How One Engineer Avoids Burnout: Stoic Thinking and Knowing What You Control

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A software engineer, reflecting on a post-talk question about burnout, traced their resilience to two core habits: communicating pressure to stakeholders rather than absorbing it, and distinguishing between what is within their control and what is not. Drawing on Stoic philosopher Epictetus and author Derren Brown, they argue that suffering often stems from judgements about situations rather than the situations themselves. They advise against accepting impossible deadlines silently, instead recommending open negotiation around trade-offs with managers and stakeholders. When all internal levers fail and consequences are genuinely severe, the author suggests updating your CV rather than enduring a losing situation. The piece frames burnout prevention not as positive thinking, but as focused, practical action on the things a person can actually change.

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