Regarding 1, I think you should not obsess over it, maybe some other people were kept because they were less paid (That's usually quite an important metric duri

Regarding 1, I think you should not obsess over it, maybe some other people were kept because they were less paid (That's usually quite an important metric during layoff..) not necessarily because they were better. It is also possible some people had a key skill on a specific tool or process that was thought important. And in the end, it is totally possible that the wrong decision was taken by someone not really familiar with the situation (some HR people you have never seen in your life), but the good news is that you don't have to suffer the consequences of that mistake. Regarding 2, we all suffer from that to some extent because of the time we spent at work, but it is a good reminder to not become only defined by work, because this is something more fleeting and unreliable that we'd like.