Being Condescending to Others Will Destroy Your Self-Esteem

A young woman showing a condescending attitude.
Looking down on others can undermine your own self-esteem. (Image: Anetlanda via Dreamstime)

Do you ever think you’re better than other people? Do you tend to assume others are worse than you or to criticize those around you? It’s a huge blunder! Looking down on others might undermine your own self-esteem.

Let’s see how. Here we go!

Being condescending to others destroys your self-esteem in 5 ways

1. You do not concentrate on yourself

Looking down on other people implies that your attention is focused on other people in general. It takes time away from you that you might be spending on yourself. That may easily lead to someone losing touch with who they are.

Silhouette of a woman kissing her own reflection in a mirror.
Looking down on other people takes time away from you that you might be spending on yourself. (Image: Prazis via Dreamstime)

Solution:

Recognizing that you don’t know someone’s story is essential. You have no idea what they are going through, how they feel, or what they were thinking when they did anything strange or unique. You must replace such ideas with new ones by catching and stopping the judgments.

2. You compare yourself with others 

Other people’s standards are their own. When you look down on people, you’re comparing them, but that comparison implies you’re focused on how they behave. You may not realize it, but you are entwining their standards with your own. 

Most research shows that watching someone performing well or accomplishing something on social media can lower self-esteem and positive thinking, even if you are glad for that person.

Solution:

People are distinctive and one-of-a-kind. Most people in the world are not like you. That’s just a part of life, and it doesn’t mean they’re better, worse, or even comparable to you. Accept that fact.

Being different is excellent, and if everyone were the same, the world would be quite uninteresting.

3. Vocabulary for doubting yourself

According to life coach Hans Schumann: “The words we use when we talk about our goals are so important. Words like ‘I will try’ or ‘I hope’ already envisage failure and make it more likely that we will fail.” (BestLife) Instead, believe in yourself and convince yourself that you can, and you will, set yourself up for success.

Your self-esteem can be undermined by the words you choose.
Don’t let the words you choose undermine your self-esteem. (Image: Dimaberkut via Dreamstime)

Solution:

The words you choose to describe yourself can undermine your self-esteem. Furthermore, absolute words are frequently impractical. Remove absolute phrases from your lexicon and see how your self-doubt sentiments shift. 

4. You have a distorted view of others

If done appropriately, social comparison isn’t always a bad thing. Learning to take reasonable notice of what you enjoy or admire in others might motivate you to do better and change for the better.

Of course, looking down on others isn’t the right way to go about it. It indicates you only find fault in others and are unable to learn from what you detest about them.

Solution:

Instead of seeking reasons to mock others, look for reasons to be inspired by them. In other words, look for the good in others! Find something wonderful about them that you admire, and use it as an encouragement to propel yourself ahead. When you have this perspective, you will notice that your life becomes considerably brighter, which is a sign of great self-esteem.

5. You don’t believe in your definition

True self-confidence stems from the capacity to love and accept all aspects of oneself. When you tear people down, you forget that they, like you, have the characteristics that shape who they are. Unfortunately, this frequently implies that you don’t consider what makes you special.

Solution:

How you talk about and look at others is frequently a reflection of how you talk about and look at yourself. So if you’re always putting others down, it’s probable that you’re putting yourself down — and you deserve better than that.

Final say 

Your behavior with others often reflects your own personality and psychological condition. Beyond that, it’s simply harsh, unfair, and impolite to look down on others around you. Respecting others will eventually help you respect yourself.

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  • Ratul Saha

    Ratul Saha is a freelance writer based in India. He specializes in Culture and Lifestyle while aiming to inspire others through his word versatility.

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