Short Story - Protagonist is a weakling, but wants to overcome it. He loses his job and decides that he will be strong and not tell his wife. In the end he tells her. i read it about 30 years ago

[Paul]

I have read it about 30 years ago. It is a story about a man who is a weakling but tries to change it / show that he is not. When he loses a job, he tells himself that he would be strong and would not show any weakness this time around and not to tell / complain to his wife. However, in the end, when he is at home, he succumbs to his old ways and sits down with something to the effect; "they got me (again)", thus breaking his promise to himself not to show as a weakling.

[Ayshe]

Something from James Thurber maybe? The description reminds me of Mr Monroe from The Owl in the Attic and Other Perplexities, though the particular story ("The imperturbable spirit") I remember is not about him losing a job but being inspired by a book.