It’s not always the good who win. The unkind get promotions. The selfish find shortcuts. The dishonest walk away untouched. Moments like these test more than your patience—they test your sense of justice, your faith in effort, and your grip on virtue.

Marcus Aurelius saw it too. He lived in a palace, but he wasn’t blind to corruption. He was surrounded by flatterers, power-hungry men, and the exhausting pettiness of politics. Yet again and again, he came back to the same quiet posture:

“Be like the rock that the waves keep crashing over. It stands, unmoved, and the raging of the sea falls still around it.” — Marcus Aurelius

In a world that rewards appearances and punishes integrity, Stoicism offers no fantasies. It doesn’t promise that virtue will be seen or that truth will always triumph. But it does promise this: you can choose the kind of person you become in the face of it.

Don’t waste your strength resenting the storm. Be the stone that endures it.

That’s not weakness—it’s mastery. To stay just without applause. To act with honor even when no one else will. To keep your character intact when bitterness would be easier. This is the kind of strength Marcus practiced. Not loud. Not dramatic. Just steady.

“The best revenge is not to be like your enemy.” — Marcus Aurelius

Let others chase reward. You protect your integrity. That is yours. And it’s unshakable.