The Stoic Compass

What does it really mean to be a virtuous person — and why is it more demanding than we think?

11 min · 23. maj 2026
episode What does it really mean to be a virtuous person — and why is it more demanding than we think? cover

Description

Epictetus, Carl Jung, and Laozi debate what virtue actually demands of us—and discover that the hardest part is not the discipline or even the self-knowledge, but the willingness to be wrong about who you believe yourself to be. Through their disagreement, they reveal that true virtue requires you to question the self-image you have built your life around, which is far more costly than simply doing the right thing. You'll leave this episode with a concrete practice: identifying one person you feel certain about, and asking yourself what you would have to give up if you were wrong about them. 📖 Pay Attention by C. Trebue — available on Amazon:  eBook: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GR8WLMPC [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GR8WLMPC]  Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GVV46SWF  [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GVV46SWF ] 📬 Subscribe to The Daily Practice newsletter: https://thedailypractice33.substack.com [https://thedailypractice33.substack.com]

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130 episodes

episode How do you know if your ambitions serve your values — or just your ego? artwork

How do you know if your ambitions serve your values — or just your ego?

Epictetus, Carl Jung, and Laozi examine the gap between pursuing what we genuinely value and pursuing what we think will prove we matter. Through their debate, you'll learn concrete signals — brittleness under setback, disproportionate reactions to others' success, the inability to want something without an audience — that reveal whether your ambition is serving you or consuming you. The episode ends with a single practice: identifying what your ambition actually believes is at stake, which is where honest change begins. 📖 Pay Attention by C. Trebue — available on Amazon:  eBook: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GR8WLMPC [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GR8WLMPC]  Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GVV46SWF  [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GVV46SWF ] 📬 Subscribe to The Daily Practice newsletter: https://thedailypractice33.substack.com [https://thedailypractice33.substack.com]

Yesterday10 min
episode What does a purposeful life actually look like day to day? artwork

What does a purposeful life actually look like day to day?

Three ancient and modern thinkers — Epictetus, Carl Jung, and Laozi — debate what purpose actually means when you're living it hour to hour, not dreaming about it. You'll hear why good intentions fail, what self-deception looks like in disguise, and why the purposeful life often looks boring from the outside. By the end, you'll have a single practice: one specific action each day that serves what matters most to you, done before anything else can replace it. 📖 Pay Attention by C. Trebue — available on Amazon:  eBook: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GR8WLMPC [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GR8WLMPC]  Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GVV46SWF  [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GVV46SWF ] 📬 Subscribe to The Daily Practice newsletter: https://thedailypractice33.substack.com [https://thedailypractice33.substack.com]

5. juni 202610 min
episode What does the Stoic tradition say about failure — and why does it change everything? artwork

What does the Stoic tradition say about failure — and why does it change everything?

Epictetus, Carl Jung, and Laozi debate what failure actually means—is it something to strip of meaning through discipline, a wound to excavate and understand, or simply a natural bend in the shape of things? Through their disagreement, you'll learn what the Stoic tradition really says about failure: that it reveals where you've placed your identity, and that what remains of you after loss is the only thing that was ever truly yours. 📖 Pay Attention by C. Trebue — available on Amazon:  eBook: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GR8WLMPC [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GR8WLMPC]  Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GVV46SWF  [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GVV46SWF ] 📬 Subscribe to The Daily Practice newsletter: https://thedailypractice33.substack.com [https://thedailypractice33.substack.com]

4. juni 202611 min
episode Why do capable people keep choosing comfort over growth — and what does it cost them? artwork

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Epictetus, Carl Jung, and Laozi examine why capable people choose comfort over growth—and reveal what it actually costs them. Through their disagreement about fear, identity, and timing, you'll discover the specific terror underneath avoidance (it's not what you think), what happens to suppressed capability when it goes unnamed, and how to recognize the difference between genuine wisdom and the slow disappearance of yourself. The episode ends with a single concrete action you can take today to break the pattern. 📖 Pay Attention by C. Trebue — available on Amazon:  eBook: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GR8WLMPC [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GR8WLMPC]  Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GVV46SWF  [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GVV46SWF ] 📬 Subscribe to The Daily Practice newsletter: https://thedailypractice33.substack.com [https://thedailypractice33.substack.com]

3. juni 202611 min
episode What is the difference between ambition that serves you and ambition that destroys you? artwork

What is the difference between ambition that serves you and ambition that destroys you?

Epictetus, Carl Jung, and Laozi examine why some ambition drives you forward while other ambition devours you from within—exploring whether your goals belong to you or to an old fear you haven't faced. You'll learn to spot the difference between ambition rooted in genuine values and ambition that's really running away from something, and walk away with a single honest question that reveals which kind you're actually living. 📖 Pay Attention by C. Trebue — available on Amazon:  eBook: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GR8WLMPC [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GR8WLMPC]  Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GVV46SWF  [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GVV46SWF ] 📬 Subscribe to The Daily Practice newsletter: https://thedailypractice33.substack.com [https://thedailypractice33.substack.com]

2. juni 202610 min