The Stoic Handbook with Jon Brooks

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About two years ago, I hit a wall.
I'd been teaching Stoicism for years. Writing about it. Making podcasts about it. And I was still losing my temper. Still spiraling over emails. Still lying awake replaying conversations.
I knew the philosophy cold. And I couldn't apply it when it mattered.
That's when I started asking: what would actually help me? Not more books. Not more content. Something with structure. Accountability. Personal guidance. A quiet place to train.
I couldn't find it. So I built it.
In this episode, I'm introducing The Stoic Vault—a training ground for people who've read the books but struggle to apply them. I'll walk you through what's inside, who it's for, and how to join as a founding member.
Learn more: stoicvault.com

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Epictetus didn't write books. He ran a school where students lived for years, practicing responses to insults, hardship, and loss. Marcus Aurelius wrote the Meditations as a daily training regimen—the same ideas, over and over, drilling them into his reflexes. Seneca reviewed his day every single night for decades.
The Stoics weren't building a library. They were building a gymnasium for the soul.
Somewhere along the way, we forgot this. We turned philosophy into content to consume. We read about the exercises instead of doing them.
In this episode, I explore what Stoic training actually looked like, why our modern approach would baffle the ancients, and what practice looks like in daily life—not in theory, but in the specific exercises you can start today.
Plus: I've been working on something to make this kind of structured practice easier. I'll share more soon.
The Stoic Vault is now open. A quiet training ground where you practice Stoicism — not just read about it. Audio courses, weekly practice, monthly live sessions, and direct guidance from me. Founders pricing: $10/month (first 100 members). 
stoicvault.com

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A few months ago, I was in a conversation that started to go sideways. I could feel the tension rising—the tightening in my chest, my voice getting sharper. I knew exactly what was happening. I've studied this. I've taught this. I know what Marcus Aurelius would say. And in that moment, it was like I'd never read a word of Stoicism. 
If you've spent any time with this philosophy, you've probably had your own version of this experience. The email lands and you spiral. The criticism stings and you're devastated. Someone cuts you off and you react exactly the way Epictetus said not to. This is the gap between knowing and doing—and it's the central challenge of practicing philosophy. 
In this episode, I explore why the philosophy disappears when we need it most, what Seneca confessed about this exact problem 2,000 years ago, and why more reading isn't the answer. Spoiler: the Stoics weren't building a library. They were building a gymnasium for the soul. 
In this episode:
The moment I knew exactly what to do—and didn't do it 
Why intellectual understanding is not the same as embodied skill 
What Seneca admitted about knowing vs. practicing 
The difference between studying Stoicism and training as a Stoic 
A reflection question to sit with after listening
The Stoic Vault is now open. A quiet training ground where you practice Stoicism — not just read about it. Audio courses, weekly practice, monthly live sessions, and direct guidance from me. Founders pricing: $10/month (first 100 members). 
stoicvault.com

Send us a text
A 15 minute, Yoga Nidra–inspired sleep meditation designed to help your body soften and your mind quiet. We’ll move through a slow, systematic relaxation from head to toe, then drift into a gentle “safe floating” visualization—before fading into spacious silence to support deep sleep.
A subtle Stoic thread runs underneath: release what cannot be changed, and return to the only place you ever rest—this moment.
The Stoic Vault is now open. A quiet training ground where you practice Stoicism — not just read about it. Audio courses, weekly practice, monthly live sessions, and direct guidance from me. Founders pricing: $10/month (first 100 members). 
stoicvault.com

Send us a text
What if aliens installed a silent CCTV camera above your shoulder for 30 days and compiled a report on what you truly value—based purely on your calendar, screen time, purchases, and how you spend your evenings? Would you recognize yourself?
Jordan Peterson says if you want to know what someone believes, watch their feet, not their words. The Stoics put it even more bluntly: Acta non verba. Actions, not words.
In this episode, Jon Brooks delivers one of the most practical and transformative frameworks you'll hear all year: The Stoic CCTV Protocol—a 7-day experiment that combines ancient Stoic practice (prosoche, voluntary discomfort, evening review) with modern behavioral science (implementation intentions, friction design, identity reinforcement) to help you close the gap between your stated values and your lived values.
You'll learn:
Why "I don't have time" is a lie your calendar can expose in 5 minutes
The forensic audit that reveals your real priorities (prepare to be uncomfortable)
How to calculate your "Alignment Score" and what to do if it's below 40%
The Integrity Bank method for rebuilding self-trust one tiny promise at a time
Why your phone is a spiritual X-ray (and how to turn it into a training tool)
The complete 7-day CCTV Protocol with daily practices you can start today
This isn't about motivation. It's about systems, structure, and seeing clearly. If you've ever felt the sting of saying one thing and doing another—if you've ever wondered why you can't seem to show up for the things you claim matter most—this episode is your forensic evidence and your roadmap forward.
Run the protocol. Post your score. Keep one microscopic promise every day for 30 days.
Then come back and tell us what changed.
Mentioned in this episode:
The dichotomy of control (Epictetus)
Prosoche: Stoic attentive watchfulness
Hebbian learning: neurons that fire together, wire together
Implementation intentions and if-then planning
Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, Epictetus
The Stoic Vault is now open. A quiet training ground where you practice Stoicism — not just read about it. Audio courses, weekly practice, monthly live sessions, and direct guidance from me. Founders pricing: $10/month (first 100 members). 
stoicvault.com