We all have an active inner critic. It’s a force of human nature that I can, in whimsical moments, visualize as the leader of an outlaw trio that includes the gun-slinging desperado, Yosemite Sam, and his fellow Looney Tunes cartoon character, the ferocious, dim-witted Tasmanian … [Read more...] about Four Steps to Stifle Our Inner Critic
Inner Critic
The Human Weakness behind Alcoholism
Many alcoholics and addictive personalities resist the idea that their plight is in any way due to character weakness. Any such allegation, they feel, categorizes them as substandard people who are to blame for their troubles. Weakness of character or “moral weakness” is not what … [Read more...] about The Human Weakness behind Alcoholism
Exterminate Infestations of Negative Thoughts
Negative thoughts are like termites that chew up and spit out our happiness. Many of us are frequently overwhelmed by such worrisome, anxious, fearful, and hateful thoughts. These thoughts gnaw at the fabric of our life, yet we’re often oblivious to basic knowledge that can … [Read more...] about Exterminate Infestations of Negative Thoughts
The Futile Dialogue in Our Head
Our mind is often the stage for the acting out of a recurring dialogue between two conflicting parts of our psyche. In people with mental disorders, one of these voices—inner aggression—can take over or “possess” the consciousness of these individuals and command them to commit … [Read more...] about The Futile Dialogue in Our Head
The Tyrant that Rules Our Inner Life
Much suffering is produced through our relationship with our inner critic. This part of our psyche is also called the superego or self-aggression. It’s an authoritarian aspect or agency in our psyche that holds us accountable for any real or imagined shortcomings or failures. The … [Read more...] about The Tyrant that Rules Our Inner Life