Assent

Assent refers to the act by which the mind accepts or rejects an impression. When an impression arises—a perception, a thought, a nascent emotion—it is not yet a judgment. It becomes a judgment only if we give our assent to it.

In Stoicism, assent is a voluntary and rational act. It depends on us. It is not the external event that disturbs the mind, but our consent to the idea that it is good, bad, unjust, or unbearable. To withhold or grant assent is therefore to exercise inner freedom.

Assent lies at the heart of moral responsibility: giving assent to a false impression produces passions and errors; giving assent to a true impression, in accordance with reason, grounds wisdom.

Thus, for the Stoics, human freedom begins at the precise point where one chooses what to give credit to.