Parental Criticism

[Joanna1978]

Growing up, my mother criticised me nonstop… I am now 47, and have spent my life never feeling good enough and still don’t. However my father always praised me and gave me encouragement to do anything.
Why has my mother’s influence been the overriding factor in making me so lacking in confidence, despite being dead for almost two decades?

Because you form the pathways for your understanding of how the world works when you're a child. We're all much more sensitive to criticism than praise (management courses will tell you you need ten compliments to one gentle criticism) and when it happens at such a fundamental stage in your life it's very damaging to how you view yourself and your place in the world.

If it’s any consolation I’m in the exact same situation as you OP - hard to shake off isn’t it