When you show yourself to the world and display your talents, you naturally stir all kinds of resentment, envy, and other manifestations of insecurity… you cannot spend your life worrying about the petty feelings of others

— Robert Greene (@RobertGreene) February 19, 2019

Excellence or even making an effort, even if it’s not that good, produces haters. They are unavoidable, inevitable, part and parcel of doing anything. It doesn’t mean you should give up. It means you are probably doing something right.

For instance, at least 80% of Elon Musk haters are that way because he’s undertaking big projects successfully. Yes, there are valid critiques of Musk but these are rarely made. It’s mostly just jealousy, spite, and cupidity.

I was never more despised in my life than when I started attempting to improve myself in early high school. Both my friends and my already-enemies brought it on, hard. Was it worth it? Oh hell yes.

Making an effort, especially in today’s culture, turns you into a target. Enjoy being a target. Those who cannot do themselves gain relative status by tearing down others (explains most of the SJW movement). This attempt at destruction if you face it means you are more likely to be on a productive path.