Einzelgänger

Why You're Unhappy (according to Epictetus) Yes, the enchanting, exciting outside world of pleasures we often deem interesting enough to pursue. So we desire what the world has to offer. But losing what we cling to hurts. Unfortunately, what we gain and lose is up to Fortune. So if we let our happiness depend on things that aren’t up to us, Fortune controls how we feel.#stoicism #epictetus #stoic Turn on notifications for the podcast & rate it a 5star for new episodes. Einzelgänger explores a wide range of topics and ideas, with a dose of "as I see...

Zhuangzi's Timeless Wisdom to StressFree Living | Taoist Philosophy Taoism for Inner Peace (book): https://einzelganger.co/tao/Zhuangzi embodies a sense of calm, playfulness, and humility. He saw the world differently. As opposed to many of his contemporaries, he manages to break through conventions, let go of fixed views, and look beyond the human scope and understanding of right and wrong. He saw the usefulness in uselessness, beauty in ugliness, and order in chaos.Video: Zhuangzi's Timeless Wisdom to StressFree Living | Taoist PhilosophySupport the channel: ✔️ PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/einzelgangerco ✔️ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/einzelgangster ✔️ Bitcoin: 3HQnEz1LQ4G6dqN2LdZ...

Why we prefer being alone... Despite feeling lonely People generally agree that seeking close relationships is the solution when suffering at the hands of loneliness. We seek friendships to fill in the empty hole we’ve been experiencing. We join groups and clubs just to be around people - to feel the warmth of a community. But people tend to ignore the miseries accompanying these close relationships. When we consider the pain that goes together with closeness, it’s no surprise that many friendships result in fighting, and romantic relationships often fall apart dramatically. When dealing with others, we risk...

Are You a Subhuman? | The Existential Crisis You Can’t Ignore Some people deny the freedom and opportunity to forge one’s authentic path. They don’t want it as it scares them. And so they hide from it in curious ways. Beauvoir argued that such people fall into two categories: the 'subhuman' and the 'serious person.'Video: Are You a Subhuman? | The Existential Crisis You Can’t IgnoreSupport the channel: ✔️ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/einzelgangster ✔️ PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/einzelgangerco🎞️ Animations and thumbnail art by Munkaa: https://www.youtube.com/user/jus7yBooks: (affiliate links): 📖 The Urge: Fall of a Stoic: h...

Let It Go, Ride the Wind | The Taoist Philosophy of Lieh Tzu Taoism for Inner Peace (book): https://einzelganger.co/tao/The Lieh Tzu contains many stories with philosophical themes like the nature of reality, the purpose of life, and the workings of the mind. One theme that runs like a thread through this ancient scripture is the tendency of human beings to stand in their own way and thereby sabotaging a spontaneous, effortless mode of living.Dominated by a mind burning with desire, anxiously trying to control the uncontrollable, we’ve become unwilling and unable to let the un...

Why Simplicity is Power | Priceless Benefits of Being Simple Simplicity is the quality of being uncomplicated, which is beneficial in many areas. By being simple, whether in our thinking, desires, or how we arrange our stuff and furnish our living spaces, we can declutter our minds and focus on what truly matters-leading to clarity, peace, and fulfillment in our lives.Video: Why Simplicity is Power | Priceless Benefits of Being SimpleSupport the channel: ✔️ PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/einzelgangerco ✔️ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/einzelgangster ✔️ Bitcoin: 3HQnEz1LQ4G6dqN2LdZgzc7qoJjJCyWjTC (Donated BTC and want in the credits? Send me an email...

How to Stop Hating Yourself Why do we hate ourselves? Is there any good in selfhatred? And how can we break free from it? This video explores selfhatred.Video: How to Stop Hating YourselfSupport the channel: ✔️ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/einzelgangster ✔️ PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/einzelgangerco ✔️ Bitcoin: 3HQnEz1LQ4G6dqN2LdZgzc7qoJjJCyWjTC (Donated BTC and want in the credits? Send me an email with the amount/address)🎞️ Animations and thumbnail art by Munkaa: https://www.youtube.com/user/jus7yPurchase Stoicism for Inner Peace (affiliate links): 📘 Paperback: https://amzn.to/3wB9iHb 💻 Ebook: https://amzn.to/2RdjbKVPurchase Unoffend...

Why Being Alone Is Better Than Being With the Wrong People If one’s experiences with others have been hurtful and traumatizing repeatedly, isn’t it to be expected that this individual begins to prefer solitude over company?Video: Why Being Alone Is Better Than Being With the Wrong PeopleSupport the channel: ✔️ PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/einzelgangerco ✔️ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/einzelgangster ✔️ Bitcoin: 3HQnEz1LQ4G6dqN2LdZgzc7qoJjJCyWjTC (Donated BTC and want in the credits? Send me an email with the amount/address)🎞️ Animations and thumbnail art by Munkaa: https://www.youtube.com/user/jus7yPurchase Stoicism for Inner Pe...

Stop Wanting, Start Accepting | The Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius Stoicism for Inner Peace (book): https://einzelganger.co/innerpeaceAlthough he never considered himself a philosopher, Marcus Aurelius’ writings have become one of the most significant ancient Stoic scriptures. His ‘Meditations’ contain a series of notes to himself based on Stoic ideas, one of which is embracing fate and living conformably to the demands of nature.Instead of wanting things to happen as we wish, we’re better off accepting the universe, according to Marcus Aurelius, and developing a flexible attitude towards the outside world while being strict with ourselves (Stop Wanting...

Schopenhauer: The Philosopher Who Knew Life’s Pain The amount of suffering in the world is vast, so observed Schopenhauer. Life is a constant striving, a relentless pursuit of desires and needs that keep appearing. So it’s no surprise that people label this philosopher ‘pessimistic’ and ‘dark.’ But his observations aren’t unfounded.Video: Schopenhauer: The Philosopher Who Knew Life’s PainSupport the channel: ✔️ PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/einzelgangerco ✔️ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/einzelgangster ✔️ Bitcoin: 3HQnEz1LQ4G6dqN2LdZgzc7qoJjJCyWjTC (Donated BTC and want in the credits? Send me an email with the amount/address)🎞️ Animations and thumbnail art by M...

The Bizarre Cult of PythagorasEinzelgänger explores a wide range of topics and ideas, with a dose of "as I see it," out of curiosity and creative urge.Einzelgänger is under the supervision of the Dutch Regulatory Media Authority (Commissariaat voor de Media).*Disclaimer: The material provided by Einzelgänger isn't a clinical/medical service or replacement of mental health professionals, nor an academic resource.Disclaimer: This audio project is an independent interpretation of content originally created by Einzelgänger. It was made by a listener who resonates deeply with the channel’s quiet reflections on philosophy, solitude, and se...

Is Anger Actually a Good Thing? | The Seven Deadly Sins | ANGER This video series explores the Seven Deadly Sins as a Christian concept and beyond. What’s so bad about these sins? How do they apply to presentday life and society, and how can they influence our wellbeing and the wellbeing of those around us? And can nonChristians benefit from this concept? This essay delves into the emotion of anger and its corresponding sin: wrath.Video: The Problem with Anger | The Seven Deadly Sins | ANGERSupport the channel: ✔️ PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/einzelgangerco ✔️ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/einzelgangster ✔️ Bitcoin: 3HQnE...

What You Resist, Persists (The Mental Control Paradox) When we fall prey to the Mental Control Paradox, we experience that the more we try to control our thinking, the less successful we are in doing so. We’ve explored the experiment of the pink elephant a couple of times, showing how difficult it is not to think consciously about a pink elephant. So, when it comes to mental control, we could say: “what you resist persists.”The full video is available here: https://youtu.be/VpcQVjSVqOM#backwardslaw #reversedeffort #paradox Turn on notifications for the podcast & rate it a 5star for ne...

The Closer We Get, The More We Hurt | The Hedgehog’s Dilemma Once upon a time, a group of hedgehogs faced the cold winter. As they were feeling cold, they decided to move closer to each other and share bodily warmth. Unfortunately, as soon as they crawled together, they hurt each other with their sharp spines. And thus, the hedgehogs moved away from each other again, as the cold weather was more tolerable than being hurt by the spines.The hedgehog story (coined by Arthur Schopenhauer) shows the tragic dilemma of human relationships: due to feelings of loneliness and is...

Why close relationships suck (and why they don't) | The Hedgehog Dilemma The beauty of superficial relationships is that the lack of emotional investment in one another (for the most part) exempts us from being hurt by this association. When shared moments and memories are few, when there’s no commitment, when any form of interdependence is absent, then not much is lost when the relationship ends. Also, because of the lack of knowledge about one another and any significant involvement in each other’s lives, it’s difficult for emotional injury to occur. However, the downside of superficial relationships (or no...

Why Patience is Power | Priceless Benefits of Being Patient Taoism for Inner Peace (book): https://einzelganger.co/tao/Not only is impatience unpleasant, but it’s also pointless. Impatience is the unwillingness to live life at the pace it actually happens; we wish for the universe to bend to our will. We want things now. We want things to change in an instant. But in reality, external circumstances are not up to us: no matter how much we wish that to be the case. Patience, the opposite virtue, is based on the acceptance of what is.Video: Why Patience is...

TAOISM | The Art of Doing without Doing Taoism for Inner Peace (book): https://einzelganger.co/tao/Have you ever reflected on the word ‘doing’? ‘Doing’ points to performance, achievement, effort. It also implies that there’s a ‘doer’ who engages in ‘doing something’, and that there’s a passive element or ‘the thing that’s being done’.But does it work that way? Is there a separation between the thing that ‘does’ and the thing that’s ‘being done’? Or is the thing that does actually what’s being done and vice versa? Ancient Taoist writers might urge us to think about ‘doing’ (and ‘not doing...

You Don’t Deserve What You Want | Stoic Philosophy Society constantly reinforces this belief, convincing us that life owes us many things. When we don’t get what we want, we become outraged, offended, and blame others for our misery. Fortunately, the ancient Stoics provide clarity, effectively debunking most (if not all) modern forms of entitlement.Video: You Don’t Deserve What You Want | Stoic PhilosophySupport the channel: ✔️ PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/einzelgangerco ✔️ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/einzelgangster ✔️ Bitcoin: 3HQnEz1LQ4G6dqN2LdZgzc7qoJjJCyWjTC (Donated BTC and want in the credits? Send me an email with the amount/address...

2 Hours of Stoic Wisdom | A Journey to Inner Peace and Tranquility Einzelgänger's original Stoic video essays (volume 1) compiled into an audiobook, with calming music and nature sounds for reflection and relaxation. I have to credit my mother, a professional photographer who took most of the nature shots in this video.Books: (affiliate links): 📖 The Urge: Fall of a Stoic: https://amzn.to/3Yc77Kw 📖 Stoicism for Inner Strength: https://amzn.to/3rZU0xL 📖 Stoicism for Inner Peace: https://amzn.to/3e6myLX 📖 Loose: On Letting Stuff Go: https://amzn.to/3QVfrqM 📖 Unoffendable: https://amzn.to/35e23a5Support the channel: ✔️...

The More You Want, the Worse It Gets | The Seven Deadly Sins | GREED This video series explores the Seven Deadly Sins as a Christian concept and beyond. What’s so bad about these sins? How do they apply to presentday life and society, and how can they influence our wellbeing and the wellbeing of those around us? And can nonChristians benefit from this concept? This essay delves into the mother of all sin: greed.Video: The More You Want, the Worse It Gets | The Seven Deadly Sins Explored | GREEDSupport the channel: ✔️ PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/einzelgangerco ✔️ Patreon: https://www.patreo...

How to Build SelfDiscipline: The Stoic Way | Stoicism for Discipline Stoicism for Inner Peace (book): https://einzelganger.co/innerpeaceThe Stoics considered discipline a virtue, along with other related qualities like perseverance, endurance, highmindedness, and selfcontrol. The Stoics favored hard work and spending their days wisely. Seneca, for example, urges us not to waste our time and act now as life is short. Marcus Aurelius points to nature, concluding that we naturally tend to be hardworking. This video explores Stoic philosophy that may help develop selfdiscipline.Video: How to Build SelfDiscipline: The Stoic Way | Stoicism for DisciplineSupport the channel: ✔️ PayPal: http...

How to Overcome Yourself | Nietzsche’s Superman Nietzsche’s concept of the Superman (or Übermensch) is one of his most famous and controversial ideas, as it goes vastly against normative perceptions of what’s good and evil. Nevertheless, the Superman is an ideal human being that Nietzsche believed we should all strive to become. This video explores Nietzsche’s philosophy and the concept of the Superman, and how to overcome yourself in light of it.Video: How to Overcome Yourself | Nietzsche’s Cure for Nihilism: The SupermanSupport the channel: ✔️ PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/einzelgangerco ✔️ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/einzelgangster ...

How to Reduce the Pain of Life | Arthur Schopenhauer The nineteenthcentury German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer observed that nature is driven by an allencompassing force, which he called Will, or more specifically, the WillToLive. This force is unconscious, aimless, and blind, and gives rise to an insatiable striving within human beings. We live our lives grasping, craving, and attaching ourselves to external things, and we feed on other living organisms to perpetuate our own existence, all of which is a manifestation of Will.Thus, the will lies at the root of suffering, as our neverending hunger (and our inability to...

The Man Who Hated The World (Animated Short Story) In a dirty prison cell, there lived a man who dedicated his whole life to isolating himself from the world. As opposed to most prisoners, he wasn’t put there against his will. This man voluntarily lived in a prison cell, knowing that he could walk out anytime he wanted. Nevertheless, he never tried.“Why should I?” he told himself every time this annoying voice tried to persuade him to leave. “The world is a disgusting place,” he uttered. “And in here, at least I’m safe”.He was a loner, without a...

Are the Rich Screwing Us Over? | Marxism Explored Many who read Marx discover that his ideas are terrifyingly relevant to today’s capitalist system. Looking at the inequality it produces, the system seems pretty rigged against the working class… which is most of us. This video explores Marxism.Video: Are the Rich Screwing Us Over? | Marxism ExploredSupport the channel: ✔️ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/einzelgangster ✔️ PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/einzelgangerco ✔️ Bitcoin: 3HQnEz1LQ4G6dqN2LdZgzc7qoJjJCyWjTC (Donated BTC and want in the credits? Send me an email with the amount/address)🎞️ Animations and thumbnail art by Munkaa: https://www.youtube.c...

Why Not Needing People is Great Not needing people can be a blessing. No matter where we look, when people come together, there’s always some form of turmoil, be it gossip, bullying, people antagonizing each other, or fights. When people depend on each other, it’s the unfortunate part of the deal. But if we don’t need these people, we don’t have to tolerate their behavior; we don’t have to bear the cross of associating with those we don’t like just to get our needs met.Check out the full video: https://youtu.be/FShlGToheno...

Become Unconquerable | Stoic Philosophy The ancient Stoics produced a treasure trove of wisdom on becoming unconquerable. They believed that people cannot be conquered by anything external, as long as they don’t give away the power over their faculties. The only way external things can influence us is when we, ourselves, let them. If we feel that something has defeated us, it’s us defeating ourselves on account of it. If we want to become unconquerable, we don’t need to conquer the world but ourselves. This video explores Stoic philosophy on how to become unconquerable.Support the channel: ✔️ PayPal: ht...

Let Go of the Past (Marcus Aurelius) Marcus Aurelius stated that the past “signifies as much as nothing and is at present indifferent.” It’s not that events that have happened in the past don’t influence the present or that we cannot learn from past events. It’s just that we cannot work with the past, as it’s out of our reach. And often, our memories of the past are scrambled, and ways to verify what exactly happened are limited.The full video is available here: https://youtu.be/LGXRpbDuDGE#stoicism #marcusaurelius #stoicism Turn on notifications for the podcast...

Why Optimism Makes Us Sad | Are We Better Off Being Pessimists? Generally, people praise the optimistic mindset, and research suggests that optimism helps us reduce stress and depressive symptoms. Hence, optimism seems to be a healthy coping mechanism for dealing with the future when looking at the scientifically proven benefits.But does optimism also have downsides? Can some forms of optimism even be dangerous? And could it be that, in some cases, we’re better off being pessimistic? This video explores why optimism may not always be the wisest choice and why being a pessimist may be the best mo...

What If The World is Actually a Prison? | The Philosophy of Arthur Schopenhauer What if this world is actually one giant prison? When the 19thcentury philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer observed the amount of pain that we experience during our lifetimes, he concluded that it’s not happiness and pleasure we’re after, but a reduction of the ongoing suffering that’s an inherent part of existence.When we remove the veil of ignorance and behold the harsh reality we live in, we might start to question, as Schopenhauer does, the idea that, I quote, "this world is the successful work of an...

The Cheaper Your Pleasures, The Richer You’ll Be | Minimalist Philosophy Check out my novel The Urge: Fall of a Stoic: https://einzelganger.co/urgeHow can we be satisfied without cost? How can we be wealthy with only the bare minimum? Several philosophers of the past shed their light on questions like these. And, according to some, the cheaper your pleasures, the richer you'll be. This video explores different views on wealth, desire, and pleasure and how being ‘rich’ can be pretty cheap (minimalist philosophy).Support the channel: ✔️ PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/einzelgangerco ✔️ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/einzelgangster...

The More You Resist, The Worse It Gets | The Taoist Art of NonResistanceTaoism for Inner Peace (book): https://einzelganger.co/tao/ How does the power of nonresistance work? Let's explore the Taoist art of nonresistance, which offers a radically different view of how life works and how to approach it. Video: The More You Resist, The Worse It Gets | The Taoist Art of NonResistance 'Nonresistance the Taoist Way': https://ajtcvm.org/downloads/nonresistancethetaoistway/ Support the channel:✔️ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/einzelgangster✔️ PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/einzelgangerco 🎞️ Animations and thumbnail art by Munkaa:https://www.youtube.com/user/jus7y Books...

Outsiders & Outcasts (For Those That Don't Belong) From the moment we are born as human beings, the people around us prepare us to fit the herd. We start out as being part of a family, and then we expand our social life with friends, acquaintances, colleagues, and, in many cases, a significant other. People tend to work together and spend time with each other, and thus, they form a welloiled machine called society.Living among the herd has many benefits, like safety, security, access to other people including potential mates, and a shared identity that creates a sense of...

Why Vulnerability is Power | Priceless Benefits of Being Vulnerable What if vulnerability is not a weakness but an act of courage that could lead us to reach goals, overcome fears, and make genuine connections?Video: You're not a weakass for showing who you areSupport the channel: ✔️ PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/einzelgangerco ✔️ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/einzelgangster ✔️ Bitcoin: 3HQnEz1LQ4G6dqN2LdZgzc7qoJjJCyWjTC (Donated BTC and want in the credits? Send me an email with the amount/address)🎞️ Animations and thumbnail art by Munkaa: https://www.youtube.com/user/jus7yPurchase Stoicism for Inner Peace (affiliate links): 📘 Paperback: https://a...

The Art of Traveling Light Through Life | Minimalist Philosophy What about traveling light as a ‘way of life?’ What would ‘traveling light’ entail? This video explores the art of traveling light through life.Video: The Art of Traveling Light Through Life | Minimalist PhilosophySupport the channel: ✔️ PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/einzelgangerco ✔️ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/einzelgangster ✔️ Bitcoin: 3HQnEz1LQ4G6dqN2LdZgzc7qoJjJCyWjTC (Donated BTC and want in the credits? Send me an email with the amount/address)🎞️ Animations and thumbnail art by Munkaa: https://www.youtube.com/user/jus7yPurchase Stoicism for Inner Peace (affiliate links): 📘 Paperback: https://amzn.to/3wB9iHb 💻 Eb...

Nihilism: The belief in nothing Einzelgänger explores a wide range of topics and ideas, with a dose of "as I see it," out of curiosity and creative urge.Einzelgänger is under the supervision of the Dutch Regulatory Media Authority (Commissariaat voor de Media).*Disclaimer: The material provided by Einzelgänger isn't a clinical/medical service or replacement of mental health professionals, nor an academic resource.Disclaimer: This audio project is an independent interpretation of content originally created by Einzelgänger. It was made by a listener who resonates deeply with the channel’s quiet reflections on philosophy, solitu...

Who Am I? | The Philosophy of Alan Watts Taoism for Inner Peace (book): https://einzelganger.co/tao/Who am I? Am I the mind? Am I the body that contains the mind? Am I a descendant of an alien race that, long ago, set foot on Earth? Am I created by God?The English philosopher, writer, and speaker Alan Watts believed that the most important question a human could ask is this: “who am I?” During his long career as an interpreter of Eastern philosophies like Zen Buddhism and Taoism, he tried to solve the riddles of human existence.Beca...

The More You Try, The Worse You Feel | On Mood Swings Mood swings can be very unpleasant. And when extreme, they can severely impact our quality of life. But where do these changing emotional states come from? And what can we do about them?Support the channel: ✔️ PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/einzelgangerco ✔️ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/einzelgangster ✔️ Bitcoin: 3HQnEz1LQ4G6dqN2LdZgzc7qoJjJCyWjTC (Donated BTC and want in the credits? Send me an email with the amount/address)🎞️ Animations and thumbnail art by Munkaa: https://www.youtube.com/user/jus7yPurchase Stoicism for Inner Peace (affiliate links): 📘 Paperba...

Signs of a Toxic Friend | Buddhist Philosophy But whether or not a friend is toxic can be challenging to determine, especially when we’re attached to this friend. For a significant part, whether someone’s behavior is desirable or not is pretty subjective. Also, people are rarely entirely bad; most (if not all) human beings have positive sides as well. So, how do we decide if a friend is actually an enemy in disguise? What are the signs of a toxic friend?The Buddha may have some valuable answers to this question. The Sigalovada Sutta, a Buddhist text, teaches us t...

Don't Suffer More Than Needed | Buddhist Philosophy on Pain and Suffering Taoism for Inner Peace (book): https://einzelganger.co/tao/“Pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional,” is a Buddhist saying that points to a fundamental truth of existence, which is that pain and affliction are an inherent part of life: we contract illnesses, get wounded, lose our loved ones, our possessions, our social status. But despite the hardships we encounter, the degree of suffering we generate still varies per person. The greatest misfortune hardly affects some people, while the slightest inconvenience leads other people into states of deep agon...