A renowned Greek philosopher told one of his students that if he wanted to learn to be wise, he should give money to everyone who insulted him for a period of three years. And that’s what he did. When the three years were over, his master said to him: ‘Now you can go to Athens, for you are ready for wisdom.’ So the young man set off and as he entered the gates of the city he met another wise man sitting there insulting everybody who passed by. But instead of taking offence, the young man just laughed, and when the old man asked him why? he said, ‘Because for three years I have been paying for this kind of thing, and now you give it to me for nothing. It doesn’t hurt me at all.’ ‘Enter the city,’ said the wise man. ‘It is now all yours.’
The message is: wise people know that insults never hurt unless you let them.