This is the 10% Happier Podcast. I'm Dan Harris.

Today, kids, we're going to talk about how to build up your psychological immune system,

the Stoic way.

Here's one thing I know about life.

Setbacks, insults, illness, death, they are all inevitable.

Thousands of years ago, the Stoic philosophers of Greece and Rome devised techniques for handling life's inevitable vexations.

In the words of today's guest, this is a philosophy that helps you become tougher, calmer, and more resilient.

Said guest is William Irvin.

He's the emeritus professor of philosophy at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio.

He's the author of eight books that have been translated into more than 20 languages, including a guide to the

Good Life, the ancient art of stoic joy, and the stoic challenge of philosophers' guide to

becoming tougher, calmer, and more resilient. In this conversation, we talk about how Bill first got

introduced to stoicism, a story that involves a midlife crisis and a banjo. We talk about the

overlap and the differences between stoicism and Buddhism. We talk about stoic psychological strategies

for attaining equanimity, the practice of negative visualization,

stoic approaches to handling anger and also insults, how to reframe setbacks as tests,

the difference between stoicism and emotion suppression, that's a point of confusion for many

people, tools for navigating the challenges of our digital age. What Stoics say about pursuing fame and status and why death is the ultimate exam. Just to say, I first heard of William Irvin because of his appearance on the waking Up app run by my friend Sam Harris.

I'm a huge fan of waking up.

The app has basic meditation instruction, specific courses from a variety of different meditation teachers, and also these excellent life skills courses.

And there's now a four-part audio series on the Buddha's Eightfold Path featuring Joseph Goldstein, the great meditation teacher, in conversation with both me and Sam.

And there's a lot of wisdom in there and a lot of laughs.

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