“Never pride yourself on such virtues as are not in you.”Epictet · Manualul · 125 · capitolul 48
A small true virtue beats a big fake one.
For the Stoics, the only thing truly ours is character, so boasting of a nonexistent virtue is fraud in the only currency that counts. Epictet sees two errors here: the lie to others and, more seriously, the lie to oneself, which blocks all real improvement. Whoever claims to be patient no longer feels the need to become patient. The remedy is honesty: know your limits precisely, because only accurate self-assessment makes genuine progress possible.
Why it matters A useful check against the temptation to build an image larger than reality, especially online: a small true virtue beats a large false one.