Marcus marveled at how we love ourselves more than others yet care more about their opinion of us than our own. We chase approval that we can never fully secure, from people who are mostly thinking about themselves anyway. The Stoics didn't say ignore everyone. They said don't hand strangers the keys to your peace. When your sense of worth depends on applause, you're never safe, because applause comes and goes. Loosening that grip doesn't make you careless about how you treat people. It just means your steadiness comes from how you act, which is yours, not from how you're received, which never was.

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