In this episode I reflect on the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado — a living case study in courage, justice, and Stoic composure under pressure. I unpack what Stoic philosophy can teach us about moral action when outcomes are uncertain, why courage must always serve justice, and how to handle praise, power, and fear without losing our moral footing.
Key takeaways from this episode include:
— Courage, in Stoic terms, isn’t fearlessness but reasoned endurance in service of justice and the common good.
— Justice is the crown of the virtues: it directs courage and forbids cruelty, even toward those we oppose.
— Only what’s up to us — our choices, not outcomes — carries moral weight.
— Honors like the Nobel are “preferred indifferents”: they can amplify virtue but never create it.
— Cosmopolitan duty calls for wise solidarity — helping without controlling, respecting agency while serving truth.
— The Stoic way to meet such stories is not partisanship, but character: to act bravely, justly, and humbly in our own spheres.
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