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In this episode of Modern Meditations, we explore Chapter 7 of Epictetus’ Enchiridion, one of the most vivid and debated analogies in Stoicism.

Using the image of a ship, a captain, and a shoreline full of distractions, Epictetus gives a framework for how to live while knowing everything can be taken from you at any moment. But what exactly is the “ship”? Is it death? Fate? Something else entirely?

Justin and I break down competing interpretations, push the analogy to its limits, and wrestle with what it actually means to “be ready” when you’re called back. Along the way, we get into truffles, attachments, whether this idea is anti-stoic at its extreme, and what it looks like to live fully without wandering too far from what matters.

This episode is about attention, detachment, and learning when to hold on and when to walk away without looking back.

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In 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, you’re just wasting it.

We break down Seneca’s idea of the Preoccupied vs. the Thrifty Guardian, aka:

• the person who’s always waiting for something better
• vs. the person who actually lives their life

Justin shares the moment that left him crying in his car before work (don’t worry, he pulled it together and did great things), triggered by a song and the realization that:
every relationship slowly fades… and sometimes you’re the one who left.

We also introduce a powerful new life framework:
The Home Depot Philosophy™

Along the way, we cover:

• why you lose the day waiting for the night, and the night fearing the morning
• why reading books is apparently controversial now
• why Target might be a scam (and why we’re rooting for Walmart)
• and why your Instagram posts might just be… too poetic for the masses

We decode this (because Bruce's Instagram followers couldn't):
fewer causes, more faces
forget labels, remember names

We wrap with the 2025 Aurelius Awards, where we highlight the highest ROI moments of the year.

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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.

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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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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.

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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:

• The viral kiss-cam moment that spiraled into corporate resignations and meme fodder
• Thomas Edison watching his lab burn to the ground and saying, “Go get your mother—they’ll never see a fire like this again”
• What Epictetus meant by aversion—and why most of our misery comes from trying to avoid things we can’t control
• How one email triggered Justin’s entire discomfort cycle… and how he reprogrammed it with Stoic habit design
• And a birthday shoutout to Modern Medicine

Whether 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.

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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!