Description
Derren Brown sits down with Phil Yanov at Stoicon 2026 to explore the edges of Stoicism — where the philosophy helps, where it falls short, and what he'd tell the person who gave his 2015 talk.
They discuss happiness as a byproduct rather than a goal, the difference between the experiencing self and the remembering self, why atelic activities matter, and how introversion and avoidant personality shape the way we engage with the world. Derren also introduces the concept of "resonance" as an alternative to the Stoic mode of engagement, and reflects on legacy, looking back, and the ripple effect of our actions.
Chapters:
0:00 Welcome to Stoicon
1:11 What Would You Tell Your Past Self?
6:01 Happiness as a Byproduct
15:01 The Autobiographical Self
18:31 How Thinking Changes
21:45 Meaning vs. Happiness
26:22 The Edges of Stoicism
34:15 Introversion & Avoidance
39:13 Resonance
46:29 View From Above
51:35 Legacy & Looking Back
Derren Brown is a psychological illusionist, painter, and writer whose stage shows and books have spent decades challenging what we think we know about the mind. His book Happy: Why More or Less Everything is Absolutely Fine brought Stoic ideas to a wide audience.
Learn more about Modern Stoicism: https://www.modernstoicism.com
Derren Brown: https://derrenbrown.co.uk/