Article

You Sound Stupid When You Say That!

Topic: Self-Esteem and Self ConfidenceBy Oliver JR CooperPublished Recently added

Legacy signals

Legacy popularity: 950 legacy views

Earlier on I was listening to a conversation where one person was having a go at someone else. These were not just two strangers, though; they were two people who knew each other.

One of them said something and the other person didn’t hear what was said, so they ended up saying “what?” a few times. But, instead is simply repeating what they had said, they ended up criticising them.

A Put Down

They said, “do you know how stupid you sound when you say that!?” in a condescending tone. Upon hearing this, the other person didn’t say anything back and just carried on as though nothing had happened.

It was then as if this person was used to being treated badly, which was why they didn’t push back. Taking all this into account, it was highly likely that this was an abusive relationship.

A Shaming Tactic

Shorty after this had taken place, it occurred to me that this was a way for this person to control their partner. They didn’t just want to make them feel bad for what they had done; they wanted them to feel as though they were bad.

The reason for this is that they didn’t say “do you know how stupid your voice sounds when you say that!?” no, they made it about them, with the intention of making this person feel as though there was something inherently wrong with them.

Two Sides

There is the chance that the person who said this feels completely worthless, but has disconnected from their shame. As a result, this stops them from being able to experience healthy shame and they end up projecting the parts of themselves that they don’t like onto others

When it comes to the person who tolerated what was said and didn’t stand up for themselves, there is the chance that they felt worthless before they even met this person. It is then not that these two people just happened to end up with each other; it was by design.

On The Surface

Even so, from the outside it can seem as though one person is a perpetrator and the other is a victim. Based on this, one person needs to be punished and the other needs to be rescued.

At a conscious level, the person who is being treated badly is unlikely to feel comfortable with what is taking place, but this can be what feels comfortable at a deeper level. The body - or the unconscious mind - is rarely given the attention it deserves in today’s world.

Final Thoughts

Due to this, it can be common for someone to end up being victimised by their own inner wounds. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter whether they are aware of these wounds or not, as they will still have a big affect on their life.

What this shows is how important it is for someone to become aware of what is going on in their body and to heal this pain. This can take place with the assistance of a therapist or a healer.

Article author

About the Author

Teacher, Prolific writer, author, and coach, Oliver JR Cooper, hails from England. His insightful commentary and analysis covers all aspects of human transformation, including love, partnership, self-love, and inner awareness. With over one thousand eight hundred in-depth articles highlighting human psychology and behaviour, Oliver offers hope along with his sound advice. To find out more go to - http://www.oliverjrcooper.co.uk/ Feel free to join the Facebook Group -
https://www.facebook.com/OliverJRCooper

Further reading

Further Reading

4 total

Article

Are you a perfectionist? Is the need for other people's approval a driving force in all that you do? Do you feel like nothing is ever good enough? While some aspects of being a perfectionist are healthy, feeling the obsessive need to be perfect with everything can negatively affect our self-esteem and livelihood. Altho

Related piece

Article

Do you find that you're always criticizing and putting yourself down? Do you only see the bad qualities in yourself, never the good? If you answered yes to these questions, then you, like most people, are prone to self-criticism. We can be very judgmental when it comes to our own faults and shortcomings. Constantly thi

Related piece

Article

Boundaries are the invisible lines that separate you from me. Boundaries are limits we set for ourselves to keep us emotionally, physically, and spiritually safe. Sad to say, but many people don't know anything about boundaries because it's not something learned in school and is rarely talked about in social circles. P

Related piece

Article

Do you pay attention to everything your mind tells you? Our minds can take us on a wild goose ride with all the "What ifs" and "I should haves." The mind is the main cause of the "Worrier" in us and is the culprit for our automatic tendency to "beat ourselves up" at the first sign of problems. Psychologists believe we

Related piece