"What a goddamned shame," indeed.

The tragedy of being understanding is that you'll always be placed second.  If you're not, you'll end up doing it yourself anyway.  You're self-depreciating and that's your fault.

If you want people to value you, you have to value yourself first.

So push aside your hurt feelings because they never did you any good and don't let anything touch you in that way again regarding this matter.  How dare you let such petty trivialities affect you.  No one can help you but yourself, and you can't help those who don't want to be helped.  You can't change other people and you can't change the circumstances--all you can do is change your own attitude.  Let go, step back and let their bull run its own course.

The one thing I can say about myself that I am proud about is that I've never believed or justified myself with the excuse, "Well that's just the way I am."  I try for myself and for others to be better than who I am now; I don't settle for "that's just the way it is" because of the limiting quality that mentality tends to have.  I would hope the same from the people I love and care about, but I understand that I can't hold people to the same expectations I hold for myself.

Change happens where it is wanted--not necessarily where it is needed, unfortunately.