Self-criticism among girls — whether in the form of fat talk, expecting the worst (I’m going to fail that test!) or good old fashioned “I’m so stupid” — has major implications for girls’ confidence & wellness.
Here’s what I’ve learned in writing this new book: If you make a persistent practice of putting yourself down, it will affect your comfort in asking for help when you need it. It will make it harder to pick yourself up after a setback. It will bring you that much closer to shame when you fail, confirming what you already told yourself. And it will make you foreclose on a risk before you even take it — because you’re so good at putting a ceiling on your own potential. Self-criticism isn’t casual, or harmless, or “modest.” We’ve got to stop modeling it for girls – and help them limit it in themselves. More on this soon.
