Nietzsche speaks

"They punish you for all your virtues. They forgive you entirely your mistakes." wrote Friedrich Nietzsche in Thus Spoke Zarathustra. (As summarized in PhilosphersNotes) Schopenhauer said it similarly, "There is no vice, of which a man can be guilty, no meanness, no shabbiness, no unkindness, which excited so much indignation among his contemporaries, friends and neighbors, as his success. This is the one unpardonable crime, which reason cannot defend, nor can humility mitigate."

Whew. Probably so. And what should be our reaction? We must become independent of the good or bad opinion of others if we have any chance of progressing very far on our path. It was Deepak Chopra the mantra (to be repeated frequently:)

"I am totally independent of the good or bad opinion of others."
"I am totally independent of the good or bad opinion of others."
"I am totally independent of the good or bad opinion of others."

Let's steel ourselves from being dependent on the opinion of others. And let's do what our souls command us to do and leave it at that!!! :)