Hermes,

Absolutely nothing to apologize on your part! I also enjoy being challenged, you and a few others keep me on my toes here at Medium, as it should be!

> Forty years of reviewing scientific papers and grants may also have giving the habit of being overly critical. <

I know exactly what you mean. I’ve had the same experience for the past three decades.

> I thought that you may appreciate a reflection on eustress, distress and learned helplessness <

Indeed, I did. I had actually not come across the term “eustress” before, but it makes perfect sense.

> I’ll be dishonest if I told that I agree with the dichotomy of control. The more I think about it, the more I believe that it is the wrong way to frame a personal problem. <

As you say, we can agree to disagree on that one. I do consider it both one of the most important insights of Stoicism and very much in line with modern cognitive science.