Today people are more anxious and self-deprecating than ever, experiencing what doctors call an inferiority complex or low self-esteem syndrome. A lot of these feelings of inferiority stem from social media, as we try to compete with other people whose lives seem far superior than ours. When we see other people succeed professionally, celebrate a life event like getting married or having a baby, post pictures of themselves on vacation or with friends or a significant other, it can instantly take us to a place of self-doubt and make us feel "less-than."
What I've learned through the years is that no one has it all together. Everyone is struggling in some way and if people are successful, it's usually after a lot of rejection and trial and error. But people don't want to share their struggles on social media, they don't want to post a picture of themselves pre-makeup or when they're feeling depressed. People want to show off the good things, which is why social media is so misleading, and why it is one of the leading causes for depression in people today. Social media isn't the only culprit for feelings of inferiority, people can also experience this through a genetic disposition, or by the way they were brought up. If a child is constantly told they are "stupid," "ugly," or "different," these negative associations can impact the way they see themselves for the rest of their lives. When you grow up feeling inadequate and inferior, it can have long term affects on your professional life and relationships. Having an inferiority complex is more than experiencing typical feelings of defeat when you fail a test, lose a job, or go through a breakup. It takes the feelings of failure that come with these hardships and adds a barrage of negative thoughts that cause you to spiral deeper and deeper into feelings of self-doubt and worthlessness. Some people are able to experience these things and pick themselves up again after talking to a friend or loved one, but some aren't able to bounce back so quickly. Doctor's refer to an inferiority complex today as chronic low self-esteem. Some of the signs of chronic low self-esteem are: -repetitively focusing on thoughts that are upsetting
-Shutting down out of shame, guilt, embarrassment, or an inward sense of defeat
-Withdrawing from coworkers, colleagues, friends or family members
-Demeaning others as a way to transfer your negative feelings onto others
-Feeling responsible for other people’s shortcomings and failures
-Seeking attention and validation by pretending to be sick, depressed, or by continually bringing the conversation back to you -being extremely sensitive to compliments and criticism. -exhibiting personality traits, such as being a perfectionist and/or neurotic.
-Avoiding any type of competition where your efforts might be directly compared with others; People with very low self-esteem don’t take risks. They don’t try things and they end up missing out on many opportunities. This is why it is so important to have a friend, family member, or someone in your life who really knows you and has your best interest at heart 💕 Do you experience feelings of inferiority or low self-esteem? I know this is a hard subject and not an easy one to share, but if you don't want to share a story about how you struggle with this issue, feel free to share a time when a friend or family member helped lift you up when you were struggling.