Day 4: The Power of the Pause
The Neurodivergent Philosopher: Daily Meditations
“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response.” — Viktor Frankl
Between stimulus and response, there is a space.
For most people, that space is a luxury.
For you, that space is survival.
Your brain processes faster than your executive function can regulate. Impulse arrives before inhibition. The thought becomes the word becomes the action before you’ve registered the gap.
This is a processing speed mismatch, not impulsivity.
Your limbic system runs hot. Your prefrontal cortex is still booting up.
The Stoic practice of the pause is about inserting choice into the gap between the thought and action, rather than slowing down your thoughts.
Epictetus said: “First, say to yourself what you would be; then do what you have to do.”
Name it before you act on it.
The pause requires noticing, not stopping.
One breath between urge and action.
One second between reaction and response.
That’s where your freedom lives.
Today:
Before you speak, pause.
Before you send, pause.
Before you commit, pause.
Not to suppress. To choose.
The pause reclaiming agency.