Our own path, whatever we aspire to, will in some ways be defined by the amount...

Our own path, whatever we aspire to, will in some ways be defined by the amount of nonsense we are willing to deal with. It doesn't matter how talented you are, how great your connections are, how much money you have. When you want to do something - something big and important and meaningful - you will be subjected to treatment ranging from indifference to outright sabotage.
Those who have subdued their ego understand that it doens't degrade you when others treat you poorly; it degrades them.