Chris was exposed to the military version of “stoicism” while serving in the U.S. Marine Corps. The mental resilience fostered by those mental practices served Chris well while he served in the Marine Corps Presidential Helicopter Squadron, and during the nearly twenty years in large-scale computing as a hardware and software engineer. However, when Chris returned to public service as a law enforcement, he was not fully prepared for the often brutal realities of human behavior in the tough neighborhoods he worked. Chris began reading extensively in the areas of psychology, cognitive science, and evolutionary psychology to understand the frequently violent behavior he witnessed on the streets. Eventually, he came back to Stoicism to maintain his peace of mind in this chaotic environment.
Early in 2011, Chris began to study Stoicism seriously. He discovered The College of Stoic Philosophers later that year and enrolled in the Stoic Essential Studies course. Chris continued his studies with the college by completing the year-long Marcus Aurelius School. Within Stoicism, Chris discovered a philosophical way of life which provided meaning and convinced him to abandon the atheism he adhered to for more than twenty years. Chris now serves as a mentor for the Stoic Essential Studies program and as a tutor for the Marcus Aurelius School.
In early 2015, Chris joined with a small group of like-minded traditional Stoics to form the Society of Epictetus, a religious non-profit designed to train Ordained Stoic Philosophers to serve as chaplains and religious officiants. Chris is currently a detective with a large law enforcement agency in Florida, where he gets to test the effectiveness of Stoic practice on a daily basis.
