Can You Forgive Them? | Watching the Wise
“They hurt you, your parents. Everyone’s did. Some in big ways, some in small ways. It’s just a fact. As the poet Philip Larkin wrote, ‘They f**k you up, your mum and dad. They may not mean to, but th...
28 Jan 20215min
It’s A Series Of High Water Marks
“There’s a beautiful scene in Hunter S. Thompson’s dark memoir, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. He talks about how just outside Las Vegas, in the shadow of the lights of the strip and the noise of the...
27 Jan 20212min
David Roll on What We Can Learn from General George Marshall
On today’s podcast, Ryan and historian David Roll discuss his most recent book George Marshall: Defender of the Republic, the most magnificent moment in American history, the moral obligation to remov...
27 Jan 20211h 7min
Not No Emotions, No Useless Emotions
“Stoicism, as we have said, is not the elimination of all emotion. It’s the regulation of them. Effectively, as Nassim Taleb has said, it’s the domestication of your urges and impulses and knee-jerk r...
26 Jan 20212min
The Present Moment Is All You’ve Got | A Little Better Every Day
“There’s a lot going on in your life. Good for you. It’s a sign of success. It’s also a burden, a source of stress. You’ve got projects wrapping up. You’ve got projects starting soon. You’ve got a lon...
25 Jan 20217min
How the Stoics Can Make You A Better Leader
The Stoics have many lessons to share about leadership. From Marcus Aurelius' reflections on his rule as the Emperor of Rome, to Epictetus' experiences as a slave, the Stoics are uniquely positioned t...
24 Jan 202112min
Susan Straight on the Power of Story
Ryan speaks to professor and author Susan Straight about their first encounter at the University of California, Riverside, finding joy in the private process of writing, how specific books can change ...
23 Jan 20211h 14min
There Are Only Hard Decisions
“Wouldn’t it be nice if everything was simple and straightforward? That’s what we’d like to think the job of a leader is. You become president—or emperor—and now that you’re in charge, things can fina...
22 Jan 20212min
