In Search of Wisdom

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When you look up the word happiness, it's usually defined as “the state of being happy” or “a state of well-being and contentment.” But what does it actually mean to ‘be’ happy in everyday life? Strangely, it's a more challenging question than one might think. 

On this episode of In Search of Wisdom, I share a meditation from our...

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In this episode of In Search of Wisdom, my guest is Dr. Daniel McInerny, author of the new book Beauty and Imitation. Dr. McInerny is an associate professor and chair of the philosophy department at Christendom College, as well as a novelist and dramatist. In the conversation, we discuss the wisdom of imitation, the art of contempla...

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In this episode of In Search of Wisdom, we explore what it means to answer the call to the “better angels of our nature,” as Abraham Lincoln put it. We discuss whether or not we have better (and worse) angels of our nature. And if so, what can we do to lead a life that’s guided by the wiser sides of our nature?

Key Takeaways:

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What can we know for sure? A curious paradox of wisdom is the need to let go of the traditional idea of knowing (or learning). In this episode of In Search of Wisdom, we explore the art of not knowing; another meditation from our Wisdom is the Way course. Today’s episode discusses how and why we must practice not knowing, working wi...

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If philosophical and spiritual traditions point to interconnectedness as an eternal truth, why do we ever feel disconnected? In this episode of In Search of Wisdom, we explore the art of connection, a topic from our Wisdom is the Way course. Today’s solo episode discusses how and why connection plays an integral role in shaping our ...

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In this episode of In Search of Wisdom, we explore impermanence, a topic from our Wisdom is the Way course. We discuss why understanding how the world works is an integral part of a philosophy of life and the various ways that philosophical and spiritual traditions think about impermanence. We also discuss how embracing uncertainty ...

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In this episode of In Search of Wisdom, my guest is Prof. Emily Austin, the author of Living for Pleasure: An Epicurean Guide to Life. Living for Pleasure is part of the Guides to the Good Life series by Oxford University Press. I’m a big fan of the series; it’s dedicated to the idea that philosophy can, as it was for hundreds of ye...

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In this episode of In Search of Wisdom, my guest is John Oakes, author of The Fast: The History, Science, Philosophy, and Promise of Doing Without. In the conversation, we explore John's spontaneous initiation into fasting and his insights from the practice. We delve into the historical prevalence across various cultures and religio...

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The Dying Every Day series delivers guided meditations on the art of living. Each meditation provides a quote, a selected passage (from an original Stoic text), and a reflection prompt to consider. These meditations are designed to help you (and me) reflect on what it means to live a good life.

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The Way of Contemplation is a weekly series that delivers meditations, prompts, and practices on the art of living. These short guided contemplations are designed to help us think deeply about perennial ideas, questions, insights, and what it means to live an intentional life.

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The Dying Every Day series delivers guided meditations on the art of living. Each meditation provides a quote, a selected passage (from an original Stoic text), and a reflection prompt to consider. These meditations are designed to help you (and me) reflect on what it means to live a good life.

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 🖇️ Stay Connected: 

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In this episode of In Search of Wisdom, I welcome my friend Shane Trotter (author and creator of 

Setting the Bar) back to show for another edition of The Character Lab. In Part Three of our series, we explore the importance of role models in character formation. We discuss the need for a standard to measure ourselves and how the liv...

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Today’s episode is an audio version of the Monday Muse on Perennial Meditations. A little about this series, for anyone not familiar. It’s a weekly collection of what I call perennial reminders, insights, and maxims on the art of living. The term muse is an ancient one; it derives from ancient Greece and mythology. It typically has ...

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Welcome to Sundays with Seneca on In Search of Wisdom. On today’s episode, I’m sharing part II of Seneca’s essay, ‘On the Shortness of Life.’ If you would like to read these in your email each week, you can subscribe to Perennial Meditations (on Substack). You can also help support the podcast and my work by becoming a member. There...

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The Way of Contemplation is a weekly series on In Search of Wisdom that delivers meditations, prompts, and practices on the art of living. These short guided contemplations are designed to help us think deeply about perennial ideas, questions, insights, and what it means to live an intentional life.

---

 
 🖇️ Stay Connected: 

• T...

📮 Want tools for the art of living? Sign up here: https://perennial.substack.com/subscribe

The Dying Every Day series delivers guided meditations on the art of living. Each meditation provides a quote, a selected passage (from an original Stoic text), and a reflection prompt to consider. These meditations are designed to help you (and me) reflect on what it means to live a good life.

---

 
 🖇️ Stay Connected: 

• Twitte...

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In this episode of In Search of Wisdom, I welcome Rachel B. Griffis and Julie Ooms to discuss their new book, Deep Reading: Practices to Subvert the Vices of Our Distracted, Hostile, and Consumeristic Age. The conversation explores their formative experiences with reading and the concept of deep reading. We delve into how reading ca...

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Today’s episode is an audio version of the Monday Muse on Perennial Meditations. A little about this series, for anyone not familiar. It’s a weekly collection of what I call perennial reminders, insights, and maxims on the art of living. The term muse is an ancient one; it derives from ancient Greece and mythology. It typically has ...

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Welcome back to another episode of In Search of Wisdom. As I mentioned in yesterday’s episode, there will be a few changes to the podcast and newsletter. One change is that I’ll be sharing a few more episodes each week, one being our Sundays with Seneca series that we’ve been running exclusively for Perennial Meditations members. If...