What if the first step to becoming wise is admitting you know nothing? In this episode, we discover how to think like Socrates and unlock the secrets of wisdom. We dive into the philosophy of questioning beliefs, challenging assumptions, and embracing curiosity — the core habits of truly wise people. Whether you’re curious about ancient philosophy for modern life or eager to learn how to become wise through the teachings of Socrates, this episode offers a serious yet playful guide to expanding your mind and seeing your world in a whole new way.
What does it really mean to live with integrity? In this thought-provoking episode, we explore seven powerful ways integrity shapes our lives and why living by your principles and being true to oneself isn’t just noble, it’s the ultimate test of good character. Drawing on the timeless wisdom of history’s greatest philosophers, you will discover how honesty, accountability, and consistency can change your life and transform how you think, act, and connect with others. If you’ve ever wondered why integrity is so important to living well and doing well, this episode is your guide.
Should you care what other people think? Socrates says NO! In this episode, we explore what ancient philosophy can teach us about modern social pressure. Drawing from Socrates’ dialogue with Crito, we unpack why caring too much about public opinion can sabotage your clarity, confidence, and personal growth. You’ll learn how psychological traps like the Bandwagon Effect and Risky Shift distort your thinking, and how Socratic wisdom can help you think independently and live more authentically. If you’re tired of following the crowd and want a philosophy of self-improvement rooted in reason, this episode is your guide to the wisdom of Socrates.
Got a temper? So did the ancient Romans. But one of them, the Stoic philosopher Seneca, had a radically different approach to anger, and it still works today. In this episode, we explore how Stoicism teaches us to master our emotions, especially the most destructive one of all, anger. Seneca didn’t just preach calm. He gave practical advice on how to keep your cool in the heat of an argument, respond instead of react, and settle disputes before they spiral. If you’ve ever said something you regretted, held a grudge too long, or lost your cool at the worst possible moment, this episode will give you powerful tools to change all that. Learn how a little ancient wisdom can bring you more peace, better relationships, and a reputation for unshakable calm. Don’t get mad, get Stoic!
Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle all believed that what you are matters far more than what you have. Good character is your most precious possession. In this episode, we dig deep into the ten unmistakable qualities of a person with good character, guided by the timeless wisdom of philosophy’s greatest minds. Socrates teaches that an examined life is paramount as we reflect on the kind of person we are and aspire to be. Plato teaches that true happiness comes not from pleasure but from living in harmony with the soul’s virtues. And Aristotle? He teaches that we become what we repeatedly do. So excellence and moral greatness are built on ten virtues we can practice and good character is not an action, but a habit we can form. If you’ve ever wondered how to recognize real virtue in a world obsessed with image, or how to build a life that’s not just successful but the right path to becoming a good person, this episode is your blueprint.
The sky is falling. Do you feel there is no hope for the future? Does everything you hold dear feel like it’s about to blow up? Stoking apocalyptic fears and dystopian visions of the future is a whole industry of doom merchants. Calm down! Philosophy can explain why doomsday is unlikely, why you feel the end of the world is near, and why you should face the future with optimism and good cheer.
We live in terror of death. We cling to youth and claw at life, afraid to let go. Once we conquer the greater fear of death, our lesser fears lose their power over us, and every other adversity becomes so much easier to overcome. Ignorance is the cause of fear. Death is the other half of the bargain we make when we accept life. Death means returning to where we started and knowing it again for the first time. Death seems strange and unfamiliar only because we are born knowing only life. Death is nothing to fear. You’ll be just fine!
Smart people can be stupid and believe absurd, weird, and crazy things. We are remarkably poor at distinguishing truth from falsehood and even worse at detecting liars and deception. Truth has nothing to do with what we believe. A belief doesn’t need to be true to be believed. We believe as we do, not because we think our belief is true, but because it is consistent with the wider web of our other beliefs. If we wish it to be true, and if it fits neatly inside the web of beliefs, then we readily believe it, true or false.
People like us more than we think they do. Why are we so negative about ourselves? You didn’t develop that negative voice in your head all by yourself. We are socialized not to like ourselves and to strive for perfection. Perfection is a race with no finish line. What would a perfect life even look like? Be happy. Be perfectly imperfect. Be good. Be an individual. Don’t be afraid to love yourself!
Normal and abnormal people do not exist. Sane and insane people do not exist. Conformists and nonconformists do not exist. The labels exist, but not the behaviors! So, how useful and reliable are our judgments of who is good and bad, who is moral and immoral, and who is wise and stupid? Labeling is easy. Getting it right is hard. Seneca recommends delaying judgment to find the truth before attributing false labels that are destructive to the individual and society.
What does it mean to live your life as if nothing matters? Nihilism rejects conventional wisdom that everything matters. Nihilism means nothing matters. It doesn’t even matter that nothing matters. Life has no inherited, supernatural purpose or meaning. Life is pointless so our freedom is absolute. There is no one to ask for permission and no one to please but ourselves. Nothing matters in the grand scheme of things, because there isn’t one. You possess perfect freedom to choose how to live. You are the only architect of your fate in this world.
Do you want to feel happy right where you are, right now? Listening to your heartbeats will lead you to three philosophical insights and instant happiness: You got lucky. Your heartbeats are numbered. Some doors must close so others can open. Stop living your life piece by piece. Learn to live your life as a whole.
He was a French philosopher. His philosophy of life is simple yet profound. We would have been better off not being born. Life sucks. We are born for no reason. We exist to do nothing. No one matters. Nothing matters. It doesn’t even matter that nothing matters. What are we to do? Cioran argues that the meaninglessness of life is not only a reason to live, it’s the only one!
Religion is the accidental force behind why we chase endless productivity, why working harder feels morally right and hardly working feels morally wrong, and why our self-worth and self-esteem revolve around our productivity and usefulness. Don’t you feel guilty and ashamed whenever you could have been more productive but chose not to? Wouldn’t you rather chose to fail as a spouse, fail as a parent, or fail as a friend than to fail at work? Why don’t happiness, relationships, or fun count as being productive? We are so bored with our lives and so indifferent to our fate that we’ve become apathetic to our own apathy!
Our first experience of the world is our true self. Concealed behind our outward appearance, a bag of skin, inside ourselves, our unique, subjective consciousness is who we really are. And so, we look for absolute truth behind the natural world of appearances in Plato’s Forms, Schopenhauer’s Will, and Spinoza’s God. You are the blueprint of the gods and the key to unlock the secrets of the universe.
What is a perfect day? Perfection is within our grasp each and every day. One must choose today to be a perfect day by choosing wisely to do three easy and simple things. And to be a perfect day, one must choose wisely not to do three other simple things one would normally do in an ordinary, boring day.
Let us unpack Kierkegaard’s insight that today can only be known by living forwards, but only be understood by looking backwards. Life, at any given moment, is unknowable. When something happens, you instantly experience it as either good or bad. You experience yourself as either happy or sad. You experience your fate as either lucky or unlucky. And yet, what’s happening cannot be understood as you experience it. Moment by moment, why is life a mystery, and how does something really good come out of something really bad?
Aristotle’s wisdom can make you a more likable person with more and better friends. For Aristotle, without friends, no one would want to live. Friendship is the chief cornerstone of living well and doing well. To be more likable and have more friends, don’t do three things: Don’t prove you have nothing of value to say by speaking. Don’t judge the imperfections of others. Don’t believe everything you think.
Romantic relationships are difficult and perilous and no soft affair. They seem to fail as often as they succeed. Five hidden triggers can sabotage even the best relationship. Communication, trust, togetherness, predictability, and submissiveness are beneficial in moderation, but toxic in excess. We suspect it’s true, but are afraid to admit to ourselves, that too much positive behavior will kill a good relationship.
It’s not easy to ruin your life. To get to the wrong place, you must do the right things. The Laughing Philosopher’s guide presents six foolproof steps to a boring, miserable life: Think only about yourself. Empty yourself of humility and gratitude. Sacrifice everyone as a means to an end. Be perfectly imperfect. Don’t think for yourself. Drown yourself in the world’s sea of troubles.
