What if everything you believed about suffering and injustice was wrong? What if the worst things in life-loss, betrayal, punishment, even death-couldn’t actually harm you?
This was the shocking belief of Socrates and the Stoics. In his trial, as he faced execution, Socrates declared: "Anytus and Meletus can kill me, but they cannot harm me." To most people, this sounds extreme. How can someone being sentenced to death claim they’re unharmed? Doesn’t suffering, injustice, and misfortune prove otherwise?
In this conversation, Donald Robertson (@DonaldJRobertsonAuthor ) a leading expert on Stoicism and the philosophy of Socrates, unpacks this radical idea. The Stoics followed Socrates in believing that the only real harm is moral corruption. External events-whether fortune or misfortune-are beyond our control and therefore irrelevant to our true well-being. If we maintain our virtue, we remain unharmed, no matter what happens to us.
But can this idea really hold up in the real world? Is it possible to adopt this mindset in our own lives? And what does this mean for how we handle adversity today?
We explore how Socrates’ philosophy influenced Epictetus, Seneca, and Marcus Aurelius, and why this idea is more relevant than ever. If you’ve ever wondered how to face hardship with unshakable resilience, this episode will challenge and transform your perspective.
🔥 Watch now to discover why Socrates’ most controversial belief might just change the way you see suffering forever.