Hello,
I'm here to help.
It's important to understand your feelings.
You think you didn't get along with your classmates because your grades dropped, so you feel like you don't have good relationships with people.
You also feel ashamed of your social skills and don't want others to know, which causes you trouble.
I'd be happy to walk you through this, and I hope it will be helpful and encouraging.
1. Make a distinction between what happened in the past and what's going on now.
You feel like your interpersonal relationships weren't so great in the past, so you're not too keen on sharing that with others.
So, how do you feel about your relationships now?
Has that improved at all?
As we grow up, we often feel like we could have done better in some of our past actions.
For instance, in your third year of junior high school, due to your grades, you tended to engage in mischievous behavior and felt that people didn't like you.
During that time, it's normal for us to do things we wouldn't normally do when we look back now, because of puberty, the pressure of schoolwork, and emotional instability.
Think about it. Would you rather know how someone is now, or how they used to be?
Or how the person used to get along with their classmates?
We often make the mistake of thinking that others care about how we used to be, especially when it comes to our own affairs.
It's like when we hear a story. Even if you used to get along with your classmates and then you adjusted and got along well with them, we can see growth, not past failures.
So whenever we're troubled by something from the past, we should remind ourselves that it's in the past and that the present is more important. Your classmates are more concerned about your present.
The bottom line is, we can control the present.
2. Get to know how you evaluate people who aren't very popular.
It's important to remember that the past is gone and the present is what matters most. Your classmates are more concerned about your current performance and what you can control.
You want to know how people see people with bad interpersonal skills, and maybe you secretly hope to have better interpersonal relationships.
Why do you feel so ashamed of being unpopular?
This is what's going on in our minds.
Some people have a few friends and average interpersonal relationships, but they don't mind because they probably don't have the same thoughts as we do.
Just for a moment, imagine if you felt that if you didn't have good relationships with people, it was because you weren't good enough, that you weren't liked by others, and that you were therefore worthless.
"All human troubles stem from interpersonal relationships."
Adlerian psychology suggests there are three main areas of focus in life: making friends, work, and love.
We all need to be able to work well with others.
It's just that when you're interacting with people, you have to keep learning and adjusting.
So, having bad relationships at best just shows that things are a bit rocky right now. It doesn't mean that you're a bad person who is not liked.
And interpersonal relationships are always evolving.
As you reflect on yourself and explore these issues, you'll be better able to have ideal interpersonal relationships.
So, let's stop judging ourselves as not being liked.
If you ever felt like you weren't very popular, it was probably just because you were under a lot of pressure and didn't know how to get along with your classmates.
This is pretty much common knowledge.
Who can say they've always done everything right?
3. Try to relax and focus on the present.
3. Try to relax and focus on the present.
Sometimes, thinking about things I've learned not to dwell on can feel like a psychological burden, and I feel like I might have social anxiety.
You try to relax a little, but isn't that a form of self-torture?
The main reason is that we haven't yet had a calm, honest conversation about this.
When we can replace old ideas with new ones, we gain a great deal of freedom.
Since social phobias are accepted, why is being unpopular such a big deal?
If we don't gel with people, we just need to improve, without thinking it's a bad thing.
We all feel shame, and it can make us feel down, depressed, or cut off from others.
Shame is a painful belief. We need to learn to make friends with shame, not be afraid of it or hate facing it.
It's not shameful to have bad relationships with people.
We're all constantly learning how to interact with different people.
And relationships are a two-way street.
Even if you don't get along with people, it doesn't make you a bad person. It just means there's a problem with the relationship.
Dear questioner,
Try to relax and enjoy your life.
Tell yourself, "I'm doing okay, I'm valuable, and I don't have to be ashamed."
It's important to keep repeating this.
When we affirm ourselves, it's easier to have harmonious relationships with others.
Our relationships with others are, to some extent, really about our relationships with ourselves.
Please feel free to share these.
If you're interested, you can check out "The Terrific Me."
Wishing you the best!
Comments
I can totally relate to feeling out of place or like you don't fit in. It's hard when you feel everyone knows something about you that you wish they didn't. But remember, everyone has their struggles, and it's okay not to be perfect all the time.
Feeling ashamed over past actions is tough, but it's part of growing up. We all make mistakes, and what's important is learning from them. Maybe talking to someone you trust could help ease your mind a bit.
It sounds like you've been carrying this around for a long time. Holding onto shame can weigh you down. Sometimes sharing your feelings with a friend or a counselor can really lighten that burden. You're not alone in this.
You shouldn't have to feel ashamed of who you are or things that happened in the past. Everyone has moments they regret, but those don't define you. Try to focus on the person you are now and how far you've come.
I think it's brave that you're willing to talk about these feelings. A lot of people struggle with social skills, and it's nothing to be ashamed of. It's just one aspect of who you are, and there's so much more to you than that.