How Marcus Aurelius Managed His Mind And What We Can Learn From It by Carly Taylor

How Marcus Aurelius Managed His Mind And What We Can Learn From It by Carly Taylor

From Hardiness with Dr Paul Taylor by Paul Taylor

May 17, 2026 · 11 min

About this episode

Carly Taylor explores how Marcus Aurelius' insights can help us manage difficult thoughts and emotions through Stoicism and modern therapies.

Marcus Aurelius was a Roman emperor living nearly 2,000 years ago, yet his private journal reads remarkably like modern psychological coaching. In this episode, Carly explores a powerful passage from Meditations and unpack what Stoicism, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Morita Therapy can teach us about managing difficult thoughts and emotions. If you’ve ever felt hijacked by overthinking, caught in emotional spirals, or trapped in the stories your mind creates, this episode offers a practical, stoic framework for stepping back, seeing reality more clearly, and choosing your next move with intention. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People in this episode

Host: Paul Taylor

Guest: Carly Taylor

Topics covered

  • Stoicism
  • psychological coaching
  • managing thoughts
  • emotional health
  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
  • Morita Therapy

Keywords

  • Marcus Aurelius
  • Stoicism
  • Meditations
  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
  • Morita Therapy
  • emotional spirals
  • overthinking

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Morita Therapy

Books & works: Meditations

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