<description>&lt;p&gt;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 &lt;a href="https://instgram.com/orihalevy_bigoldjew" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;https://instgram.com/orihalevy_bigoldjew&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://instagram.com/epicomedyberlin" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;https://instagram.com/epicomedyberlin&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;A transcript of the audio will be posted on the podcast website at &lt;a href="https://stoic.coffee" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;https://stoic.coffee&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;hr&gt;&lt;p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'&gt; Hosted on Acast. See &lt;a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'&gt;acast.com/privacy&lt;/a&gt; for more information.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

<p>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 <a href="https://instgram.com/orihalevy_bigoldjew" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://instgram.com/orihalevy_bigoldjew</a> and <a href="https://instagram.com/epicomedyberlin" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://instagram.com/epicomedyberlin</a></p><br><p>A transcript of the audio will be posted on the podcast website at <a href="https://stoic.coffee" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://stoic.coffee</a>.</p><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Interview With Ori Halevy: Comedian and Comedy Writer

<div>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.</div><div><br></div><div><br>"Strive for excellence, not perfection, because we often find excellence in our imperfections."&nbsp;<br><br></div><div><br>—Harriet Braiker<br><br></div><div><br></div><div>We all have things about us that we think of as strengths and weaknesses. Maybe it’s certain abilities or behaviors that we have that we’re proud of and others that we’d rather put in a shoebox and hide in the attic and hope that nobody will find them, especially ourselves. But what if we’re wrong about thinking of ourselves this way? What if it’s the way that we perceive these things that cause us so much self-doubt and anxiety?</div><div><br></div><div>The other day I was listening to a podcast interview with Simon Sink, and he said something that really hit me like running into a brick wall. He said:</div><div><br></div><div><br>“I hate the conversation about what are your strengths and what are your weaknesses because everything requires context. You don’t have strengths or weaknesses, you have characteristics and attributes. And in the right context, those are strengths, and in the wrong context, in the wrong environment, those are weaknesses. Always. So it’s better to know who you are and look for environments where those things are advantages.”<br><br></div><div><br></div><div>And while this is something that I’ve always known, but either I was just in the right mindset, or just the way that Simon put it, or probably both, made me stop the video and think about that idea for a minute. What if we’ve been going about this all wrong? What if rather than looking at your so called weaknesses as that, weaknesses, and just started viewing them as something more neutral that is helpful in one context but not in another?</div><div><br></div><div>Simon then later give an example about how if he had to work on a project alone, he would either create something of very low quality or the stress it would cause would take a toll on his health because he works better in teams. He knows that he functions far better surrounded by people that are able to help him because that’s one of his attributes—leading and working with a team.&nbsp;</div><div><strong><br>Shifting Perspective</strong></div><div><br>"The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way."<br><br></div><div><br>— Marcus Aurelius<br><br></div><div><br>"Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid."&nbsp;<br><br></div><div><br>— Albert Einstein<br><br></div><div><br></div><div>The Stoics teach us a crucial lesson about perception. They tell us that the quality of our lives is determined not by what happens to us but by how we choose to see it. In other words, <strong>our strengths and weaknesses are two sides of the same coin; In every weakness, there lies a strength</strong>.</div><div><br></div><div>So, let's apply this wisdom to our own traits, shall we? Let’s turn the lens and view our characteristics in a new light, discovering how what we see as vulnerabilities might actually be veiled virtues. Let’s take some common characteristics and attributes that some of us have and reframe them to see where these traits might be just the thing to help us find success and find little more happiness by just being ourselves.</div><div><strong><br>The Overthinker</strong></div><div><br></div><div>Let’s say that you have a tendency to to overthink things. Maybe your mind spins like a hamster on a wheel and you find yourself going down rabbit holes when you get focused on an idea. While this may cause some frustration, distraction, and sleepless nights, in contexts that require detailed planning and foresight, the ability to think of all possible outcomes becomes a gift that helps avoid possible pitfalls and see opportunities that we might have missed. Overthinkers are the ones that leave no stone unturned and help us chart the optimal path forward.</div><div><strong><br>The Introvert</strong></div><div><br></div><div>"There is a great strength in being silent and listening; this is where the roots of empathetic leadership grow."<br><br></div><div><br>— Susan Cain<br><br></div><div><br></div><div>Often, introversion is seen as a social setback, but what if I told you it’s actually your stealthy strength? In a world that can’t stop talking, the quiet among us are the Olympic-grade listeners. Stoicism urges us to value the power of listening—a skill that’s absolutely golden in relationships, counseling, and leadership. While everyone else is trying to be heard, you’re absorbing, understanding, and, ultimately, wielding the power of knowledge.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Introversion is often mistaken as a barrier to leadership and dynamism, but it actually holds within it the seeds of empathetic leadership. Introverts, with their preference for deep thought and meaningful one-on-one connections, can be uniquely positioned to lead with empathy, understanding, and a keen ear for listening. In an age where leadership is evolving beyond the loud and charismatic, the introverted leader builds teams that feel seen, heard, and valued.</div><div><strong><br>The Risk-Averse</strong></div><div><br></div><div>Playing it safe is often frowned upon, especially in our “go big or go home” culture. But let’s turn the tables and look at it through a more Stoic perspective. The risk-averse individual, those who prefer the known paths to the potential perils of uncharted territory. While often criticized for a lack of boldness, their cautious approach makes them the conscientious conservators of our world. They’re the master of calculated risks, and their cautious approach gives them the ability to foresee and mitigate risks, to plan with thoroughness and care.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>In situations that demand thorough risk assessment—like financial investments, legal strategies, or safety protocols—this so-called weakness becomes the cornerstone of wisdom. Where others gamble, the risk-averse navigate with a map and a compass, turning potential pitfalls into well-navigated journeys. It is not the boldness of the steps we take, but the soundness of the path we choose that ensures our progress.</div><div><strong><br>The Stubborn</strong></div><div><br></div><div>“Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail."<br><br></div><div><br>— Ralph Waldo Emerson<br><br></div><div><br></div><div>Stubbornness gets a bad rap, often seen as the refusal to be flexible. Yet, under a different light, this so-called stubborn streak can be a laser-focused determination. When channeled correctly, it becomes the relentless drive needed to bring projects across the finish line or to stand firm in one’s values against peer pressure. An unwillingness to quit when things are tough, and having the strength to persevere can be the thing that helps you succeed when others other abandon ship. When others dither or flip-flop, being a stubborn yet principled person can help you be the lighthouse, guiding ships with unwavering conviction.</div><div><br></div><div><strong><br>The Daydreamer</strong></div><div><br></div><div>Caught daydreaming again? Instead of scolding yourself for not having both feet on the ground, consider this: Some of the greatest inventions and artworks were born from minds that dared to drift. Stoicism teaches us the value of perspective, and the daydreamer’s perspective is one that reaches beyond the immediate horizon. In roles that demand creativity and innovation, the daydreamer is king. While others see what is, the daydreamer sees what could be, painting the canvas of the future with strokes of imagination.</div><div><strong><br>The Procrastinator</strong></div><div><br></div><div>Next up, procrastination – the thief of time, or so they say. I certainly fall into the category of being a procrastinator, and find it challenging to get things done early even though I know it would be lot less stressful. I get distracted easily, because I’m so interested and curious about so many things. Yet, what if I told you that the habitual dawdler is actually a creative strategist in disguise? Procrastination can be the brain’s way of allowing ideas to marinate, leading to bursts of innovation and creativity. When the deadline looms, I often pull out solutions that a more time-efficient approach might never have uncovered. Here, the eleventh-hour rush becomes a crucible for brilliance.</div><div><br></div><div><strong><br>Embracing Who You Are</strong></div><div><br>"The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials."&nbsp;<br><br></div><div><br>— Chinese Proverb<br><br></div><div><br></div><div>So, how do we apply this Stoic reframing, turning perceived weaknesses into strengths? It starts with a shift in perception. Instead of labeling our traits as inherently good or bad, we view them as tools in our kit, each with its moment to shine.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>1. <strong>Context Is Key</strong>: Before you judge a trait as a weakness, ask, “In what context might this be a strength?” This is where the virtue of wisdom comes into play. Think of your traits as tools that need to be used in the right situation. Remember, a spoon might seem like a weak choice for cutting steak—until you’re served soup.</div><div>&nbsp; &nbsp;</div><div>2. <strong>Balance Your Portfolio</strong>: Just like a savvy investor diversifies their portfolio, diversify your traits. Lean into your strengths, but don’t shy away from those so-called weaknesses. They’re your hidden assets.</div><div><br></div><div>3. <strong>Reframe Your Narrative</strong>: Stoicism teaches us the power of our internal narrative. Change yours to highlight the positive aspects of your traits. “I’m not shy; I’m a master listener.” See? Sounds cooler already.</div><div><br></div><div>4. <strong>Experiment and Observe</strong>: Life’s the lab, and you’re the scientist. Experiment with leaning into your different traits in various contexts. Observe the outcomes. You might be surprised at what you discover.</div><div><br></div><div>5. <strong>Vive la Différence:</strong> Appreciate your differences and don’t compare yourself with others. We all have different traits that make us better at some things than others. We need the differences to make a more complete, interesting, and dynamic world. If we were all exactly the same, the world would be a very uninteresting place.</div><div><br></div><div>6. <strong>Embrace Growth</strong>: Finally, remember that growth is a Stoic’s game. Your traits aren’t set in stone. They’re malleable, capable of being honed into sharper, stronger versions of themselves.</div><div><br></div><div><strong><br>Conclusion&nbsp;</strong></div><div><br></div><div>In the grand tapestry of our life, each thread—each trait and characteristic—plays a role in the larger pattern. What we perceive as weaknesses are often strengths waiting for their moment in the spotlight, asking for a change in perspective and a bit of Stoic wisdom to shine.</div><div><br></div><div>So, the next time you catch yourself bemoaning a personal flaw, remember the Stoic. With a bit of context, creativity, and a shift in perspective, you can turn that flaw into your signature strength and most prized asset. After all, in the grand scheme of things, it’s not about the cards you’re dealt; it’s about how you play the hand.<br><br></div><div>---<br>Hello friends! Thanks for listening. <br>Want to take these principles to the next level?<a href="https://stoic.coffee/join"> Join the Stoic Coffee House Community</a>!&nbsp; <br><br>Stop by the website at <a href="http://www.stoic.coffee/">stoic.coffee</a> where you can sign up for our newsletter, and buy some great looking shirts and hoodies at the <a href="https://stoic.coffee/">Stoic Coffee Shop</a>. <br><br>Like the theme song? You can find it <a href="https://soundcloud.com/ericklind/journey-by-moonlight">here from my alter ego</a>. :)<br><br></div><div>Find me on <a href="https://instagram.co/stoic.coffee">instagram</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/stoiccoffee">twitter</a>, or <a href="https://threads.net/stoic.coffee">threads</a><br><br></div><div>Lastly if you know of someone that would benefit from or appreciate this podcast, please share it. Word of mouth is the best way to help this podcast grow. <br><strong>Thanks again for listening.</strong></div>

<description>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</description>

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

291 - Finding Your Genius: Flipping Your Flaws Into Features

<description>&lt;p&gt;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.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;blockquote&gt;&lt;em&gt;"Strive for excellence, not perfection, because we often find excellence in our imperfections."&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;blockquote&gt;&lt;em&gt;—Harriet Braiker&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;hr&gt;&lt;p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'&gt; Hosted on Acast. See &lt;a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'&gt;acast.com/privacy&lt;/a&gt; for more information.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Flipping Your Flaws Into Features

<p>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.</p><p><br></p><blockquote><em>"Strive for excellence, not perfection, because we often find excellence in our imperfections."</em></blockquote><blockquote><em>—Harriet Braiker</em></blockquote><p><br></p><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Finding Your Genius: Flipping Your Flaws Into Features

<description>&lt;div&gt;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.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br&gt;“It’s better for us to laugh at life than to cry over it.”&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;blockquote&gt;— Seneca&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;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 "according to nature," and let's be real, what's more natural than snorting milk out of your nose from laughing too hard? Exactly.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;So, how does humor fit into Stoicism?&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;The Stoics often talked about achieving eudaimonia, also translated as ‘good spirit’, which for the Stoics is about reducing negative emotions, and cultivating positive emotions. Since we are emotional creatures, we aren’t expected to not have emotions, and for me, having a good laugh certainly helps me get closer to having a ‘good spirit’.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;Absurdity of Life&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br&gt;Because stoicism is about trying to see the world for exactly what it is, we can laugh at the absurdities of life. Seneca was all about chuckling at life's curveballs when he said, "Fortune is like that drunk friend who tries to help but ends up knocking over the lamp." Life is unpredictable, so why not have a laugh when things go sideways?&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;When you think about it, this is what &lt;em&gt;Amor Fati&lt;/em&gt; is all about. It’s about not just accepting everything that happens in life, but loving everything that comes our way, and what better way is there to love everything that comes your way when you find humor in even the darkest times?&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;When we take things too seriously, we often get stuck ruminating and stressing out over things that are small or even imagined. When we get stuck in this mindset, our thinking becomes more narrow as response to stress, which it makes it hard for us to make better decisions. In these situations, often times the best thing we can do is laugh about it. Lightening our mood helps us relax which in turn helps us think more positively and be more open to possibilities.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;The Stoics recognized that joy is not the same thing as being frivolous. They understood that joy is part of a well-rounded life. The Stoics themselves practiced self-deprecating humor in order to not take themselves or life too seriously. Epictetus was known to have a very dry and ironic wit. You can totally picture Epictetus cracking a smile and reminding us that just because we're after virtue, doesn't mean we can't enjoy a good meme. When talking about death, he once said, “I have to die. If it is now, well then I die now; if later, then now I will take my lunch, since the hour for lunch has arrived - and dying I will tend to later.”&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;It was reported that Chrysippus literally died from laughing at the sight of his intoxicated donkey trying to eat figs. Marcus Aurelius, the emperor of Rome, once cracked, "I get up in the morning because the universe isn't done with me; also, someone has to feed the ducks." Keeping yourself grounded with a little self-mockery is very much in line with Stoic principles.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;Keep Perspective&lt;br&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Laughter helps us to keep things in perspective. When we are in good spirits, we are better able to see things as they are, or imagine how they could be. When things don’t go the way we want, we’re better able to roll with things, focus on what went right, and move forward in a more positive direction. When we are stressed or pessimistic, then we’re more likely to catastrophize, only see the downsides, and wallow in why things didn’t work out.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Seneca gives us some good instruction on keeping a humorous outlook when comparing the serious and sullen Heraclitus the more cheerful Democritus. He wrote:&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br&gt;“We ought therefore to bring ourselves into such a state of mind that all the vices of the vulgar may not appear hateful to us, but merely ridiculous, and we should imitate Democritus rather than Heraclitus. The latter of these, whenever he appeared in public, used to weep, the former to laugh: the one thought all human doings to be follies, the other thought them to be miseries. We must take a higher view of all things, and bear with them more easily: it better becomes a man to laugh at life than to lament over it. Add to this that he who laughs at the human race deserves better of it than he who mourns for it, for the former leaves it some good hopes of improvement, while the latter stupidly weeps over what he has given up all hopes of mending.”&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Laughter is the Best Medicine&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br&gt;When comes to health, laughter is truly good medicine. With the pace of the modern world, we’re all under a lot of stress, which is detrimental to our long term health. Since stress hormones, those released for our ‘fight or flight’ instincts are meant to get us out of short term danger, such as escaping from a saber toothed tiger, we’re not meant to operate under this type of duress for long periods. Exposure to these hormones over longer periods increase our risk for obesity, heart disease, cancer, depression and many other illnesses. Laughter, as it turns out, helps counteract many of these problems by relieving stress, increasing oxygen intake, and releasing healthy chemicals into our bloodstream.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;Strengthening Social Bonds&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;The Stoics stress that it’s important for us to build community and be a productive member of society. Laughter is something that brings people together and helps to strengthen social bonds. Sharing a good laugh with family and friends or even strangers can help us form better social connections. At a very simplistic level, when we laugh with others, we relax around them and are better able to just be ourselves. It feels like the other person ‘gets us’. We associate good feelings with them. Our memories of them are positive, which means it’s more likely we’ll want to spend time with them, or be willing to help them out when they need it.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;For example, even though I had a difficult relationship with my father, some of my fondest memories of him are when he shared funny stories or we watched a movie that had us rolling on the floor. I can still remember his deep belly laugh and when he’d have to take off his glasses because he had tears in his eyes.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;When we can see the lighter side of life, we are also better able to be compassionate to other people and &amp;nbsp; more likely to give them the benefit of the doubt. When we’re stressed or pessimistic, we’re more likely to place blame on them when things aren’t working out.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;Wisdom in Humor&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;There are many ways to learn and often humor is the best way to communicate wisdom. The best teachers I had growing up were usually those that could make learning fun or add some humor into their lessons. A bit of humor in the class often made the difference between really enjoying a class or just getting through it.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Sometimes, the truth is so blunt, it hurts. But wrap that truth in a joke, and it becomes wisdom you can approach with a smile. Some of the best comedians share hard truths about life with humor that otherwise would be uncomfortable. By shining a light on hard things with humor, we’re more willing to look at things that we might otherwise would have avoided. By making us laugh, they open us up to seeing things from different perspectives that we may not have considered before.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;Resilience&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;When we can learn to laugh about the hard things in life, we become more resilient. When the going gets tough, rather than letting it drag us down, we’re able to make something good of a tough situation. With a shift in perspective, what may have seemed like a frustrating situation, can be turned into something more neutral or even a funny story to share with friends later.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Learning to laugh at life also helps us in&amp;nbsp; embracing imperfection. Nobody's perfect and Stoics get that. A well-timed joke about our own blunders reminds us to accept our flaws. I can imagine that if Marcus Aurelius had social media, he'd probably tweet, "Messed up today. #JustEmperorThings."&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;Looking at the Bright Side of Life&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;So how can you get better about looking at life from a more humorous perspective?&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;A big thing for me is to just watch some good comedy. Last Sunday night I was working on some business ideas and was finding myself stressing out about it. I found that my thinking was narrowed and it was really hard to generate ideas. Then I would get even more frustrated because I couldn’t seem to get out of this downward spiral. So I went to a comedy show. It was small show but the crowd was really fun and the comedians were great. Some of the topics broached were dark, but still funny. I also made friends with the couple sitting next to me. Two hours of laughing reset my mood and started the week off with a much better outlook.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Since the Stoics are big on having awareness of what you are thinking, pay attention to when you’re getting critical towards someone or something else. Approach the situation like a comedy writer. Can you stop and see if you can find something funny about the situation? Can you laugh at yourself for getting too serious about something? I found that if I think about how I could turn it into a funny story to tell someone later can help to lighten my mood.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;But with this said, be careful not to take things too far. Humor can be a great coping mechanism, but it can also be used to avoid having difficult conversations or dealing with challenging situations. Also, laughing at the expense of others is one way to burn bridges rather than building them. The Stoics teach us to practice temperance, so make sure that you use humor at the right time and in the right doses. Trying to be funny at the wrong time can backfire and may cause more harm. Life isn’t all doom and gloom, but it’s not a laugh-fest either. Finding that sweet spot between levity and seriousness can help you strike the right balance in any situation.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Like they say, know your audience.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;Conclusion&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;In essence, Stoicism with a dash of humor isn't just palatable; it's downright enjoyable. It turns out, you can pursue virtue and still have room for a good laugh. So next time you're pondering the Stoic virtues, remember to lighten up and let humor be your companion on the path to eudaemonia.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;---&lt;br&gt;Hello friends! Thanks for listening. &lt;br&gt;Want to take these principles to the next level?&lt;a href="https://stoic.coffee/join"&gt; Join the Stoic Coffee House Community&lt;/a&gt;!&amp;nbsp; &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Stop by the website at &lt;a href="http://www.stoic.coffee/"&gt;stoic.coffee&lt;/a&gt; where you can sign up for our newsletter, and buy some great looking shirts and hoodies at the &lt;a href="https://stoic.coffee/"&gt;Stoic Coffee Shop&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Like the theme song? You can find it &lt;a href="https://soundcloud.com/ericklind/journey-by-moonlight"&gt;here from my alter ego&lt;/a&gt;. :)&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Find me on &lt;a href="https://instagram.co/stoic.coffee"&gt;instagram&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/stoiccoffee"&gt;twitter&lt;/a&gt;, or &lt;a href="https://threads.net/stoic.coffee"&gt;threads&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Lastly if you know of someone that would benefit from or appreciate this podcast, please share it. Word of mouth is the best way to help this podcast grow. &lt;br&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Thanks again for listening.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;hr&gt;&lt;p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'&gt; Hosted on Acast. See &lt;a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'&gt;acast.com/privacy&lt;/a&gt; for more information.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

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 

<div>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.</div><div><br></div><div><br>“It’s better for us to laugh at life than to cry over it.”<br><br></div><blockquote>— Seneca</blockquote><div><br></div><div>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 "according to nature," and let's be real, what's more natural than snorting milk out of your nose from laughing too hard? Exactly.</div><div><br></div><div>So, how does humor fit into Stoicism?</div><div><br></div><div>The Stoics often talked about achieving eudaimonia, also translated as ‘good spirit’, which for the Stoics is about reducing negative emotions, and cultivating positive emotions. Since we are emotional creatures, we aren’t expected to not have emotions, and for me, having a good laugh certainly helps me get closer to having a ‘good spirit’.</div><div><br></div><div><strong><br>Absurdity of Life</strong></div><div><br>Because stoicism is about trying to see the world for exactly what it is, we can laugh at the absurdities of life. Seneca was all about chuckling at life's curveballs when he said, "Fortune is like that drunk friend who tries to help but ends up knocking over the lamp." Life is unpredictable, so why not have a laugh when things go sideways?&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>When you think about it, this is what <em>Amor Fati</em> is all about. It’s about not just accepting everything that happens in life, but loving everything that comes our way, and what better way is there to love everything that comes your way when you find humor in even the darkest times?</div><div><br></div><div>When we take things too seriously, we often get stuck ruminating and stressing out over things that are small or even imagined. When we get stuck in this mindset, our thinking becomes more narrow as response to stress, which it makes it hard for us to make better decisions. In these situations, often times the best thing we can do is laugh about it. Lightening our mood helps us relax which in turn helps us think more positively and be more open to possibilities.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The Stoics recognized that joy is not the same thing as being frivolous. They understood that joy is part of a well-rounded life. The Stoics themselves practiced self-deprecating humor in order to not take themselves or life too seriously. Epictetus was known to have a very dry and ironic wit. You can totally picture Epictetus cracking a smile and reminding us that just because we're after virtue, doesn't mean we can't enjoy a good meme. When talking about death, he once said, “I have to die. If it is now, well then I die now; if later, then now I will take my lunch, since the hour for lunch has arrived - and dying I will tend to later.”</div><div><br></div><div>It was reported that Chrysippus literally died from laughing at the sight of his intoxicated donkey trying to eat figs. Marcus Aurelius, the emperor of Rome, once cracked, "I get up in the morning because the universe isn't done with me; also, someone has to feed the ducks." Keeping yourself grounded with a little self-mockery is very much in line with Stoic principles.</div><div><strong><br>Keep Perspective<br></strong><br></div><div>Laughter helps us to keep things in perspective. When we are in good spirits, we are better able to see things as they are, or imagine how they could be. When things don’t go the way we want, we’re better able to roll with things, focus on what went right, and move forward in a more positive direction. When we are stressed or pessimistic, then we’re more likely to catastrophize, only see the downsides, and wallow in why things didn’t work out.</div><div><br></div><div>Seneca gives us some good instruction on keeping a humorous outlook when comparing the serious and sullen Heraclitus the more cheerful Democritus. He wrote:</div><div><br>“We ought therefore to bring ourselves into such a state of mind that all the vices of the vulgar may not appear hateful to us, but merely ridiculous, and we should imitate Democritus rather than Heraclitus. The latter of these, whenever he appeared in public, used to weep, the former to laugh: the one thought all human doings to be follies, the other thought them to be miseries. We must take a higher view of all things, and bear with them more easily: it better becomes a man to laugh at life than to lament over it. Add to this that he who laughs at the human race deserves better of it than he who mourns for it, for the former leaves it some good hopes of improvement, while the latter stupidly weeps over what he has given up all hopes of mending.”<br><br></div><div><strong>Laughter is the Best Medicine</strong></div><div><br>When comes to health, laughter is truly good medicine. With the pace of the modern world, we’re all under a lot of stress, which is detrimental to our long term health. Since stress hormones, those released for our ‘fight or flight’ instincts are meant to get us out of short term danger, such as escaping from a saber toothed tiger, we’re not meant to operate under this type of duress for long periods. Exposure to these hormones over longer periods increase our risk for obesity, heart disease, cancer, depression and many other illnesses. Laughter, as it turns out, helps counteract many of these problems by relieving stress, increasing oxygen intake, and releasing healthy chemicals into our bloodstream.</div><div><strong><br>Strengthening Social Bonds</strong><br><br></div><div>The Stoics stress that it’s important for us to build community and be a productive member of society. Laughter is something that brings people together and helps to strengthen social bonds. Sharing a good laugh with family and friends or even strangers can help us form better social connections. At a very simplistic level, when we laugh with others, we relax around them and are better able to just be ourselves. It feels like the other person ‘gets us’. We associate good feelings with them. Our memories of them are positive, which means it’s more likely we’ll want to spend time with them, or be willing to help them out when they need it.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>For example, even though I had a difficult relationship with my father, some of my fondest memories of him are when he shared funny stories or we watched a movie that had us rolling on the floor. I can still remember his deep belly laugh and when he’d have to take off his glasses because he had tears in his eyes.</div><div><br></div><div>When we can see the lighter side of life, we are also better able to be compassionate to other people and &nbsp; more likely to give them the benefit of the doubt. When we’re stressed or pessimistic, we’re more likely to place blame on them when things aren’t working out.</div><div><strong><br>Wisdom in Humor</strong><br><br></div><div>There are many ways to learn and often humor is the best way to communicate wisdom. The best teachers I had growing up were usually those that could make learning fun or add some humor into their lessons. A bit of humor in the class often made the difference between really enjoying a class or just getting through it.</div><div><br></div><div>Sometimes, the truth is so blunt, it hurts. But wrap that truth in a joke, and it becomes wisdom you can approach with a smile. Some of the best comedians share hard truths about life with humor that otherwise would be uncomfortable. By shining a light on hard things with humor, we’re more willing to look at things that we might otherwise would have avoided. By making us laugh, they open us up to seeing things from different perspectives that we may not have considered before.&nbsp;</div><div><strong><br>Resilience</strong><br><br></div><div>When we can learn to laugh about the hard things in life, we become more resilient. When the going gets tough, rather than letting it drag us down, we’re able to make something good of a tough situation. With a shift in perspective, what may have seemed like a frustrating situation, can be turned into something more neutral or even a funny story to share with friends later.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Learning to laugh at life also helps us in&nbsp; embracing imperfection. Nobody's perfect and Stoics get that. A well-timed joke about our own blunders reminds us to accept our flaws. I can imagine that if Marcus Aurelius had social media, he'd probably tweet, "Messed up today. #JustEmperorThings."</div><div><strong><br>Looking at the Bright Side of Life</strong><br><br></div><div>So how can you get better about looking at life from a more humorous perspective?</div><div><br></div><div>A big thing for me is to just watch some good comedy. Last Sunday night I was working on some business ideas and was finding myself stressing out about it. I found that my thinking was narrowed and it was really hard to generate ideas. Then I would get even more frustrated because I couldn’t seem to get out of this downward spiral. So I went to a comedy show. It was small show but the crowd was really fun and the comedians were great. Some of the topics broached were dark, but still funny. I also made friends with the couple sitting next to me. Two hours of laughing reset my mood and started the week off with a much better outlook.</div><div><br></div><div>Since the Stoics are big on having awareness of what you are thinking, pay attention to when you’re getting critical towards someone or something else. Approach the situation like a comedy writer. Can you stop and see if you can find something funny about the situation? Can you laugh at yourself for getting too serious about something? I found that if I think about how I could turn it into a funny story to tell someone later can help to lighten my mood.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>But with this said, be careful not to take things too far. Humor can be a great coping mechanism, but it can also be used to avoid having difficult conversations or dealing with challenging situations. Also, laughing at the expense of others is one way to burn bridges rather than building them. The Stoics teach us to practice temperance, so make sure that you use humor at the right time and in the right doses. Trying to be funny at the wrong time can backfire and may cause more harm. Life isn’t all doom and gloom, but it’s not a laugh-fest either. Finding that sweet spot between levity and seriousness can help you strike the right balance in any situation.</div><div><br></div><div>Like they say, know your audience.</div><div><strong><br>Conclusion</strong></div><div>In essence, Stoicism with a dash of humor isn't just palatable; it's downright enjoyable. It turns out, you can pursue virtue and still have room for a good laugh. So next time you're pondering the Stoic virtues, remember to lighten up and let humor be your companion on the path to eudaemonia.</div><div><br></div><div>---<br>Hello friends! Thanks for listening. <br>Want to take these principles to the next level?<a href="https://stoic.coffee/join"> Join the Stoic Coffee House Community</a>!&nbsp; <br><br>Stop by the website at <a href="http://www.stoic.coffee/">stoic.coffee</a> where you can sign up for our newsletter, and buy some great looking shirts and hoodies at the <a href="https://stoic.coffee/">Stoic Coffee Shop</a>. <br><br>Like the theme song? You can find it <a href="https://soundcloud.com/ericklind/journey-by-moonlight">here from my alter ego</a>. :)<br><br></div><div>Find me on <a href="https://instagram.co/stoic.coffee">instagram</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/stoiccoffee">twitter</a>, or <a href="https://threads.net/stoic.coffee">threads</a><br><br></div><div>Lastly if you know of someone that would benefit from or appreciate this podcast, please share it. Word of mouth is the best way to help this podcast grow. <br><strong>Thanks again for listening.</strong></div><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Laughing With The Stoics: Finding Humor on the Path to Virtue

<description>&lt;div&gt;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.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br&gt;“You could leave life right now. Let that determine what you do and say and think."&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br&gt;— Marcus Aurelius&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;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 &lt;em&gt;Memento Mori&lt;/em&gt;, remember death. The Stoics want us to remember that every day could be our last so that we use the time we have the best we can.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;em&gt;Memento Mori&lt;/em&gt; is not about being morbid or macabre, but rather appreciating the fact that we are alive at this moment, and that we need to savor each moment we have because it could be our last. It means that instead of wishing for things to be different, we should accept things as they are and appreciate them. It also means that we should look for things to be grateful for right now. We need to find contentment now rather than waiting for it to come to us in the future after some event or accomplishment.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;Mortality&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br&gt;“To live in this world, you must be able to do three things: to love what is mortal; to hold it against your bones knowing your own life depends on it; and, when the time comes to let it go, to let it go."&amp;nbsp;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;— Mary Oliver&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;em&gt;Memento Mori&lt;/em&gt; is there to remind us that we need to face reality. We need to accept that we will all die one day, and as much as we might want to ignore that fact, it is not something that we can escape. The sooner we come to terms with our own mortality, the less we fear death, and the better we can live in the present.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;One day, when I was about 40, I had just gotten out of the shower and was trimming my beard. As I was looking at my face in the mirror and I noticed the wrinkles on my face standing out a bit more. I remember having this rush of fear and anxiety about how I was getting older, and that I would die one day. I realized that I had never put too much thought into the fact that I would die. Like most people, I just went about my daily life as if death was something I could just ignore. I realized that I needed to face my own mortality because it was something that would come whether I liked it or not.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Over the next few months, I would occasionally take some time and think about my death. I thought a lot about what it might be like after I leave this life. I thought about some of the things that I wanted to accomplish before I left this world. I worked on getting comfortable with the fact that I would have to face my death at some point. The more comfortable I got with death, the less fear I had about dying. This is not to say&amp;nbsp; that I’m looking forward to it or seeking it out, but it no longer causes me the anxiety I felt when I was first confronting my own mortality.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;Live Now&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br&gt;"Let us prepare our minds as if we’d come to the very end of life. Let us postpone nothing. Let us balance life’s books each day. … The one who puts the finishing touches on their life each day is never short of time."&amp;nbsp;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;— Seneca&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;"The trouble is, you think you have time."&amp;nbsp;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;— Buddha&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;So why is it important that we learn to face up to our own mortality?&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Remembering death sharpens our senses. It helps us to be more present in our daily lives because we can spend less time living for the future because it’s possible that we might not have one. When we recognize that all the plans and goals that we have may never come to pass, we learn to not let our happiness be dependent on things that we’ll accomplish or get in the future.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Facing up to your death helps you live more urgently. Memento Mori helps to prioritize the things that matter and the things that don’t. It reminds that we shouldn’t put off the things we want to do but try to do them as soon as we can. We often live with the idea that we’ll get to it someday, as if we had all the time in the world. The Stoics tell us to get busy with the business of living. Don’t waste time on things that don’t matter.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;Will it Matter?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br&gt;"Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important."&amp;nbsp;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;— Steve Jobs&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;When we take the time to remember death, we can develop a bigger and more helpful perspective about life. For example, if we ask ourselves, will this matter in 100 years? 1000 years? Things that may seem important in the moment, can seem trivial in the long run. The minor inconveniences that annoy and distress us in our daily lives can be laughed off when we think about them in a long enough timeframe because everything you do will probably not even be remembered in 100 years, and probably not even in 5 or 10 years.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;In Meditations, Marcus Aurelius says, “Alexander the Great and his mule driver both died and the same thing happened to both. They were either received into the same generative principle of the universe, or they were both dispersed into atoms.” In talking about this, he’s reminds us that regardless of the greatness of your achievements, we all meet the same fate. And even though Alexander was a great conquer, what good does that do him now? Is he still able to enjoy the glory of his conquests?&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;How You Live&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br&gt;"It matters not how a man dies, but how he lives. The act of dying is not of importance, it lasts so short a time."&amp;nbsp;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;— Samuel Johnson&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;So if that’s the case and it seems like nothing really matters, why should we try to do anything good? Why should we try to accomplish anything in this life?&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;It’s not that you have to accomplish great things in order for your life to mean something. Not everyone was meant to accomplish something that will be remembered. And that’s okay. Because how you live your life matters. Like I talked about in last weeks podcast, &lt;a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/42pkCslfxvKdNFU20bYgso?si=ncsm1ry6Q6C28bJOyuG_zg"&gt;Ambition or Contentment&lt;/a&gt;, living a good life is not about all the accomplishments you achieve, it’s about the process of living. It’s about enjoying the journey and everything that comes your way. It’s about doing good things in the world, even if they are small acts.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;Gratitude of Living&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br&gt;"It is only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth – and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up – that we will begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it were the only one we had."&amp;nbsp;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;— Elisabeth Kübler-Ross&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;An important part of &lt;em&gt;Memento Mori&lt;/em&gt;, is that it teaches us to practice gratitude for the the everyday things in life. Remember, it’s not the grand gestures and huge accomplishments that make life good. It’s all the little things. A good cup of coffee, a great conversation with a friend, listening to a beautiful piece of music, watching a sunset, or even just appreciating that you are alive and you get to experience all these things. Appreciating the little things, the small joys of life is an easy way to help you feel more alive with just small shift in your perspective.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;Contemplate Your Death&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br&gt;"Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon? Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"&amp;nbsp;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;— Mary Oliver, from the poem "The Summer Day"&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;A practice to you can use to help you appreciate life more is to imagine what it would be like if you died. Think about all the things that you would miss. Spending time with your friends and family. Watching your favorite film. Eating dinner at your favorite restaurant. Imagine that you will never get to experience these things again. When you think about how much you’ll miss them, you’ll appreciate them even more the next you get to enjoy them.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;There’s a great example of this in the film &lt;em&gt;Fight Club&lt;/em&gt;. There’s a scene where Brad Pitt’s character, Tyler Durden, pulls a gun on a convenience store clerk, Raymond, and threatens him with it. He takes his wallet and he sees that Raymond has an expired community college id. He asks him what he studied and what he wanted to become. Raymond tells him he wanted to become a veterinarian, but that there was too much schooling involved. Tyler then takes Raymond’s drivers license and tells him he’s going to check up on him and that if he’s not on his way to becoming a veterinarian in the next six weeks that he’s going to kill him.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;He then tells Raymond to run.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Throughout the whole incident, Edward Norton’s character is trying to get Tyler to stop. After Raymond runs for his life, he asks Tyler why he did it. Tyler says, “Tomorrow morning will be the most beautiful day of Raymond K. Hessel’s life. His breakfast will taste better than anything you and I have ever tasted.”&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Now I don’t recommend that you go out and threaten someone with gun to help them face their fear of death. The scene in the movie was meant to be extreme to prove a point - that once you face your death, it breaks you out of the spell of your ordinary life, and you appreciate life in a more present and fearless way.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;Conclusion&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br&gt;"For life and death are one, even as the river and the sea are one."&amp;nbsp;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;— Kahlil Gibran&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;We will all die one day, and this is one thing that none of us can escape. Many of us ignore this and live our lives as if we had all the time in the world. By practicing &lt;em&gt;Memento Mori&lt;/em&gt;, you stop putting off things until tomorrow. You let go of things that do not matter because they don’t really matter in the long run. You are more present in your life because you appreciate the fact that you are alive and breathing and you get to experience and the great and small joys of life. Take a little time each day to think about your death, because the more you are willing to face up to your mortality, the more alive you can feel each day.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;---&lt;br&gt;Hello friends! Thanks for listening. &lt;br&gt;Want to take these principles to the next level?&lt;a href="https://stoic.coffee/join"&gt; Join the Stoic Coffee House Community&lt;/a&gt;!&amp;nbsp; &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Stop by the website at &lt;a href="http://www.stoic.coffee/"&gt;stoic.coffee&lt;/a&gt; where you can sign up for our newsletter, and buy some great looking shirts and hoodies at the &lt;a href="https://stoic.coffee/"&gt;Stoic Coffee Shop&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Like the theme song? You can find it &lt;a href="https://soundcloud.com/ericklind/journey-by-moonlight"&gt;here from my alter ego&lt;/a&gt;. :)&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Find me on &lt;a href="https://instagram.co/stoic.coffee"&gt;instagram&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/stoiccoffee"&gt;twitter&lt;/a&gt;, or &lt;a href="https://threads.net/stoic.coffee"&gt;threads&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Lastly if you know of someone that would benefit from or appreciate this podcast, please share it. Word of mouth is the best way to help this podcast grow. &lt;br&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Thanks again for listening.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;hr&gt;&lt;p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'&gt; Hosted on Acast. See &lt;a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'&gt;acast.com/privacy&lt;/a&gt; for more information.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

"It matters not how a man dies, but how he lives. The act of dying is not of importance, it lasts so short a time." — Samuel JohnsonHow often do you think about your death? Do you go through your life just ignoring it and thinking that it’s always a l

<div>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.</div><div><br>“You could leave life right now. Let that determine what you do and say and think."&nbsp;</div><div><br>— Marcus Aurelius<br><br></div><div>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 <em>Memento Mori</em>, remember death. The Stoics want us to remember that every day could be our last so that we use the time we have the best we can.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div><em>Memento Mori</em> is not about being morbid or macabre, but rather appreciating the fact that we are alive at this moment, and that we need to savor each moment we have because it could be our last. It means that instead of wishing for things to be different, we should accept things as they are and appreciate them. It also means that we should look for things to be grateful for right now. We need to find contentment now rather than waiting for it to come to us in the future after some event or accomplishment.</div><div><strong><br>Mortality</strong></div><div><br>“To live in this world, you must be able to do three things: to love what is mortal; to hold it against your bones knowing your own life depends on it; and, when the time comes to let it go, to let it go."&nbsp;<br><br></div><div>— Mary Oliver<br><br></div><div><em>Memento Mori</em> is there to remind us that we need to face reality. We need to accept that we will all die one day, and as much as we might want to ignore that fact, it is not something that we can escape. The sooner we come to terms with our own mortality, the less we fear death, and the better we can live in the present.</div><div><br></div><div>One day, when I was about 40, I had just gotten out of the shower and was trimming my beard. As I was looking at my face in the mirror and I noticed the wrinkles on my face standing out a bit more. I remember having this rush of fear and anxiety about how I was getting older, and that I would die one day. I realized that I had never put too much thought into the fact that I would die. Like most people, I just went about my daily life as if death was something I could just ignore. I realized that I needed to face my own mortality because it was something that would come whether I liked it or not.</div><div><br></div><div>Over the next few months, I would occasionally take some time and think about my death. I thought a lot about what it might be like after I leave this life. I thought about some of the things that I wanted to accomplish before I left this world. I worked on getting comfortable with the fact that I would have to face my death at some point. The more comfortable I got with death, the less fear I had about dying. This is not to say&nbsp; that I’m looking forward to it or seeking it out, but it no longer causes me the anxiety I felt when I was first confronting my own mortality.&nbsp;</div><div><strong><br>Live Now</strong></div><div><br>"Let us prepare our minds as if we’d come to the very end of life. Let us postpone nothing. Let us balance life’s books each day. … The one who puts the finishing touches on their life each day is never short of time."&nbsp;<br><br></div><div>— Seneca</div><div><br></div><div>"The trouble is, you think you have time."&nbsp;<br><br></div><div>— Buddha<br><br></div><div>So why is it important that we learn to face up to our own mortality?&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Remembering death sharpens our senses. It helps us to be more present in our daily lives because we can spend less time living for the future because it’s possible that we might not have one. When we recognize that all the plans and goals that we have may never come to pass, we learn to not let our happiness be dependent on things that we’ll accomplish or get in the future.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Facing up to your death helps you live more urgently. Memento Mori helps to prioritize the things that matter and the things that don’t. It reminds that we shouldn’t put off the things we want to do but try to do them as soon as we can. We often live with the idea that we’ll get to it someday, as if we had all the time in the world. The Stoics tell us to get busy with the business of living. Don’t waste time on things that don’t matter.</div><div><strong><br>Will it Matter?</strong></div><div><br>"Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important."&nbsp;<br><br></div><div>— Steve Jobs<br><br></div><div>When we take the time to remember death, we can develop a bigger and more helpful perspective about life. For example, if we ask ourselves, will this matter in 100 years? 1000 years? Things that may seem important in the moment, can seem trivial in the long run. The minor inconveniences that annoy and distress us in our daily lives can be laughed off when we think about them in a long enough timeframe because everything you do will probably not even be remembered in 100 years, and probably not even in 5 or 10 years.</div><div><br></div><div>In Meditations, Marcus Aurelius says, “Alexander the Great and his mule driver both died and the same thing happened to both. They were either received into the same generative principle of the universe, or they were both dispersed into atoms.” In talking about this, he’s reminds us that regardless of the greatness of your achievements, we all meet the same fate. And even though Alexander was a great conquer, what good does that do him now? Is he still able to enjoy the glory of his conquests?&nbsp;</div><div><strong><br>How You Live</strong></div><div><br>"It matters not how a man dies, but how he lives. The act of dying is not of importance, it lasts so short a time."&nbsp;<br><br></div><div>— Samuel Johnson<br><br></div><div>So if that’s the case and it seems like nothing really matters, why should we try to do anything good? Why should we try to accomplish anything in this life?&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>It’s not that you have to accomplish great things in order for your life to mean something. Not everyone was meant to accomplish something that will be remembered. And that’s okay. Because how you live your life matters. Like I talked about in last weeks podcast, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/42pkCslfxvKdNFU20bYgso?si=ncsm1ry6Q6C28bJOyuG_zg">Ambition or Contentment</a>, living a good life is not about all the accomplishments you achieve, it’s about the process of living. It’s about enjoying the journey and everything that comes your way. It’s about doing good things in the world, even if they are small acts.&nbsp;</div><div><strong><br>Gratitude of Living</strong></div><div><br>"It is only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth – and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up – that we will begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it were the only one we had."&nbsp;<br><br></div><div>— Elisabeth Kübler-Ross<br><br></div><div>An important part of <em>Memento Mori</em>, is that it teaches us to practice gratitude for the the everyday things in life. Remember, it’s not the grand gestures and huge accomplishments that make life good. It’s all the little things. A good cup of coffee, a great conversation with a friend, listening to a beautiful piece of music, watching a sunset, or even just appreciating that you are alive and you get to experience all these things. Appreciating the little things, the small joys of life is an easy way to help you feel more alive with just small shift in your perspective.</div><div><strong><br>Contemplate Your Death</strong></div><div><br>"Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon? Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"&nbsp;<br><br></div><div>— Mary Oliver, from the poem "The Summer Day"<br><br></div><div>A practice to you can use to help you appreciate life more is to imagine what it would be like if you died. Think about all the things that you would miss. Spending time with your friends and family. Watching your favorite film. Eating dinner at your favorite restaurant. Imagine that you will never get to experience these things again. When you think about how much you’ll miss them, you’ll appreciate them even more the next you get to enjoy them.</div><div><br></div><div>There’s a great example of this in the film <em>Fight Club</em>. There’s a scene where Brad Pitt’s character, Tyler Durden, pulls a gun on a convenience store clerk, Raymond, and threatens him with it. He takes his wallet and he sees that Raymond has an expired community college id. He asks him what he studied and what he wanted to become. Raymond tells him he wanted to become a veterinarian, but that there was too much schooling involved. Tyler then takes Raymond’s drivers license and tells him he’s going to check up on him and that if he’s not on his way to becoming a veterinarian in the next six weeks that he’s going to kill him.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>He then tells Raymond to run.</div><div><br></div><div>Throughout the whole incident, Edward Norton’s character is trying to get Tyler to stop. After Raymond runs for his life, he asks Tyler why he did it. Tyler says, “Tomorrow morning will be the most beautiful day of Raymond K. Hessel’s life. His breakfast will taste better than anything you and I have ever tasted.”</div><div><br></div><div>Now I don’t recommend that you go out and threaten someone with gun to help them face their fear of death. The scene in the movie was meant to be extreme to prove a point - that once you face your death, it breaks you out of the spell of your ordinary life, and you appreciate life in a more present and fearless way.</div><div><strong><br>Conclusion</strong></div><div><br>"For life and death are one, even as the river and the sea are one."&nbsp;<br><br></div><div>— Kahlil Gibran<br><br></div><div>We will all die one day, and this is one thing that none of us can escape. Many of us ignore this and live our lives as if we had all the time in the world. By practicing <em>Memento Mori</em>, you stop putting off things until tomorrow. You let go of things that do not matter because they don’t really matter in the long run. You are more present in your life because you appreciate the fact that you are alive and breathing and you get to experience and the great and small joys of life. Take a little time each day to think about your death, because the more you are willing to face up to your mortality, the more alive you can feel each day.</div><div><br></div><div>---<br>Hello friends! Thanks for listening. <br>Want to take these principles to the next level?<a href="https://stoic.coffee/join"> Join the Stoic Coffee House Community</a>!&nbsp; <br><br>Stop by the website at <a href="http://www.stoic.coffee/">stoic.coffee</a> where you can sign up for our newsletter, and buy some great looking shirts and hoodies at the <a href="https://stoic.coffee/">Stoic Coffee Shop</a>. <br><br>Like the theme song? You can find it <a href="https://soundcloud.com/ericklind/journey-by-moonlight">here from my alter ego</a>. :)<br><br></div><div>Find me on <a href="https://instagram.co/stoic.coffee">instagram</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/stoiccoffee">twitter</a>, or <a href="https://threads.net/stoic.coffee">threads</a><br><br></div><div>Lastly if you know of someone that would benefit from or appreciate this podcast, please share it. Word of mouth is the best way to help this podcast grow. <br><strong>Thanks again for listening.</strong></div><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

286 - Remember Death

<p><strong>"Act on your principles, not your moods."</strong> A weekly meditation on how Stoic principles can help you be a better human. </p><p><a href="https://stoic.coffee " rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://stoic.coffee </a></p><br><p><strong>Follow us on social media: </strong></p><p><a href="https://instagram.com/stoic.coffee " rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://instagram.com/stoic.coffee </a></p><p><a href="https://twitter.com/stoiccoffee" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/stoiccoffee</a> </p><p><a href="https://facebook.com/stoiccoffee" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://facebook.com/stoiccoffee</a></p><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Stoic Coffee Break

Details

Recent Episodes