Quick comments, wish I had more time. I don't suffer (and never have) from depression so I can't know what you are going through (I do know people though who h

Quick comments, wish I had more time. I don't suffer (and never have) from depression so I can't know what you are going through (I do know people though who have so I do have many years exposure in that way fwiw.) Programming is definitely one of those things that are harder to get reinforcement from the general public on. If that is what someone needs they will have a hard time. Not like in music (as you say) not even like in art, not like getting good grades and/or getting into a good school. Not like making wads of money. That said early on I realized that many of the things that I did nobody cared about. Rc Helis? Did that in the 80's (gas powered) nobody cared back then (they barely do now) it was super niche. Photography? Really the same "he takes pictures". "He's a photographer" (almost with a laugh). Many would get annoyed actually. (I didn't care). Likewise when I do negotiations and deals now (for clients) they have no clue of the effort that goes in. I once sent someone a picture of an each (an inch in height) of emails that I had printed out. To make the point (you have to toot your own horn as uncomfortable as that is). Otherwise the only thing they care about is the result. But you have to show why you charge what you do. Otherwise they think it's really easy. But it's something that I have always dealt with with things that "I do" so I've just learned to accept it. But I've definitely recognized it and yeah it would be nice if people acknowledged what you did for sure. Luckily my wife will listen to my war stories on things. But if I show her a script that I wrote to automate things she glazes over "he does computer things" (like the guy who does woodworking I guess). In a sense this is why some people need the trappings of success (nice house, nice car) because that way it's a marker that "they must be doing well if they could afford the expensive Porsche" and yes you do get treated differently.