The Dichotomy of Control Two-Column Exercise
Split any situation into what is up to you and what is not
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time to result
- ~weeks to results
- Steps
- 6
- Confidence
- 90%
Epictetus said some things are up to us and others are not. Fully up to you: explicit judgments, endorsed values, and decisions to act or not act. Not up to you: your body, reputation, wealth, and relations, and everything else. Pigliucci turns this into a written exercise. Before an important event you literally draw two columns, under my control and not under my control, and sort every element of the situation into the right side. In the days that follow you use the list to pour effort into column one and to rehearse equanimity toward column two. You internalize the goal, aiming to prepare well rather than to secure the outcome, because the outcome depends on other people and random luck. With repetition the sort becomes second nature, shifting from deliberate System 2 into automatic System 1.
Origin
Based on the opening of Epictetus' Enchiridion; the modern label was coined by William Irvine. Pigliucci teaches the written two-column version on Modern Wisdom.
Core principles
- 01Only your judgments, endorsed values, and decisions to act are fully up to you
- 02Body, reputation, wealth, and relationships are influenced but never controlled
- 03You can influence outcomes, but the buck stops with external factors
- 04Internalize goals: focus on effort, not outcome
- 05Equanimity comes from accepting that Fortuna is random
How to run it
- 1
Choose the situation
Pick something coming up whose outcome you care about, such as a job interview or a medical appointment.
Pro tip Do it the night before or a few days ahead, whenever you can concentrate.
- 2
Draw the two columns
On paper or a spreadsheet make two columns labelled 'things under my control' and 'things not under my control.'
- 3
Sort every element
Break the situation down and place each part in the right column. Preparing your resume and showing up well are yours; the interviewer's mood and your competition are not.
Pro tip Remember you can influence the second column but the buck does not stop with you.
Watch out Do not put outcomes like 'get the job' in the control column; that is the classic error.
- 4
Work the first column
In the days before the event, use the list to direct all your effort into the things that are actually up to you.
- 5
Rehearse equanimity toward the second column
Tell yourself in advance: I will do my best, but it might not go my way, and I am okay with that. If not today, there is another chance next week.
Pro tip Internalize the goal: aim to prepare well, not to secure the result.
- 6
Repeat until automatic
Do the sort regularly so it stops needing a list and becomes an instant first reaction to any event.
Pro tip Like learning to drive, the deliberate steps eventually become effortless habit.
In the wild
Mid-pandemic, Pigliucci's fridge died and his building banned appliance deliveries. Instead of catastrophizing, he and his wife asked what was actionable: rewrite the shopping list toward dry and canned foods, and call the landlady. She found that dorm-sized fridges were still allowed and ordered one. Problem solved with no emotional spiral, because they immediately sorted the situation into what they could and could not control.
→ The problem was solved calmly within days with no distress.
Facing an interview, the natural focus is on getting the job, which is not up to you: it depends on the interviewer, your competition, and random factors. What is up to you is preparing, building the best resume, dressing well, and staying focused. Sorting these lets you commit fully to your effort while accepting a 50-50 outcome, gaining peace of mind whichever way it goes.
→ Effort is maximized and anxiety about the result drops.
Common mistakes
Placing the outcome in the control column
Getting the job, the promotion, or the yes is never fully up to you. Focusing on it is exactly the wrong target and breeds anxiety.
Sliding into apathy
The exercise is not an excuse to stop trying. Apatheia means freedom from disturbing emotions, not indifference; you still do your absolute best.
Is it for you?
Best for
People facing high-stakes uncertain events like interviews, launches, or health scares.
Not ideal for
Those who mistake it for fatalism and stop trying to influence outcomes at all.
From the transcript
“You literally sit down and write down, you put a piece of paper or a spreadsheet, and you get two columns: things under my control,…”
“Only our efforts are up to us. So if you refocus internally instead of externally... you also gain peace of mind.”
From the episode
5 Exercises From Stoicism To Improve Your Life - Massimo Piggliuci - #170
Massimo Piggliuci