"What then is your own? The use of impressions."

In 2012, a 15-year-old girl named Malala Yousafzai was riding a bus home from school in the Swat Valley of Pakistan. A masked gunman boarded the bus, asked "Who is Malala?" and shot her in the head.

The Taliban targeted her because she had been anonymously blogging for the BBC about life under their rule and advocating for girls' education. They intended to silence her. They intended to create an impression of terror that would force every girl in the valley to stay home.

The bullet shattered her skull. It damaged her hearing and required months of surgeries and rehabilitation. But the Taliban failed. They had control over the gun, the bus, and the bullet. They even had control over Malala's physical safety. But they did not have control over her "use of impressions."

When Malala woke up, she had a choice. She could interpret the event as a signal to be quiet and hide (the impression of fear). Or she could interpret it as proof that her voice was powerful enough to scare an army (the impression of courage). She chose the latter.

Instead of retreating, she amplified her message. She co-authored I Am Malala, started the Malala Fund, and became the youngest-ever Nobel Peace Prize laureate. She famously said, "The terrorists thought they would change my aims and stop my ambitions, but nothing changed in my life except this: weakness, fear and hopelessness died. Strength, power and courage were born."

Epictetus teaches that we do not own our bodies, our property, or our reputation. These can be taken by a thief, a storm, or a gunman. The only thing that is "ours" is how we handle the impressions that the world throws at us.

The gunman created the impression of violence. Malala used that impression to create a global movement for peace. She proved that while the body is vulnerable, the rational choice is inviolable.

Errors & Corrections

• Don't confuse the event with the meaning. The event is objective (a gunshot). The meaning is subjective (terror or resolve). We often think the meaning is baked into the event. It isn't. You bake the meaning yourself.
• Don't outsource your judgment. When the news or social media tells you to be afraid, they're offering you an impression. You don't have to buy it. You can examine it, test it, and reject it if it's not useful.
• Don't underestimate your power. You might feel helpless because you can't stop the war or the economy. But you have the superpower of interpretation. You can decide that a recession is a disaster, or you can decide it's a time to learn a new skill. That choice changes your reality.

Applications to Modern Life

Work

You get a negative performance review. The impression is "I'm bad at my job." If you assent to this, you become demoralized. If you use your rational choice, you reinterpret it: "This is a gap in my skills that I can close." The same piece of paper can produce either depression or growth depending on how you use the impression.

Leadership

A competitor launches a better product. The team panics (impression of defeat). A leader uses the impression differently. They frame it as a challenge: "Good, they just validated the market for us. Now we know what to improve." The leader's job is to curate the impressions of the tribe.

Athleticism & Sport

You are down by 20 points at halftime. The scoreboard offers the impression of "loss." A weak team accepts it and gives up. A strong team uses the impression as a test of character. "We might lose, but we will win the second half." You play the game, not the score.

Politics

Propaganda relies on manipulating your impressions. A politician tries to make you feel that "The Other Side" is evil or that the country is collapsing. If you accept these impressions without question, you become a pawn. The Stoic citizen pauses. They ask, "Is this true? Or is this designed to provoke me?" Possession of your own mind is the ultimate political resistance.

Social Media

An influencer posts a picture of their perfect life. You feel a pang of envy (impression of inadequacy). Stop. Analyze the impression. You are looking at a curated, filtered millisecond of time. It isn't reality. Reject the impression that you are "less than." Scroll on.

Interpersonal Relationships

Your partner is quiet at dinner. You assume they're mad at you (impression of conflict). You get defensive. A fight starts. But maybe they were just tired? You acted on a false impression. Next time, test it. Ask, "You seem quiet. Is everything okay?" Don't treat your guesses as facts.

Maxims

• I choose the meaning.
• The event is theirs; the judgment is mine.
• Nothing is yours but your mind.

In-depth Concepts

Phantasia (Impression)

Phantasia is the image or thought that strikes the mind. It comes from the outside world. It's passive. We can't stop it from appearing.

Synkatathesis (Assent)

Synkatathesis is the active power of the mind to say "Yes" or "No" to the impression. The gunman creates the Phantasia of fear. Malala refused the Synkatathesis. She didn't agree to be afraid. This gap between impression and assent is where our freedom lives.