Reproof never does a wise man harm.
How do you react when someone tells you off? It is a personality thing. Extroverts will become angry, possibly insulting and wish to retaliate immediately. Introverts will avoid conflict but will go off to ponder the matter and possibly seek revenge quietly. These are the extremes but what should a well-balanced ordinary individual do?
The first consideration is: is this reproof deserved. If "yes" then you should take it in the proper spirit, apologize if necessary, and resolve to be wiser in future. Don't shoot the messenger.
If undeserved, remaining calm and attempting to explain is usually the best course. If the reprover will not listen it might be best to remember: oppose not force while force is at its rage but stay awhile and let it waste. When everyone has calmed down, hopefully, reason will prevail.
Setbacks are often the starting point to advances and should be seen as an opportunity to retrench and prepare for better things.
Proverbs store the wisdom of ages in short, memorable lines with several layers of meaning. This blog states a weekly proverb and explores its meaning. Sir Winston Churchill, the former British Prime Minister, war leader, writer, painter, historian, bon viveur, whose mother was a United States citizen, recommended that people lacking formal education to learn proverbs. "The Wisdom of Nations lies in their Proverbs... Collect and learn them". William Penn, founder of the State of Pennsylvania.
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