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Is it more important to be respected or liked?
The most important thing is that you respect yourself and you behave in a respectable manner. How people perceive you is their own damn problem.
Stoicism teaches that the ultimate goal of life is to achieve eudaimonia, which can be translated as “flourishing” or “living in accordance with nature.” To attain eudaimonia, Stoics believe in cultivating virtues, which are qualities of character that align with reason and contribute to our well-being and the well-being of others.
The four cardinal virtues of Stoicism are:
- Wisdom (Sophia): The ability to discern what is true, rational, and just in any given situation.
- Courage (Andreia): The strength to face challenges and adversity with resilience and determination.
- Justice (Dikaiosyne): Treating others fairly and according to their moral worth.
- Temperance (Sophrosyne): Exercising self-control and moderation in desires and actions.
When faced with the choice between being respected or liked, the Stoic would prioritize embodying these virtues rather than seeking external validation. Being respected by others may come as a result of displaying wisdom, courage, justice, and temperance consistently in our words and deeds. However, seeking respect as the primary goal can lead to vanity and dependence on the opinions of others, which Stoicism…
