It's all in how you think about it

Did Olympic bronze medalists feel better about their performance than their rivals who won the silver?  This study suggests so.

The implication is that our framing for events shapes how we react to those events -- and it often unfolds in unexpected ways.  Silver medalists think about how close they were to getting the gold and feel regret.  Bronze medalists think about how close they were to getting nothing, and feel gratitude or relief or joy.