Am I the only one who thinks this is a massive case of cope? *Of course* what other people think of you matters. Humans are social animals and we define ourselves by our relationships with others. Anybody who suggests there is no meaningful difference between being well regarded and being poorly regarded should not be taken seriously. Which is why, frankly, this sucks and there isn’t a great answer besides pushing forward and giving life your all. It’s not a good answer, but I think it’s the best one that’s honest and doesn’t insult people’s intelligence.