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December 12, 2025 5 mins

In this episode, Alex reads his essay, “Tend Your Garden, But Don’t Forget the Gate,” originally published on his Substack, All The Fits That’s News. The piece explores the limits of the old Stoic maxim, “Don’t complain, don’t explain,” and how silence, when taken too far, becomes a form of avoidance rather than strength.

Alex reflects on a difficult period in his professional life, when keeping everything bottled up nearly broke him. He discusses the value of choosing the right people to confide in, why venting is not weakness, and how discernment, not emotional shutdown, was the point the Stoics were getting at all along.

10 Years. Hundreds of Shows. Alex needs a coffee. Or ten: Become a paid subscriber!


I’m excited to share a limited-time offer: 50% off your first 12 months as a paid subscriber. It’s my way of making it easier for you to support the work I do here—essays, commentary, and cultural critiques delivered without gatekeepers, ads, or algorithms getting in the way.

If you’ve enjoyed the essays and want to see more of them, here are two simple ways you can help:


  1. Become a paid subscriber. Paid support keeps this work sustainable and helps me devote the time and energy it deserves. If you’ve subscribed before, please consider re-subscribing under the new system and take advantage of this ⁠50% offer, which ENDS on Dec. 31, 2025.⁠
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👉 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join today and lock in half off your first year.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Your support—financial or otherwise—is what keeps this going. The best work is still ahead, and I’d love for you to be part of it. —Alex

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Enjoy this episode? Please leave us a review on your podcast platform of choice, and don't forget to subscribe for more literary journeys! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LEAVE A REVIEW ON APPLE PODCASTS⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 

Announcer: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mary McKenna⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Original theme music "Mysterious Goings On" by Jamie Green. Want your own cool score for your podcast or website? Contact Jamie at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Greenhouse Consulting.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Check out Jamie's interview on the show ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Intro music: "Half Mystery" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://creativecommons.org/


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