“You just need to believe in yourself!” How many times have we been told this statement as a pep talk? Culture tells us this is a great attribute to possess—the ability to take matters into your own hands, to be the determiner of your own destiny and the captain of your own ship. You can do anything that you set your mind to. Believe and achieve! And pull yourself up by your own bootstraps. There are whole sections of the bookstore devoted to helping you think like this, to have self-confidence above all else, and to rely on yourself and yourself alone.
This kind of advice resonates with our human nature because at the end of the day we all love taking matters into our own hands. We’d rather trust in ourselves because it makes us feel “in control.” However, sadly, deep down in the true essence of who we are, in our soul and spirit, we know it’s a lie. No one has misled you more than you’ve misled yourself. No one has lied to you more than you’ve lied to yourself. No one has hurt, distracted, or hindered you more than you have. In fact, the more that you “believe in yourself,” the deeper the ditch that you find yourself in.
Shane Pruitt in the article DOES THE STATEMENT “BELIEVE IN YOURSELF” CAUSE MORE HARM THAN GOOD?
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