People don’t always seem to like that I am a confident person.
Maybe because I’m young. Maybe because I’m a woman.
I really don’t know. But I have had many confirm this – one person told me I came across as someone who needed to be knocked down a peg.
Wanting people to like me, I’ve come up with some adaptations in my behavior.
I criticize myself and talk myself down ALL the time.
I talk about being insecure, sloppy, forgetful, clumsy, making mistakes, being disorganized, etc.
Most of it is true – I’m just more forthcoming than others in sharing the inner critiques we all have so no one thinks I’m “too cocky”.
As a result, people find the need to “help” me more.
Essentially, they think I am not able to figure things out on my own, so they give me lots of helpful suggestions that make me feel like they don’t think I’m competent in my work – or my person-hood. It’s frustrating to say the least.
I find myself caught between wanting to be liked and wanting to be seen as competent.
Can’t I have both?
Sassy Musings 