Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life Podcast · Donald J. Robertson

Video: Stoicism & Resilience

October 30, 2025·1 hr 27 min·5 clips

Donald Robertson explains why people get Stoicism tattoos but never CBT tattoos—it's about identity, not just skills.

This episode features an interview with Donald Robertson, a cognitive behavioral therapy practitioner and author known for connecting Stoic philosophy to modern psychotherapy. The host, a military stress management trainer, expresses deep admiration for Robertson's work on resilience and Stoicism. Robertson discusses his 2012 book "Build Your Resilience," which he wrote after an unsolicited publisher request. He defines resilience as a preventative approach to mental health, contrasting it with remedial therapy that addresses existing problems. Robertson argues Stoicism is fundamentally a philosophy of resilience building, focusing on preparing individuals to cope with adversity before it occurs. He notes a key challenge in teaching psychological skills is that people often stop practicing them, leading to backsliding. Robertson observes that Stoicism can become a lasting part of a person's identity, unlike standard therapeutic techniques, citing the prevalence of Stoic-themed tattoos as evidence. He explains that surviving Stoic texts from Seneca, Epictetus, and Marcus Aurelius represent exceptionally refined writing, which helps the philosophy resonate deeply. Robertson identifies about 18 distinct psychological practices within ancient Stoicism, forming a broad toolbox of techniques. A core Stoic strategy involves shifting focus from external outcomes to internal character traits and virtues, which he links to modern behavioral activation therapy for depression. He emphasizes the Stoic concept of "prosoche," or ongoing mindfulness, to avoid compartmentalizing self-improvement practices. Robertson stresses that many self-help enthusiasts master skills acquisition but fail at application, avoiding genuinely challenging situations. He states voluntary hardship, or intentionally facing fears, is essential for building true resilience, a process often requiring external encouragement. Robertson highlights that avoidance is the world's most common emotional coping strategy, and all resilience building must reverse this through approach behavior. He discusses Richard Lazarus's stress model, which involves appraising both a threat and one's coping ability, and notes Stoic philosopher Chrysippus proposed a similar framework. Building "high frustration tolerance" and self-efficacy is presented as key to resilience, countering "I can't handle this" thoughts. Robertson advises breaking overwhelming problems into smaller components and identifying personal resources, as Marcus Aurelius suggested. The conversation is educational and conversational, blending academic philosophy with practical therapeutic advice. Listeners interested in applying ancient wisdom to modern psychology and personal development will find this episode valuable. Those seeking purely historical or theoretical discussions of Stoicism might find the clinical focus less engaging.

As heard by us

A grounded Stoicism episode that treats resilience, self-efficacy, and all-or-nothing thinking as practical habits.

Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life Podcast keeps resilience tied to daily use instead of treating it like a slogan. With Donald Robertson, the conversation stays on the line between ancient philosophy and evidence-based psychotherapy, and it keeps coming back to how people…

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Why you'd press play

For a Stoic reset that treats resilience like a skill, not a slogan.

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