Marcus Aurelius asked why we value others' opinions of us more than our own. Reputation is fragile and mostly out of your hands; people will think what they think, and they change their minds for reasons that have nothing to do with you. But your character, the way you actually behave when no one's watching, that's solid ground. Chase approval and you'll always be unsteady, performing for a crowd that's barely paying attention. Tend your character instead and you carry your worth with you. This frees you, oddly. You stop managing how you look and start simply being honest. The right people notice that anyway, and the rest were never the point.

Inspired by the old idea of character over reputation. Written by Ugo Charles.