A man, like a watch, is to be valued for his manner of going.

A person is worth what their ordinary running is worth. Not the case, not the claims, not the one impressive occasion, but the daily behaviour: whether they keep time, whether they can be relied on when nobody is checking, whether the thing works quietly and consistently. The manner of going is the only real specification.

When you are assessing somebody, watch how they handle the small, unobserved parts: the reply that was not required, the promise about a trivial thing. And apply the same measure to yourself, because your manner of going is what people are already using to value you.