Welcome to the Via Stoica Podcast, the podcast on Stoicism.

In today’s Stoic Quotes episode, we explore a powerful reflection from Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 2.1, a reminder of responsibility, harmony, and our place within the larger human community:

“No one can implicate me in ugliness. Nor can I feel angry at my relative or hate him. We were born to work together, like feet, hands, and eyes; like two rows of teeth, upper and lower. To obstruct each other is unnatural.”

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 2.1

Marcus opens with a simple but profound truth: the state of your character is yours alone. No one can force you to act without integrity. No one can push you into bitterness or moral compromise. The choice, the judgment, is always yours. And then he widens the frame: because we share the same nature, hurting others ultimately harms ourselves. Unity is our natural state; hostility is the obstruction.

This teaching points directly to two Stoic principles: responsibility for one’s own moral choices, and cosmopolitanism, the idea that we are all parts of one body. In modern language: you are accountable for the way you respond, and the people around you are not obstacles but fellow limbs of the same organism.

Epictetus says that nothing external can force your judgment. Seneca grounds responsibility in the integrity of one’s own soul. And Marcus constantly reminds himself that he is part of a larger whole.

Seen through the three Stoic disciplines, this passage becomes even clearer:

• Desire — letting go of the impulse to want people to be different from what they are.

• Assent — choosing not to accept impressions that provoke anger or hatred.

• Action — behaving in a way that supports the unity and well-being of the larger human community.

When you look at life this way, the quote becomes an invitation: protect your character, and treat others as parts of the same living structure.

Here are a few practical reflections for daily life:

• When someone behaves poorly, pause before reacting. Their action is theirs. Your judgment is yours.

• Choose responses that strengthen the connection rather than fracture it. Even a moment of patience is a step toward harmony.

• When tempted to blame others for your choices, remind yourself that accountability is freedom. You keep your integrity by owning your decisions.

For more, check out this article to learn how to Practice Stoicism: https://viastoica.com/how-to-practice-stoicism/

And if you’re looking for more Stoic sayings, visit viastoica.com, where you’ll find hundreds of quotes with full references to the original texts:

https://viastoica.com/stoic-quotes

https://viastoica.com/marcus-aurelius-quotes

https://viastoica.com/epictetus-quotes

https://viastoica.com/seneca-quotes

Make sure to subscribe for more Stoic Quotes episodes every Friday, as well as our Tuesday interviews and longer discussions.

Support the show

https://viastoica.com

https://viastoica.com/stoic-life-coaching

https://viastoica.com/benny-voncken

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Produced by: badmic.com

Welcome to the Via Stoica Podcast, the podcast on Stoicism.
In this special episode, we dive into one of the most important and most misunderstood topics in the entire Stoic tradition: the nature of emotion.

Today, I’m joined by Margaret Graver, the Aaron Lawrence Professor of Classics at Dartmouth College, and one of the world’s leading scholars on ancient Stoicism. Her book Stoicism and Emotion has shaped how modern readers understand the emotional life of the Stoics. Together, we explore how ancient philosophy can help us meet the complexity of our own inner lives.

At the heart of this episode is the Stoic idea that emotions are not things that happen to us, but judgments we make, often unconsciously, about what is good or bad. For the Stoics, joy is not mere smiling or comfort, but the deep, steady uplift that comes from living in harmony with reason, virtue, and our responsibilities to others.

Margaret explains how Stoicism views emotions as voluntary in structure but not always voluntary in the moment, why some emotions feel automatic, and how the Stoics distinguished between destructive impulses and the good emotions grounded in truth. We discuss the role of character formation, the misconceptions about “suppressing feelings,” and why Stoicism is far more about love, courage, community, and responsibility than about detachment.

In a world of constant stimulation and quick reactions, Stoicism helps us return to clarity. It shows us that emotions are not enemies but signals, invitations to examine ourselves more honestly. By the end of this episode, you’ll see that Stoicism isn’t about shutting down your humanity; it’s about living wisely, lovingly, and courageously within it.

Listen to the full episode to get a clear introduction into Stoicism and Emotions, and follow this up by reading Margaret Graver's book.

Learn more about Margaret Graver here:

Dartmouth Faculty Page:
https://classics.dartmouth.edu/people/margaret-graver

Books:
• Stoicism and Emotion – University of Chicago Press
https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/S/bo3625910.html

• Seneca: The Literary Philosopher – Cambridge University Press
https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/seneca/O01F0E7E3C9D6469A4C47A65BE85866E

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🎙️ Produced by: badmic.com

Welcome to the Via Stoica Podcast, the podcast on Stoicism.

Today’s episode reflects on a line from Seneca’s Consolation to Helvia, written while he was exiled on the island of Corsica. In this letter to his mother, he tries to steady her grief, and perhaps his own, with a reminder of what truly satisfies the human spirit:

“Greed is satisfied by nothing, but nature finds satisfaction even in scant measures.”
Seneca, Consolation to Helvia, 10

Seneca’s point is simple but piercing. Greed is never about what you have; it is always about what is missing. The moment you chase fulfillment in externals, the finish line moves. Nature, in contrast, asks little. It finds sufficiency in the present moment, in the fact that you are alive, thinking, choosing. What Seneca is offering here is a lesson in the Stoic principle of desire: when you want what the moment actually gives you, you stop feeling deprived.

This teaching echoes Epictetus, who reminds us that trouble begins when we demand reality to be other than it is. Marcus Aurelius writes that the wise person “follows nature willingly,” aligning inner choices with the structure of the world. All three are pointing to the same truth within the Stoic disciplines.

Desire: Want only what is in your control.
Assent: Don’t believe the story that “more” will finally make you complete.
Action: Use whatever this moment gives you as material for virtue.
When greed falls away, what remains is clarity, the sense that nothing essential is missing from this moment, because the only real good is the way you choose to meet it.

In everyday life, this means noticing when your mind starts reaching into the future for something it says you “need” before you can feel at ease. It means returning to the present long enough to see what is already supporting you. And it means treating difficult moments not as interruptions but as invitations to practice strength, gratitude, and presence. When you train this mindset, satisfaction comes not from abundance but from alignment.

For more, check out this related article with quotes on desire and letting go of externals:
https://viastoica.com/how-to-practice-the-stoic-discipline-desire/

And if you’re looking for more Stoic sayings, visit viastoica.com, where you’ll find hundreds of quotes with full references to the original texts:
https://viastoica.com/stoic-quotes
https://viastoica.com/marcus-aurelius-quotes
https://viastoica.com/epictetus-quotes
https://viastoica.com/seneca-quotes

Make sure to subscribe for more Stoic Quotes episodes every Friday, as well as our Tuesday interviews and longer discussions.

Support the show
https://viastoica.com
https://viastoica.com/stoic-life-coaching
https://viastoica.com/benny-voncken
https://x.com/ViaStoica
info@viastoica.com

Produced by: badmic.com