Five Questions: Dr. Ranjini George
“Virtue exists in that moment when you show up and sit and work at your writing desk.”
Five Questions: Phil Yanov
‘[Stoicism] has benefits for every day of your life…forever.”
Five Questions: Kathryn Koromilas
I would frequent a Greek taverna, To Steki, down the road from the campus where I met philosophy professor Ed Spence. Ed was born in Larnaca, Cyprus and, after a glass or two of retsina, he would talk to us about Zeno, the founder of Stoic philosophy, who was also born in Larnaca, then Citium, about 2,000-odd years ago.
Five Questions: Simon Drew
Philosophy, I realized, was not simply intellectual ideas being discussed in an ivory tower with academics and elites. No, philosophy (at least according to the Stoics) was the vital art of living a good and meaningful life!
Five Questions: Sharon Lebell
The moral foundation of Stoicism appealed to me. It seemed like an important check on the potentially dangerous excesses of “following your feelings.”
Five Questions: Scott Waltman
Scott H. Waltman, PsyD, ABPP, sits at the intersection of Stoicism and psychology. He is a clinician, international trainer, and practice-based researcher. He is certified as a qualified Cognitive Therapist and Trainer/Consultant by the Academy of Cognitive &...
Five Questions: Massimo Pigliucci
“I read the early second century Stoic Epictetus and I distinctly heard the click in my head, metaphorically speaking.”
Five Questions: J. Steven Willard
“Yoga means union, joining your ego and your true nature. Stoicism is about learning a way to not have my actions controlled by my emotions.”
Five Questions: Tim LeBon
“Picture an elevator which has five levels. At each level, you learn about a key Stoic idea. Do you want to take a ride?” Go for a ride with Stoic therapist and thinker Tim LeBon!
Five Questions: Chuck Chakrapani
Chuck Chakrapani is an internationally renowned expert on marketing and market analysis. He’s taught at universities around the globe and has been described as the man who “single-handedly taught the entire market research community in [the United States.]” Modern...
Five Questions: Brittany Polat
For this edition of “Five Questions,” we’re honored to have these pages graced by Brittany Polat. Brittany writes about Stoic moral psychology and philosophy at her website, Living In Agreement.
Five Questions: Kasey Pierce
This time on the hot seat: Kasey Pierce! Kasey is an author, editor and Stoic. She is the editor of Tim Lebon's upcoming book, "365 Ways To Be More Stoic." Preorder here: https://smile.amazon.com/Ways-More-Stoic-day-day-ebook/dp/B0B1ZR3XMK/ Buy it! What led you to...
Five Questions: Donald Robertson
Author, therapist, philosopher, and bon vivant Donald Robertson was kind enough to answer our questions. His new graphic novel, "Verissimus," is published on July 12--buy it! https://www.amazon.com/Verissimus-Stoic-Philosophy-Marcus-Aurelius/dp/1250270952 or wherever...
To the Salisbury School Class of 2022
Duff had the honor of giving the commencement address at her son Jack's graduation. The text is below. Good Morning, thank you for this honor. Hello Class of 2022, You come from a long line of survivors. You are the latest link in an unbroken chain of ancestors. The...
Helping Hands Monkeys
Helping hands monkeys are absolutely incredible. They are trained to assist humans who have limited use of their own appendages. These tiny simians can retrieve items, cook, and even bathe their human companions. I don't want to deprive anyone who really needs one,...
Jack and Mason
Jack and Mason are philosophical donkeys. They focus on what they can control and don't fret about the rest. They can't read "Wise Up," but they can eat it! They prefer carrots, though, and I give them plenty. I always make sure to give them extra so they come running...
The Ehfurt Latrine Disaster
The core principle of Stoicism is that we can't control what happens, we can only control our response to it. Yet, as a Stoic. I'm struggling to imagine how I would respond to the floor collapsing under me, causing me to fall into a cesspool with 60 of my closest...
The Imp of the Perverse
Edgar Allan Poe wrote a short story called “The Imp of the Perverse,” in which the narrator identifies his urge to act recklessly as caused by a creature he calls Imp. This is a radical and primitive impulse within all humans. The Imp is the little fellow who advises...
I Hate Spam
I really hate spam phone calls and one of my weaknesses is that I’m really rude to unsolicited calls. Recently I picked up a call from an unknown number and growled, “Call me again and I’ll slit your throat and throw your headless body in the lake.” After a very...
How You Die
There are many ways to die. You could be impaled by a swordfish, brained by a coconut or crushed under a falling pile of coffins at your mortuary business. You could eat yourself to death like King Adolf Frederick of Sweden, or you could drink a lethal amount of...
