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Modern WisdomMay 14, 2020

#170 - Massimo Piggliuci - 5 Exercises From Stoicism To Improve Your Life

Summary, books mentioned, transcript quotes, and timestamps for #170 - Massimo Piggliuci - 5 Exercises From Stoicism To Improve Your Life on Modern Wisdom.

Notable books mentioned: Aristotle's Ethics by Aristotle, The Plague by Camus, An Emotional Education by Alain de Botton, The Consolation of Philosophy by Boetius

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Aristotle's Ethics cover
Mentioned at 6:03
Aristotle's Ethics
Aristotle

The host mentions 'Aristotle's Ethics' to highlight its theoretical nature compared to Stoicism's practical applications. He critiques Aristotle fo…

The Plague cover
Mentioned at 7:42
The Plague
Camus

The host mentions 'The Plague' by Camus as a reflection of the current existentialist themes that have resurfaced during the pandemic. This referen…

An Emotional Education cover
Mentioned at 39:25
An Emotional Education
Alain de Botton

The host references Alain de Botton's book 'An Emotional Education' to illustrate the shift in societal perceptions of failure from being seen as u…

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#170 - Massimo Piggliuci - 5 Exercises From Stoicism To Improve Your Life
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Episode summary, books & quotes

#170 - Massimo Piggliuci - 5 Exercises From Stoicism To Improve Your Life mentions Aristotle's Ethics by Aristotle, The Plague by Camus, An Emotional Education by Alain de Botton, and The Consolation of Philosophy by Boetius with timestamps, quotes, and episode context.

Episode summary
Massimo Piggliuci is a Professor of Philosophy at City College and an author. Despite being 2500 years old, Stoicism has recently seen a surge in popularity. I wanted to find out why this ancient philosophy has found root in the modern world. Expect to learn what the underpinnings of stoicism are, how the foundational principles used by stoics made them resilient to setbacks, 5 exercises & thought experiments to help you improve your life, how to focus your attention where it is needed and much more...
Book mentions13
Media mentions0
Topic and sentiment signals

Aggregated from transcript-derived mention metadata for better topical navigation and citation.

Mention sentiment
Deep Dive(5)Passing Reference(4)Highly Recommended(3)Critical Analysis(1)
Audience signals
Philosophy students and enthusiastsReaders interested in existential philosophy and its relevance to modern crises.Readers interested in philosophy and social empathyIndividuals interested in philosophy and StoicismIndividuals interested in Stoicism and personal developmentIndividuals seeking practical philosophy for resilience

Books Mentioned

Aristotle's Ethics cover
Best for Philosophy students and enthusiastsOften cited around Philosophical frameworks comparison

Aristotle's Ethics, for instance, the Neuquamachian Ethics is the book where the major book where Aristotle put forth his ethics.

View mention details
Sentiment: Critical Analysis
For: Philosophy students and enthusiasts
Key quote: Aristotle wasn't interested in living that as a philosophy of life.
The host mentions 'Aristotle's Ethics' to highlight its theoretical nature compared to Stoicism's practical applications. He critiques Aristotle for not providing actionable guidelines for living a philosophy of life.
ASIN: 0226026752
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The Plague cover
Best for Readers interested in existential philosophy and its relevance to modern crises.Often cited around existentialism and philosophy

One of the bestselling books is Camus' The Plague, not surprisingly, right?

View mention details
Sentiment: Passing Reference
For: Readers interested in existential philosophy and its relevance to modern crises.
Key quote: One of the bestselling books is Camus' The Plague, not surprisingly, right?
The host mentions 'The Plague' by Camus as a reflection of the current existentialist themes that have resurfaced during the pandemic. This reference serves to illustrate how literature can resonate with contemporary crises, even if existentialism lacks a coherent practical framework.
ASIN: 0593082095
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An Emotional Education cover
An Emotional Education
Alain de Botton
Best for Readers interested in philosophy and social empathyOften cited around Stoicism and fortune

Alain de Botton from the School of Life has a wonderful bit in his book, An Emotional Education, discussing the etymology of the term 'unfortunate' in ancient Athens.

View mention details
Sentiment: Deep Dive
For: Readers interested in philosophy and social empathy
Key quote: And what Alain argues, and I think I believe, I agree with, is that in a meritocracy, which is what we say that we have now, equal chance, equal ability, all that stuff.
The host references Alain de Botton's book 'An Emotional Education' to illustrate the shift in societal perceptions of failure from being seen as unfortunate to being labeled as a loser. This discussion highlights the Stoic understanding of fortune and the randomness of life's outcomes, emphasizing the need for empathy towards those who struggle.
ASIN: 0708559956
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The Consolation of Philosophy cover
Best for Individuals interested in philosophy and StoicismOften cited around meritocracy and fortune

The first book that we're reading is The Consolation of Philosophy by Boetius, which he wrote while in prison, imagining a dialogue with Lady Philosophy.

View mention details
Sentiment: Deep Dive
For: Individuals interested in philosophy and Stoicism
Key quote: So you forgot all of the other good stuff that Fortuna gave you, right?
The host discusses the philosophical implications of meritocracy and how it affects societal empathy towards those who fail. They mention 'The Consolation of Philosophy' to illustrate how fortune plays a significant role in human success and failure, as exemplified by Boetius's life story.
ASIN: 0140447806
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A Handbook for New Stoics cover
Best for Individuals interested in Stoicism and personal developmentOften cited around Stoic exercises and philosophy

With my friend Gregory Lopez, we have written a whole book of stoic exercises called A Handbook for New Stoics, which includes 52 different exercises.

View mention details
Sentiment: Highly Recommended
For: Individuals interested in Stoicism and personal development
Key quote: In fact, with my friend and colleague, Gregory Lopez, we have written a whole book of stoic exercises. It's called A Handbook for New Stoics.
The host mentions 'A Handbook for New Stoics' as a resource for practical exercises that can help individuals apply Stoic principles in their daily lives. This book offers a structured curriculum with various exercises designed to enhance one's understanding and practice of Stoicism.
ASIN: 1615195335
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Meditations cover
Meditations
Marcus Aurelius
Best for Individuals seeking practical philosophy for resilienceOften cited around Stoicism and practical advice

You can read the entire Meditations of Marcus Aurelius essentially as a journal, as it was his own philosophical diary.

View mention details
Sentiment: Passing Reference
For: Individuals seeking practical philosophy for resilience
Key quote: I have actually read recently, just like a couple of days ago, that people are running out, you know, presses are running out of copies of Marcus Aurelius' Meditations and Seneca's Writings.
The host mentions 'Meditations' by Marcus Aurelius to highlight the practical exercises that Stoicism offers compared to other philosophies. This reference underscores the importance of actionable advice in times of uncertainty.
ASIN: B0C485XH2L
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Seneca cover
Best for Individuals seeking practical philosophical guidanceOften cited around Stoicism and practical advice

The speaker references Seneca to emphasize the importance of a prepared mind in dealing with situations.

View mention details
Sentiment: Deep Dive
For: Individuals seeking practical philosophical guidance
Key quote: It's amazing to see some of the surface level information that I come across online on the Internet about different philosophies, both ancient and modern.
The host mentions 'Seneca' to highlight the practical aspects of Stoicism compared to other philosophies. They emphasize that Stoicism provides actionable advice for navigating life's challenges, especially in uncertain times.
ASIN: 0140442103
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Thinking, Fast and Slow cover
Best for Individuals interested in psychology and decision-makingOften cited around decision-making systems

The excerpt discusses Kahneman's research on the two metaphorical systems in the brain related to decision-making, referencing his bestselling book.

View mention details
Sentiment: Passing Reference
For: Individuals interested in psychology and decision-making
Key quote: The excerpt discusses Kahneman's research on the two metaphorical systems in the brain related to decision-making.
The host briefly mentions Kahneman's book to highlight his research on how our brains operate in decision-making. This reference serves to provide context for the discussion on cognitive processes.
ASIN: 0374533555
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The Moral Animal cover
The Moral Animal
Robert Wright
Best for Individuals interested in psychology and self-improvementOften cited around evolutionary psychology insights

The speaker discusses reading a lot of evolutionary psychology, specifically mentioning Robert Wright's book 'The Moral Animal' and its insights on human behavior.

View mention details
Sentiment: Highly Recommended
For: Individuals interested in psychology and self-improvement
Key quote: But until everyone's ready, until everyone's ready, I'm going to keep talking about it.
The host emphasizes the importance of understanding our evolutionary heritage and how it influences our decision-making processes. They mention 'The Moral Animal' as a pivotal resource for those looking to delve deeper into these concepts.
ASIN: B003VXI8DO
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On the Shortness of Life cover
Best for Individuals seeking to find meaning in their daily lives.Often cited around meditation on death

Seneca wrote a book called On the Shortness of Life. The Stoic perspective there is that we ought to live our life more or less as if we didn't know where we're actually going to be, what was our last day going to be.

View mention details
Sentiment: Deep Dive
For: Individuals seeking to find meaning in their daily lives.
Key quote: Seneca wrote a book called On the Shortness of Life.
The host discusses the Stoic perspective on death, referencing Seneca's book 'On the Shortness of Life' to emphasize the importance of living each day as if it could be our last. This approach encourages listeners to evaluate their daily activities and prioritize what truly matters in life.
ASIN: 0143036327
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People Live Like a Stoic in the UK Edition cover
Best for Individuals interested in personal development and StoicismOften cited around Stoicism and time management

This book is described as the practical one with 52 exercises for people to choose from to implement stoicism.

View mention details
Sentiment: Highly Recommended
For: Individuals interested in personal development and Stoicism
Key quote: People live like a stoic in the UK edition is the practical one.
The host mentions 'People Live Like a Stoic in the UK Edition' as a practical guide that offers 52 exercises for readers to implement Stoic principles in their lives. This book is highlighted as a resource for those looking to restructure their priorities and make better use of their limited time.
How to Be a Stoic cover
Best for Individuals seeking philosophical guidance during challenging timesOften cited around resurgence of stoicism

This earlier book is more comprehensive, including stoic theory, history, and a small number of exercises.

View mention details
Sentiment: Deep Dive
For: Individuals seeking philosophical guidance during challenging times
Key quote: Stoicism particularly speaks to, although one can use it no matter what the situation, no matter what the personal conditions, it definitely speaks to difficult times.
The host discusses the growing interest in Stoicism compared to other philosophies, particularly in the context of modern challenges like the COVID pandemic. They highlight how Stoicism resonates with people during difficult times, making it particularly relevant today.
ASIN: 1541644530
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A Field Guide to the Happy Life cover
Best for Readers interested in modern philosophy and self-help.Often cited around 21st-century philosophy updates

This upcoming book is a 21st-century update and rewriting of Epictetus and Caridian, set to be released in September.

View mention details
Sentiment: Passing Reference
For: Readers interested in modern philosophy and self-help.
Key quote: This upcoming book is a 21st-century update and rewriting of Epictetus and Caridian, set to be released in September.
The host briefly mentions 'A Field Guide to the Happy Life' as a modern reinterpretation of classical philosophical texts. This book is set to be released soon, indicating its relevance to contemporary discussions on happiness.
ASIN: B08FKV61P1
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