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Ask Stoics guided-practice preview · 3–5 min

Cognitive Distancing

Separate the event from the judgment added to it.

This page explains what the exercise is for, shows the exact Stoic source behind it, and previews the steps. Open the separate Practice App when you are ready to work through it interactively.

Use when: upset, conflict, uncertainty, first impressions

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PurposeSee when this exercise is useful.
SourceCheck the exact primary-text locator.
ActivityFollow the guided steps in the app.

What you will do

How this guided practice works

  1. 1
    Name the situation

    What happened, in observable terms only?

  2. 2
    Remove the story

    Finish this sentence: “…and that's terrible because…”

  3. 3
    Read the frame

    The event and your judgment about it are not the same thing. The first impression may arrive uninvited; assent is what you examine.

  4. 4
    Record what you notice

    Address the thought plainly: “You are a judgment, not the thing itself.” What changes?

  5. 5
    Choose the next action

    What deliberate action remains?