Would you rather live a life where everyone around you saw you as far more successful and generous than you really were or a life where your many accomplishments and good deeds were credited to others? What if those closest to you knew the real you?
If you would choose the path of higher achievement but less recognition, it’s likely that you live by an inner scorecard rather than an external one. Instead of striving for the approval of others, you’re driven to earn self-respect.
Research on the subject suggests that having an inner scorecard correlates with a happier life. Frequently comparing yourself to others, a by-product of having an external scorecard, is linked to having less self-esteem and lower life satisfaction….