Stoic Dichotomy of Control
Epictetus' division of the world into what is and isn't up to us.
The Stoic distinction, articulated most clearly by Epictetus in the opening of the Enchiridion, divides phenomena into what is up to us (our judgments, intentions, desires, aversions) and what is not up to us (our bodies, possessions, reputations, others' actions). The framework's practical implication is that wellbeing depends on directing concern toward the former category and accepting the latter with equanimity. Modern Stoic-inspired practice in psychology and self-development has popularized the dichotomy widely, though some contemporary Stoic scholarship distinguishes a more nuanced 'trichotomy' that includes things partially within our control.
Core components
- What is up to us (prohairesis, our faculty of choice and judgment)
- What is not up to us (externals)
- Equanimity toward the latter
- Active engagement with the former
Primary use case
Stoic practice; cognitive behavioral therapy traces some lineage here; modern self-development and resilience practices.
Common criticisms
- Strict dichotomy may be too binary — Irvine and others propose a trichotomy including partial control
- risk of fatalism if applied carelessly
- modern popularization sometimes detaches the dichotomy from broader Stoic ethics.
Lineage
- Child of
- Stoicism
- Siblings
- Stoicism, Memento Mori, Negative Visualization, Wu Wei
- Derived from
- Stoicism