The-Conquest-of-Happiness-by-Bertrand-Russell

tedious neighbour, he considers that all mankind
have been liable to disaster, with the exception of
Adams, and that even he had his troubles. There is
no limit to what can be done in the way of finding
consolation from minor misfortunes by means of
bizarre analogies and quaint parallels. Every
civilised man or woman has, I suppose, some
picture of himself or herself and is annoyed when
anything happens that seems to spoil this picture.
The best cure is to have not only one picture, but a
whole gallery, and to select the one appropriate to
the incident in question. If some of the portraits are
a trifle laughable, so much the better; it is not wise
to see oneself all day long as a hero of high
tragedy. I do not suggest that one should see
oneself always as a clown in comedy, for those
who do this are even more irritating; a little tact is
required in choosing a role appropriate to the
situation. Of course, if you can forget yourself and
not play a part at all that is admirable. But if
playing a part has become second nature, consider
that you act in repertory, and so avoid monotony.