“If you should ever turn your will to things outside your control in order to impress someone, be sure that you have wrecked your whole purpose in life. Be content, then, to be a philosopher in all that you do, and if you wish also to be seen as one, show yourself first that you are and you will succeed.”
—EPICTETUS, ENCHIRIDION, 23
People often go to extreme lengths to gain the approval of others, even though the people whose opinions they seek are themselves flawed. It also mentions the irony of this behavior and how it is far from the serenity and security that philosophy can provide.
