Did you used to think you were really *Special

[Thesameasitwasnt]

When young?

I was talking about it with Dh and he also used to feel as a child that there was something special about him and that he could do or be anything in life.
It’s hard to explain what I mean 🙈did anyone else have this?
Was it our parents installing it in us, or just the magic of youth

Children shouldn’t be told they’re discuss, they should be told they can make themselves special.

No. Never had much self esteem.

I never thought I was special, an upbringing where I was led to believe everyone else was more important than me and my family would do that.

I never realised I was a bit odd though, not until I was in my late 30s. I'm quite happy to be odd! I don't quite understand why it took me so long.

Nope never. I have very high achieving academic brothers and I was the very average youngest and female. I couldn't keep up and was the family letdown.
I have since forgiven myself (in my 50s now) and know I might not be special ,but I am actually okay . And that's fine.

I think having self belief and self confidence is better than thinking you're special

My mum used to tell us we could do anything but I never really believed it. “What if I wanted to be an astronaut mum?” “You could!” “But I’m rubbish at science and get awfully travel sick and am not particularly fit” “But if you really really wanted to be an astronaut you could work hard and overcome those things.”
I can see her point but it didn’t really stick.
However I did used to think that there was a possibility that there was something about me that was different - like aliens might come to earth and declare that I and only I had the latent telepathic ability to go with them and save their planet. I mean that’s the plot of most children’s films isn’t it. The rather ordinary child turns out to be the Slayer, the reincarnation of King Arthur or whatever.

Always had self belief and confidence. Annoys me when people say “all women”
have body confidence issues. I don’t never have. And being scared to go back into the work place after sahm - did that just barged right back in.

Oh that’s tough. Comparison truly is the thief of joy.

I remember thinking I could do anything and be anything. It wasn’t that I was particularly confident, it was more that the world seemed there for the taking.

I wish someone had told me that NO ONE is special because of who they are, but but that you can DO special things.
I like this outlook .

I never felt special. I do sometimes feel confident and in control, but never special.

I am not special.

My parents instilled a sense of realism and lowish expectations, which means I'm still amazed at the amount of cool stuff that's happened in my life.

Yes! Despite being very introverted and shy, I fully believed there was something special about me until I went to secondary and realised I was pretty average. I also felt invincible, like nothing bad would ever happen to me or my family - I remember learning what to do if there was a fire at home and being very confident that it didn't apply to me as it was definitely not going to happen. Wish I could go back to that, now I am a massive catastrophiser 🤣

I am absolutely special. There is no one like me😁

No, in fact I thought the opposite. That I was not very good, talented, special important clever, going to achieve much. My Mum used to shower me with love and praise but I lacked confidence. Honestly I think it's because I didn't have opportunities to succeed and that my Mum had a difficult life and poor mental health. I would have loved to do gymnastics, swimming clubs etc but we were very poor. It took until I was an adult to realise that I was in fact smart and capable of things but I am still plagued by imposter syndrome at work and in my personal life. I was lucky I had teachers who pushed me towards University and a different life.

My ex used to go on about how his parents had told him how special he was, and he absolutely still believed that he was the most amazing, cleverest, talented person in the world and life should just be handed to him on a plate because of who he was. He took anything that went wrong as a personal affront to him, the world's biggest victim.

What he actually was, was an abusive arsehole who threw a tantrum every time he didn't get exactly what he wanted. I'm not saying that children shouldn't be told they're capable of amazing things, but there is another side to it too.

No but I was convinced I could fly down the stairs? Honestly can picture it and all sorts. I was probably described as strange as a child 😂

Yep and still do

@thequeenoftheandals I was exactly the same. When I was little I thought the world revolves around me and I was special/famous. The Truman show came out when I was in my teens and I still had a moment of 'is that my life'?
I think I was just very privileged, spoilt with love and attention and as a result had lots of self confidence 😂 I hope I can provide the same for my own kids.

Yes sort of. I guess I thought I’d achieve something really major, and find it quite difficult now just to think it hasn’t happened/ I haven’t made it happen.

Absolutely not!

No I was told often the world didn't revolve around me which is true but in some ways it also meant i had little ambition and never felt able to do anything. It's a balance between wanting to believe you can do anything but not being entitled.

Yes. Me and my friend applied for all sorts of tv shows because we were convinced our personalities would make us the next ant and dec😂 Now I am still in disbelief that I have to work a 9-5, really thought I'd be a star by now..

Same here. I had an academically brilliant older brother and found things much harder than he did. I now believe I had/have ADHD and missing a lot of primary schooling through illness and not being helped to catch up didn’t help either. But I think I have done as well as I could in the circumstances.

I realise you probably posted this ironically but it sort of encapsulates how I feel, with all its contradictions. I’ve always felt special and as if I could do or be anything. I still feel like that. But I don’t think I’m alone in that- I think we all have abilities and potential far beyond what we do in our day to day lives and we’re all a manifestation of the working out of the universe. I’m like a walking Desiderata 😭

Yes and I was told I was good at everything (including art). When I started secondary school I realised quickly that I am average at most things but really rubbish at art. This really hit my self esteem and I struggled for a long time with this realisation