[The Stoics] observe that we all spend too much time trying to change things that we have no direct control over—the events they call "externals." For example, a worker angling for that next promotion spends all his time trying to look good in front of the boss (think of Dwight from The Office). The Stoics don't necessarily view the activities themselves as "wrong," per se. Still, they do see them as being misdirected and ultimately leading to emotional instability.