In other words, what we dispense resolve on depends on how we feel about ourselves. How we behave and think depends on who we think we are. If we have a low opinion of ourselves, if we deserve a low opinion of ourselves, our resolve is not likely to flourish. For contrast, look at Socrates. Socrates thought it unworthy to himself to pander to the Athenians because all they could do was extend his life, and pandering to extend his life was an affront to his own sense of behavior worthy of him. His resolve was, as with all of us, directly tied to his own self-respect and the terms on which he
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