🧠 Stoic Philosophy for Modern Life with Phil Van Treuren
"Stoicism is focusing on things that are in your control, overcoming negative emotions, living in the present moment, helping others for the common good, and finding opportunity in every obstacle." - Phil Van Treuren
In this episode of the Built Not Born Podcast, Joe welcomes author and entrepreneur Phil Van Treuren to explore how ancient Stoic philosophy can transform our modern lives.
Phil is the author of "The Little Book of Stoic Quotes," and shares profound insights on living in the present moment, embracing obstacles, and finding peace in our chaotic world.
🎧 Episode Highlights:
📝 About Phil Van Truitt [02:25]
- Author, entrepreneur, and "perpetual work in progress"
- Built a successful DTC e-commerce business from his basement
- Published four books on Stoic philosophy lessons
- Founder of Stoic Simple, where he sells his books and publishes blog posts
🏛️ What is Stoic Philosophy? [06:10]
- Phil's one-sentence definition after a year of research
- Why Stoicism has experienced a renaissance in modern culture
- Recommendations for beginners: Ryan Holiday and Donald Robertson
⏰ Living in the Present Moment [11:45]
- Why humans struggle to stay present compared to animals
- How focusing on the past leads to depression and looking too far ahead causes anxiety
- Seneca's wisdom: "The primary cause of both hope and fear is that instead of adapting ourselves to present circumstances, we send our thoughts to the future"
💪 Amor Fati: Loving Your Fate [19:30]
- How to embrace and love whatever fate you're given
- Finding opportunities in obstacles and challenging circumstances
- Using difficulties to become a better person
✍️ Phil's Creative Process [24:15]
- Writing entire books on his cell phone while juggling family life
- How limitations forced him to become a better writer
- Embracing and loving the constraints of your circumstances
😤 Managing Emotions [36:45]
- The misconception that Stoicism means suppressing emotions
- Learning to step back and examine emotions before acting on them
- Creating space between stimulus and response
💀 Memento Mori: Remember You Will Die [45:20]
- How remembering mortality can spur positive action
- Planning meaningful experiences with loved ones
- Removing the ego from thinking time is guaranteed
🏆 The Three Great Stoics [53:15]
- Comparing Seneca, Epictetus, and Marcus Aurelius
- The unique writing styles and contributions of each philosopher
- Phil's appreciation for different aspects of each Stoic master
🎮 Fun Game: Meditations or Gladiator? [1:04:15]
- A quiz testing knowledge of real Marcus Aurelius quotes versus movie lines
- The surprising connection between the movie and actual Stoic philosophy
🌟 Final Wisdom [59:20]
- Finding comfort in knowing the world will continue without you
- How this perspective brings peace and reduces ego
- Our responsibility to make the world better for future generations
📚 Books Mentioned:
