The Dichotomy of Control

The Enchiridion of Epictetus opens with a famous distinction: some things are up to us and some are not. Up to us are our judgments, intentions, desires and aversions; not up to us are our bodies, property, reputation and positions, and the actions of others. Epictetus argued that suffering comes from treating what is not up to us as if it were, for example by making our happiness depend on others' opinions.

He also wrote that people are disturbed not by things but by their judgments about things. The practical lesson is to focus effort on what we can control, our choices and attitudes, and to accept the rest calmly. Critics worry that this can encourage passivity toward injustice, since social conditions seem 'not up to us'. Defenders reply that Stoics still acted dutifully in the world; they simply did not stake their peace of mind on outcomes.