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The Daily Stoic · June 15, 2024 · 52m
What Ancient Philosophy Teaches Us About Facing Uncertainty
Donald Robertson — the world's leading scholar on Stoicism and psychotherapy. CBT was directly inspired by Stoic philosophy. The techniques therapists use today (cognitive restructuring, behavioral activation, exposure) were described by Epictetus 2,000 years ago.
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Canon
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Robertson: the dichotomy of control isn't just philosophy — it's a clinical intervention. Teaching patients to distinguish controllable from uncontrollable consistently reduces anxiety and depression in clinical trials.
Highlights
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CBT is Stoicism with a lab coat — the direct lineage from Epictetus to Aaron Beck
Robertson: Aaron Beck, the founder of CBT, explicitly cited Epictetus as an influence. 'It's not things that disturb us, but our judgments about things' IS the foundational principle of cognitive behavioral therapy.Was this useful?