Not everything people say about you deserves your attention: some of it should be taken seriously, but most of it deserves to be ignored without a second thought.
Not all criticism comes from competence, and not all opinions carry the same weight.
Resistance is normal
So if you’re building a better version of yourself, breaking the patterns that keep you trapped in your professional context, or simply choosing not to conform — expect resistance.
First of all, it’s normal. And often, it’s actually a good sign.
The ice cream analogy
The thing is, it’s impossible to please everyone — unless you’re handing out free ice cream, and even then some a**hole will find something to complain about.
What you should actually be focused on is being relevant to the right people.
Separating valid feedback from noise
Instead of chasing approval — which is a straight road to mediocrity — you can choose to learn the difference between those who challenge you because they want you to grow, and those who criticise you because they have too much time on their hands, too much arrogance to keep to themselves, and not enough sense to fill a thimble.
The second kind? Send them off to pick daisies, raise your standards, and let those standards do the filtering for you.