The Little Eyes

Ocean Stephen
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The other day, I caught myself apologising without meaning it after bumping into someone who seemed more drawn to their phone that to the environment around them at that particular point, and then I wondered: “why do some habits feel so natural that we never stop to question them?” Because the fake politeness I displayed did not feel sincere at all. I’m Ocean, and this is The Little Eyes; a podcast for looking twice at the beliefs, habits, and assumptions shaping our lives while we deal with the inevitable consequences of following blindly. Here, you’ll discover new ways to understand how people think, what we desire, and why we so often mistake the familiar for the true. Each episode explores the hidden influences behind our choices, relationships, identities, and everyday routines, helping you question what you’ve taken for granted and see ordinary life from a fresh perspective. I’ve spent time moving between different worlds of learning and work, but throughout it all, I’ve always found philosophy fascinating. Across every field, I kept coming back to the same subject: people, how we think, what we desire, and why understanding ourselves and one another can change the way we move through the world.

Episodes

  1. Sep 3

    Communication: is the devil in the details of perspective?

    Communication: The Perspective We Miss What if most communication problems aren’t actually caused by communication? You can say exactly what you mean. You can have good intentions. You can even choose your words carefully, and still end up hurting someone, starting an argument, or being completely misunderstood. So where does the problem actually begin? In this episode, I explore the idea that perhaps the missing ingredient in communication is perspective: the space between what we mean, what we intend, and what another person actually hears. I sit with three questions: What if misunderstanding comes from not knowing how to build the bridge between meaning, intention, and perspective? What if the answer is simply asking questions instead of assuming we already know what someone means? And should we train ourselves to look from a healthier perspective before entering difficult conversations? Along the way, I talk about apologies, conflict, silence, emotional reactions, and my own experience of learning to become more assertive. Because sometimes the person you’re arguing with isn’t reacting to what you said. They’re reacting to what they think you meant. And those can be two very different things.

  2. Sep 1

    Self-Care: are we getting it right?

    We often think of self-care as the things other people can see: a haircut, a massage, skincare, eating well, drinking enough water. And while those things matter, they’re only part of the picture. In this episode, I talk about self-care from a much more personal place. I was feeling exhausted, irritable, regretful, and like my psychological space was slowly breaking down. Eventually, I realised I wasn’t necessarily dealing with one big problem. I simply wasn’t taking care of myself properly. That got me thinking about what self-care actually means. I explore the different parts of our lives that need attention: the physical, psychological, emotional, social, relational, and professional. Because looking after one part while completely neglecting another doesn’t really create balance. From there, I sit with three questions. When does a habit become something we consume at an unhealthy rate? Is it possible that we struggle to care for other people because we don’t know how to care for ourselves? And how sustainable is a life where self-care is treated as a reward rather than something we need to maintain ourselves? I also talk about silence, relationships, and why sometimes taking care of ourselves means actually talking to someone instead of withdrawing. Self-care, at least the way I see it, isn’t about doing more things for yourself. It’s about paying enough attention to your life to notice when something is being neglected. Maybe the business of life really is finding balance.

  3. Aug 28

    Comparison; Thief of Joy or Uniqueness?

    Comparison: The Thief of Joy or Uniqueness? You’ve probably heard people say, “comparison is the thief of joy.” I actually think the opposite can be true. Comparison can be a real source of joy. So maybe the better question is: what does comparison actually steal from us? In this episode, I sit with three questions I don’t fully have answers to, and my hope is that you walk away with at least one of your own. I start with why this topic has been on my mind. We live in a world that throws ideas at us from every corner, and somewhere in all that noise, we can lose the ability to simply be ourselves. We squeeze into molds so other people can understand us more easily. And yet, when you slow down and look around, there’s something beautiful about how different every life is. You are the main character of your story, but so is everyone else. Your life is not happening in a vacuum. The first question is: is comparison the thief of uniqueness? There’s already a library of ideas sitting there for all of us to borrow from, so nobody really has to be original anymore. It’s why we sit at the piano and play Tchaikovsky and Beethoven instead of playing whatever is actually in our own soul. The second question is: how, when, and where should we even compare? I think morality is the one place comparison truly belongs, because that’s what builds trust between people. Beyond that, I’d say stop comparing your partner to other people, and stop comparing your money to other people’s money. Life is in the process, not the outcome. The third question is: what do you do once you’ve compared and seen the gap? Do you mimic? Do you accept? Or do you keep painting your own picture, knowing some people will feel nothing when they look at it, and learning to be okay with that? I close with something personal. I refuse to fit into a genre. Express yourself through whatever you feel pulled toward. Let your intuition guide you, and let what you make be the sediment of your soul. It’s pure, because it’s yours.

  4. Aug 27

    Traditional Work stealing your life ?

    Traditional Career Stealing Your Life? What if the traditional path of education, career, money and retirement was designed for a world that no longer exists? In this episode of The Little Eyes, we question the life script most of us follow without really choosing. If technology can replace more and more of the work we spend our lives doing, what are we actually working towards? Drawing on Seneca’s On the Shortness of Life and Tolstoy’s The Death of Ivan Ilyich, we explore ambition, contentment, human potential, and the possibility that we spend too much of our lives preparing to live rather than actually living. The episode leaves you with three questions: 1) Are we following a programme that hasn’t been updated yet? 2) If we abandoned the usual path, what would we do with our lives? 3) Would we find other dignified interests and truly contribute to beneficial purposes if we could?( a better reward system?)

  5. Aug 27

    Do or Don't: Questions that help.

    Ever get stuck asking "should I do this?" In this episode I look at why we freeze on decisions, and why the questions we usually ask ourselves ("Is it exciting?", "What will people think?", "What if I fail?") only talk us out of acting. Then I share the five blunt questions that help me decide effectively: Do I actually want this? Is it useful? Will I be glad I did it? What does it change? And can I live with this decision? If you end up with more yeses than nos, you know what to do. Go get it.

  6. Aug 26

    Questions about Love - Status Quo

    What happens when we stop questioning the way we understand love? This episode explores our ideas about relationships, expectations, and the comfortable assumptions we inherit about what love is supposed to look like. ​How powerful is love (nowadays)?​Is the awareness (psychological vocabulary), the biggest enemy of love ?​are the people hell bent on destroying the possibility of love?so then does love have any place at all in the modern landscape of love? Think, Think ,Think, perhaps you find the answer and please do share.

  • 6 Episodes

About

The other day, I caught myself apologising without meaning it after bumping into someone who seemed more drawn to their phone that to the environment around them at that particular point, and then I wondered: “why do some habits feel so natural that we never stop to question them?” Because the fake politeness I displayed did not feel sincere at all. I’m Ocean, and this is The Little Eyes; a podcast for looking twice at the beliefs, habits, and assumptions shaping our lives while we deal with the inevitable consequences of following blindly. Here, you’ll discover new ways to understand how people think, what we desire, and why we so often mistake the familiar for the true. Each episode explores the hidden influences behind our choices, relationships, identities, and everyday routines, helping you question what you’ve taken for granted and see ordinary life from a fresh perspective. I’ve spent time moving between different worlds of learning and work, but throughout it all, I’ve always found philosophy fascinating. Across every field, I kept coming back to the same subject: people, how we think, what we desire, and why understanding ourselves and one another can change the way we move through the world.

Information

  • Creator
    Ocean Stephen
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    6
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Ocean Stephen
  • Show Website
    The Little Eyes