Imagine being summoned by the most powerful person in the world.
You don't know why. You don't know what they want.
It could be nothing. It could be exile. It could be death.
Most people would panic.
Agrippinus didn't.
Here's what he did instead.
Agrippinus was a Stoic philosopher in ancient Rome. One day, he received a message from the Emperor. He was being summoned to stand trial.
This was not good news. When the Emperor summoned you, three things could happen. You could be cleared. You could be exiled to a remote island for the rest of your life. Or you could be executed.
His friends panicked. They rushed to his side, asking what he would do. How he would prepare. Whether he had a plan.
Agrippinus looked at them calmly and asked, "What time is dinner?"
They couldn't believe it. "Dinner? How can you think about dinner right now? You could be exiled. You could be killed."
He replied, "If the Emperor wants my body to stay in Rome, I'll stay. If he wants it exiled, I'll go into exile. If he wants me dead, I'll die. But right now, it's time to eat. So I'm going to have dinner."
Then he did exactly that.
Here's what Agrippinus understood that most people don't.
Panic doesn't help. Worry doesn't change outcomes. Fear doesn't protect you.
The Emperor was going to decide what he decided. Agrippinus had no control over that. So why waste energy on it?
This is the Dichotomy of Control at its clearest. Some things are up to you. Most things aren't.
The trial? Not up to him. The verdict? Not up to him. Whether he lived or died? Not up to him.
But dinner? That was up to him.
So he ate.
This is what separates Stoics from everyone else. Not that they don't feel fear. Not that they don't care about outcomes. But that they refuse to let things outside their control steal their peace.
Agrippinus couldn't control the Emperor. But he could control himself. And that was enough.
You're not facing the Roman Emperor. But you're facing your own versions of uncertainty.
Waiting for test results. Waiting for a decision on the job. Waiting to see if things work out. Waiting for someone to text back.
And while you wait, you panic. You replay scenarios. You stress over things that haven't happened yet. You exhaust yourself trying to control outcomes that were never yours to control.
Agrippinus would ask you the same question his friends couldn't answer: What can you actually control right now?
Not the outcome. Not what other people decide. Not whether things go your way.
But you can control what you do in this moment. Your effort. Your response. Your calm.
So stop trying to manage what you can't. Focus on what you can. Right now. Today. This moment.
This week, when uncertainty makes you anxious, bring yourself back to the present moment.
Ask: What needs to be done right now?
Not what might happen. Not what you're waiting for. What can you do right now?
Then do it.
Even if it's as simple as eating dinner.
The road continues next Monday.
See you in my next one.
P.S. How are you doing with the Dichotomy of Control? Are you catching yourself trying to control things outside your power? Reply and let me know. I read everything.
The Stoic Road