The most obvious characteristic of people with low self-esteem

The most obvious characteristics of people with low self-esteem are excessive self denial, habitual flattery of others, extreme sensitivity to criticism, avoidance of social comparison, and difficulty accepting praise. These behavioral patterns often stem from early growth experiences or long-term negative evaluations, which can significantly affect interpersonal relationships and career development.

1. Excessive Self Negation

Low self-esteem individuals often attribute their failures to personal ability deficiencies, and even when they achieve success, they consider it to be luck. This mindset can lead to self limiting behavior, such as giving up challenging tasks or underestimating one's own value. The typical manifestation is the frequent use of negative language such as' I am not good enough 'and' I am not worthy ', which can easily lead to abandonment anxiety in intimate relationships.

2. Habitual pleasing others

Obtaining recognition by excessively accommodating others is a common manifestation, including reluctantly agreeing to unreasonable demands, suppressing real needs, etc. This type of behavior is essentially compensating for the lack of self-worth through external recognition, which may lead to depression in the long run. In the workplace, it manifests as unhealthy compromises such as not daring to refuse overtime and taking excessive responsibility for colleagues.

3. Extremely sensitive to criticism

Even constructive opinions can trigger strong emotional reactions, and common defensive behaviors include over explanation, emotional breakdown, or attacking the accuser. Psychology refers to the personalized tendency in cognitive distortion, which interprets neutral events as a denial of oneself. Some individuals may develop a tendency towards perfectionism as a protective mechanism.

4. Avoid social comparisons

Deliberately avoiding social situations that may trigger comparisons, such as class reunions or performance announcements. In the era of social media, it manifests as frequent deletion of updates, excessive editing of images, and other behaviors. Deep psychology is the fear of verifying negative self evaluations in comparison, and this avoidance can exacerbate social isolation.

5. Difficulty accepting praise

When faced with praise, show obvious discomfort and often use self deprecation to shift the topic. This reaction arises from the conflict between self-awareness and external evaluation, and praise can actually activate the core belief that I am not worth it. Long term this may lead to a decrease in positive feedback from others, forming a negative cycle. Improving low self-esteem requires systematic psychological construction, including recording daily success diaries of small achievements, learning nonviolent communication skills, and practicing mindfulness meditation. It is recommended to start with small changes, such as recording three good things done every day, gradually rebuilding self-awareness. Pay attention to maintaining blood sugar stability in diet, avoid emotional fluctuations that exacerbate self doubt, and supplement foods rich in tryptophan such as bananas and oats in moderation to help stabilize emotions. When the self-regulation effect is limited, cognitive-behavioral therapy can effectively correct negative self schemas.