Pub and Porch: Applied Stoicism

In today's episode, Adam and Mick step into the world of pop culture and discuss Star Trek and its links to Stoicism. With the recent passing of Sir Patrick Stewart, Mick offered Adam the chance to discuss a franchise that is near to his hear and offer the audience a chance to see that sometimes fictional characters can teach us a lot about philosophy and ourselves. Themes on the virtues of wisdom, justice, and courage start us off, but we also discuss the concepts of cosmopolitanism and friendship as well as memento mori and carpe diem, and what it means to share the love of Star Trek with a dear friend.

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This week's episode with Adam and Mick talks about "prepping for disaster", and focusses on preparing both yourself and your life for the inevitable downturns and events that can happen to all of us. Adam and Mick talk about big picture issues like preparing for natural disasters or perhaps civil turmoil, as well as the concept of preparing yourself from the Stoic practice of Premeditation Malorum the anticipation of the bad things that could happen. Adam and Mick also discuss how you're not catastrophizing things, but taking a look at how things may come apart so that you can plan ahead for what you can do about it.

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X: @PubandPorch

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On today's episode, Adam and Mick talk about a more personal event which happened recently which was class reunions. Adam and Mick took a step back from that and talked about what reunions mean, how they can be approached, and how the Stoics would have approached them. Core concepts discussed include concepts like Oikeiosis, Phantasia, and Adam and Mick both tell stories both recent and past about what reunions have meant to them.

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X: @PubandPorch

Substack: Pub and Porch Applied Stoicism

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This week's episode is a day late because of Canadian Thanksgiving, with Mick and Adam talking about a very important topic (especially during family holidays) which is civility. Civility is an important part about being able to communicate, about showing respect despite differences, about being able to set up the environment around you in a constructive way for those that you encounter in your life.

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X: @PubandPorch

Substack: Pub and Porch Applied Stoicism

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In today's episode, Adam and Mick talk about the Free Press, and what that meant for the Stoics as well as what it means today in the modern democracies that we live in. The hosts talk about why a free press is important, and talk about why the role of free press in creating an informed populace is so integral to what it means to live in a functioning democracy.

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X: @PubandPorch

Substack: Pub and Porch Applied Stoicism

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Today, Mick and Adam discuss another hot topic which is AI and a measure of its potential for consciousness. A recent article from Richard Dawkins started today's discussion, and eventually led to discussions on what it means to be conscious, how the Stoics viewed our own consciousness, and even ended up with a discussion on Transhumanism and what the birth of new AI technologies could mean for humanity's future.

Richard Dawkins article: Could this A.I. be Conscious?

Media recommendations from Adam:

Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 2 Episode 9 "The Measure of a Man"

Ghost in the Shell (1995)

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X: @PubandPorch

Substack: Pub and Porch Applied Stoicism

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Today, Adam and Mick dive into a deep subject that will probably never stop coming up as we progress through the podcast - Loss. Our episode opens today by discussing what loss mean be it loss of material goods, relationships, or loved ones. The Stoic views on this topic is discussed in detail, both the text book response as well as a rebuttal of a common misconception of the Stoics being considered "robots". Personal stories abound from both Adam and Mick, and we wrap up today by closing with probably one of the best pieces of advice a Stoic could give someone grieving a loss - reach out for help. Please do so anytime, and anywhere.

Works referred to today:

Consolations of Seneca: To Helvia, Polybius, and Marcia by Seneca

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This week's episode is a solo episode hosted by Adam, as Mick is on the road traveling. Adam reads to use the parable The Choice of Heracles as told by Prodicus in Xenophon's Conversations of Socrates. Adam's reading is followed by a discussion around choice, and the choice that we all face in our lives between a life of virtue and a life of vice. As discussed, often the virtue isn't just the choice made but simply the act of making the choice, of taking a stand, of making the decision about which direction to go in the first place.

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X: @PubandPorch

Substack: Pub and Porch Applied Stoicism

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In today's episode, Adam and Mick talk about a topic related to one of the most recent natural disasters occurring right now: the flash floods in Nepal. The melting of glaciers and the destructive forces of natural disasters like this are contributed to by climate change and our environment, and Mick and Adam discuss how the Stoics would have approached this topic even from the perspectives of the ancient Stoics.

If you would like to donate to help those affected by the flash flooding in Nepal, you can donate to the federation of the International Red Cross/Red Crescent here:
https://www.ifrc.org/emergency/nepal-flash-floods-2026

References from today include:

Modern Stoicism Podcast episode with Chris Gill
Chris Gill, Social Responsibility, Environmentalism, and Cultural Change

Learning to Live Naturally: Stoic Ethics and its Modern Significance
Chris Gill, 2023

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X: @PubandPorch

Substack: Pub and Porch Applied Stoicism

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In this first of a two-part episode, Adam and Mick discuss the film The Odyssey and compare it to the original story, while also providing commentary on the takeaways and comparisons that both the ancient Greeks and the modern world will see. Discussion starts with the closure of Odysseus' encounter with the Cyclops, and then discussion centres around differences between the original tale, and the film... with an apparent cliffhanger!

URL: http://pubandporch.com

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X: @PubandPorch

Substack: Pub and Porch Applied Stoicism

YouTube: @pubporch

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In the second half of this two-part episode this week, Adam and Mick finish of their review of the movie The Odyssey by picking off where they left off on Odysseus' encounter with the Cyclops. Then the pair transitions through the rest of the journey discussing the Ithacans' encounter with Circe, their trip to Hades, their decision between Charybdis and Scylla, and their eventual final ill-advised decision to eat the cattle on Helios' island. This episode wraps up our series on The Odyssey.

URL: http://pubandporch.com

Email: info@pubandporch.com

X: @PubandPorch

Substack: Pub and Porch Applied Stoicism

YouTube: @pubporch

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This week, we start a multi-episode series on The Odyssey which gives Mick and Adam a chance to discuss the original story as well as the new movie hitting theatres right now. This week's episode centres on the history of The Odyssey, understanding fact from fiction, and the connections between Stoicism and The Odyssey including commentary from prominent Stoics in history.

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X: @PubandPorch

Substack: Pub and Porch Applied Stoicism

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In this week's episode, Adam and Mick discuss the concept of imperfection, starting with the use of Brene Brown's book The Gifts of Imperfection as a starting guide. Adam and Mick discuss how noone is perfect, and how the Stoics knew that perfection was only an ideal, and attaining it was to achieve apotheosis - the act of being elevated to being a god, therefore making it unrealistic. Adam and Mick close on Stoic quotes from prominent members of the philosophy, and their views on making progress and always moving forward.

Books referenced:
The Gifts of Imperfection - Brene Brown

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X: @PubandPorch

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Today, the podcast is celebrating 1 year of episodes! Adam and Mick decided that for this week's episode they would do a "pulse check" to see how they both felt the podcast had been going since its start last year. Adam and Mick each discuss how they feel about the first episodes, the current episodes, and the future that is forthcoming for the podcast. Also, this podcast is also the chance for Adam and Mick to introduce the newest member of the team - Susan Barrows Libby!

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X: @PubandPorch

Substack: Pub and Porch Applied Stoicism

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In today's episode, Adam and Mick discuss the impact of rumors and how Socrates devised a three-step plan for deciding when to say anything called the Three Sieves. Adam and Mick start off with the first sieve: Is it true? and discuss situations both theoretical and personal. The conversation moves back and forth between whether or not you are the one sharing the information, or the information shared is about you. Then the team covers the final two sieves: Is it good? and is it useful? Personal experiences and theories abound in this episode.

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X: @PubandPorch

Substack: Pub and Porch Applied Stoicism

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In today's episode, Adam and Mick discuss a very practical topic which is the discussion of burnout. The episode begins by discussing what burnout is, what it might mean to different people, and we hear from Adam on his personal reasons for bringing this up as an episode topic. The we delve into how Stoics would probably view burnout, and discuss some key themes as to why burnout needs to be taken seriously.

Podcast referenced: Practical Wisdom by Massimo Pigliucci

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In this penultimate episode on raising kids, Adam and Mick dive into the topics of fostering and adoption. Mick shares personal stories of his first-hand experience of fostering, and the relationship that he built that still exists today. Adoption is also a major topic in today's episode, and Adam and Mick both share personal stories related to that topic from their own lives.

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Substack: Pub and Porch Applied Stoicism

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Today's episode continues our series on Raising kids with episode 3, focussing on the last 3 rules from Musonius Rufus on raising children: praise character and effort more than achievement, teach responsibility and accountability, choose friends and influences wisely, teach that happiness comes from character not possessions. Adam and Mick talk about the important topics from Stoicism including how we only control our own actions not the outcome of events, experiencing controlled hardship and adversity through sports and other activities, and choosing to set boundaries for who you wish to be friends with.

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X: @PubandPorch

Substack: Pub and Porch Applied Stoicism

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In today's episode, recorded on Father's Day itself, Mick and Adam delve further into Musonius' rules about raising kids. The episode starts out by talking about what it means to "provide" as a father, referencing the Kelly Brothers and their experience as children. Then the topic of the "fatherlessness" problem comes up, and the hosts step back into the rules as they are themselves represented by Musonius Rufus. Topics of virtue before wealth, leading by example, and raising sons and daughters equally in virtue and education, are all discussed today.

Today's translations of Musonius Rufus come from the Cora E. Lutz translation of 1947.

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X: @PubandPorch

Substack: Pub and Porch Applied Stoicism

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All music provided by Heath Cantu from epidemicsound.com

To honour Father's Day, today's episode centres around raising kids. We focus on the teaching of Musonius Rufus and his rules about raising children, and start to discuss the first few rules from Musonius' teachings. Discussions in this episode move from the past to the present, and discuss some of the modern challenges of being a parent while Adam and Mick share their own views on the subject. Stay tuned for parts 2 and 3 coming soon!

URL: http://pubandporch.com

Email: info@pubandporch.com

X: @PubandPorch

Substack: Pub and Porch Applied Stoicism

YouTube: @pubporch

PPAS Logo Provided by: Mike Golka

All music provided by Heath Cantu from epidemicsound.com