It is my experience that most male egos are like Dutch tears: the slightest wrong touch shatters them into dust.
I am fortunate that my little Fuzzy is a writer. He long ago learned to swallow his ego when it is necessary for him to kill his darlings. He has also long experience with people harshly criticizing his beautiful babies and his having to be meek because that same editor might write him a check the next time he submits his work.
He is on one of his trips and will not read this and so I feel safe telling a secret: I was impartially acting as his kindly life coach by noting that his ego was excessively large. His reply:
"I have a right to be proud. I am obviously the greatest man in the world."
"How can you think that?"
"I pulled you, didn't I?"
I am ashamed to admit that I am unable to this day to remember why I was upset with him.