What you should be asking is how to be happy. Who cares if you're a better man. Not everyone will agree that you're a better man. It's only what you think and feel that matters. I'm not saying be selfish because other's feelings are important.
You have to find your own happiness. Confidence comes from within. You have to find it in yourself. You have to know what makes you so great. I've found that if you offer something like a good time or good experience to others instead of looking for it yourself, people will appreciate you so much.
Become a facilitator, become a leader, become that person that will offer others the validation they want, and stop seeking it for yourself. This is what people like in a person. It's really true that confidence makes all the difference. By confidence, I'm saying that you have to believe in yourself and your abilities.
To be a better man, you cannot let other people tell you who you are and you cannot let others have control over your emotions. People respond to a person who knows who he is a lot better than a person who seems week minded.
Find who you are, what you are, and offer your value. Don't try to get it from anyone, but have it already. Why? Because you deserve it.