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.

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https://viastoica.com/stoic-life-coaching
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Produced by: badmic.com

Welcome to the Via Stoica Podcast, the podcast on Stoicism.
In this episode, we explore what it truly means to be a friend and to have one. We often say “a friend in need is a friend indeed,” but the Stoics invite us to look deeper. What makes a friendship good? When does it help us grow in virtue, and when does it distract us from it? Drawing on the insights of Seneca, Epictetus, and even Aristotle, this episode looks at friendship not as a social convenience but as a moral relationship that reflects our own character and self-knowledge.

For the Stoics, friendship begins within. Seneca reminds us that “The wise person is content with themselves, but not that they wish to be without friends.” (Moral Letters to Lucilius, 9.3)
In other words, genuine friendship can only grow from inner stability. If we depend on others to complete us, we’ll mistake attachment for care and convenience for connection. But if we first learn to be at peace with ourselves, we can approach others freely, not out of need, but from shared virtue and goodwill.

Aristotle described three types of friendship: those of pleasure, of utility, and of virtue. The Stoics agree that only the last kind, friendship rooted in moral growth, endures. As Seneca wrote to Lucilius, “Associate with those who will make a better man of you; welcome those whom you yourself can improve.” (Moral Letters, 7.8)
True friends are those who help us live according to reason, who hold us accountable with honesty and kindness, and who rejoice in our happiness as their own.

Here are a few Stoic practices from this episode you can explore in your own life:

• Be content alone. Practice solitude to build a calm inner base before seeking connection.

• Examine your friendships. Ask whether they are based on pleasure, utility, or virtue.

• Pay full attention. When with a friend, give them your complete presence; it is the essence of friendship.

• Cultivate gratitude. Cherish the time you share with good friends; hold them in spirit even when apart.

Friendship, like all externals, is a preferred indifferent; it enriches life but should never define our peace of mind. When we accept that change and loss are natural, we can honor past friendships without clinging to them and stay open to new ones that align with virtue.

By the end of this episode, you’ll see that Stoic friendship isn’t about dependence or detachment, but about mutual improvement, two people walking the path of virtue together, freely, honestly, and with joy.

Listen to the full episode now and discover how friendship can transform the way you think, act, and see your life.

Read the companion article: https://viastoica.com/10-seneca-quotes-on-friendship/

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🎙️ Produced by: badmic.com

Welcome to the Via Stoica Podcast, the podcast on Stoicism.
In this episode, we turn to Epictetus, Discourses, Book 2, Chapter 10, where he begins with a powerful invitation:

“Examine who you are. For you are capable of understanding the divine governance of the universe and of reasoning on what follows from that.”
Epictetus, Discourses, Book 2, Chapter 10

At the heart of this quote lies the Stoic call to self-knowledge. Epictetus reminds us that our first duty is not to chase success, fame, or wealth, but to understand ourselves. Only when we know who we are can we know how to live. This isn’t abstract philosophy; it’s an invitation to observe, question, and align our actions with our nature. In modern terms, it’s about becoming aware of our beliefs, values, and reactions, the foundations of a meaningful life.

Epictetus follows the example of Socrates, who famously said that “the unexamined life is not worth living.” The Stoics carried this Socratic insight further: by knowing ourselves, we come to understand nature itself. As Marcus Aurelius often reminded himself, we are fragments of the same Logos that governs the universe.
This idea connects deeply with the three Stoic disciplines:

• Desire – wanting only what aligns with nature.

• Assent – judging impressions clearly and rationally.

• Action – behaving in a way that reflects our true character.
  Through self-examination, we cultivate harmony between what we think, desire, and do.

Pause before reacting. When something triggers you, ask: Why does this affect me so strongly? What belief lies beneath my reaction?
Reflect daily. Journal about your choices and emotions. What patterns do you see? What virtues guide your actions?
Detach from labels. You are not your job, income, or reputation. You are the sum of your moral choices — your character revealed through action.

For more, check out this related article with quotes on self-knowledge: https://viastoica.com/how-to-know-yourself/

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