That which makes the man no worse than he was makes his life no worse: it has no power to harm, without or within.

An event that leaves your character where it was has not touched the part that matters most. Insults, reversals, the promotion given elsewhere, feel like damage and mostly alter your standing rather than you. Real losses do hurt, and that is not denied; the point is that many things we treat as injuries are injuries to pride.

After the next setback, ask what has actually changed: your money, your health, your obligations, or your image of yourself. If it is only the last, the repair is quicker than it feels. Save your real distress for things that genuinely cost you something.