Nice, didn't know that, thanks!

Yeah, definitely, what I meant was that at first it wasn't seriously considered, root of a negative was just end of the road, and then later it was seen as a useful curiosity, something to help in intermediate steps but living purely in the theoretical/mathematical space, but only with Schrödinger they realised that it was part of nature and could be an answer in itself, not just an intermediary.

I think this video explains it much better than any short reddit reply could, but basically mathematicians historically had a similar opinion compared to yours, until they actually discovered places where this number is relevant and useful (quantum physics).

It's 2023 and things like this are common, . Most people will react like this, possibly with a 'he should have known better though' thrown in but that's not that bad to deal with.

Expected fallout is some awkward jokes, some support and no real negative effects, so I wouldn't beat yourself up (or off) about it.