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Aaron Welty was born with Cerebral Palsy and has beaten death at least twice. Today, he is a motivational speaker, has worked in the US Capitol as a legislative staffer, and is a "geeky stoic." I’ve known Aaron through the world of comic cons for many years, and through GeekyStoics, I’ve gotten the pleasure of knowing him more deeply. In this interview, you'll learn about the perils of comfort, how to fortify yourself with hardship, and the importance of a masculinity that strives towards gentleness through strength. Thanks for watching. If you prefer YouTube, you can watch that here This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit geekystoics.substack.com/subscribe

Encouragement goes a long way, and it requires an encourager in order to be received. In this short video for Subscribers to Geeky Stoics, I break down an interaction at the White House and why it got me thinking about men and the importance of having friends who nudge you forward. "For our characters are taken from those we spend time with." - Seneca This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit geekystoics.substack.com/subscribe

Hello friends. In today’s email, I have a video message for you recapping some of the latest revelations about Netflix’s adaptation of Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew by Greta Gerwig. We don’t do rage bait on GeekyStoics — though I will admit to feeling anger. This video is about what we know, what it suggests about the film's thinking, and what to do with that information. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit geekystoics.substack.com/subscribe

Another day is upon us. It’s been a busy few weeks in the world of Geeky Stoics. Last week, I traveled to Nashville, Tennessee, to appear on the Jeremy Boreing Show for a wide-ranging conversation on how to save the West….a discourse I am honored to be part of. It’s weird to me that this Substack has allowed me to enter into such discussions. Very grateful. Before heading to Nashville, Boreing posted something that I felt compelled to React to: a monologue about myth and the heart of man. Stories anchor our hearts and, frankly, civilization, when storms inevitably arrive. Without a good story — we often don’t know what to do with misfortune, loss, pain and defeat. We don’t have any basis on which to deny temptation, decline power, or walk away from ugly situations. Story is the key. Check out the video above for more. We are hosting another retreat for Geeky Stoics! We’ll return to Magnalia Homestead in April 2027, with 18 spots available for members of the Geeky Stoics community. 3 days, 3 nights — dedicated to reading, community, and conversation. Renew your mind, make friends, and read a book. Registration is below. It is ticketed at $800 (lodging and meals included). $200 secures your spot; you can make the final payments in installments if that’s helpful for budgeting to attend. New on YouTube this week: Zelda!!!!! Thanks for reading Geeky Stoics! This post is public so feel free to share it. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit geekystoics.substack.com/subscribe

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit geekystoics.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit geekystoics.substack.com Every now and then, I get motivated to write about a story I loved, which is niche and rather unknown to our subscribers. The Pagemaster (1994) is one such story. This VHS-era classic, starring Macaulay Culkin and Christopher Lloyd, is, to this day, one of my favorite animated movies. It’s about a young boy afraid to go outside or do anything that invol…

We are witnessing the decline of Star Wars’ cultural dominance. In this week’s podcast, we’ll explore the current state of Star Wars, from its cultural impact to the storytelling challenges, and speculate about how the franchise might revive itself. We have a book coming this year!!! The Great Escape: 30 Reflections on Stoicism, Faith, and the Wisdom of Great Stories. Be the first to get early access, bonus content, and updates: The Rise and Fall of Star Wars Star Wars was more than movies; it was a shared cultural language. But since the end of the prequel era, its position in the cultural mainstream burst forth with the hype of The Force Awakens, then waned slowly but significantly. I’d argue that Star Wars has faded back into the niche. Not unlike the “Dark Times” of the late 80s and 90s, or even the post-Revenge of the Sith Clone Wars era. The explosion of Star Wars back into the zeitgeist after the Disney purchase showed its potential for a return to mass appeal. (Baby Yoda’s popularity is Exhibit A) Yet, the declining box office performance reveals a stark reality: audiences are less engaged, and the franchise struggles to resonate as it once did. (The decline in interest in the Baby Yoda movie is Exhibit B) The decline isn’t a death knell but an inflection point. The sheer mismanagement and lack of strategic storytelling have pushed Star Wars below the cultural radar. But I might be ok with that. Geeky Stoics is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Can Star Wars Rise Again? While the franchise faces cultural fatigue and spaghetti-on-wall mismanagement, I still have hope. IF. And it’s a big if… There’s a willingness to learn from the mistakes of the Disney era and start over fresh. Star Wars’ comeback depends on returning to its storytelling roots rather than propping up a failed era of postmodern, nihilistic storytelling. 00:00 Introduction04:07 Mandalorian and Grogu11:41 Star Wars Heresy vs. Bad Films15:10 Cultural Impact of Star Wars22:40 Optimism for the Future of Star Wars27:56 Crisis of Credibility in Star Wars30:56 Star Wars as an Underdog33:57 The Impact of Marketing on Star Wars35:47 C.S. Lewis and Star Wars40:56 Upcoming Star Wars Projects46:03 Stoicism and Christian Philosophy This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit geekystoics.substack.com/subscribe

In this week’s live stream and podcast, Geeky Stoics is exploring the concept of toxic empathy, its implications, and how it influences society, politics, and relationships. Riley and Stephen delve into the nature of empathy, moral virtue, and the importance of balancing compassion with discernment. Chapters: * 01:08 What Is Toxic Empathy? * 04:33 Empathy in Literature and Media: Star Wars and Narnia * 08:04 Moral and Cultural Relativism in Empathy * 15:13 Empathy in Justice and Punishment * 20:23 Evil and Moral Clarity * 27:27 The Limits and Risks of Empathy * 30:15 Advice for Self-Discovery * 37:17 Balancing Career, Family, and Personal Purpose * 43:30 Watchtower Intel * 48:02 Community and Future Retreats * 54:18 The Power of Storytelling and Shared Values Resources: * Gad Saad’s book ‘Suicidal Empathy’ * Paul Bloom’s book ‘Against Empathy’ * C.S. Lewis’s ‘The Four Loves’ * Orthodoxy by GK Chesterton * Watchtower Intel on Substack This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit geekystoics.substack.com/subscribe

Today’s reading of The Screwtape Letters focuses on Chapter 3, a letter about personal/family relations and the importance of managing your impressions regarding facial expressions, tone of voice and other mannerisms. Things can break down rapidly when a relationship drifts toward enmity and assumed bad faith, and Lewis’s warning here is to reflect on how you let yourself off the hook for grating mannerisms—while scrutinizing those of everyone else. When two humans have lived together for many years it usually happens that each has tones of voice and expressions of face which are almost unendurably irritating to the other. Work on that. Bring fully into the consciousness of your patient that particular lift of his mother's eyebrows which he learned to dislike in the nursery, and let him think how much he dislikes it. Let him assume that she knows how annoying it is and does it to annoy — if you know your job he will not notice the immense improbability of the assumption. And, of course, never let him suspect that he has tones and looks which similarly annoy her. As he cannot see or hear himself, this is easily managed. It’s a distinctly Stoic letter, almost like Lewis drew directly from Epictetus. It is not the only time Screwtape Letters offers blocks of wisdom that parallel the Stoics. In this video, I also draw on a book called Jesus & Stoicism by Brittany Polat, which compares Bible verses with lines from the Stoic philosophers, to show where these “virtuous pagans” were on the right track when it came to ethics that Christianity made mainstream in the West. I highly recommend it for your bookshelf. You can buy it at the link above. This video is free for everyone to enjoy as a thank-you for being on the newsletter. We’re glad you’re here, and every subscription helps us keep Geeky Stoics going. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit geekystoics.substack.com/subscribe

Good morning! At our recent retreat, I came across a wardrobe with a semi-magical tea room inside… so naturally, I decided to crawl in and record a video podcast (typical). This was filmed by Jon of First Time Readers, a truly great channel for Tolkien analysis, and it focuses on a passage from C.S. Lewis’ Narnia books that I enjoy and return to often. By the way, we are now signing people up for the waitlist to pre-order our new book: GREAT ESCAPE: 30 Reflections on Stoicism, Faith and the Wisdom of Great Stories. Coming December 1st from Post Hill Press. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit geekystoics.substack.com/subscribe

Behind the scenes of the first Geeky Stoics retreat This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit geekystoics.substack.com/subscribe

I don’t like to turn my brain off when enjoying a movie, show, or book. For me, the point has never been to “escape” the real world or be off in La-La Land; it’s to think more deeply. If a story isn’t engaging me on the level of morality, ethics, political thought….I get kind of bored. So, I’ve always criticized fellow fans of, say, Star Wars, who argue in the comments that they expect a story to offer “escapism.” It’s possible that, according to Tolkien, I’m wrong about this. Today I sat down to read a few pages of On Fairy-stories, an essay by JRR Tolkien about the question of “escape” and how good stories are anything but….. This is early exclusive for subscribers on Substack and the Discord community, and then it will be posted on YouTube next week. Thanks for being part of our mythically minded community. Riley and I are hard at work on our new book, which should be wrapped up by March. Then we’ll be penning more regular posts again here for all of you. Happy New Year, y’all! 2025 was incredible. You played a part in that for us at Geeky Stoics. Thank you. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit geekystoics.substack.com/subscribe

There’s a scene in The Empire Strikes Back that never gets old. It’s kept its grip on me to this day. Luke in the Dagobah swamp, staring down the task he’s already decided is impossible. “It’s too big,” he says. And Yoda’s quiet reply exposes the lie most of us carry: that truth is limited to what we can see, touch, and control. Luminous beings are we. This week’s video is a reflection on that moment and why it matters, especially during the Christmas season. The Stoics spoke of the Logos, the rational order holding the universe together. The beloved disciple John took that same word and made a shocking claim: the Logos is not an idea or a general “force,” but a person. The light did not stay distant. He stepped into the darkness of this world to save us. For some of you, Christmas doesn’t feel like “good news.” I get that. It can be a tough time of year. But the story didn’t begin in guilt or judgment. Jesus’ story began in wonder. As an answer to an ache. As the radical claim that you are more than “this crude matter.” At Geeky Stoics, we call that Wonder. And without it, even the best of Stoic philosophy collapses into hollow self-help. The video explores all of this: Yoda, the Stoics, Saint Augustine, and why “luminous beings are we” is a truth we must remember, especially this time of year. Merry Christmas, —Riley This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit geekystoics.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit geekystoics.substack.com Uncle Ben from Spider-Man serves as an introduction to wisdom and “maxims” for many kids around the world. It all starts with the movies we watch and the books we read. Here’s Uncle Ben in the 2002 movie…. “This guy, Flash Thompson, he probably deserved what happened. But just because you can beat him up doesn’t give you the right to. Remember, with grea…

This one feels different. It’s the first time I’ve ever made something this personal for Geeky Stoics, pulling back the curtain on my struggle as I lost myself in my Air Force career, and how I found my way back, training for a Half Iron Man. It’s a story about identity, ambition, and the moment you realize you’ve been chasing someone else’s version of success.And the only way I knew how to tell it…was through the lens of Star Wars. Luke Skywalker has always been my guide for understanding who I want to be. While he struggles and loses his way, he still finds his way back… A hero, like his father before him. Somewhere along the way, I forgot that. This video chronicles my obsession to remember again. It’s called “The Dream That Refused to Die.”And before it goes live to the rest of the world on YouTube, I wanted you, the Geeky Stoics community, to see it first. So here it is. Geeky Stoics is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit geekystoics.substack.com/subscribe