[vincentmarle]

To understand virtue and why it’s important to Stoics, you need to understand its little brother, sacrifice. Sacrifice is the act of doing something, with the expectation of something in return. Sacrifice is therefore transactional, and a form of deferred gratification.

- You study hard to get good grades.

- You show up at work on time to keep your job

Virtue is simply sacrifice without expectation of any reward or gratification. And since a reward (or gratification) is a form of external validation, something a true Stoic tries to avoid at any cost, virtue is the only option left.

- You study hard because being educated is important.

- You show up at work because it is important to be a productive member of society.