We think hiding our flaws and insecurities will make us look more confident. We think by hiding them, the people around us will never see them. Little do we know, the more we try to hide them, the more evident they become to others.
People with low-self esteem believe that there is something wrong with them and believe that they are less worthy than then the people around them. People with low self-worth always try to hide or stay in the shadows so that no one notices their imagined flaws.
The habit of constantly pointing out people's faults is most likely a reflection of what you've struggle with in childhood. It is a manifestation of an insecurity about the very things that you judge other people for most often.
Faultfinding is “the act of pointing out faults, especially faults of a petty nature.” Or in other words – continual criticism, typically concerning trivial things.
Overview. Body dysmorphic disorder is a mental health condition in which you can't stop thinking about one or more perceived defects or flaws in your appearance — a flaw that appears minor or can't be seen by others. But you may feel so embarrassed, ashamed and anxious that you may avoid many social situations.
Atelophobia is an obsessive fear of imperfection. Someone with this condition is terrified of making mistakes. They tend to avoid any situation where they feel they won't succeed. Atelophobia can lead to anxiety, depression and low self-esteem.
Most narcissists generally lack self-awareness. Indeed, their sense of self-esteem and self-worth depends on how others perceive them, and they tend to deny flaws in themselves and blame others for their own shortcomings, mistakes, and misfortunes.
Some common synonyms of faultfinding are captious, carping, censorious, critical, and hypercritical. While all these words mean "inclined to look for and point out faults and defects," faultfinding implies a querulous or exacting temperament.
One of the best ways to recognize your own flaws is to consult with the people you interact with most. This can be done formally — such as through a questionnaire — or casually in a conversation. Ask them to offer their constructive criticism of what you're doing wrong. This can be humbling.
The Attractiveness of Imperfection
Beyond acceptance, some people are actually drawn to others who are less than perfect. There is an element of relatability that we feel toward others who, like us, leave something to be desired in one or more categories. Physical or financial, graceful or gracious—no one is perfect.
Embracing your flaws will allow you to have the right perspective, both on the world and on yourself. Your flaws will never define you, no matter how bad you think they are, but you will lose the essence of who you are if you keep trying to get rid of them.
The desire to fit in or be socially accepted by one's peers can also play a role in why individuals may feel the need to hide their true self from others. Often, people may have formed a false version of themselves to conform to societal norms or others' expectations.
Know that hiding is a learned behavior that kept you safe when you were little. Your body and mind did what it was programmed to do for emotional survival. Know that hiding is not your fault, even though our shame tells us it is. Know that as adults we can handle rejection better and come out of hiding.
Admitting we are wrong is difficult because we attach our sense of self to an idea, cause, or group. When we feel that idea about the self, our identity, is threatened, our evolutionarily-linked fight, flight, or freeze survival mechanism becomes activated.
According to psychologist, speaker and author Guy Winch, most people who consistently refuse to admit they're wrong do so because they have incredibly fragile egos. They clam up and insist they're right, demonstrating what experts term "psychological rigidity", as a defense mechanism.
They're often introverted, sensitive, and prone to experiencing anxiety and shame. They may also struggle to maintain close friendships as they focus heavily on themselves, require attention, and are hyper-sensitive to perceived criticism.
A monumental weakness in the narcissist is the failure to look internally and flesh out what needs to be worked on. Then, of course, the next step is to spend time improving. The narcissist sabotages any possibility of looking deep within.
Narcissists are hurt by challenges or threats to their superior and grandiose self-image (also known as narcissistic injury). Their sense of entitlement and lack of empathy means they will attempt to destroy the culprit by any means necessary.
Repetitive fear about saying the wrong thing can be an OCD-related fear, involving concerns about saying something that is inappropriate, embarrassing, or hurtful. This OCD-related fear is often part of the larger subtype of Harm OCD.
Rumination is a type of compulsion. Even if you're not aware of it, thinking persistently about the past may be something you do to find relief from things that are out of your control.
Individuals with body dysmorphic disorder are compulsively drawn to the mirror, checking the mirror to ease their fears about how they think they look or continuously checking to see if their perceived deformity is still there or has become worse.