Those who intend on becoming great should love neither themselves nor their own things, but only what is just, whether it happens to be done by themselves or others.

Greatness requires immunity to ego

There's something quietly radical in this idea: greatness isn't about building a personal brand or hoarding credit. It's about caring so much about what's right that you don't mind who gets the win. Most of us are taught the opposite—that success means distinguishing ourselves, climbing above others, making sure our name is attached to good outcomes. Plato suggests the truly great person develops a weird immunity to ego.

This actually explains why some people have an outsized positive impact while others with similar talent go nowhere. The ones who love "what is just" above their own image tend to attract collaborators, inspire loyalty, and make decisions that serve the actual goal rather than protect their reputation. They don't derail meetings with defensive explanations. They don't sabotage better ideas because they didn't think of them first.

The harder part is that this requires actively working against something deeply human—our need to matter, to be seen, to know we made the difference. But notice Plato doesn't say to hate yourself or practice self-punishment. He's pointing at something more like freedom: the relief of not constantly monitoring how you look, of being able to move toward what matters without the exhausting weight of personal stake.