Reputation matters.

I was wrong.

I thought it’s evil to obsess over boosting your reputation. It’s only evil if, by doing so, you stab people, lie or mistreat people for the sake of your reputation. If you’re conscious enough to avoid unethical deeds, then I believe there’s nothing wrong with improving your reputation.

And if can align your reputation (what other people think of you) with your characters (who you are when nobody is watching), you’ll live an abundant and authentic life.

So why should we improve our reputation?

Reputation leads to more opportunities. It’s easier to collaborate when people pay attention to you. When they know who you are and the kind of person you are (even though you don’t show the entire side). In fact, it’s riskier when no one knows you exist.

Never underestimate the power of social proof.

When a group of people have similar perceptions of you, it reinforces that perception because there are other people to back up the claim. Like it or not, people will talk about you and if they talk about how respectable you are, it becomes more favorable.

You can do this unethically by showing a facade by highlighting only your positive traits to your classmates, co-workers and friends (this leads to resentment once people see you’ve been fake along).

Or you can do it better: by being true to yourself whilst improving simultaneously (this leads to self-actualization and life-long relationships. Who wouldn’t want that?)

Either way, when your reputation is good:

People treat you better.

They depend on you.

They come to you instead of you having to go to them.

This leads to more connections and resources.

More connections and resources lead to higher grades, more money, better relationships and better life enjoyment.

You’ll finally attract the people you’ve been looking for: the responsible and hard working type.

And together, you’ll feed off of each other, boosting each other’s reputations.

Then as time passes, your very existence becomes a light of inspiration to society.

Obsessing over reputation wasn’t superficial all along.

It is a meaningful solution to the world.

In short, it mattered.

Make yourself known. Make yourself seen. Make yourself respected.

Thank you for reading my Ted Text