All I meant is that it’s a useful exercise to really try to look inward in those situations, and try to identify the base emotion behind my reaction.
I have no idea what you personally were feeling when you heard that comment, so I’m not implying that you felt the same thing that I did. I do clearly remember what my immediate reaction was: “You elitist, out-of-touch *****!” Then, as a boy from Da Parish, I took a few beats to explore where that emotional reaction was coming from: childhood feelings of inadequacy; young adult doubts of my own worth and value; and early career imposter syndrome born in an environment amongst London and New York “elites”.
Once I identified that, the power of her idiotic statement over me was gone, and it was clear to me that the statement was solely a reflection of her, not me or the people and home that I love and care for. And THEN I reacted to it accordingly.