The Chazon Ish said about a person who is always getting angry and insulted that this is a sign of being a small person. People who think big and live with Hashem are not so Makpid on their Kavod. Worrying about your Kavod all day, and being too concerned about the impression you make on people, makes you a spiritually low person.
A person I know, was close to the Kapitchnitzer Rebbe. He observed that the Rebbe was not a sensitive person. He was busy doing Chesed for others day and night. Getting hurt by others and angry at people, was not his thing. Even when the Nazis forced him to do menial work in order to be M’vazeh him, he still didn’t seem to care, since his Kavod meant nothing to him.
A higher person (more spiritual) who lives in order to come close to Hashem through Bitachon and perfecting his Middos, does not care if others seem to be more successful than him. He isn’t busy competing and being jealous of others’ accomplishments, as he knows that “accomplishment” is in the hands of Hashem. He enjoys his davening, learning, Chasadim, and Bitachon in Hashem, and has no time for pettiness.
The Alter of Novardok had absolutely no fear of wealthy people, and he let them know it! He made fun of their fancy houses and all their elegance. Kavod, Kavod, Kavod! You are giving yourself away! Your silly lust for Kavod is all over your house. This is Novardok mentality.
When Novardokers crossed over from Russia to Poland, they stopped off at Zvill to tell the Rebbe about their dangerous journey. He would go to the Mikva, and would come out telling who will make it safely and who won’t. I was told that after a while, the Novardokers stopped coming to him, and relied more heavily on their constant involvement in working on Bitachon, since if you are a true Baal Bitachon, you can succeed even when it was originally decreed in Shamayim that you won’t be Matzliach.
My Rebbe, R' Ozer Schwartz Zatzal was in French court, and he came out clean, with Nisei Nissim. It was total Bitachon. Guess which day he was in court?? Tisha B'av! Although the Shulchan Aruch says that we need to avoid such a situation, a Baal Bitachon doesn’t get scared. Even if he’s stuck being in court on Tisha B'av, he knows that the power of Bitachon overrides everything.
The Novardokers believe that if you live your life without working hard on Emuna and Bitachon, you could have plenty of K'fira in your system, Chas V'shalom. You don’t realize how much deep down you rely only on a Basar V'dam. The people around you control your life, and that’s why you are so worried about the impressions you make all day long.
R' Chaim Halperin Zatzal told me that people don’t realize how their heads have thoughts about Kin'ah Ta'ava and Kavod “draying a Kup” 24/7! Learning Mussar “washes your brains”, and gives you a periodic spring cleaning to remind you that Hashem is the only one who’s important in your life, not your “holy” Kavod. That’s why Novardokers become B'simcha after a long Mussar Seder.