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How to Be a Stoic

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How do you live a good life? It's a central question to the human experience, and one the ancient Stoic philosophers sought to answer by focusing on virtue, mindfulness, and the things that are and are not within our control.

RadioWest divider.

No matter where you live or what culture you live in, the question of how to lead a good life is central. And there are no shortage of answers, from fundamentalist religion to nihilism. For his part, philosopher Massimo Pigliucci has become a Stoic. Stoicism, he says, isn’t about suppressing or hiding emotions. It’s about mindfulness and virtue. It’s about focusing your efforts only on that which you can control and understanding the truth of death. Pigliucci joins us to discuss why and how to be a Stoic.

Massimo Pigliucci is a professor of philosophy at the City University of New York. He blogs at platofootnote.org and howtobeastoic.org. His latest book is called How to Be a Stoic: Using Ancient Philosophy to Live a Modern Life [Indie bookstores|Amazon|Audible].

Doug Fabrizio has been reporting for KUER News since 1987, and became News Director in 1993. In 2001, he became host and executive producer of KUER's RadioWest, a one hour conversation/call-in show on KUER 90.1 in Salt Lake City. He has gained a reputation for his thoughtful style. He has interviewed everyone from Isabel Allende to the Dalai Lama, and from Madeleine Albright to Desmond Tutu. His interview skills landed him a spot as a guest host of the national NPR program, "Talk of the Nation." He has won numerous awards for his reporting and for his work with RadioWest and KUED's Utah NOW from such organizations as the Society of Professional Journalists, the Utah Broadcasters Association, the Public Radio News Directors Association and the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.