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How do you explain the mistakes you keep making — and what actually changes them? episode artwork

May 6, 2026 12 min

How do you explain the mistakes you keep making — and what actually changes them?

from The Stoic Compass

When you repeat the same mistake, your explanation for why it happened feels like progress—but Epictetus, Carl Jung, and Laozi argue it's usually a way to avoid the real work of change. The episode unpacks why you curate your explanations to leave out your own agency, what hidden part of you keeps driving the behavior, and why the change that actually lasts comes not from deciding harder or understanding deeper, but from looking steadily at what you've been unwilling to see. You'll leave with a single practice: naming the part of your explanation you always leave out. 📖 Pay Attention by C. Trebue — available on Amazon: eBook: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GR8WLMPC Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GVV46SWF 📬 Subscribe to The Daily Practice newsletter: https://thedailypractice33.substack.com

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What this episode covers

When you repeat the same mistake, your explanation for why it happened feels like progress—but Epictetus, Carl Jung, and Laozi argue it's usually a way to avoid the real work of change. The episode unpacks why you curate your explanations to leave out your own agency, what hidden part of you keeps driving the behavior, and why the change that actually lasts comes not from deciding harder or understanding deeper, but from looking steadily at what you've been unwilling to see. You'll leave with...

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How do you explain the mistakes you keep making — and what actually changes them?

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How long is this episode of The Stoic Compass?

This episode is 12 minutes long.

When was this The Stoic Compass episode published?

This episode was published on May 6, 2026.

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