William Braxton Irvine

He was known as the Roman Socrates.

William B. Irvine translated one of his works and brought that to life.

We've got a note on it.

He's phenomenal.

But s- stoicism I think is the most accessible, so here's the, here's the, here's the tip.

Buy this wonderful book called The Stoic Challenge by William Irvine.

Super accessible introduction to the stoics, but he shows you a technique.

You just say, "Stoic challenge." You, like, when you miss the subway by one second and now you're gonna be late for your interview, okay, that's bad.

It's about being prepared, adaptable and resilient in the face of life's inevitable curveballs.

The Stoics, those ancient philosophers who were all about mastering their minds and navigating life's challenges with grace, understood that things don't always go according to plan.

as Marcus Aurelius wisely observed in his meditations.

Indeed, no one can thwart the purposes of your mind, for they can't be touched by fire, steel, tyranny, slander, or anything.

It throws curveballs, challenges, and sometimes downright hardships our way.

It's easy to feel overwhelmed, discouraged, or even victimized when faced with these difficulties.

But what if I told you that the Stoics, those ancient philosophers who were all about resilience and inner strength, had a different perspective? They believed that we were born for this.

To endure hardship.

It's about being prepared, adaptable, and resilient in the face of life's inevitable curveballs.

The Stoics, those ancient philosophers who were all about mastering their minds and navigating life's challenges with grace, understood that things don't always go according to plan.

As Marcus Aurelius wisely observed in his Meditations, "Indeed, no one can thwart the purposes of your mind, for they can't be touched by fire, steel, tyranny, slander, or anything." In other words, while we can't control external events, we can control our response to them.

And having a backup plan is like having an insurance policy for your peace of mind.

It throws curveballs, challenges, and sometimes downright hardships our way.

It's easy to feel overwhelmed, discouraged, or even victimized when faced with these difficulties.

But what if I told you that the Stoics, those ancient philosophers who were all about resilience and inner strength, had a different perspective? They believed that we were born for this, to endure hardship.

Now, before you start thinking this is some kind of masochistic philosophy, let's unpack what they really meant.

Hey guys, welcome to another episode of Wondering Thoughts.

Today I'm joined by Professor William Irwin.

Professor William, thanks for joining us.

It's a pleasure to be able to talk to you and to learn from you.

I think to begin with, it would be good to tell us a little bit about yourself and your area of expertise before we get into the main topic of discussion today of your recent book, and then we'll take it from there.

So give yourself another 40, 50 years and it'll be easier.

Interesting.

Well, Professor William, thanks so much for having a conversation with me.

Only, since that time I fell doing a simple training exercise and shattered my wrist, I've become more attuned to all the times I narrowly avoid a potential catastrophe, and I use those moments to appreciate what didn't happen You know what I'm talking about, the near fall on the hiking trail, the near accident when someone almost hits you while you're driving, and the countless other times when something bad could have happened, but it didn't.

I try not to take those moments for granted anymore, and William B. Irvine talks about a related and similar stoic exercise in his books.

Check out the notes on the Stoic Challenge for more.

He calls it negative visualization.