We need more love in the world.

That was the statement, made quietly on a walk along the river in Granada, that stayed with us long after the conversation ended. In this episode of the Via Stoica Podcast, we explore what Stoic philosophy actually says about love, kindness, and where to begin when the world feels like it's moving in the wrong direction.

Welcome to the Via Stoica Podcast, the podcast on Stoicism. This episode grew out of a real Stoic walk and one simple statement that turned into a genuine reflection on what sincere kindness looks like in practice.

It is easy to feel overwhelmed. The news pulls us toward division. Social media rewards performed kindness over the real kind. And human goodness starts to feel like it is losing ground.

But the Stoics had a word for what this moment is asking of us: philanthropia, a love for humankind that does not wait for an audience.

Marcus Aurelius returned to this again and again. Epictetus located it in prohairesis, that quiet place where self-awareness and personal values meet, where our real choices are formed.

The starting point is not out there. It is here, in the small acts that nobody records, done simply because they are the right thing to do.

You do not need power or influence to shift something. You only need to start where you are.

Support the show🌐 viastoica.com▶️ YouTube: @viastoicaProduced by: Badmic.com

Why does Stoicism resonate so deeply when you read it, yet change so little when you try to live it? In this episode of the Via Stoica Podcast, we look honestly at why Stoic philosophy stops working for most people, and where self-awareness becomes the real starting point.

Welcome to the Via Stoica Podcast, the podcast on Stoicism. This is not a place for theory at a safe distance. It is a place for the harder, more honest work of actually applying Stoic philosophy to real life.

The self-help world tends to promise that the right mindset will eventually bend the world toward what you want. The Stoics said the opposite. The world will not cooperate with your desires, and real progress begins the moment you stop expecting it to. That shift requires genuine self-examination, not more content consumption. Marcus Aurelius did not write his Meditations to feel inspired. He wrote them to hold himself accountable, to face what was uncomfortable, and to see clearly where his work still needed to be done. Most people skip exactly that part.

If Stoic philosophy has not moved the needle for you yet, this episode is a good place to sit and reflect. Not to find quick answers, but to start asking the questions that actually matter.

Support the show🌐 viastoica.com▶️ YouTube: @viastoicaProduced by: Badmic.com

What does it mean to build your identity around alcohol, and who do you become when you walk away from it?

In this personal episode of the Via Stoica Podcast, Benny reflects on six years sober: the slow unraveling of a drinking identity, the moment that changed everything, and how Stoic philosophy helped him find solid ground on the other side.

Welcome to the Via Stoica Podcast, the podcast on Stoicism.This isn't a recovery programme or a how-to guide. It's an honest reflection on self-awareness, learning to see your relationship with alcohol clearly, and asking whether it belongs in the life you actually want to live.

Benny traces his story from heavy social drinking in the Netherlands to a quiet turning point in a Dubai hotel room, and the evening years later when he finally made the decision for good. Along the way, he explores the difference between white-knuckling willpower and building genuine intrinsic motivation, and shares how the Stoic practice of negative visualization became a practical anchor in moments of temptation. Pause. Trace the consequences. Ask yourself honestly if that's a price worth paying.

What he feared most, losing his place in the group, became his greatest gain.

If this story resonates, take a moment to reflect on your own.

Support the show🌐 viastoica.com▶️ YouTube: @viastoicaProduced by: Badmic.com

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