| Do you think everyone understood why Cato was so alarmed about Caesar? Do you think everyone understood why Thrasea or Agrippinus refused to bend the knee to Nero? Or why Rutilius Rufus made a legal martyr of himself when corrupt interests brought him up on false charges? Of course they didn't. In fact, Rutilius' friends begged him to defend himself. Cato and Thrasea and Agrippinus were seen as obstinate, alarmist, even annoying. People are busy. People are misinformed. People have skewed priorities and conflicts of interest. They're not always going to understand. They're not always going to get it. Whether it's politics or business or personal, you can't expect everyone to see it like you do. Honestly, if they did, it would probably mean you're heading in the wrong direction. That's what Chrysippus said anyway—that if he wanted to follow a mob, he wouldn't have become a philosopher. Stoicism isn't about being appreciated. It's not about fitting in. It's about doing what's right. It's about saying what needs to be said. It's about being who you feel you need to be. So if you're waiting for your friends to understand you, if you're holding back until you get approval from family members or colleagues, if you think your entire audience will get on board…you're waiting for something that may never come. Do what you believe is right. Do what you believe is just. The rest isn't up to you. *** | 
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