Meditations – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

Meditations

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

book2003Politics & Social Sciences, Philosophy

88%

WISE Score

4.8

Amazon

The original 'main character energy' guide, written by a Roman Emperor who was just trying to keep his head on straight while running the world.

Meditations

book

2003, Politics & Social Sciences, Philosophy

88%

WISE Score

4.8

Amazon

The original 'main character energy' guide, written by a Roman Emperor who was just trying to keep his head on straight while running the world.

4.8

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Screenwise Verdict

If your teen is drowning in the 'brain rot' of TikTok or feeling the crushing weight of academic pressure, give them this. It’s the ultimate 'low-tech' mental health tool.

It isn't a story, and there are no dragons, but there's something incredibly cool about realizing a guy running the Roman Empire 2,000 years ago had the exact same intrusive thoughts and annoying coworkers that we do today.

The Gregory Hays translation is the one you want—it’s direct, aggressive, and totally lacks the 'thee and thou' fluff that makes older versions unreadable for modern kids.

Age Fit

This is best for high schoolers (14+) who are starting to grapple with their place in the world. While the language in this translation is clear, the abstract concepts of Stoicism land better when you've had a few 'life is unfair' moments to test them against.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

It is essentially a manual on how to be a decent, resilient human being. It models extreme self-discipline, kindness toward difficult people, and emotional regulation without being preachy or fake.

Imaginative

As a collection of philosophical notes, it doesn't build a fictional world, but it does require the reader to visualize different perspectives and 'mental exercises' to reframe their reality.

Safe

Completely safe from a content standpoint. No profanity, violence, or sexual content. The only 'danger' is a heavy focus on mortality (memento mori), which might be heavy for very sensitive kids.

Enriching

100

This is the gold standard for ethical development. It teaches kids (and adults) that they are responsible for their own reactions and that character matters more than reputation or stuff.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

The 2003 Gregory Hays translation is punchy and modern—it doesn't feel like reading a dusty textbook.
It’s the ultimate antidote to social media anxiety, focusing entirely on what you can control vs. what you can't.
Bite-sized entries make it easy to read one page at a time without losing the thread.
Teaches a 'no-excuses' brand of personal responsibility that's actually empowering rather than annoying.

⚠

What to Watch For

Marcus Aurelius talks about death. A lot. He views it as a natural process, but it could be a bit much for a kid currently going through existential dread.
It's repetitive because it was a private diary; he’s literally reminding himself of the same five lessons every single day.

Conversation Starters

"If someone is mean to you at school, does that actually change who you are on the inside?"
"Marcus says we shouldn't care about what people say after we're dead. How does that apply to caring about 'likes' or comments today?"
"What is one thing that happened today that was totally out of your control? How did you react to it?"
"Why do you think the most powerful man in the world felt the need to write notes to himself about being humble?"

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