‘Being Clever’ as a description vs. an ‘identity’. Fight Club scene
If you invest your ‘identity’ in ‘being clever’ (or stake your self-esteem on ‘being clever’), you feel good when you appear clever, but bad when you fail to appear clever. On the other hand, if you don’t identify with ‘being clever’ – it doesn’t matter so much what happens.
(about 50 seconds in)
Insight Junkie 