Good question and good answers and Don's comments in particular were spot on.

Being noticed, receiving approval and praise from others is welcome. Not being noticed, being disapproved of and receiving (any) criticism, even if perfectly valid, is not welcome. Whether it "matters" or not, I don't know but I have found that it is just the way things are.

I would suggest even the ones above who express the 'I don't care, take me as I am' point of view, may have just a little look at this thread to see how their comments were received?

I range from wanting the whole world to love me, praise and agree with everything I do, to sulking in a corner and mumbling "it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks".

Being universally loved is not going to happen and too much conscious effort to achieve that end is probably not a healthy thing. Pretending that it does not matter and more importantly, acting accordingly, is also not very healthy. The anonymous nature of posting online unfortunately tends to encourage the latter view and to an extreme level, in some cases.

Whatever some of the worst of those may think of you? Does not and should not matter to you, in the slightest.

Although we may receive some level of approval, the only approval that appears to matter to us is, receiving it from the ones who are unlikely, unwilling, or unable to give it.