Stoicism: Virtue, Emotions & Human Excellence | Gregory Lopez

In this episode, Gregory Lopez and I explore Stoicism as a practical philosophy of life. We discuss what Stoicism is, what the Stoics meant by virtue, excellence, and living according to nature, and why human beings are understood as rational and pro-social animals. Gregory explains Stoic psychology, including reason, emotion, impressions, assent, passions, value judgments, and why Stoicism is not about suppressing emotions or becoming unfeeling. We also discuss why “control” can be a misleading word, what Epictetus really meant by what is “up to us,” and how beliefs, goals, and urges shape our actions. Finally, we explore Stoic practices such as journaling, reflection, the three disciplines of training, anxiety, grief, death, Buddhism, mindfulness, right speech, and where beginners should start when learning Stoicism.