Massimo Pigliucci

This is a fundamental stoic idea.

In fact, the phrase dichotomy of control is actually modern.

The ancients themselves, Epictetus, who was Marcus Aurelius' influence, one of the major influences on Marcus, he calls it the fundamental rule, which right there tells you, you know, it's important.

So the fundamental rule says that some things are up to us and other things are not up to us.

And then it gives you the advice of, look, if there is in fact this distinction, you need to focus on the stuff that is up to you because that's where your agency is actually efficacious.

That's where you can make a difference.

And you need to develop a mindful, purposeful attitude of acceptance and equanimity toward the kinds of things that are not up to you.

This is a notion that comes up in a number of other cultures.

It's not just stoic.

It comes out in Judaism, ancient Judaism, ancient Buddhism, modern Christianity, the serenity prayer, for instance, that it's an early 20th century concept.

Christian prayer used in meetings of 12-step organizations like Alcoholic Anonymous essentially does the same thing.

It asks God, in this case, to give you the wisdom to figure out what it is that you can change, what you cannot, the courage to change what you can, and the certainty to accept what you cannot.

Now, Epictetus and Marcus say that

What is up to us are essentially your judgments, your assessment of a situation and how to deal with it.

That's all.

Your response to the world, in other words.

Your response to the world.

What is not up to us is pretty much everything else, which is counterintuitive, right?

Because you say, wait a minute.

So Epictetus and Marcus both list a series of these things that are not up to us, and they start with health.