"When you are distressed by an external thing, it's not the thing itself that troubles you, but only your judgment of it. And you can wipe this out at a moment's notice."

Viktor Frankl was imprisoned in Nazi camps, including Auschwitz. He watched men crushed by the cold and hunger, yet they responded differently. He concluded that the "last of the human freedoms" was to choose one's attitude toward any circumstance. He reframed beatings and deprivation as chances to keep dignity, by sharing bread, consoling others, composing lectures in his mind. He refused to let externals dictate his inner state. The event remained brutal, but the suffering that mattered was governed by his judgment, and that he could change at once.

Distress is a judgment, not an event. The power is immediate because assent is yours. The email, diagnosis, market drop, or comment, these are externals. Your judgment ("This is an insult", "This will ruin me") is what creates the sting.

When you are jolted, the first movement is natural (being startled, feeling sad). Ongoing distress requires assent. It's you adding "bad", "intolerable", "unfair" to the event. You can't erase the event or the first jolt from it, but you can erase the judgment the moment you notice it, replacing it with a neutral appraisal and a fitting action.

Common Errors to Discard

1. Denial: Pretending the event didn't happen doesn't erase it. Stoicism looks straight at facts, then judges.
2. Emotional suppression: Forcing numbness doesn't resolve judgment. The issue isn't feeling, it's false evaluation.
3. Self-blame theater: Berating yourself for the first jolt does not prevent future jolts. It's wasted effort. Correct the judgment and move on.

Modern Life

• Interruptions at work: If your manager interrupts you, don't think you are disrespected or feel diminished. Instead, recognize that an interruption occurred, and that your worth is in your conduct. Finish concisely, follow up with the needed information, and suggest a meeting privately if useful.
• Financial news: If your portfolio drops, don't jump to the conclusion that it is a "disaster". Instead, note that prices moved, and your task is for rational allocation. Review policy, adjust or hold, don't go into a frenzy.
• Health: If you get a concerning result, don't jump to your life being over. Instead, note that there is a data point requiring care. Seek clear diagnosis, follow the plan, and maintain your self-discipline and usefulness.
• Traffic: You're stuck in traffic. It is not an outrage against you personally. It's a common event and your role in it is patience and preparation. Inform others waiting on you, use the time well, and conserve your composure.
• Online comments: It's not pleasant to see a harsh personal attack directed at you, but it's not public ruin. It's one person's speech, and your character is your own concern. Correct once if needed, otherwise ignore, then return to your work.

Maxims

• Impressions strike, assent decides.
• Name the event, strip the story.
• Pain is natural, suffering is optional judgment.

In-depth Concepts

Impression & Assent

The mind receives appearances. Freedom lies in granting or witholding "true/false" or "good/bad" assignments to them.

Reflexes & Passions

Being startled, sad, or angry at first can be natural and involuntary motions, but passions are endorsed narratives. Stoicism targets endorsement, not the reflex.

Value Theory

Only virtue/vices are truly good/bad. Externals are "preferred" or "dispreferred". Without this hierarchy, judgments drift into panic or vanity.

Practical Logic of Assent

Before assenting, test the impression's clarity, source, and consequences. If uncertain, pause, then choose the action that best fits a virtue of wisdom, justice, courage, or discipline.