Modern Meditations - Stoicism For The Real World – Details, episodes & analysis

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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... 

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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.

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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.

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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. 

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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. 

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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.“ 

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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. 

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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!

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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!

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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!