Do you (ever) believe you'd have been succesful in achieving your goals while manic if people would just have listened to what you were saying instead of judging you (and what you said and did) based on how you said it, if only they'd listened?

I think so. I still believe the manic us is right and "they" are (more often) wrong—in essence—even though the risks might be too high and the personal sacrifices too many and too great (and bless those that want to protect us from ourselves).