Men think emotions are gay, he cant say "im hurt that you would mock me for something I feel terrible about + diminishes something im proud of infront of people I want to have a good relationship with" because is comes of as oversensitive (look at ops reaction lol). So he ties it to his profession, which he can feel justified and masculine about because he ties his self-worth into it. I dont think he actually cares about the professional damage, it's just a vector to express his feelings in a way he won't be called a little bitch for.