The Greatest Critic in Your Life is Yourself
Maybe you are worrying more than you should
“We are each our own greatest critic.” — Psychologist Ellen Hendriksen
You notice details that others cannot see. Do you remember the first time you had your first job interview? Have you ever beat yourself with thoughts such as “I should’ve done better” or “My interview went terrible” right after stepping out of the HR room?
Your feelings after doing something the first time are normal and valid. This is because we are clueless about these unfamiliar things yet set high expectations for ourselves at the same time.
Believe me or not, but the moment you are over-nitpicking your job interview performance, the HR staff probably does not care about it. They interviewed many other applicants the same day aside from you. Self-criticism helps you know where you are lacking, but do not give that critic more attention at the expense of your well-being.
The greatest critic isn’t the same as the harshest critic
No matter how we convince ourselves that we can do better next time, there will always be a time when we conclude that we suck at something. We criticize ourselves better than anyone because we know ourselves better.
Should we be our own greatest critics? It is a matter of preference. If you think being self-critical helps you in any way, then so be it. You can be your own greatest critic, not the harshest critic. Criticism doesn’t always have to be harsh.
Isn’t it more inspiring to learn from a sympathetic approach?
This blog is dedicated to a friend of mine and to everyone who feels they are not doing well enough. ♥
