other people's opinions aren't your responsibility
I realized recently that when I do shitty things to others, and they become upset with me, I put a lot of effort into figuring out how to make them not upset with me.
On the surface, this seems like a respectable endeavor, but I realized that I care a lot more about what the person I wronged thinks of me than I care about becoming a better person. It’s an indicator of a deeper issue: I care way too much about other people’s opinions of me.
I need to get it into my head that not everyone will think you’re great all the time, and that’s ok. Some people will hate you, and people who like you will at times dislike you. Sometimes their negative view of you is justified, and sometimes not.
You’ll inevitably do shitty things because you’re human, and when you do, you should do your best to learn from them. But what you shouldn’t do is waste time trying to convince people to change their view of you. You can’t control other people’s thoughts, and their opinions aren’t your responsibility. You’re only responsible for your actions. If you consistently act in virtuous ways, people thinking of you as a good person is just something that generally follows.