I have, with irregular and erratic results, been seeking for several years to psychologically categorize “stress” objectively as a conditional force (comparable to, by way of physics model examples, such things as gravity, electromagnetic energy or nuclear energy). If I “objectify” my experience as a conditional part of a set of mental representations then in a sense I am imprisoned but not as punishment but as part of an evolutionary game. The game is, roughly, to make progress developing away from fear and toward broad minded tolerance, kindness and compassion. If this model were true then progress is the objective, not an end state . This means an end stage such as continual happiness or freedom (a perpetual bliss moment forever suspended between Thoreau’s two eternities of past, future) is not only impossible it is not even a worthy objective. This model makes a lot of theoretical assumptions including non-entropic biological evolution as an authentic ongoing occurrence. In other words, using the filter I am attempting to adopt, “stress” is not a punishment but is instead an impersonal force driving either adaptation or extinction. Depending on expectations some people might see this as more pessimistic than mere punishment. For me It moves me into a state of acceptance which lets me experience my own journey with some humor and hopefully more kindness to others. I’m don’t fully adopt Stanford’s Robert Sapolski’s assertion of no free will but am open to the idea that will seems to be interwoven with guardrails.