Modern Meditations - Stoicism For The Real World
Episodes
#67 – Enchiridion Ch 7: How to Leave Everything Behind When the Ship Calls, Fate vs Death, Justin’s Interpretation, and Truffles
05 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Send us Fan MailIn this episode of Modern Meditations, we explore Chapter 7 of Epictetus’ Enchiridion, one of the most vivid and debated analogies ...
#66 – On the Shortness of Life (New Years Special): Why Justin Was in Tears, The Power of Home Depot, Faces Over Causes, High ROI Living & The 2025 Aurelius Awards
30 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Send us Fan MailIn this New Year’s special, we revisit On the Shortness of Life and come to a deeply encouraging conclusion:You’re not out of time...
#65 – Enchiridion Ch 6: How to Stop Taking Pride in What Isn’t Yours, The Handsome Horse, Gladiator, and How to Avoid Patricide
22 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Send a textA 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 wh...
#64 - Enchiridion Ch 5: How to Stop Blaming Others, Yourself, or Anyone at All. The Difference Between Philosophers & Sellers of Vegetables, The Three Stoic Levels & The History of Insane Clown Posse
07 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textIn this episode, we take on one of Epictetus’ most uncomfortable claims: you’re not disturbed by events, only by the opinions you br...
#63 - Enchiridion Ch 4: How to Stop Being Surprised By Life: Death by Paper Cuts, Swinging Snakes, Budget Hotels & The History of Bathing
07 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textIn this episode of Modern Meditations, Bruce and Justin turn a weekend of budget hotels, dollar rental cars, $12 orange juice, and marat...
#62 – Enchiridion Ch 3: How to Love What You Can Lose: Anaxagoras’ Comeback, Mortal Hugs, and the Bigger-or-Badder Test
23 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textWhat’s the difference between loving deeply and clinging desperately? Epictetus thought the line was thinner than we like to admit. In...
#61 - Enchiridion Ch 2: How Not to be Miserable - Mastering Desire, Disaster, and the Coldplay Kiss Cam
03 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textWhen Chris Martin paused a Coldplay concert to comment on a kiss-cam couple—“Either they’re having an affair, or they’re just ve...
#60 - Enchiridion Ch 1: Epictetus’ First Rule for Inner Freedom, Beyonce's Not a Stoic, Justin's Pop Quiz, Going Deeper W/The Dichotomy of Control & Desert Island Discs Pt 2
06 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textWe're onto a brand new book the Enchiridion (or 'the Handbook') this book was written by a former slave to help other rea...
#59 - Meditations by Marcus Aurelius (Full Audiobook Reading)
16 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textBook 1- 0:0:09Book 2- 0:17:04Book 3- 0:31:01Book 4- 0:47:58Book 5- 1:14:33Book 6- 1:40:41Book 7- 2:08:00Book 8- 2:34:17Book 9- 3:00:59Bo...
#58 - Meditations Book 12: Becoming Worthy of the World that Created You, Kissing Gone Wrong, Bruce Turns Himself In, and the Grass Could be Greener on THIS Side
02 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textBecoming worthy of the world that created you is a tall order, but luckily Marcus has some tips! Learn about letting go of the past thro...
#57 - Meditations by Marcus Aurelius Book 12 (Audiobook Reading)
21 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textThe 12th and final book of Marcus Aurelius' Meditations is full of gems. Marcus starts off telling himself how to become worthy of ...
#56 - Meditations Book 11: No Human is Limited, There Is No Veil Over a Star, Fake Work vs Real Work, The Myth of 'Self Care', Only the Disciplined Are Free & Lessons From Kipchoge
07 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textBruce has found another hero to obsess about, no surprise it's the world's fastest marathoner: Eluid Kipchoge (a stoic adjacen...
#55 - Meditations by Marcus Aurelius Book 11 (Audiobook Reading)
24 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textBook 11 of Marcus Aurelius' Meditations.
#54 - The Nature of Nature & How to Have a Wise Relationship With It, Justin Reveals his Hypocrisy & Why Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is Profound
17 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textHave 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 j...
#53 - Meditations by Marcus Aurelius Book 10 (Audiobook Reading)
16 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textIn Book 10 of Meditations, Marcus Aurelius reflects on the impermanence of life, the futility of seeking fame, and the importance of liv...
#52 - Meditations Book 9: How to Deepen Your Rest & Sharpen Your Focus Like a Stoic, Marcus's Bedtime Stories & Is There Life After TikTok?
04 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textThis 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 bet...
#51 - On The Shortness of Life (New Years Special) - Bruce’s Breakup & New Startup, 2 Week Justins, The 2024 Aurelis Award Show, & The Sacredness of Time
13 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textAs is now Modern Meditations tradition we ended 2024 with reading Seneca’s “On The Shortness of Life” and sat down for a chat abou...
#50 - On Being a Citizen of The World (Audio Essays)
25 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textOn 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...
#49 - Meditations by Marcus Aurelius Book 9 (Audiobook Reading)
16 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textExperience Stoic literature first-hand by listening directly to the audiobook of Mediations by Marcus Aurelius. Book 9 of Meditations b...
#48 - Meditations Book 8: The Why Were You Born-isode, Gradual Coherence, Do You Find Meaning or Does Meaning Find You and the Parable of the Turkey Cult
10 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textDiscussing Book 8 of Marcus Aurelius' meditations is not for those unready to face the existential dread of facing themselves and w...
#47 - Meditations by Marcus Aurelius Book 8 (Audiobook Reading)
18 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textExperience Stoic literature first-hand by listening directly to the audiobook of Mediations by Marcus Aurelius. Book 8 of Meditations b...
#46 - The Deathisode
01 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textHappy Halloween! What a perfect time to discuss death! On this spooky holiday we open with Data asking Picard to grant him a gift... mor...
#45 - Meditations Book 7: How Much Does Happiness Cost? Instagram Life vs The Simple Life, The Happiest Man in the World, Elon Musk's Life Algorithm & Autotelic activities
07 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textCan we just say, "What a chapter?!" Book 7 has many riveting themes, including... Simplicity! Marcus says, "Always bear t...
#44 - Meditations by Marcus Aurelius Book 7 (Audiobook Reading)
17 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textBook 7 of Meditations by Marcus Aurelius focuses on Stoic themes like living in harmony with nature, accepting the impermanence of life,...
#43 - Meditations Book 6: To Move From One Unselfish Act to Another, Why You Don’t Exist, Big Mind vs Small Mind, Can You Have Two Souls? & Koans
10 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textYour favorite Stoic podcast is back, as we work our way through Meditations Book 6 which is all about the unself. Marcus makes quite the...
#42 - Meditations By Marcus Aurelius Book 6 (Audiobook Reading)
28 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textBook 6 of Meditations by Marcus Aurelius focuses on Stoic themes like living in harmony with nature, accepting the impermanence of life,...
#41 - Meditations Book 5: When You Have Failed Return Back Again, W/Composer Matt Lees, The Crazy Rise of Ulysses S. Grant, Slow Practice, Edision's Tenacity, Harmony & What Disharmony Sounds Like
18 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textIn Book 5 Marcus deals wrestles with the ideas of failure, imperfection and the love of a craft. To helps us deepen our understanding of...
#40 - Meditations By Marcus Aurelius Book 5 (Audiobook Reading)
12 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textIn Book 5 of Meditations, Marcus Aurelius reflects on themes of duty, self-discipline, and the transience of life. He emphasizes the imp...
#39 - Meditations Book 4: How To Turn Obstacles Into Flame & Brightness, Anti Fragility, Chubby Thieves, Un-Complicating Yourself & Special Guests Donald Trump And Joe Biden
04 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textWoah. This is quite the episode exploring themes from the Meditations Book 4. We deep dive into both Marcus's advice to be like a b...
#38 - Meditations by Marcus Aurelius Book 4 (Audiobook Reading)
28 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textIn this episode, we delve into Book 4 of Marcus Aurelius' "Meditations," a cornerstone of Stoic philosophy. Join us as we...
#37 - Meditations Book 3: Revere the Faculty Which Produces Opinion, Pompeii Poses, Bruce-Con, Emotional Minimalism, The Opinions We Are Currently Sacrificing & Happy Birthday Modern Meditations
14 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textDiogenes the Cynic a predecessor to Stoicism and Alexander the Great were cut from very different cloths, but when Alexander the Great c...
#36 - Meditations By Marcus Aurelius Book 3 (Audio Book Reading)
30 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textJoin us in this episode as we present a reading of Book 3 from Marcus Aurelius' "Meditations." This chapter offers profou...
#35 - Meditations Book 2: 4 Ways a Soul Does Violence To Itself & Marcus’s Remedies, Interdependence, Justin’s Kia Catching on Fire, Roommates Who Bathe In Vegetables, & The Benjamin Franklin Effect
18 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textThis week we dive into Book 2 of Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, we begin with Justin’s current sparing partner for equanimity, namely...
#34 - Meditations By Marcus Aurelius Book 2 (Audio Book Reading)
04 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textAs part of our Meditations Series we are reading George Long's translation of Meditations by Marcus Aurelius in an Audiobook format...
#33 - Meditations Book 1: From Knee Surgery to Olympian (What We've Learned From Clayton Young), Listening Without Prejudice & A Stoic Call In Radio Show
26 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textHow do you go from getting a knee surgery to qualify to going to the Olympics in less than 12 months? In honor of Book 1 of Meditations...
#32 - Meditations Book 1 - Learning From The Best In Others
05 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textThis week we explore the Meditations by Marcus Aurelius Book 1, and in the words that Justin says at the book club that Bruce wasn'...
#31 - Meditations By Marcus Aurelius Book 1 (Audio Book Reading)
28 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textAs part of our Meditations Series we are reading George Long's translation of Meditations by Marcus Aurelius in an Audiobook format...
#30 - Meditations Series Kick Off: The Life of Marcus Aurelius, How Meditations Was Written, The Mullet Snake Cult, Fake Steve Jobs & Seneca's Letters To Paul
07 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a text30 episodes in and we are finally ready to officially introduce you to Marcus Aurelius himself. In this episode we give you a bio of Mar...
#29 - Equanimity Series Finale The Final Remedy: Confidence, The Ascension of Marcus Aurelius vs Elizabeth Holmes, How to Build a Confident Mind & Stoicism in the Streets
03 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textThe Equanimity Series comes to a close as Justin and Bruce discuss the "Final Remedy" that Seneca teaches his friend about-- C...
#28 - The First Aurelmas: Smashing Mugs, Sinking Ships, Feasting With Gods, Bonfires and Our Brand New Stoic Rap
19 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textWe take a brief departure from our study of Equanimity to recap the celebration of the Stoic holiday (we invented) called "Aurelmas...
#27 - Equanimity Series - Preference & Attachment, Disturbing TLC Shows, Bonaparte's Strategy for Letting Go, Finding 'Enough', Child Actors vs Buddhist Monks & Exposure Therapy
07 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textOne of the most powerful tools in the Stoic arsenal for creating equanimity in our lives is understanding the difference between preferr...
#26 - Equanimity Series Aversions & Desires: The Faith in Loving Fiercely, Taming Desire & Aversion, Accepting the Present, Justin's Deepest Fear & The Stoic Origins of Christmas
26 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textIn this episode we get personal... We read through the beautiful poem called "True Love" by David Whyte and talk about the str...
#25 - Equanimity Series - Pleasure! Hercules Choice, Bruce Becomes a Hippy, The Festival of Yes, and the First Stoic Hymn (We Wrote It)
14 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textHercules (not the Disney version) is faced with the choice between 2 Goddesses, but one is misleading him on the nature of pleasure. Thi...
#24 - Equanimity Series - PAIN! W/Nationally Ranked Endurance Athlete AJ Conover, Bored vs Boring, Removing Unnecessary Pain, How to Increase Pain Tolerance and Stoic Hot Takes
04 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textFresh off of placing 6th at nationals in collegiate mountain biking athlete, coach and friend AJ Conover sat down with us to talk about ...
#23 - Equanimity Series Overview: The Inner Citadel, King Arthur's Affair, How to Deal With Things That Are Hard to Deal With & Bruce Lee's Advice on Mastery
21 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textHave you ever seen Camelot? One of the most famous monologues from that play serves as a perfect backdrop for kicking off our series on ...
# 22 - On The Shortness of Life (Full Audiobook Reading)
08 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textWe're reading you the whole book! Last week we talked in depth about Seneca's "On The Shortness of Life" and we thou...
#21 - On The Shortness of Life (New Year’s Special)
01 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textOn this special edition of Modern Meditations we explore the book “On The Shortness of Life” which was practically made for New Year...
#20 - Stoic Fundamentals - Amor Fati: The Lost Episode, "Pollyanna" and her Links to Stoicism, Bruce Plays the Glad Game, How to Pronounce "Fati" and "Nietzsche" And an Audio Forest Bath
30 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textEpisode #20! In this episode we discuss the Stoic idea of loving your fate or as Nietzsche (however you pronounce his name) would put it...
#19 - Stoic Fundamentals - Memento Mori : How Learning How To Die Will Teach You How to Live, AI Justin, Stoic 10 Commandments & How To Live Immediately
11 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textIn this episode, we explore life, death, and the beauty of existence. We start by introducing to audience to AI Justin, and then go in...
#18 - Stoic Fundamentals - A View From Above: Jeff Bezos in Space, You Thought Your Monday Was Bad?, The Plight of White Blood Cells, Stoic Practices For Gaining Perspective & How to Be Less Self Centered
27 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textHave you ever mourned about the death of a white blood cell in your body? No? Well in this episode we discuss why the universe feels muc...
#17 - Stoic Fundamentals - Objective Representation: Decatastrophizing, Hitler's Communication Issues, Speaking Like a Stoic & Seeing Life With Clarity
13 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textIn this thought-provoking episode, the podcast delves into various themes, juxtaposing seemingly unrelated topics like Subway and Jimmy ...
#16 - Stoic Fundamentals - Judgement: How To View The World Rationally, Stoic Tools For Better Judgement, Bruce Overcomes a Childhood Fear, How to Forgive Android Users & The Parable of We Will See
30 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textHow do you deal with "bad" events that happen to you in life with tranquility and poise? That's what we seek to answer in...
#15 - Wisdom (Pt 2): Old Vs Wise, Mariachi Bands Vs Indoor Plumbing, Why Most Advice is Bad, Stoic Satan, Foolishness & Our First Remix
17 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textWoah. This episode has everything. Explore the final Stoic virtue in our series, perhaps the crowning virtue which is wisdom. We explore...
#14 - Wisdom (Pt 1): Do Dogs Love You? Accepting Reality, Defining Wisdom, Epictetus on Wisdom & Justin’s/Bruce’s Least Stoic Moments
02 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textToday we take on the root of all philosophy: Wisdom. That word gets thrown around a lot in our daily lives but what does it actually m...
#13 - Justice (Pt 2): Line Cutters Will be Prosecuted, The Origin of Lines, Duty is Not a Dirty Word & Titanic 2 Trailer
24 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textWe continue our exploration of justice through Justin's shocking experience at a Walmart where a Karen is the one who shows justice...
#12 - Justice (Pt 1): Getting Evicted, Fairness vs Kindness, Stoicism & The Constitution, Reimagining Titanic & The Planet of The Apes
11 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textJustice is a word that is thrown around... A lot. But what does it mean to be just? In this installment of the Stoic Virtues Series we e...
#11- Temperance (Pt 2): Demons That Keep Us Awake, Overcoming Youtube Binging, the Prudent Arranger, Temperance as a Rudder, and More
04 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textThere are demons that keep us awake... Which scary TV show has kept Justin awake?We continue the discussion on Temperance through Justin...
#10 - Temperance (Pt 1) : Becoming Worthy to Feast With the Gods, Bruce Overcomes His Uptightness, Dial Theory & Humility as the Beginning of Understanding
28 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textHow does one become worthy to feast with the gods? We continue our journey through the Stoic virtues with a discussion on temperance, f...
#9 - Courage (Pt 2): Wimbledon ambitions, the courage to choose, thinking for yourself and the top 5 stoic states in America
22 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textThis week we continue our exploration of the major Stoic Virtues by taking a look at a major decision that Justin had to make in college...
#8 - Courage: Surviving a Student Business Fiasco, Becoming the Man in the Arena, Timid Souls, Hypnotist Mothers & Stoic Haiku's
12 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textWe begin the first episode in our series on the four Stoic Virtues by tackling Courage. For each virtue we are doing two episodes, one w...
#7 - How to be Truly Wealthy: Stoic Advice on Career Selection & Money
06 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textIf you were to get a job that would give you fame, fortune and prestige in your town vs a job that would only put food on your table, wh...
#6 - To Forgive a Man Who Has Done Wrongly: How to Move Forward With Forgiveness
30 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textIn the late nineties Desmond Tutu started a controversial program in post apartheid, anyone who would come forward to admit their crimes...
#5 - Stoic Sports Psychology: How to Improve Your Mental Game Through the Dichotomy of Control
23 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textIn this episode we explore how Stoic principles like the dichotomy of control can improve mental toughness in sports performance.We disc...
#4 - Virtue is Not Just the Absence of Vice: How to Fill Your Life With Good Things
13 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textIn episode 3 we discuss the idea of cleaning out your soul of unnecessary attachments, but now that we've emptied the soul, what sh...
#3 - A Stoic Soul Spring Cleaning: How to Remove Unnecessary Beliefs That Are Holding You Back
06 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textIf you could get rid of any pattern in your life, what would it be? Spring is a time of new beginnings, and many of us take the spring t...
#2 - Don't Just Talk About What a Good Person is, Be One: How to Use Stoicism to Become Better
06 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textWhat do the Stoic's mean when they advise us to, "live in accordance with nature"? In this episode we discuss how Justin&...
#1 - Intro to Modern Meditations - What Stoicism is, Why it Matters & What You'll Get From This Podcast
02 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textWelcome to Modern Meditations, listen to this teaser of many of the fun and inspiring moments from the episode!