The Stoic Handbook with Jon Brooks

Available Episodes

5 of 137

The 4 Stoic Virtues: Your Compass for a Meaningful Life
Send us a textEver feel like you're drifting through life without a clear moral compass? The ancient Stoics had an answer: four timeless virtues that can transform how you handle stress, make decisions, and find meaning.In this episode of Stoic Handbook, Jon Brooks breaks down wisdom, courage, justice, and temperance – the four cardinal virtues that philosophers like Marcus Aurelius and Epictetus used to navigate everything from personal anxiety to leading empires.You'll discover:Wisdom: How to see reality clearly and focus on what you can control (with a modern work deadline example)Courage: Why acting on your principles matters more than physical bravery (plus the truth about Stoic tattoos!)Justice: How treating others fairly becomes the source of all other virtuesTemperance: The art of balance in a world of excess and distractionJon shares practical daily exercises, modern examples, and explains why these 2,000-year-old principles are more relevant than ever in our chaotic world. Whether you're dealing with anxiety, seeking clarity, or just want to be a better human, this episode gives you a framework that actually works.Perfect for: Anyone new to Stoicism, people struggling with emotional resilience, or philosophy enthusiasts looking for practical wisdom.Resources mentioned: Marcus Aurelius' Meditations, Epictetus' Enchiridion, Modern Stoicism website
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30:30
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Epictetus' 20 Rules for Stoic Social Mastery: Cut the Noise, Claim Your Calm
Send us a textReclaim your calm in a world of group chat drama and endless notifications. This 12-minute guided practice breaks down Epictetus' 20 social rules from the Enchiridion Chapter 33—ancient Stoic wisdom for modern chaos.Learn to pause before reacting, redirect gossip into growth, disarm critics without ego, and curate connections that elevate your energy. Perfect for high-stakes meetings, family dinners, or digital detox.Ideal for: Anyone tired of reactive conversations, people-pleasing, or social media drain.🎧 Related: How to Handle Difficult People: Stoic Strategies, Empathy vs. Compassion, and Communication Techniques💌 Join 9,000+ readers: The Stoic Handbook newsletter → stoichandbook.co
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28:52
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28:52
The Dichotomy of Control 2.0 – Epictetus for Anxious Achievers
Send us a textLet me guess: you've read Marcus Aurelius. You know some things are up to you and some aren't. And yet... you still lie awake replaying conversations, spiraling over outcomes, or feeling like a failure when things don't go your way.Yeah. Me too.Here's the problem: the dichotomy of control is brilliant philosophy—but it's terrible instructions for real life. People hear "focus on what you control" and either become passive ("guess I'll just accept everything") or confused ("wait, don't my actions influence outcomes?").Today I'm fixing that.I'm walking you through the Epictetan Control Framework (ECF)—a 6-step process that upgrades Stoicism's most famous tool into something you can actually use without your brain short-circuiting.We're covering:Why even smart people misuse the dichotomyThe one question that instantly clarifies what's "up to you"How to plan like a strategist and evaluate like a SageReal examples: job hunting, tough conversations, and everything in betweenThe "reserve clause" that makes you bulletproofA field exercise to run the framework on YOUR stressor (right now)By the end, you'll have a tool you can use in two minutes, any time anxiety or frustration tries to hijack your day.This is Stoicism that actually works. No fluff. No philosophy-speak. Just clarity, action, and peace.Let's go.
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20:39
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20:39
5 Stoic Skills for Unshakeable Confidence & Self-Sovereignty
Send us a textWhat if the secret to genuine confidence isn't positive affirmations or fake-it-till-you-make-it energy—but five ancient skills the Stoics spent centuries perfecting?In this episode, we explore how clarity of purpose, non-attachment to outcomes, radical authenticity, unshakeable self-worth, and enjoyment of your own company create the kind of confidence that doesn't need external validation.You'll discover:Why clear intentions make you magnetic (and how to develop them)The Stoic practice of releasing outcomes without abandoning effortHow to close the gap between who you are and who you pretend to beWhy self-worth isn't arrogance—it's philosophical truthThe biofeedback loop that shapes your personality when you stop performingThese aren't traits you can fake. They're practices you cultivate. And when you do? You become someone who walks through the world with self-sovereignty—unbothered by rejection, unshaken by external chaos.Stop twisting yourself into shapes that don't fit. Start here.
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16:43
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16:43
The 5-Minute Emergency Drill: When the Craving Hits Right Now
Send us a textYou know that moment when the craving is right here, right now—and it feels like the only choice is to give in?That pull toward the drink, the scroll, the binge, the text you'll regret, the purchase you don't need. The sensation is real. The urgency feels absolute. But here's the Stoic truth the ancient philosophers knew:The craving is an impression, not a command.This 5-minute guided drill teaches you to insert one radical act between impulse and action: the pause. Using the Stoic practices of prosoche (attention), epochê (suspension of judgment), and prohairesis (deliberate choice), you'll learn to:Name the urge without obeying itTest the impression with three razor-sharp questionsChoose freely—whether that's abstaining proudly or proceeding mindfully (never as a hostage)Seal your decision so you walk away knowing you chose, you weren't draggedThis isn't about willpower white-knuckling. It's about inserting your rational mind into the split second where freedom lives—the gap between stimulus and response that Viktor Frankl called our greatest power.Marcus Aurelius wrote: "You have power over your mind—not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength."This practice makes that power real, in real time, when it matters most.Use this drill when:The craving for a substance hits hardYou're about to rage-text someoneThe urge to binge (food, Netflix, doomscrolling) takes overProcrastination disguised as "just one more video" whispersAny impulse threatens to hijack your day and your dignity
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