The inner critic has many faces and to the shoulder, we receive shaming comments that, like a cold shower, chill to the bones. Every word rings with cruel truth, but the critic does not choose his words. Where does he come from and what does he want? Why is he so cruel and why do his words resonate with such pain? Story one: “No room for error” Masha grew up as a loud and cheerful girl. Masha’s mother worked as a school director and, starting from the age of 4, Masha was trained to play the role of a “diligent student.” It was important for mom to be proud of her daughter. It was necessary to write smoothly and read fluently. If Masha succeeded in writing the letters, her mother was happy and boasted about Masha’s merits to other family members. If the letters “jumped,” my mother’s face turned to stone and became tense: “You don’t write beautifully, you don’t see it right? Look at the sample. It’s a shame.” Masha loved it when her mother’s eyes smiled and tried even harder. At school, Masha, like a daughter, told the directors: “I shouldn’t have lost face” in front of other teachers. Because: “How can I look them in the eye?” And Masha tried even harder so that her mother would not feel ashamed. Any rating below 4x was sorted out at the family council. Mom said that she was upset that her daughter could not be a lazy person - this is a shame, not worthy of the position of a school director. Years passed. Masha grew up very diligent and purposeful. She almost always brought the work she started to a perfect result, and was a favorite of teachers and managers. But every time, making a mistake in something, even insignificant, Masha burned from burning, withering guilt and self-hatred. And inside she said: “This is a shame... this is unworthy... How shameful.” The story is fictional, the images of the heroes are collective . Next I will publish a couple more stories about how the criticizing part can be formed. I think that in such examples the trends that influence our perception of ourselves are clearly visible. Next, I propose to independently analyze each story and try to notice these trends. Perhaps some will seem familiar.