I've played and finished a lot of really brutal games on brutal difficulties.

If you think, in the situation where a game is simply too hard for you to progress, that dropping the difficulty so that you can experience the game you paid money for is giving up your "dignity", you have a really fucking toxic relationship with your ego/self image/self worth, and with all the care and compassion in my heart you need to take some time to look inward. I do not say that as a judgemental statement. I say it because you will be happier and more satisfied if you can unlearn that.

Allow yourself the compassion to not reach your goals. Pursue your goals with fervour and drive and passion, of course - but be compassionate enough to yourself to let them go when they do not serve you.