The philosophy of stoicism teaches that humans are capable of enduring any hardship by focusing on what is in their control and by accepting the things they cannot change. In the investing world, this means not getting caught up in market noise and instead focusing on the long term. 

In this episode, Rusty and Robyn talk with William B. Irvine, professor of philosophy at Wright State University and author of several books, including A Guide to A Good Life and The Stoic Challenge. William is an internationally acclaimed author whose work explores philosophy and stoicism.

William talks with Rusty and Robyn about the philosophy of stoicism, how it can help investors navigate the market, how it can be applied in everyday life, and how it can help people cope with setbacks.

Key Takeaways

• [02:09] - William's professional background.
• [05:56] - What made William interested in stoicism.
• [08:22] - The key principles of stoicism.
• [11:34] - How negative visualization breeds positive results.
• [14:13] - How stoic principles can be applied in daily life.
• [15:41] - What the stoics think about money.
• [19:22] - How stoicism helps advisors be successful in the long run.
• [23:43] - How stoicism can help investors cope with losses.
• [26:06] - The impact of desire on investors.
• [29:19] - William's advice when it comes to dealing with insults.
• [31:47] - How stoicism can be used to cope with setbacks.
• [34:57] - How William maintains his physical and mental health to perform at his best.
• [41:43] - The impact of William's stoicism on his investments.
• [43:12] - William's book recommendations on stoicism.

Quotes

[08:50] - "Focus your attention on the things you can control. Because if you focus your attention on the things you cannot control, you're wasting your time and your emotion." - William B. Irvine

[11:50] - "One of the ways to increase the number of positive emotions you experience and to make whatever you're now experiencing vastly more tolerable is to take a moment to think about how things could be worse." - William B. Irvine

[19:32] - "Emotions are your biggest enemy and you are your biggest enemy. You are your biggest obstacle to successful investing. And the problem is your emotions are gonna give you all the wrong answers." - William B. Irvine

[30:09] - "Insults are just words. It's your response to an insult that does you the harm." - William B. Irvine

Links 

• William B. Irvine
• Wright State University
• Oxford University Press
• A Guide to A Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy
• A Slap in the Face: Why Insults Hurt — And Why They Shouldn't
• On Desire: Why We Want What We Want
• The Stoic Challenge: A Philosopher's Guide to Becoming Tougher, Calmer, and More Resilient
• Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
• The Manual: A Philosopher's Guide to Life
• Waking Up Conversations | Sam Harris

Connect with our hosts

• Rusty Vanneman
• Robyn Murray

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0856-OPS-5/17/2022