English translation:

The greatest threat to human dignity begins when we live to meet other people’s expectations.

Society always has a ready-made list for us: how we should behave, what we should achieve, whom we should follow, and so on. But the more we try to fit into frameworks that aren’t ours, the more we lose ourselves; and the more we resist, the greater the external pressure becomes.

Thales used to say that “the hardest thing is to know yourself,” especially when the noise of the world imposes foreign roles on you. Aristotle called freedom “being master of oneself,” while Epictetus warned that “if you want to improve, accept being called a fool.”

But we don’t like being called fools, or “outcasts.” We want to be like everyone else, because we lack the courage to be the “black sheep.” Personally, if you want to irritate me, just use as an argument expressions like “that’s how everyone does it” or “that’s just how life is,” and I immediately lose interest in the conversation.

For me, dignity begins where the fear of judgment ends and the courage to be oneself begins. I am sure life would be easier for everyone, especially when each person minds their own life and doesn’t bother others.

I say this because I want people to be happy with their lives. Because happy people don’t bother you…