What Tyrants Get Wrong About Power and Wealth
About this episode
This episode turns the Stoic lens toward the illusions of power and wealth, as Epictetus and Cicero expose the tyranny of desire and the poverty of excess.
Through the figure of the boastful ruler and the self-satisfied rich man, both philosophers reveal how dependence on externals—on fortune, status, or approval—enslaves the soul.
True mastery, they argue, lies not in ruling others but in ruling oneself. The person content with virtue alone, free from craving and fear, is richer and stronger than any tyrant alive.
👇 👇 👇
📻 FOR MORE STOIC AUDIO CONTENT
Check out one of my latest daily Micro Morning Meditations here on Substack:
☀️ Micro Morning Meditation: The Meaning of Life
https://whatisstoicism.substack.com/p/micro-morning-meditation-the-meaning
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Get every episode summarized
Each time The What Is Stoicism? Podcast publishes, we email you a written briefing from the transcript — the topics, who appeared, and any specific claims, with the ad reads skipped.
Email me new episodesFree for 3 shows. No card needed.
Hosts & guests
No transcript yet
This episode has not been transcribed. Request it and it moves to the front of the queue.
More episodes
More from The What Is Stoicism? Podcast
Aphorisms for Action: Making Stoicism Stick
The What Is Stoicism? Podcast
Why Genuine Kindness Is Irresistible
The What Is Stoicism? Podcast
What Is There to Fear? What Is There to Do?
The What Is Stoicism? Podcast
What Stoicism Looks Like in Public and in Private
The What Is Stoicism? Podcast