The Essence This is the ability to do what you think is right without needing constant approval and pats on the back from others. Praise is pleasant, but it doesn’t become the fuel without which you stall. You know your worth not because someone said “good job,” but because you define it yourself. Dependence on praise is a trap, the flip side of dependence on judgment. If you chase every “good,” you’re just as sensitive to every “bad.” Freedom comes when you stop being a puppet of others’ evaluations — both negative and positive. Why This Matters As long as you depend on praise, you become convenient: you’re easy to manipulate by promising approval or threatening to withhold it. You spend colossal energy trying to “earn” praise instead of doing what you need to do. You start avoiding actions that might not get approval, even if they’re important. Without external praise, you feel emptiness, insecurity, “I’m not good enough.” Freedom from praise is a sign that you’ve become an adult for yourself.…