Absolutely, Ashok. That kind of response—“I am what I am, don’t expect me to change”—often signals a defensive rigidity masquerading as authenticity. It’s not just arrogance; it’s a refusal to engage with growth, wisdom, or relational accountability. When elders point out a flaw, it’s rarely to shame—it’s to guide. To reject that guidance outright is to deny the very architecture of legacy and learning.

 Philosophically, it’s a denial of impermanence. The self is not a fixed monument but a flowing river. To say “I won’t change” is to dam that river—and stagnant water breeds regret.

 Psychologically, such defiance often stems from fear: fear of vulnerability, of being wrong, of losing control. But ironically, that fear calcifies into behavior that isolates and eventually backfires. The person may succeed in preserving their pride, but at the cost of relationships, opportunities, and inner peace.

 In the long arc of time, repentance often arrives quietly. Not with dramatic apologies, but with moments of solitude, missed connections, or the haunting realization that “I could have listened.”

Would you like to document this as a “Strange but True” vignette for the Chronicles? Perhaps titled The Unyielding Self: A Portrait in Regret. I could help you craft it with poetic resonance and archival clarity.