Who really cares what other people think about you, especially strangers that have no importance in your life? Haters are to be hated, but more than that I honestly think that life is too short to worry about what some random dumbass has to say about you. They're quite simply a waste of time and energy.
With that said, feel free to hate on me for this post ... cause I won't care ...
This kind of abuse affects different people very differently, and over a long time makes it really, really hard to keep up that "life is too short to worry about it" attitude. While the OP seems to be dealing well, don't underestimate how badly that sort of thing can drag you down and eg. sap all creative energy out of you.
With that said, feel free to hate on me for this post ... cause I won't care ...