As for what people think of us, take a lesson from my dear old English teacher:
"When you are young, you worry what others think of you. When you are older, you don't. When you are really old, you realize that nobody is thinking of you."I suppose I just proved him wrong in a way, the old dingbat....
Your English teacher apparently had some wisdom. Good to know that it was passed on to at least one of his/her? students.
Have a good , and interesting, life.