Everyone is right about the views presented, I feel. So I'll add something a little different.

When we let other peoples' opinions of us rule our concept of who we are, we're making a vey big mistake. In truth, we should never judge ourselves based on who or what someone says we are. People really reveal more of themselves than they do about anyone else when they begin to make character judgments.

What we should do, instead, is not judge at all. We should just evaluate who we are by our deepest principles and try to live by them. That way, we'll be just fine.

This seems to help a good bit in relating to peoples' ideas that seem to hurt; in most cases, those who do this are trying to throw off something within themselves that they feel about themselves unconsciously.

Hope this helps a little.