Marcus Aurelius on Other People's Opinions: The Stoic Guide
"It never ceases to amaze me: we all love ourselves more than other people, but care more about their opinion than our own." You rate yourself eight out of ten — and one stranger's verdict of four can still ruin your week. Marcus Aurelius identified the paradox two thousand years ago, and the Stoic fix is not to stop caring; it is to stop outsourcing. Here is why your brain hands its judgment away, why reputation was never up to you, and a seven-day protocol for taking your self-worth back.