Hello. It's clear that the questioner feels their goodness is never confirmed. They are afraid that they are not good. This makes your expectation that you are good and can be recognized by others understandable. You seem very kind and care a lot about other people's feelings. From your description, I can tell that you can also feel other people's emotions very well. It's just that the emotional receiver senses it and doesn't know how to respond appropriately, which leaves you feeling overwhelmed. This is especially true when you don't get positive feedback from others. You will be frustrated and disappointed.
I'd like to suggest a few perspectives for your consideration. Do you agree with me?
1. You seem to be a highly sensitive person.
Highly sensitive people have very keen senses. They can "see" and "perceive" subtle stimuli (the slightest changes and fluctuations in people, things, and objects) that others cannot notice. They also react to stimuli much more strongly than others, subconsciously or semi-consciously receiving and processing information, and can deeply analyze almost everything. For most people, things that are just ordinary and insignificant are a challenge for highly sensitive people. They must make an effort to adjust themselves to fit in, in order to appear calm and composed in the eyes of others. This will cause stress over time, and they usually have a certain degree of "social phobia."
How do highly sensitive people perceive the expectations of others? They are acutely aware of the feelings and needs of others, are excellent at empathy, and are determined not to let people down.
Therefore, learning to say no is a challenge and a necessary condition for highly sensitive people. Otherwise, they will easily be overwhelmed by other people's demands. However, when they first try to refuse, they immediately and clearly perceive their friends' disappointment. The next time they refuse, it will be easier.
At this point, you must tell yourself, "It's not my fault, my rejection is justified, he should be responsible for his own needs and find other ways to achieve them." However, highly sensitive people are often their own worst critics.
When others have negative emotions, they are acutely aware of it. They feel responsible for the happiness of others, which leads to self-criticism. They can only feel at ease when they receive positive affirmation from the other person, so their sense of value is long-term bound by external actions or words.
2. Remember, just because someone doesn't respond to what you said doesn't mean you did something wrong.
The other person may simply have been in a bad mood and had no intention of communicating with you. This is known as projection, a psychological term referring to an individual's tendency to attribute their own psychological and behavioural characteristics to others based on their own needs and emotions. In other words, you are worried that other people will say you are bad, and just because the other person's reaction is not as enthusiastic as you hoped, you are easily led to speculate that other people think you are bad. This leads to constant accusations and attacks on yourself, making you even more nervous and causing mental depletion.
3. You need to be able to distinguish between reality and your own projections. The best way to do this is to clarify the feelings and thoughts of both parties.
For example, you can say to the other person, "It seems like you're upset. Tell me what's wrong," or "Is it something I said or did?"
"What can I do for you?" etc. When you express your willingness to take the initiative to care, the other person's response will show you whether you're on the right track. If it's not about you, you can show a little concern. If the other person is annoyed by you, you can discuss in depth what kind of words and actions are appropriate.
Be brave and clarify things. This will dispel uncertainties and stop the internal drama from playing out again and again. Besides, if the other person really cares about you, they will take the initiative to express themselves. Know that everyone is the master of their own emotions. What you say can easily hurt the other person, and they might also need to make adjustments themselves.
4. You know there's always an inner voice criticizing you, worrying about you, and fearing that you are not good enough.
I want you to think back to the person or environment from your upbringing that made this sound.
Think about how your parents or teachers reacted when you made a mistake in the past. It's likely that you're nervous about your constant bad mood because of those past accusations.
You will know that the thoughts that make you nervous and worry about yourself are from your upbringing when you find the source of the inner voice. When you were weak and small, you didn't learn how to face other people's dissatisfaction and worries. Instead, you were in a state of being responsible for other people's wishes and expectations. You are particularly sensitive to other people's feedback, and the lack of feedback makes you feel uneasy. This long-term suffering of being blamed has been internalized and formed into self-criticism, with a bad "me" inside.
We must learn how to deal with inner criticism in a positive way.
First, we will discuss the different types of internal criticism.
One type is called the "inadequate self." When you encounter obstacles, make mistakes, or fail to achieve your goals, this internal critic will rebuke you harshly and may provoke you to recall other errors and false steps. It makes you feel incompetent, flawed, and inadequate.
Another kind of self-criticism is the "hated self." When you encounter failure in life, this inner voice responds with hatred and disgust, making you dislike yourself.
The "inadequate self" harshly criticizes you for doing something wrong, telling you that you have not met the standards. The "nasty self" abuses and despises you. For example, you said, "I said something that made the other person unhappy. Although she did not point out my mistake, the tone of the other person's words made me sound angry, and I started to panic.
I put myself in her shoes and imagined what she would think if she were in my place. I knew she'd think this person was stupid for saying such things.
He doesn't care about other people's feelings at all, and it makes me sick. This person is really stupid, and he's no good.
Feel it. You should feel criticized and disliked by these words. You should doubt yourself.
Has a similar scene happened before? I want to know who she reminds you of.
I want to know how old you were and what kind of emotions you were feeling.
So what if an inner voice points out a mistake but doesn't treat it ruthlessly? That's not the kind of treatment we want.
Everyone makes mistakes. That's a fact. But here's the good news: we all have an inner voice that can help us learn from our mistakes. This voice is called "constructive self-criticism." It's there to embrace our mistakes with an accepting attitude, calm us down, help us recognize our mistakes, and help us figure out what went wrong. This voice is helpful and helps us change direction and do something different, which is beneficial for our growth.
We must find ways to combat harsh inner critics. You must give yourself a little confidence.
Embrace change. It can be frightening and alarming, but it's a brave step to recognize your desire to become better. Remember, your awareness of alternative ways of talking to yourself doesn't mean making changes will be easy or effortless—it should be.
Whatever you choose, be patient with yourself and remember this. Here are some suggestions:
1) Reassure yourself. This self-talk involves pointing out the ways in which you make yourself feel appreciated, encouraging yourself with words of encouragement, and talking to yourself in a compassionate, caring, and kind manner.
This kind of self-healing will reduce your feelings of self-doubt. You will learn to focus on observing yourself with your own eyes, support yourself, encourage yourself with your own strength, and not justify your goodness or badness through external evaluation.
(2) Practice self-compassion. There are three parts to self-compassion.
The first is self-kindness. When we are kind to ourselves, we extend tenderness, thoughtfulness, and empathy inward.
The second is common humanity. We are human like everyone else, and we are not alone in making mistakes, going through difficult times, or having shortcomings.
Knowing that others are also experiencing similar struggles is a source of comfort.
The third is mindfulness, which involves acknowledging our inner experiences rather than trying to escape from them or become absorbed in them. Researchers have studied the effects of self-compassion on self-criticism through various methods, such as compassion meditation, self-compassion exercises, and compassion-based mindfulness training. The results are clear: compassion-based methods can reduce critical self-talk, improve self-worth, improve mood, and improve the ability to handle the affairs of daily life.
Self-compassion can increase creativity in people who are hard on themselves—there is even evidence to support this.
(3) Eliminate self-criticism. Self-criticism may seem to reflect the truth, but it is not the whole truth.
These self-critical thoughts are not based on reality. When you see them as just thoughts and realize they are not necessarily true, you can distinguish your thoughts from reality and reduce their power.
Knowing that thoughts don't reflect reality diminishes their power. Regularly doing this exercise will make you less self-critical and less prone to depression.
When you practice a completely new way of treating yourself, you can choose a completely different approach. What matters most is that you pay attention to what is right for you and be patient with yourself in the process.
Listen to your heart, draw on different resources, and choose the one that suits you best. You can also consult the relevant self-help manuals or read related articles online to download reading materials and exercises.
Combine these approaches as you see fit. Above all, have compassion, empathy, and tenderness for yourself. When you are calm and at peace within, you will not be affected by other people's criticisms. You will also stop wondering if other people's praise and compliments are sincere because you will know that you are good and worthy of love. Everyone makes mistakes and can be forgiven and grow through them.
5. Know your strengths and keep discovering new ones. This will strengthen your perception of your competencies.
Being highly sensitive can cause us a lot of problems at first, but we can overcome this by gaining a clear understanding of it and adapting to life by consciously training ourselves to gradually reduce the interference of sensitivity. This allows us to see its many great advantages, including the ability to perceive subtleties, process and reflect deeply, have a high degree of empathy, and magnify things of beauty. We can use individual strengths of sensitivity or the interplay between several strengths to help us develop our strengths and perform better.
(1) A high degree of empathy allows us to keenly perceive the feelings, needs, insecurities, etc., of others. We can then become excellent listeners, offering comfort and healing to others.
In terms of career options, this could be a consultant, a doctor, etc.
2) The ability to think deeply and reflectively. We understand nuances and are excellent at making connections and integrating complex information, which we then use to solve problems and deal with conflicts. In terms of job choices, this could be a team coordinator, a lawyer, etc.
3) Creative and divergent thinking skills. We have a vibrant inner life, are always attentive to detail, and seize new opportunities. We can think of good ideas, which means we can work in creative or artistic-related fields to create and spread beauty.
Use your sensitivity to your advantage. It can help you perform better, provide more value, live a more relaxed and enjoyable life, and increase your self-confidence while reducing doubts about whether you are being good to yourself.
You have to have the courage to be disliked.
You have to be brave enough to be disliked. You have to stop caring what other people think, stop being afraid of being disliked, and stop seeking the approval of others.
When you have a clear sense of self, you have the courage not to justify your own goodness based on external feedback. You dare to give others the opportunity to hate you or give yourself the opportunity to be rejected and hated.
We must have the courage to be disliked, to be alone, and to move forward independently if we want to set a firm course for ourselves and embark on the ultimate path to freedom and happiness.
I am ready to choose a brand new self and courageously go forward to be myself. I know that my life may be full of insecurity, and it may also be more painful and out of control. But I am also aware that if I don't change, I will still be worried about being hated. I am not afraid of being hurt in relationships, and I am ready to face the pain and risk that come with being true to myself. I can maintain the status quo and continue living with the fantasy of "if this happens, then I can also do that." But I know that this fantasy only amplifies my own shortcomings and makes me choose the current not-so-good state. I am ready to choose a better state.
We are strong people with inner strength when we have the courage to face our own dislikeability. We are confident in our ability to choose the life and lifestyle we want. If we believe we can be happy, then we really can be happy.
Our misfortune is not that we are incapable of being happy. We lack the courage to be happy. What do you think?
Face up to sensitivity. Treat yourself kindly with positive and encouraging words. Let go of the satisfaction of other people's expectations. Summon the courage to be disliked. Be firm in your own ideas about the people you spend time with and the way you live your life. Even dare to be alone. Gradually, we will be free from the distress of external evaluation. We will also benefit greatly from our sensitive gifts. We will become better versions of ourselves. Blessings!
P.S. Read these books: High sensitivity is a gift, The courage to be disliked, and What if you always criticize yourself and don't feel good enough?
Comments
I can relate to feeling anxious when I sense I've upset someone. It's tough because you start questioning yourself and imagining the worst, even though that might not be what they're thinking at all. Sometimes we're our own harshest critics.
It's easy to spiral into selfdoubt after a misstep in conversation. But it's important to remember that everyone makes mistakes, and people generally don't hold onto small things as much as we fear they do. Maybe next time, instead of guessing their thoughts, I could ask for clarification or express my concerns directly.
When I feel like I've caused someone discomfort, I often overthink it and assume the worst about how they perceive me. Yet, I realize that most people are too busy with their own lives to dwell on a single moment. Perhaps I should focus on communicating openly rather than letting my imagination run wild.
It's frustrating when you secondguess whether people truly appreciate you or if it's just social courtesy. But genuine connections come from being authentic, and sometimes recognition takes time. Just like Van Gogh, value isn't always immediate, but that doesn't mean it's not there.
Feeling uncertain about others' opinions can be really tough. I try to remind myself that not every compliment needs to be questioned and that my worth isn't defined by everyone's approval. It's about finding peace within myself and accepting that not everyone will see my value right away.