Phil Van Treuren (pronounced Van Troo-in) is a writer, artist, entrepreneur and perpetual work in progress. He grew up in the rural mining town of Round Mountain, Nevada and is a graduate of Southern Utah University.
Phil’s first book, The Stock Horse and the Stable Cat, was published by Stoic Simple Press in 2022. Its followup, A Dog Who Follows Gladly, was published in Spring of 2023. Phil is also the author of a children’s book about Stoicism called The Stoic Fable Book: Bedtime Tales to Help Kids be Kind, Resilient and Happy.
His additional work includes The Urban Enchiridion, which imagines how the famous lessons from Stoic philosopher Epictetus might be written in our modern times.
In addition to Stoicism, Phil enjoys writing about entrepreneurship, philosophy, futurism, fitness and other topics. He lives outside of Cleveland, Ohio with his wife and four children.
Quotes From Recent Interviews
From Plato’s Academy Centre . . .
“Those of us who are able to accept a quickly changing world and learn new ways of doing things are going to have a huge advantage as this century unfolds. We shouldn’t be afraid to embrace new technologies that make it easier to do the things we love and magnify our natural talents.
“Here’s one example I like to give: almost all of my research, writing and editing is done on my cell phone, with my thumbs, in my spare time.
“I run a business during the day, have young children at home, and my early morning hours are dedicated to exercising . . . so I simply don’t have large blocks of time to sit at a desk and write. I’m able to be an author because I figured out how to write for a few minutes at a time on my phone, when time allows. In fact, I think that some of my best writing has been done while giving a bottle to a baby.”
Read More on Plato’s Academy >>
Recent Reviews of Phil’s Books
Chris Stephan
Loved it. It has become one of my favorites like “The Giving Tree” and “I’ll Love You Forever.”
(The Stock Horse and the Stable Cat)
Betsy Alexander Waggoner
This is a beautiful book with such a great message. I love it. I ordered it and donated it to the town library.
(The Stock Horse and the Stable Cat)
Janis Berry
Wonderful story with such words of wisdom. It now gets passed down.
(The Stock Horse and the Stable Cat)
Andrew Wilkerson
Just ordered a signed copy. The narrated version on YouTube resonated with me, and I shared the story with my close friends and family members when the topic of happiness arose.
(The Stock Horse and the Stable Cat)
Vincent Clementoni
Just ordered both of your books . . . thanks so much for the great work you do.
(Fables of Eudaimonia Series)
Beverly Griffin
Beautiful illustrations and inspiring story. Touched my heart.
(A Dog Who Follows Gladly)
Anne Sibilla Meriwether
It’s a lovely book. I keep it nearby as a reminder . . . thank you for making this.
(A Dog Who Follows Gladly)
Recent Articles & Blog Posts by Phil Van Treuren
Monet Paintings Brought to Life: His Most Famous Art Animated by AI
The much-loved impressionist painter Claude Monet was born in 1840, and lived long before the development of computers and artificial intelligence. His artwork is particularly well-suited, however, to use in a new generation of AI animation tools — thanks to the unfocused, dreamlike qualities of his most famous paintings, their organic, natural settings and his use of vibrant colors and spatial imprecision.
Natural Born Stoics: Why Some People Have Built-In Stoicism
You’ve probably met a few yourself: those rare and remarkable people who seem to be born with ingrained Stoicism. Here’s why Natural Born Stoics are so common throughout history . . . and why they don’t need any help finding a philosophy of life.
Three Ways to Find Purpose: What’s the Meaning of Your Life?
If you’re asking the world to show you the meaning of life, then you’ve got it backwards. The world is asking you that question . . . and there are only three places to find the right answer.
Stoicism & Artificial Intelligence: Embracing an Age of Unimaginable Change
Humanity is on the edge of an unprecedented transformation, and few of us are prepared for how quickly artificial intelligence will change our lives. Here’s how Stoic thinking can help us embrace the coming revolution and thrive in a vastly different world.
You’re building a path, and your job is to move the stones and fit them in place.
The Dangers of Nostalgia: Why It’s Unhealthy to Dwell on Happy Memories
The important part first: happy memories are awesome. But dwelling on them too much — and falling victim to sentimental longing — can make us blind to the good stuff in our present.
A Lesson in Humility from the U.S. Army
As you can imagine, saying the alphabet backwards while you’re doing pushups isn’t the easiest — especially before breakfast. Worse than the punishment, though, was knowing that I made one of the worst mistakes an Army trainee could make: I had singled myself out.
Stoic Workout: 5 (Almost) Painless Exercises to Practice Voluntary Discomfort
Limited exposure to stuff that feels uncomfortable can also make you happier — but there’s no reason to take it to extremes. Check out a few methods for practicing voluntary discomfort that are quick, easy and (almost) painless.
Stoicism for Children: How to Teach Kids to be Stoic
Our daughter Stella turned 5 today. When her mom asked her what she wants to be when she grows up, she said “kind.”
The Leaf, the Cart and the Stacking of Stones
Your mind: a spring-fed pool, constantly renewed with fresh, cool water. Unwanted thoughts are leaves falling into the pool; acknowledge them, let the stream carry them away, think of them no more.