Dropping the Boulder: Why Resentment is Killing You (and How to Let Go)

Stop pushing the boulder of the past. Discover the practical tools to break the cycle of resentment using ancient philosophy and modern brain science.

Are you carrying a grudge that feels like a weight you just can’t shake? In this episode of The Synapse and the Stoa, host John Sampson explores why holding onto resentment is like the Myth of Sisyphus: you’re pushing a boulder of past wrongs up a hill, only to have it roll back and crush your mental well-being every single day.

We dive deep into the three pillars of a fulfilling life—Philosophy, Psychology, and Neuroscience—to provide you with a blueprint for letting go.

In this episode, you will learn:

• The Psychology of the "Anger Loop": Why rumination is a "biological debt" that causes chronic stress, heart disease, and immune dysfunction.
• The Stoic Shield: How Seneca, Epictetus, and Marcus Aurelius viewed forgiveness not as a weakness, but as a calculated move for personal power and rational agency.
• The "Medical Model" of Plato: A radical perspective shift that views wrongdoers as "sick souls" rather than villains, allowing you to replace bitterness with pity.
• The Neuroscience of Forgiveness: What happens in your prefrontal cortex and amygdala when you choose to forgive, and how it resets your nervous system.
• Viktor Frankl’s Secret: How to find the "space" between stimulus and response to reclaim your freedom.

Practical Takeaways: We wrap up with five actionable steps you can use today to identify your "boulders," reframe your injuries, and move forward. Remember: Forgiveness doesn’t mean you’re okay with what happened—it means you refuse to let it control you any longer.

Stop being Sisyphus. Drop the weight. Reclaim your life.

Key Figures Mentioned:

• Viktor Frankl (Man’s Search for Meaning)
• Seneca (On Anger)
• Epictetus
• Marcus Aurelius (Meditations)
• Plato & Aristotle