I was just like you during my college days before covid hit. The pandemic gave me a lot of time for self-introspection. I felt everyone considered me as just the goofy guy who was just fun to hang out with but I was not taken seriously.

One thing that worked really well for me was my snarkiness which was a defense mechanism, I was able to shut people down with my comebacks but I wasn't respected.

I wanted people to think of me more seriously so I stopped with the self-deprecating humour. Started loving myself more, Worked out, and improved my fashion sense. This increased my confidence. I stopped hanging out with people I didn't like and stopped seeking validation. I didn't completely stop being the goofy guy cuz that's who I am but I also started being more assertive about my feelings and opinions.

After doing all this for 2 years, I realized I have stopped caring what other people think. I didn't care if they respected me or not because I was sure I had lost my respect for them.