#388 - Confronting Darkness: A Stoic Look at Ed Gein

We often think of monsters as creatures hiding under our beds. But real monsters walk among us — and sometimes, they are born of sickness, isolation, and the collapse of reason.

In this episode, Brandon explores the story of Ed Gein, the real-life inspiration behind Psycho, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and The Silence of the Lambs. Through a Stoic lens, we look at what happens when a human being is cut off from the cosmos, when rationality breaks down, and when evil emerges from confusion rather than choice.

This isn’t about excusing atrocity — it’s about understanding the fragile boundary between reason and madness, and why Stoicism calls us not to hate the wicked, but to pity them.