People whoare too concerned with how well they are doing will be less successful andfeel less competent than those who focus on the task itself... Somepsychologists call it a conflict between egoorientation, or between extrinsicand intrinsic motivation...
Ialways cheer up immensely if an attack is particularly wounding because I think,well, if they attack one personally, it means they have not a singlepolitical argument left.
The mostintense conflicts, if overcome, leave behind a sense of security and calmthat is not easily disturbed. It is just these intense conflicts and theirconflagration which are needed to produce valuable and lasting results.