23. Do Not Live to Please Others

The wish to please outside people is a small hole through which a whole life can drain out. Epictetus plugs it.

If you ever turn your attention to outside things in order to please someone, be sure that you have wrecked your plan of life.

Be content in everything with being a student of philosophy.

If you also wish to seem one in the eyes of others, seem one first to yourself.

That will be enough.

What this means. Work to be the real thing, not to look the part. The crowd will notice when the real thing shows up.