It is universally acknowledged that one's inner life, meaning one's values, emotions,

principles and conscience can tremendously influence the way that one interacts with
others, given the fact that the depths of the self are often mirrored into one's actions and
attitudes towards society. As far as I am concerned, it is of paramount importance that the
individual should find proper balance between their inner and outer life, as this can
improve the quality of their relationships, while also being at peace with oneself.

First and foremost, regarding inner life, the individual is generally defined by a set of values
and strong convictions which one holds to, and that are generally obvious in key situations
the self is faced with in society. In other words, one who values justice and honesty could
never resort to burglary or other crimes forbidden by social and moral laws. Take, for
example, the fictional character Jean Valjean from Victor Hugo's novel "Les Miserables", an
ex-convict who, after deciding to lead an honest, crime-free life under a fake name, could
not bring himself to let an innocent man be sentenced to death for the crime he had
committed. This innocent man was believed by the authorities to be Jean Valjean, which led
the actual Jean Valjean to confessing his true identity and accepting his punishment,
because his conscience told him to do so. Thus, this implies that the individual stays true to
oneself and probably leads a balanced inner and social life.

Moreover, these values and convictions generate specific attitudes and courses of action,
which usually affect one's social life, influencing how others perceive the person in
question. To be more precise, the attitudes that one expresses and their actions are usually
the result of one's upbringing, or experiences which leave a mark on how the individual
behaves and treats others later in life. Depending on one's education, one is likely to accept
or reject certain people from a given group. For instance, someone raised in a multiracial
environment is likely to be more tolerant of people of different ethnicities than someone
who has been raised in a family supporting white supremacy. Other aspects, such as one's
past experiences, can determine various behaviours towards uncommon situations or
culturally different people, that may or may not be justified. For example, one who has been
robbed out of their money by a person belonging to an ethnical minority is likely to
associate the entire community that the thief belongs to with criminal behaviour, which
might make the victim look down on the entire ethnical group, even if his or her case of
theft had been a singular exception. These prejudices, often misjudgements to be more
exact, brilliantly illustrate the link between our inner and outer life, how one's thoughts
and convictions (although sometimes mistaken) can be mirrored into how one treats
others.

Furthermore, it is essential that people find balance between their thoughts/ values and
their actions/ behaviours in order to lead a more agreeable life, at peace with others and,
above all, with the self. Otherwise, the individual might be tormented by regrets and
remorse, being often haunted by their past actions. For instance, someone who accepts
moral compromise against their principles (such as committing a crime in spite of the fact
that one values justice and the law) might feel suffocated with guilt, which often leads to an
existential crisis. However, if one acts according to their beliefs, but also accepts criticism,
variety of opinion and positive changes, he or she is bound to build strong relationships
and be a treasured member of their respective groups. In this context, transparency is of
utmost importance. Take for example, a school group preparing a project: if every member
of the group acts genuinely, while also being attentive to their peers, their project is likely
to be a success, but if the students despise each other due to their prejudices, yet hiding
their true colours while doing so, it is probable that they will not achieve an efficient
collaboration. A proposed solution to such behaviour would be to look into the depths of
the self, find what we deem as ideal and desirable for ourselves, and then "do unto others
what you would have them do unto you." (The Gospel according to Matthew, 7:12)

Taking everything into consideration, I feel that our inner and outer life are essential facets
of how we perceive the world, of how we act as social beings, which sheds light on the
importance of transparency and of finding the proper balance between our thoughts and
actions.