The Bhagavad Gita introduces a concept that maps surprisingly well onto what Stoics call 'preferred indifferents' — things worth pursuing, but not worth your peace. In Chapter 2, Krishna describes the 'sthitaprajna,' the person of steady wisdom, as one whose mind remains unshaken whether pleasure or pain arrives, not because they feel nothing, but because their sense of self isn't staked on outcomes. For someone drawn to Stoic practice, this is a useful mirror: Epictetus and Krishna are both asking the same diagnostic question, just in different languages — where exactly have you planted your identity? If it's in results, roles, or reputation, you've handed the steering wheel to circumstance.

What outcome, if it went badly today, would genuinely destabilize your sense of who you are — and what does that tell you about where you've anchored your identity?

Drawing from Indian Philosophy (Bhagavad Gita / Vedanta) — Krishna / Vyasa (Bhagavad Gita, Ch. 2, verses 55–57)