10 Ways We Engage in Self-Sabotage and Self-Deception

Why do we self-sabotage?

Why do we self-Self-sabotage occurs when we passively allow dysfunction or disaster to accumulate around us without proactively seeking a way out. We might point to unfair obstacles to better performance, or we might blame others. Much better to say I failed the test because I didn’t study or the instructor was against me, rather than I failed the test because I did not understand the material. We self-sabotage to protect our self-esteem in our own eyes as well as in the eyes of others.

Many fail to recognize that our fortitude to do the hard work of racial and social justice depends heavily on our personal well-being. It’s hard to be a change-maker if our hidden thoughts are undermining our efforts.

Years ago, I had a series of disappointments, one after another. I overheard that a colleague had trashed me. I planned for a consultant job that fell through. I developed some physical symptoms that limited my mobility. You get the idea.

At first, I carried a low-level fog in my head. Then inexplicably, I started missing things. I missed the appointment with the doctor to try a new regime for my physical health. I stopped going to the health club regularly and dropped down to once every two weeks. I would scribble notes of things I…