This dichotomy can be roughly translated into the following rule for when something stressful occurs: the more disastrous a stressor is, the worse it is to believe you had some control over the outcome, because you are inevitably led to think about how much better things would have turned out if only you had done something more. A sense of control works best for milder stressors. (Remember, this advice concerns the sense of control you perceive yourself as having, as opposed to how much control you actually have.)
