Guard Your Honor

"Reputation is what other people know about you. Honor is what you know about yourself."

"There is no more hollow feeling than to stand with your honor shattered at your feet while soaring public reputation wraps you in rewards. That's soul-destroying. The other way round is merely very, very irritating."

"Guard your honor. Let your reputation fall where it will. And outlive the bastards."

Advice from Aral Vorkosigan (Lois McMaster Bujold, A Civil Campaign).