Stoic approaches to anxiety

• A. Our reputation among others
• B. Our own judgments and responses to events ✓
• C. The outcome of a business venture
• D. The weather on a given day

Why: Epictetus taught that the dichotomy of control separates what is 'up to us' (our judgments, intentions, and actions) from what is not (external events, bodily health, and other people's opinions). Our judgments are the one domain we fully govern.

• A. The division between mind and body
• B. The distinction between what we can influence and what lies beyond our power ✓
• C. The split between virtue and vice in human nature
• D. The difference between Greek and Roman Stoicism

Why: The dichotomy of control is the foundational Stoic practice of sorting events into those we can influence and those we cannot. Recognizing this boundary is central to reducing anxiety, since worry often comes from trying to control what is outside our reach.

• A. Seneca
• B. Marcus Aurelius
• C. Epictetus ✓
• D. Zeno of Citium

Why: Epictetus made this idea central to Stoic thought in the Enchiridion. The point is that the emotional impact of an event depends on how we interpret it, so changing our judgments can change our distress.

• A. Eliminating all pain and discomfort
• B. Achieving wealth and social status
• C. Living in accordance with virtue and reason ✓
• D. Avoiding death at all costs

Why: For the Stoics, virtue (wisdom, courage, justice, and temperance) is the only true good, and living according to reason and nature leads to eudaimonia, or flourishing. External goods like wealth are considered 'preferred indifferents' rather than essential to happiness.

• A. Virtues that are required for happiness
• B. Things like health and wealth that are naturally desirable but not essential to virtue ✓
• C. Vices that should always be avoided
• D. Emotions that have no moral value

Why: Preferred indifferents are external things, such as health, wealth, and reputation, that are reasonable to pursue but do not determine our moral worth. Because we can lose them, the Stoics taught that our tranquility should not depend on them.

• A. The opinions other people hold about us
• B. Our own judgments and the way we interpret events ✓
• C. The outcome of a job interview
• D. The weather on the day of an outdoor event

Why: Epictetus taught that our judgments, impulses, desires, and aversions (what he called 'prohairesis') are up to us, while external outcomes, reputation, and bodily events are not.

• A. Whether we act justly
• B. How we respond to an insult
• C. Whether our business succeeds in the market ✓
• D. The effort we put into our work

Why: Business success depends on many external factors such as market conditions and other people's choices. Our effort and our virtuous actions are up to us, but the external result is not.

• A. Guaranteeing a perfect score through anxious worry
• B. Preparing diligently and accepting that the result is not fully in their hands ✓
• C. Convincing the teacher to make the exam easier
• D. Avoiding the exam entirely to eliminate the risk

Why: The Stoic approach directs attention to what we can control, our preparation and effort, while releasing attachment to outcomes we cannot fully determine. This reduces anxiety without abandoning responsibility.

• A. Some things are in our power and others are not ✓
• B. Wealth is the foundation of a good life
• C. We should avoid all emotional attachments
• D. Fate determines every human action

Why: The Enchiridion begins by stating that some things are up to us and some are not, which is the foundational statement of the dichotomy of control.

• A. Because anxiety is a sign of moral weakness
• B. Because we tend to worry about external events we cannot change, which produces distress without any benefit ✓
• C. Because the external world is always hostile to human beings
• D. Because Stoics believe emotions should never be felt at all

Why: Stoics hold that worrying about things beyond our control is both futile and distressing. Recognizing the boundary between what we can and cannot influence helps reduce this unproductive anxiety.

• A. To predict the future accurately and plan around it
• B. To mentally rehearse potential losses so that their occurrence feels less shocking and their presence is appreciated more
• C. To convince yourself that bad outcomes will never happen
• D. To focus exclusively on past mistakes in order to avoid repeating them

• A. Aristotle
• B. Epicurus
• C. Seneca
• D. Plato

• A. It makes the loss less likely to occur
• B. It removes the element of surprise, so the actual event is less overwhelming when it arrives
• C. It allows you to avoid all responsibility for the outcome
• D. It replaces emotions with pure logic so that you feel nothing

• A. Writing a list of goals you hope to achieve next year
• B. Imagining you might lose your job tomorrow and considering how you would cope and what you would still value
• C. Meditating on the joy of a perfect day to build positive emotion
• D. Reviewing a budget to plan spending for the coming month

• A. Help you appreciate what you currently have
• B. Prepare you to respond calmly if misfortune occurs
• C. Encourage you to dwell on suffering for its own sake or expect the worst to happen
• D. Distinguish between what is within your control and what is not

• A. Spending as much time as possible outdoors in natural settings
• B. Living according to reason, which is the rational order that governs the universe and our human nature
• C. Avoiding all artificial technologies and returning to a simple agrarian lifestyle
• D. Following your natural instincts and desires without restraint

• A. Wealth and social status that allow a person to act freely
• B. Pleasure and the absence of physical pain
• C. Excellent character and wise judgment, which are the only things that are truly good
• D. Fame and reputation earned through public achievement

• A. Our body's health and the weather
• B. Our reputation among others and the actions of other people
• C. Our own judgments, intentions, and responses to events
• D. The outcomes of our efforts and the wealth we accumulate

• A. Because nature always provides abundant resources that remove all worry
• B. Because aligning with reason helps us accept what we cannot control and focus on what we can
• C. Because natural environments make people forget their problems entirely
• D. Because Stoics believe anxiety is a natural feeling that should never be resisted

• A. They are the main source of a person's happiness or unhappiness
• B. They are indifferent to virtue, and it is our judgments about them that cause distress
• C. They are always good because everything that happens follows divine order
• D. They must be avoided at all costs to maintain inner peace

• A. To punish oneself for past mistakes
• B. To build resilience and reduce fear of losing comforts by experiencing mild hardship on purpose ✓
• C. To prove that pain is always beneficial to the body
• D. To avoid spending money on luxuries

Why: Stoics such as Seneca practiced voluntary discomfort so that hardship would feel less frightening when it arrived unbidden. Facing mild adversity by choice weakens the anxiety that comes from dependence on comfort.

• A. Sleeping on a soft mattress with heavy blankets
• B. Eating only expensive foods to avoid cravings
• C. Wearing rough clothing and eating simple food for a period of time ✓
• D. Avoiding all physical exercise to conserve energy

Why: Seneca recommended living for a few days on very little food and wearing coarse clothing, testing whether poverty was something to dread. The exercise is meant to show that simple conditions are bearable.

• A. Because imagined events are always worse than real ones in every case
• B. Because anticipation adds suffering on top of the actual event and is often based on exaggerated expectations ✓
• C. Because the body cannot feel pain until it is expected
• D. Because hardship only matters when others observe it

Why: Stoics noted that people suffer twice, once in anticipation and again in the event itself. Voluntary discomfort helps reveal how much of the dread was exaggerated.

• A. We should only practice discomfort when we can fully control the outcome
• B. Discomfort we choose is within our control, which helps us prepare for hardships outside our control ✓
• C. Discomfort should be avoided because nothing about it is under our control
• D. Only external events can be practiced, not internal responses

Why: Stoics separated what is up to us from what is not. Voluntary discomfort is a deliberate exercise within our power, and it trains our response to things that are beyond our control.

• A. Start with extreme deprivation for several weeks to make it effective
• B. Begin with small, manageable challenges such as cold showers or skipping a favorite snack, and increase gradually ✓
• C. Avoid all discomfort until a crisis forces you to face it
• D. Choose the hardest challenge available so that progress is immediate

Why: Stoic practice favors measured, gradual exercises that build capacity without causing harm. Small challenges let beginners develop steadiness and confidence before taking on greater difficulty.

• A. The events themselves
• B. Their judgments and opinions about the events ✓
• C. Other people's actions toward them
• D. The body's natural physiological responses

Why: Epictetus taught that people are disturbed not by things but by their judgments about things. The event itself is neutral; our interpretation of it creates the distress.

• A. A deliberate decision about how to act
• B. The initial appearance or presentation of something to the mind ✓
• C. A long-term belief about the nature of the world
• D. A feeling of pleasure or pain in the body

Why: A phantasia is the raw impression that presents itself to the mind, such as 'this is bad' or 'that person insulted me.' Stoics taught that we should examine these impressions before assenting to them.

• A. Obeying authority figures without question
• B. Agreeing to or accepting an impression as true ✓
• C. Feeling sympathy for another person's suffering
• D. Setting goals for future achievement

Why: Assent is the mental act of accepting an impression as true and acting on it. Stoics held that we can withhold assent from impressions, which gives us the power to avoid unnecessary emotional disturbance.

• A. Deciding that the weather ruined your day and feeling angry about it
• B. Recognizing that a friend's rude remark is something you cannot control, but your interpretation of it is ✓
• C. Assuming everyone else shares your opinion of the situation
• D. Avoiding all situations that might provoke a strong reaction

Why: The dichotomy of control separates what is in our power (our judgments and responses) from what is not (others' words and events). Examining your interpretation of the remark focuses on the part you actually control.

• A. How can I get others to agree with me?
• B. Is this impression accurate, and is it truly within my control or worth my distress? ✓
• C. How will I feel about this a year from now?
• D. What would my family expect me to think?

Why: Stoics recommended testing impressions by asking whether they are accurate and whether they warrant the emotional response they provoke. This questioning helps separate rational assessment from automatic reaction.

• A. Our reputation among others
• B. Our own judgments and responses to events ✓
• C. The outcome of our business ventures
• D. The health of our physical body

Why: Epictetus taught that our judgments, impulses, desires, and aversions are 'up to us,' while external outcomes, bodily health, and others' opinions are not. Anxiety often arises when we invest our peace in things beyond our control.

• A. Ignoring potential problems to stay positive
• B. Imagining possible misfortunes in advance to reduce their emotional impact ✓
• C. Planning every detail of a future event to eliminate uncertainty
• D. Confessing your fears to a trusted friend

Why: Premeditatio malorum, or 'premeditation of adversity,' involves mentally rehearsing potential hardships such as loss, illness, or failure. Seneca and others recommended it so that when difficulties arrive, they feel less shocking and frightening.

• A. Confront them immediately and demand an apology
• B. Remind ourselves that the disturbance comes from our own judgment, not the event itself ✓
• C. Avoid that person for the rest of our lives
• D. Seek revenge to restore our sense of balance

Why: Marcus Aurelius repeatedly emphasized that things do not disturb us directly; it is our judgments about things that cause distress. Recognizing this lets us regain equanimity before reacting.

• A. Become indifferent to all of life's events
• B. Focus effort on what they can influence and accept what they cannot ✓
• C. Gain control over other people's decisions
• D. Eliminate all planning for the future

Why: The dichotomy of control separates what is up to us from what is not. Stoics did not advocate apathy; they encouraged directing energy toward our actions and character while accepting external outcomes with equanimity.

• A. Writing a daily list of worldly goals
• B. Reviewing the day each evening to assess one's conduct and reactions ✓
• C. Avoiding all reflection to prevent overthinking
• D. Measuring wealth and status each morning

Why: Seneca described a nightly review in which he examined his day, noting where he had acted well or poorly and where anger or fear had gained influence. This evening reflection builds self-awareness and steadiness over time.