We have an inner critic – that part of the mind that creates an idea of how we and the world should be. The critic is actually a mental process, rather than a discrete entity. This inner critic is never satisfied; no matter how we or the world are, it is never good enough.
The inner critic can be deeply influenced by our parents and educators. We internalize their critical voices and then add our own layers of self-critique onto them. Even a relatively benign psychological upbringing will not prevent his self-critical tendency, which seems to grow out of the ground on its own. This is particularly evident in early adolescence, when the critical mind easily finds fault with everyone and everything. You may have gone through this phase when you were a teenager or when you raised one.
The critic compares, praises, devalues, diminishes, invalidates, blames, approves, condemns, and attacks your appearance, job performance, the way you conduct relationships, your friends, your health, your diet, your hopes and dreams, your thoughts, and your spiritual development. Pick something, anything, as it is all interchangeable. Let’s face it: in the critic’s eyes, nothing you do is good enough. To many of us, it is so familiar that it seems almost hardwired into our hearts Most of us remain totally unaware of its continuous presence and its effect on our behaviors and overall happiness.
To free ourselves from the inner critic, we have to understand something of its origins, how we are impacted by it, and how we can successfully disengage form its negative influence.
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