Rigidity makes you a narcissist. A strong foundation gives you an identity.
Here’s mine:
“Hard work always pays off. If it’s not paying, I haven’t worked hard enough.”
That sits at the base. Unmoved.
Everything above it keeps updating. How I work. What “hard” means. What “paying off” looks like. All of it revises with evidence.
Most people do this backwards. They keep their surface opinions rigid and let their foundation wobble. So criticism breaks them, and they never actually improve.
Flip it.
Hold the base. Update the rest.
