Your Inner Critic Needs to Shut Up

Shame is the voice that turns “I embarrassed myself” into “I’m embarrassing,” “they didn’t text me back” into “I’m unlovable,” and one slightly questionable social interaction into a seven-year recurring thought before bed. This week, we’re talking about shame: where it comes from, why it thrives in secrecy, the difference between shame and guilt, perfectionism as shame management, vulnerability hangovers, people-pleasing, body image, and the exhausting experience of constantly imagining yourself through everyone else’s eyes. I’m also sharing some of my own greatest hits in shame—including accidentally lying to my dentist about my entire life, my complicated relationship with calling myself an influencer, and the occasional decision to say fuck it and choose fun over being perceived perfectly. Because the goal isn’t to become completely shameless. It’s to stop letting shame decide who you’re allowed to be. And maybe the things you’ve spent your entire life trying to hide aren’t the things making you unlovable. Maybe they’re just the things making you human. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices