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August 22, 2025 18 mins
In this episode I reflect on the idea of responsibility through the lens of Spider-Man’s famous question, “What if it is my job?” I talk about how we can discern whether something really falls to us or not, how our roles and duties guide those decisions, and why happiness isn’t the point of life for a Stoic — virtue is. Along the way, I share thoughts on gut reactions, role-based reasoning, and how we can both accept where we are and still strive for better. Key takeaways from this episode include: — Stoics should be cautious of following gut or heart impulses, since these are often driven by immediate emotions rather than reason. — Our roles in life (parent, spouse, citizen, friend, etc.) help determine whether something “is our job” or not, and when no role obligates us, we can weigh whether new responsibilities can be taken on justly. — Happiness is not about external circumstances but about who we are; contentment and striving can coexist when both are approached with justice and gratitude. For an ad-free version of this podcast please visit https://stoicismpod.com/members For links to other valuable Stoic things, please visit https://links.stoicismpod.com If you'd like to provide feedback on this episode, or have question, you may do so as a member. Email sent by non-members will not be answered (though they may be read). This isn't punitive, I just cannot keep up. Limiting access to members reduces my workload. You're always invited to leave a comment on Spotify, member or not. Thanks for listening and have a great day! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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