Modern Meditations - Stoicism For The Real World

Send a text A horse can be proud of its own beauty. But if you’re proud of owning a beautiful horse, you’ve already confused what’s yours with what isn’t. In this episode, we break down Enchiridion 6 and the Stoic warning against borrowed pride, deriving self-worth from status, outcomes, or association. What is actually yours is far narrower. Your judgment, your choices, your discipline, your restraint. We bring in Gladiator as a case study. Maximus embodies owned excellence, character that survives the loss of everything external. Commodus represents borrowed identity, collapsing when applause fades.

Send us a text In this episode, we take on one of Epictetus’ most uncomfortable claims: you’re not disturbed by events, only by the opinions you bring to them. We unpack his three-tiered model of the mind (the untrained blames others, the novice blames himself, the wise blame no one) and follow the story of the Roman visitor who wants Epictetus to predict his future, only to be told that his fate depends entirely on the quality of his opinions. From the “seller of vegetables” roast to the danger of untested beliefs, we explore why every action—from where you work to why you play tennis—flows from the narratives you’ve never examined. Along the way, we perform an “opinion audit,” question the stories we tell about ourselves, and connect Stoic diagnosis to modern cognitive biases. By the end, you’ll see why Marcus says nothing fuels spiritual growth more than analyzing your impressions—and why the hardest thing to test in life is the certainty you already feel. And we also dive into the darkly charming world of Insane Clown Posse...

Send us a text In this episode of Modern Meditations, Bruce and Justin turn a weekend of budget hotels, dollar rental cars, $12 orange juice, and marathon gels into a masterclass on Stoic expectations. Drawing on Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius, and M. Scott Peck, they explore how life’s annoyances, whether waiting in line, traffic tailgaters, or bitter cucumbers, become easier to bear when you anticipate difficulty instead of assuming bliss is normal. From the rugby coach’s snake parable to the Roman baths, the conversation blends humor and philosophy to show that while life is full of paper cuts, virtue lies in choosing tranquility over irritation.

Send us a text What’s the difference between loving deeply and clinging desperately? Epictetus thought the line was thinner than we like to admit. In Enchiridion Chapter 3, he reminds us that every embrace is an embrace of a mortal, every favorite cup is already broken, and every attachment comes with an expiration date stamped by nature. Sounds grim? Not really. It’s actually a roadmap for how not to be crushed when life does what life always does: end, change, and surprise. In this episode, we talk Bigger vs. Badder—how Stoicism flips the script on what “strong” really means. We look at Anaxagoras’ deadpan reaction to his son’s death, Seneca’s hauntingly calm reminders, and even a 1958 love letter from John Steinbeck that could pass for Stoic counsel. Along the way, we wrestle with what it means to love in a way that frees us rather than chains us, and why negative visualization might be the most underrated gratitude practice out there. Of course, it’s not all heavy philosophy. Bruce tries out some Gen Alpha slang on Justin, and we test our own fragile-cup theory on the kinds of attachments we carry every day. If you’ve ever wondered how to hold on without holding too tightor how to lose without falling apart this one’s for you.

Send us a text When Chris Martin paused a Coldplay concert to comment on a kiss-cam couple—“Either they’re having an affair, or they’re just very shy”—he unintentionally exposed more than just awkward chemistry. Days later, both people were out of their jobs and their private lives had become public scandal. But the real story isn’t just the moment it’s what it reveals about desire, aversion, and what happens when we’re forced into the spotlight unprepared. This week, we unpack: aversionWhether it’s a camera at a concert or a fire at your feet, Chapter 2 of The Enchiridion offers one clear rule: You suffer less when you stop running from what you fear.

Send us a text We're onto a brand new book the Enchiridion (or 'the Handbook') this book was written by a former slave to help other reach inner freedom. For this series we're reading the whole chapter every day and looking to understand the principles from real world experience. This week we explored Epictitus's first rule for inner freedom. And... had some fun along the way... Listen to Justin ace a stoic spelling quiz! The dichotomy of control is maybe the most central tenet of Stoicism. But this week we're taking it much deeper than we have before. It's easy to forget how to say a word once in a while... Have you ever seen somebody struggle for more than 2 minutes to pronounce a word that they claim they "know"? Get ready! Desert Island Discs Part 2 we bring on Bruce Peck as this weeks guest. Which tracks will he choose? Which book? And which luxury item? Why does he try to cheat this game and rob it of its original purpose? All valid questions and all except the last one will be answered!

Send us a text Book 1- 0:0:09 Book 2- 0:17:04 Book 3- 0:31:01 Book 4- 0:47:58 Book 5- 1:14:33 Book 6- 1:40:41 Book 7- 2:08:00 Book 8- 2:34:17 Book 9- 3:00:59 Book 10- 3:27:20 Book 11- 3:54:27 Book 12- 4:18:37

Send us a text Becoming worthy of the world that created you is a tall order, but luckily Marcus has some tips! Learn about letting go of the past through Justin's experience in High School romance, and Bruce's rare brush with law enforcement (it gets ugly!). The Poet David Whyte graces us again with some profound quotes on honesty and living in the present that help complement Marcus' words. We conclude once and for all which side the grass REALLY is greener on! And finally, we get Modern Meditations take on "Desert Island Discs" an old British show about people getting sent to an island with only a few songs, a book, and a luxury item. What will Justin take with him!?

Send us a text The 12th and final book of Marcus Aurelius' Meditations is full of gems. Marcus starts off telling himself how to become worthy of the universe that made him. "if you shall not be afraid because you must some time cease to live, but if you shall fear never to have begun to live according to nature then you will be a man worthy of the universe which has produced you..." Other nuggets and aphorisms to himself are just as riveting. "If it is not right, do not do it. If it is not true, do not say it." Listen to his advice to himself and see how you can make your life reflect the virtues that are so prized within Stoicism and hopefully your own life.

Bruce has found another hero to obsess about, no surprise it's the world's fastest marathoner: Eluid Kipchoge (a stoic adjacent runner.) In today's episode we break down some of the many lessons that can be learned from him through the lens of Marcus's beautiful quote in chapter 11: "The pythagoreans bid us in the mornings to look to the heavens that we may be reminded of those bodies that continually do the same things and in the same manner perform their work, and also be reminded of their purity and nudity. For there is no veil over a star." We explore the lessons of humility, discipline and the power of doing real work that Kipchoge shows us. And we give you an unforgettable quiz at the end of the show...

Book 11 of Marcus Aurelius' Meditations.

Have you ever had a friend insist that a quote is relevant, additive, and deep, but you just don't get it? Listen to Bruce try to justify bringing in this quote from "Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy" and see if it resonates with you? Have you ever wondered what the nature of life is? Marcus says, "A healthy pair of eyes should see everything that can be seen and not say, 'No! Too bright!'.. So too a healthy mind should be prepared for anything." This frames our discussion as we try to learn and explore how we can take in everything life throws at us. What is a healthy relationship with what life gives us? We explore that through a lens of "maturity" through a very ethereal quote from David Whyte and explore where we are immature with our relationship with nature. Are you dying to share Stoicism with young folks in your life, but scared that you'll come across as an old codger? Well, we have a solution for YOU! This Stoic Reimagining we make a natural tale about Stoic growth that will really connect with young people! Cybertruck cars, iphone 16 pro's, explosions, bopping music, trust me these kids will be foaming at the mouth to read Discourses by Epictetus by the end of listening to this! Lyrics from "Hurt" by Sleeping at Last used for intro/outro story.

In Book 10 of Meditations, Marcus Aurelius reflects on the impermanence of life, the futility of seeking fame, and the importance of living in harmony with nature. He emphasizes resilience in the face of adversity, urging us to accept what we cannot change and focus on our duty. He reminds himself—and us—that external recognition is fleeting, while true fulfillment comes from acting with wisdom, justice, and integrity.

This episode took us a year to make... Well, at least it is the byproduct of a year focused on focus and rest for Bruce. If you read between the lines of Meditations Book 9 you'll find an emperor who also shares an obsession with finding ways to increase his focus and find rest. For instance Marcus says things like: "You can remove out of the way many useless things among those which disturb thee, for they lie entirely in thy opinion" Or "Let there be freedom from perturbation with things which come from the external cause and let there be justice done by virtue of the internal cause that is, let there be movement and action terminating in this, in social acts." In this episode we explore practical ways we can sharpen our focus and deepen our rest.

As is now Modern Meditations tradition we ended 2024 with reading Seneca’s “On The Shortness of Life” and sat down for a chat about how we did with this year that is not coming back. We both saw meaningful ways that Stoicism had major impacts in our lives for the better, whether that be through breakups, travel, making major career moves, graduating college or deaths in the family. And at the end we have the internationally acclaimed awards ceremony for the best episodes of the year called, “The Aurelis.“

On the 50th episode of Modern Meditations we break our format to give you two audio essays that changed our views on what it means to be a citizen of the world. In Meditations we read, “My city and country, so far as I am Antoninus, is Rome; but so far as I am a human being, it is the world." The first, by Bruce, from his trip on Thailand and the lessons he learned from the East that would solve many problems in the West. And another from Justin that shows where philanthropy without true understanding of needs and the culture can go wrong. We intentionally left the commentary out this week and just raise interesting questions. We would love to hear your thoughts on the format and the content at modernmeditationspodcast@gmail.com.

Experience Stoic literature first-hand by listening directly to the audiobook of Mediations by Marcus Aurelius. Book 9 of Meditations by Marcus Aurelius contains absolute banger quotes such as: 9:20 "It is your duty to leave another man's wrongful act there where it is." 9:27 "When another blames you or hates you, or when men say about you anything injurious, approach their poor sould, look within, and see what kind of men they are. You will discover that there is no reason to take any trouble that these men may have this or that opinion about you. However, you must be well disposed towards them, for by nature they are friends." But don't let us decide which quotes are worthy of your thought and attention; listen and directly find the quotes that most resonate with you on your Stoic journey to building wisdom and character!

Discussing Book 8 of Marcus Aurelius' meditations is not for those unready to face the existential dread of facing themselves and what they were born to do... Are you? We start with a fun teaser of "What is required of someone to be a Stoic?" Then we dive into the heavy-hitting themes of this book of Meditations with figuring out what you were born for. Join to answer the most important question of all! Who will project their biases more onto the world, Justin or Bruce? Find out this episode!

Experience Stoic literature first-hand by listening directly to the audiobook of Mediations by Marcus Aurelius. Book 8 of Meditations by Marcus Aurelius contains absolute banger quotes such as: 8:16 "Remember that to change your opinion and to follow him who corrects your error is as consistent with freedom as it is to persist in your error." 8:22 "Attend to the matter which is before you, whether it is an opinion or an act or a word." 8:33 "Receive [wealth or prosperity] without arrogance, and be ready to let it go." 8:36 "Do not disturb yourself by thinking of the whole of your life. Do not let your thoughts at once embrace all the various troubles which you may expect to befall you.." But don't let us decide which quotes are worthy of your thought and attention; listen and directly find the quotes that most resonate with you on your Stoic journey to building wisdom and character!

Happy Halloween! What a perfect time to discuss death! On this spooky holiday we open with Data asking Picard to grant him a gift... mortality. We discuss how we deal with mortality and why it is such a gift to be alive and that we all die. We go into how we can prepare for our own inevitable death. Part of that is destigmatizing death to not let it be a looming fear, but instead of provider of beauty and meaning. Can it be destigmatized too much? Possibly, but we think the pendulum is swung towards a fear of "tempting fate" by talking about it. How does Marcus respond to people thinking speaking about death is tempting fate? Find out in this episode! Special for Halloween, we combined the outro and Stoic reimagining with a longer story of "Death's Messengers" by Brothers Grimm, with a symphony playing Danse Macabre to set the tone. Death’s Messengers Fairy tale (original) - Story by Brothers Grimm (61) Danse macabre, Op. 40 - YouTube