The Laughing Philosopher's Podcast
by thelaughingphilosopher
Life is complicated. It is afflicted with more big questions than big answers. As one is tested by the suffering and irrationality of life, the questions become more compelling and imperative, and the answers become more urgent and necessary in order to be a good person and to live a happy life. What does it mean to be a good person? What is a happy life? What is love? Who am I before I was told who I am? Why haven’t I found myself yet? Why do I have regrets? Is the world just? Everything seems to have been figured out, except how to live. In this podcast, we will ask and answer the hard questions, and we will question the simple answers, the answers you’ve been told to believe almost from the moment of birth. Think for yourself. There is no feeling like it, and it really is the only good fight left. You may not be rewarded for your wisdom, but you will be rewarded by your wisdom. “The Laughing Philosopher” is Robert M. Khoury, Ph.D., a scholar and writer with a lifetime of teaching
Episodes
-
How the Greatest Minds Solved Life’s Everyday Dilemmas: What Would Aristotle, Camus, Socrates, and Bonhoeffer Do?
What if Aristotle could tell you how to recognize true friendship? What if Camus could teach you how to live without guarantees? What if Socrates could show you when to speak the truth even when silence is safer? And what if Bonhoeffer could show you, when facing real evil, how not to lose your...
-
Why Chasing Pleasure Isn’t Enough: Plato’s Key to Achieving Happiness
This isn’t an episode about becoming more like Plato. It’s about becoming more like yourself, your best self. Plato simply offers you a map. Why do so many pleasures leave us feeling empty? For over 2,400 years, Plato’s answer has challenged everything we think we know about happiness. In this...
-
How Great Minds Solved Life’s Everyday Dilemmas: What Would Siddhartha, Kierkegaard, Weil, and Nietzsche Do?
Four ordinary people must face life’s hardest private decisions: Whether to leave a path that no longer feels true, whether to love without being loved back, and whether to follow other people’s expectations or your own conscience. But instead of guessing what they would or should do, The…
more -
Is AI Art Real? Can Something Without A Soul Still Touch Yours?
I heard a new song that moved me more deeply than I expected. Then I discovered the singer isn’t human. That moment opened a question I can’t let go of. If AI can create music that genuinely stirs us, comforts us, and changes how we feel, does it really matter that no human being is behind it? In...
-
What the Death of Socrates Still Teaches Us About Living Well!
In this episode of The Laughing Philosopher, we return to one of the most extraordinary moments in the history of philosophy. We will witness the death of Socrates. As the great Athenian thinker faced his final hours in a prison cell, surrounded by grieving friends and family, and drinking a cup…
more -
Bonhoeffer Warned Us: The Real Danger Isn’t Evil, It’s Stupidity!
The philosopher Dietrich Bonhoeffer was executed by the Nazis just weeks before World War II ended. But before his death he left behind a chilling insight that may explain much of the chaos we see today. In a remarkable prison letter, Bonhoeffer argued that stupidity is more dangerous than evil,...
-
How Socrates and Kierkegaard Saved Me from A Life Unlived!
What if the life you are living isn’t really your life at all? Many of us spend decades chasing approval, success, and recognition, only to discover far too late that we were climbing the wrong ladder. In this episode of The Laughing Philosopher, I share the life-changing wisdom I discovered in…
more -
14 Philosophers, 14 Life Hacks: Timeless Wisdom That Actually Works!
In this episode of The Laughing Philosopher, you’ll discover fourteen remarkable life hacks you were never told and you won’t find in any rulebook. Because they were never written down. They come straight from the greatest philosophers in history, each offering a timeless “unwritten law” that…
more -
Schopenhauer’s Brutal Wisdom: Why Intelligent People Struggle in A Stupid World!
Are you smarter than everyone around you, and yet, somehow more miserable? Arthur Schopenhauer would say that’s not weird, it’s normal. In this episode of The Laughing Philosopher, we dive into the brilliantly dark mind of the world’s most charming pessimist to uncover why highly intelligent…
more -
Retreat Is Not the Answer: How Do Great Philosophers Confront A Troubled World?
When the world feels broken, the temptation is to step back, tune out, and give up. But history’s greatest philosophers didn’t retreat when their societies were in turmoil. They stepped forward. In this episode of The Laughing Philosopher, we explore how Seneca, Marcus Aurelius, Jesus…
more -
Hume’s Guillotine: Why What Is Doesn’t Decide What Should Be
What does a Scottish philosopher’s “guillotine” have to do with your daily decisions? In this episode, we explore David Hume’s famous Is-Ought Fallacy — why you can’t jump from what is to what ought to be — and how Hume’s Guillotine still shapes modern debates about right and wrong. With a mix of...
-
Becoming Wise: Why Knowing Nothing Changes Everything
What if the first step to becoming wise is admitting you know nothing? In this episode, we discover how to think like Socrates and unlock the secrets of wisdom. We dive into the philosophy of questioning beliefs, challenging assumptions, and embracing curiosity — the core habits of truly wise...
-
True to Oneself: Seven Ways Integrity Shapes Our Lives
What does it really mean to live with integrity? In this thought-provoking episode, we explore seven powerful ways integrity shapes our lives and why living by your principles and being true to oneself isn’t just noble, it’s the ultimate test of good character. Drawing on the timeless wisdom of...
-
Should You Care What the Majority Think? Socrates’ Guide to Not Giving A Damn!
Should you care what other people think? Socrates says NO! In this episode, we explore what ancient philosophy can teach us about modern social pressure. Drawing from Socrates’ dialogue with Crito, we unpack why caring too much about public opinion can sabotage your clarity, confidence, and...
-
Seneca’s Stoic Method for Mastering Anger and Averting Conflicts
Got a temper? So did the ancient Romans. But one of them, the Stoic philosopher Seneca, had a radically different approach to anger, and it still works today. In this episode, we explore how Stoicism teaches us to master our emotions, especially the most destructive one of all, anger. Seneca…
more -
Socrates’ Path to Virtue: Ten Footsteps to Good Character
Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle all believed that what you are matters far more than what you have. Good character is your most precious possession. In this episode, we dig deep into the ten unmistakable qualities of a person with good character, guided by the timeless wisdom of philosophy’s...
-
Apocalypse Now?: Philosophy and the Fallacy of Doom!
The sky is falling. Do you feel there is no hope for the future? Does everything you hold dear feel like it’s about to blow up? Stoking apocalyptic fears and dystopian visions of the future is a whole industry of doom merchants. Calm down! Philosophy can explain why doomsday is unlikely, why you...
-
Memento Mori: Stoic Secrets to Transform Fear of Death into Fearless Living!
We live in terror of death. We cling to youth and claw at life, afraid to let go. Once we conquer the greater fear of death, our lesser fears lose their power over us, and every other adversity becomes so much easier to overcome. Ignorance is the cause of fear. Death is the other half of the...
-
The Anatomy of Belief: Why Do Smart People Believe Stupid Things?
Smart people can be stupid and believe absurd, weird, and crazy things. We are remarkably poor at distinguishing truth from falsehood and even worse at detecting liars and deception. Truth has nothing to do with what we believe. A belief doesn’t need to be true to be believed. We believe as we…
more -
The Paradox of Likability: Why Do Other People Actually Like Us More Than We Think They Do?
People like us more than we think they do. Why are we so negative about ourselves? You didn’t develop that negative voice in your head all by yourself. We are socialized not to like ourselves and to strive for perfection. Perfection is a race with no finish line. What would a perfect life even…
more -
Challenging Our Instinct to Judge: Stoic Wisdom on Labeling Others and Ourselves
Normal and abnormal people do not exist. Sane and insane people do not exist. Conformists and nonconformists do not exist. The labels exist, but not the behaviors! So, how useful and reliable are our judgments of who is good and bad, who is moral and immoral, and who is wise and stupid? Labeling…
more -
From Emptiness to Empowerment: The Liberating Optimism of Nihilism
What does it mean to live your life as if nothing matters? Nihilism rejects conventional wisdom that everything matters. Nihilism means nothing matters. It doesn’t even matter that nothing matters. Life has no inherited, supernatural purpose or meaning. Life is pointless so our freedom is…
more -
The Metaphysics of Heartbeats: Three Philosophical Truths for Instant Happiness
Do you want to feel happy right where you are, right now? Listening to your heartbeats will lead you to three philosophical insights and instant happiness: You got lucky. Your heartbeats are numbered. Some doors must close so others can open. Stop living your life piece by piece. Learn to live…
more -
Emil Cioran as Architect of Purpose in a Purposeless Universe
He was a French philosopher. His philosophy of life is simple yet profound. We would have been better off not being born. Life sucks. We are born for no reason. We exist to do nothing. No one matters. Nothing matters. It doesn’t even matter that nothing matters. What are we to do? Cioran argues...
-
Weber’s Divine Workaholic: Are You Chasing Capitalism’s Earthly Burnout Or Calvinism’s Heavenly Rewards?
Religion is the accidental force behind why we chase endless productivity, why working harder feels morally right and hardly working feels morally wrong, and why our self-worth and self-esteem revolve around our productivity and usefulness. Don’t you feel guilty and ashamed whenever you could…
more -
Plato, Schopenhauer, and Spinoza: Is Peering Behind the Human Curtain A Backstage Pass to the Cosmos?
Our first experience of the world is our true self. Concealed behind our outward appearance, a bag of skin, inside ourselves, our unique, subjective consciousness is who we really are. And so, we look for absolute truth behind the natural world of appearances in Plato’s Forms, Schopenhauer’s…
more -
Your Perfect Day: What Would It Be Like?
What is a perfect day? Perfection is within our grasp each and every day. One must choose today to be a perfect day by choosing wisely to do three easy and simple things. And to be a perfect day, one must choose wisely not to do three other simple things one would normally do in an ordinary…
more -
Kierkegaard’s Upside of Down: Ever Notice How Bad Times Lead to Good Things?
Let us unpack Kierkegaard’s insight that today can only be known by living forwards, but only be understood by looking backwards. Life, at any given moment, is unknowable. When something happens, you instantly experience it as either good or bad. You experience yourself as either happy or sad.…
more -
Making Friends: Aristotle’s Practical Wisdom for Modern Relationships
Aristotle’s wisdom can make you a more likable person with more and better friends. For Aristotle, without friends, no one would want to live. Friendship is the chief cornerstone of living well and doing well. To be more likable and have more friends, don’t do three things: Don’t prove you have...
-
Socrates and Xanthippe: Five Hidden Triggers Can Sabotage Your Relationship
Romantic relationships are difficult and perilous and no soft affair. They seem to fail as often as they succeed. Five hidden triggers can sabotage even the best relationship. Communication, trust, togetherness, predictability, and submissiveness are beneficial in moderation, but toxic in excess....
-
How to Dodge Philosophy’s Six Deadly Landmines or Ruin Your Life
It’s not easy to ruin your life. To get to the wrong place, you must do the right things. The Laughing Philosopher’s guide presents six foolproof steps to a boring, miserable life: Think only about yourself. Empty yourself of humility and gratitude. Sacrifice everyone as a means to an end. Be...
-
Boethius’ Stoic Path: Resilience and Serenity in Adversity
Unjustly imprisoned and awaiting execution, Boethius, Roman philosopher and statesman, would write his most famous work, “The Consolation of Philosophy”. Boethius explores the problem of evil, the certainty of pain and suffering, and the unpredictability of good and bad fortune, but shows how,...
-
Is talking to yourself a sign of normalcy or inner discord?
The person you will talk to the most in your life is you. The most important conversations you will ever have are with yourself. Whether it is chatting with yourself in your inner voice, or verbalizing your thoughts and reflections out loud, you will engage in some form of self-talk on a daily...
-
In the labyrinth of belief, which path leads to wisdom?
"Know yourself” is Socrates’ imperative. Why? There is no perfect life. No one is infallible. Everyone makes mistakes because some of our beliefs and assumptions are false. Just because we think it or believe it doesn’t mean it is true. Yet, beliefs are neither proof nor evidence, but only…
more -
Why is beauty beautiful? Philosophy decodes its secrets!
What are the secrets of beauty? How does each of six major schools of philosophy interpret the beauty of da Vinci’s “The Last Supper,” the 1972 film, “The Godfather,” and the 2023 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue? As we strive to appreciate what we see, beauty is beautiful because of the lenses…
more -
Why do we keep tripping on life’s same banana peel?
Life is too complicated. So, we use shortcuts to safely navigate life’s risks and dangers unharmed. And the more we take shortcuts, the more established and permanent they become. Bad shortcuts result in bad habits and repeat the same bad behaviors again and again. Our mistakes feel automatic.…
more -
Can you live better by letting go of you?
The illusion of selfhood is holding you back. You are more than who you think you are. Selflessness will free you to try new paths to self-improvement. You will be less obsessed with other people’s acceptance and approval. You will be more humble and compassionate. You won’t need to choose…
more -
How does Jung’s Shadow illuminate your unique brilliance?
Carl Jung describes the Shadow as the repressed half of yourself assembled from features of your personality judged to be unacceptable. The Shadow is the other self you must hide from others to achieve their approval because it does not conform to their expectations of who you ought to be. To...
-
Are you unleashing Jung’s Shadow and igniting your creative superpowers?
You are a stranger to yourself. The self you know and experience is partial and incomplete. Who you think you are doesn’t match who you really are. The unconscious Shadow is your creative self, the source of your individuality and originality. So long as the Shadow is not integrated with the...
-
Is radiant happiness amid life’s chaos truly attainable?
How can we free ourselves from life’s chaos? While kayaking across a lake, your best friend is killed by a swan after getting too close to the bird’s nest. Your only child is wounded in a school shooting. At the Grand Canyon, your older brother jokingly pretends to fall to his death, then loses…
more -
Toxic Friendships? How to recognize bad friends.
Run away from friends who want you to fear something, who never question themselves, who won’t let you think for yourself, who try to change you into the person they think you should be, who revise your joy downward, who deprive you of your feelings, and who are afraid to tell the truth.
-
Are you cultivating Voltaire’s garden?
Voltaire’s garden is inside ourselves, within our own mind. Empty your life. Mind your own garden. Do what you love. Build a wall. Your mind is your kingdom. If you find peace there, you won’t need to look for it elsewhere.
-
What is a dog’s philosophy of life?
Dogs have a philosophy of life with 12 guiding principles: Dogs love to learn. Humans are special. Dogs don’t compare themselves to other dogs. Dogs value a natural life. Dogs are trustworthy. Dogs are compassionate. Dogs practice moderation. Dogs are humble. Dogs pay attention. Dogs can neither...
-
Why do mistakes happen?
The goodness and badness of human behavior is determined using intentions and outcomes. Yet, as Shakespeare’s Prince Hamlet proves, judging mistakes is hopelessly messy. This episode offers four practical ways to overcome fear of making mistakes.
-
Is having children morally wrong?
We invest more thoughtful, rational decision making in adopting a dog than in creating a new person. Procreation should not be automatic. To be a conscious choice, procreation should ask and answer — How much? Why? For what?
-
Why does truth hurt?
Why does it hurt to tell and to be told the truth? Why does truth hurt more than lies? Without false beliefs, fantasies, and illusions, truth wouldn’t hurt. It hurts to face the truth behind the lies we live by.
-
Would Socrates point silverware up or down in the dishwasher?
Why do utterly pointless things having no purpose or benefit? The real cost of pointlessness is the number of heartbeats one must pay for it.
-
How should I live, knowing I will die?
Why is finding life’s meaning so difficult? Look right in front of your eyes! Eight of life’s most profound truths are hidden by familiarity.
-
What is life asking of me?
Why is finding life’s meaning and purpose so difficult? Actually, it’s easy, once you understand why you’re looking for two things as different as the menu and the meal, the map and the journey.
-
Philosophically, is abortion right or wrong?
Let’s reason out the abortion debate through the mind of a philosopher, addressing the big questions and finding answers that agree with your own wisdom and good sense.
About this show
Life is complicated. It is afflicted with more big questions than big answers. As one is tested by the suffering and irrationality of life, the questions become more compelling and imperative, and the answers become more urgent and necessary in order to be a good person and to live a happy life. What does it mean to be a good person? What is a happy life? What is love? Who am I before I was told who I am? Why haven’t I found myself yet? Why do I have regrets? Is the world just? Everything seems to have been figured out, except how to live. In this podcast, we will ask and answer the hard questions, and we will question the simple answers, the answers you’ve been told to believe almost from the moment of birth. Think for yourself. There is no feeling like it, and it really is the only good fight left. You may not be rewarded for your wisdom, but you will be rewarded by your wisdom. “The Laughing Philosopher” is Robert M. Khoury, Ph.D., a scholar and writer with a lifetime of teaching
Hosted by
thelaughingphilosopher
Categories