We know very well who the Inner Critic is. This is someone we hear quite often. I should have seen it coming! I always mess up everything I do. Why can't I ever be on time? I'm a complete loser. Everyone experiences self-criticism to one degree or another. We painfully experience failures and our own imperfections. Wikipedia: “Self-criticism is a person’s reflective attitude towards himself, the ability to independently search for mistakes, evaluate his behavior and the results of thinking. The presence of self-criticism is considered a condition for a person’s mental health, but excessive self-criticism can be considered a sign of ill health.” Where does this line go when criticism becomes unnecessary? Where it begins not to help, but to harm, cause damage. If criticism lowers self-esteem, deprives one of strength, leads to depression and self-aggression, it is harmful. The Critic is supposed to protect us from rash actions. And sometimes this is true, he does not allow us to do obvious stupid things - jumping from a roof with an umbrella, for example - such an idea does not stand up to criticism and is dangerous. But sometimes the Critic takes too much power for himself, depriving us of freedom of expression, the right to make mistakes and simply take some action. The categories always and never, and similar ones, are actively used by the Critic against us. This is a weak point - after all, any generalization is wrong. Some consider criticism a necessary part and even a condition for development. But is it? Criticism in its natural form is negative feedback from the outside world, you put your finger in the door - you pinched it - you don’t do that again. But human criticism and self-criticism is a punishment, it is a stick, often not balanced by carrots and praise. But praise and encouragement work better even in training. The internal critic is a kind of collective image, a subpersonality, made up of our parents and authorities in moments of criticism. It is easier to withstand and resist criticism when there is self-acceptance and self-respect. These qualities originate in early experiences of unconditional motherly love, but you can learn this on your own. The figure of a critic is universal in many ways, but it also has individual traits. Observe your critic. Catch moments when your self-esteem drops and you feel worse. Listen to your inner criticism. What does the critic say? How valid are his accusations? Why does he think this is important? Observe all manifestations of the critic, study his character. Who does he look like, in whose voice does he speak, in what words? Answer the critic, argue with him. He criticizes - but what can he offer in each individual situation? What design options are possible? Offer. Formulate alternative courses of action in each criticized situation. Form the habit of finding a constructive solution instead of the habit of self-criticism and punishment. So, what to do? don’t allow yourself unnecessary generalizations, be accurate, don’t compare yourself with others, only with yourself in the past, object to the internal critic if he is wrong and unconstructive, learn to praise and encourage yourself. Good luck in your internal work!