After much deliberation, I have come to the conclusion that what is wrong with the world is that you can never get snowflake, etc. appreciation from the people whose opinions would actually matter. You can get lots (well, most people I know on LJ, at least, can get lots) from wonderful people whose wonderfulness isn't being called into question and yet whose evaluation of you is...not the point. But editors and supervisors and admissions committees and so forth? Do not do the whole appreciation-of-what-a-fabulous-person-you-are-in-all-your-rounded-deeply-human-flawed-yet-utterly-beautiful-glory thing.

Cleaning a quagmire between now and December seems daunting. As Saralinda would say, I wish you well.

That's what's wrong with the world.

(The only real thing one can do is make sure that the fact that a person appreciates you doesn't automatically move them off the list of people whose appreciation Counts For Something. Because that way lies the bad kind of crazy.)