Developing a thick skin

There is a lot to be said for developing a thick skin to survive out there in the real world. I am beginning to believe that between keeping needs small and learning to not care about what other people say, one will have traversed most of the way to Nirvana.

For learning to keep needs small, I recommend these posts on mrmoneymustache's blog.
For developing a thick skin, I recommend going to B-School.

You see, almost everyone who gets into a good B-School goes in there with a swollen head. They were all the best in their school and college. There were chosen from a very large number of aspirants. They made it through a grueling interview process. And they are taught to voice their opinion in class with a substantial quantum of CP. They become opinionated even. The great equalizer comes when the results of the first exam are posted on the public notice board. There is nowhere to hide. If you have got a C-, it is there for everyone to see and everyone does; and they size you up as the competition or not worth tracking. It is a real ego sandpaper. Well the first time anyway. Then as you avoid people and cower in your room or look busy in the computer center, you notice, that nobody really cares. The world goes on. All that 'studliness' was in your own head. Then the metamorphosis happens. Pretty soon, not only do you figure out that nobody cares about your standing or your sense of self-worth, you also stop caring about what other people think and say.

Then you are ready to face the big bad world.