evidence: One of the core goals of Stoicism is to notice, understand and then control what happens in that space between a stimulus and a response. [...] But you may (and this is a matter of great debate) have free will in other scenarios, such as what you choose to do with thoughts that come up in the potential space between stimulus and response. [...] A better tactic is to stretch out the space between stimulus and response and intellectualize the situation. First, try to understand how you’re feeling (ie. hurt, intimidated, angry). Second, try to understand your thoughts, because those thoughts are the filters that create your emotion. Third, try to change those thoughts and choose a different thought that is believable to you.