.
995. It is the thought that counts [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:23
What value has the crown in itself? or the purple-bordered robe? or the judgment-seat and car of triumph? None of these things is in itself an honour, but is an emblem of honour.

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