Why We Strive for Control (and Why It Never Quite Works)

Why do so many of us feel the need to control outcomes, people, and circumstances? And why does control bring relief in the short term but anxiety in the long run?In this episode of What’s On Your Mind, Mark and Will unpack the psychology behind our drive for control and how it often functions as an anxiety-management strategy. We explore Stephen Covey’s Circles of Concern, Influence, and Control, the concept of locus of control, and how attempts to manage uncertainty can quietly limit our freedom. Drawing from clinical experience and coaching insight, we discuss when control is useful, when it backfires, and how to shift toward healthier forms of agency, responsibility, and peace.