Is it better to be underrated by people then to be overrated by them?

In my opinion, being underrated or overrated are both not the good thing. But if we compare both, it is highly unlikely for someone to improve himself after being overrated by others. However, if someone is underrated by others, there might be some possibility, that the person will try to improve himself.

Let me take the example from my personal life experience. When I was in my 9th grade, my school organized an open interschool singing competition. By open I mean that anybody can participate in that. That time I was not really in singing field, but my friends tried to prank me, and told me that I sound great, and I must participate in that competition. As they said so, I did not even bother to hear my sound by recording it and listen it by myself. On the day of competition, after I finished my singing, not only I was told that I sound worst also I was underestimated and told that I am not the singing stuff.

After that incident, I felt like underrated as, although my singing was worst in all contestant, it do not mean that I cannot sing. So, I decided to take singing classes. In my 10th grade I again participated in that competition. For mine as well as everyone else’s amusement, that time I won the competition, and also judges showed regret for what they said earlier.

lets take another example of famous person I admire the most. He was fired from a newspaper for "lacking imagination" and having "no original ideas", he was underestimated by the company or we can say he was "underrated" by them. Who was he? he was the creator of the children's favorite character "Micky Mouse". He was Walt Disney, winner of 22 academy awards.

So formerly I was overrated by my friends that I sound great and did not ask for others opinions, I did not even rehears for that competition. But lately I was underrated by judges that I cannot sing, so I tried to improve myself and prove them wrong. Result of that, I won. Mr. Disney was underrated by others by saying that he lacks of ideas, and comes up with such a great future. So to my naïve understanding, and my own experience, I think that it’s better to be underrated by people then to be overrated by them, because after being underrated, there are good chances that a person will try to ameliorate his life .