Welcome to the Via Stoica Podcast, the podcast on Stoicism that brings you the ancient wisdom of this philosophy to our modern-day lives. Walking the digital streets, Brendan and Benny examine the ancient texts and tools through a current lens. The Stoics teach us to focus on the moment, and that’s how Stoicism should be approached. We have the foundation of the wise minds of the past and now it is our time to find the right application to this philosophy of life.
In our weekly episodes, we will dissect a wide range of topics and apply the Stoic teachings to them. It is our goal to show you the benefits of Stoicism and provide you with examples and tools to help you live a better and more peaceful life.
If you wish to contact us, you can visit Viastoica.com, or email us at info@viastoica.com. You can find us on X.com: @viastoica, Brendan:@BogglestheStoic, and Benny: @benny_viastoica. If you like the content we are providing you can support us by subscribing, leaving a rating, and a review. Furthermore, you can support us via Patreon as well.
Stoicism is a philosophy we adhere to in our daily lives. It helps us live better lives and it is our duty to share this with you. And remember, Virtue is the only good.
Welcome to the Via Stoica Podcast, the podcast on Stoicism that brings you the ancient wisdom of this philosophy to our modern-day lives. Walking the digital streets, Brendan and Benny examine the ancient texts and tools through a current lens. The Stoics teach us to focus on the moment, and that’s how Stoicism should be approached. We have the foundation of the wise minds of the past and now it is our time to find the right application to this philosophy of life.
In our weekly episodes, we will dissect a wide range of topics and apply the Stoic teachings to them. It is our goal to show you the benefits of Stoicism and provide you with examples and tools to help you live a better and more peaceful life.
If you wish to contact us, you can visit Viastoica.com, or email us at info@viastoica.com. You can find us on X.com: @viastoica, Brendan:@BogglestheStoic, and Benny: @benny_viastoica. If you like the content we are providing you can support us by subscribing, leaving a rating, and a review. Furthermore, you can support us via Patreon as well.
Stoicism is a philosophy we adhere to in our daily lives. It helps us live better lives and it is our duty to share this with you. And remember, Virtue is the only good.
Welcome to the Via Stoica Podcast, the podcast on Stoicism.
Today’s episode reflects on a line from Seneca’s Consolation to Helvia, written while he was exiled on the island of Corsica. In this letter to his mother, he tries to steady her grief, and perhaps his own, with a reminder of what truly satisfies the human spirit:
“Greed is satisfied by nothing, but nature finds satisfaction even in scant measures.”
Seneca, Consolation to Helvia, 10
Seneca’s point is simple but piercing. Greed is never about what you have; it is always about what is missing. The moment you chase fulfillment in externals, the finish line moves. Nature, in contrast, asks little. It finds sufficiency in the present moment, in the fact that you are alive, thinking, choosing. What Seneca is offering here is a lesson in the Stoic principle of desire: when you want what the moment actually gives you, you stop feeling deprived.
This teaching echoes Epictetus, who reminds us that trouble begins when we demand reality to be other than it is. Marcus Aurelius writes that the wise person “follows nature willingly,” aligning inner choices with the structure of the world. All three are pointing to the same truth within the Stoic disciplines.
Desire: Want only what is in your control.
Assent: Don’t believe the story that “more” will finally make you complete.
Action: Use whatever this moment gives you as material for virtue.
When greed falls away, what remains is clarity, the sense that nothing essential is missing from this moment, because the only real good is the way you choose to meet it.
In everyday life, this means noticing when your mind starts reaching into the future for something it says you “need” before you can feel at ease. It means returning to the present long enough to see what is already supporting you. And it means treating difficult moments not as interruptions but as invitations to practice strength, gratitude, and presence. When you train this mindset, satisfaction comes not from abundance but from alignment.
For more, check out this related article with quotes on desire and letting go of externals:
https://viastoica.com/how-to-practice-the-stoic-discipline-desire/
And if you’re looking for more Stoic sayings, visit viastoica.com, where you’ll find hundreds of quotes with full references to the original texts:
https://viastoica.com/stoic-quotes
https://viastoica.com/marcus-aurelius-quotes
https://viastoica.com/epictetus-quotes
https://viastoica.com/seneca-quotes
Make sure to subscribe for more Stoic Quotes episodes every Friday, as well as our Tuesday interviews and longer discussions.
Support the show
https://viastoica.com
https://viastoica.com/stoic-life-coaching
https://viastoica.com/benny-voncken
https://x.com/ViaStoica
info@viastoica.com
Produced by: badmic.com