A healthy relationship boosts your confidence and makes you feel good. Unfortunately, belittling can seep into a relationship and do just the opposite: break your confidence, mar your self-esteem, and make you feel bad and low. Belittling can be used as a weapon by individuals consciously or unconsciously. Whatever the reasons for belittling, it can damage the wellbeing and self-image of the victim.
Katie Hood says that belittling happens when someone does and says things to make you feel bad about yourself. This includes name-calling, making rude remarks about you or people you are close with, negatively labelling, humiliating, or criticizing you. It is also belittling when someone makes fun of you in a way that makes you feel bad, even if it is played off as a joke. Over time, this can make you lose confidence in yourself or your abilities and can lead you to assume that you are incapable and inferior to them.[1]
Conversations in a relationship are meant to lift you up and not to embarrass you or to hurt you. Fun is a blessing in life but if someone enjoys shaming or degrading you then that is selfish and toxic. When you try to express your feelings that you are hurt by what they say then they might shut you down by accusing you of overreacting or of being oversensitive.[2] Such accusations can silence you and suffocate you from within. You might start assuming that you are an oversensitive and weak person. Belittling is an attempt to rob you of your dignity. Do not give in to their false narrative; uphold your dignity.
Belittling is like diabetes, if not treated, it kills you from the inside, gradually, by damaging your self-confidence, self-esteem, and self-image. Conflicts and misunderstandings are part of life but the practice of belittling someone should not be encouraged. Make your relationships places of support, emotional boost, and wellbeing.
John Baptist OFM Cap. | Pastoral Clinical Counselor | Pennsylvania, USA
[1] One Love, 10 Signs of an Unhealthy Relationship
[2] Katie Hood, The Difference Between Healthy and Unhealthy Love
An eye-opener article for nourishing relationships positively. The reality is that we are very quick to judge or belittle others knowingly or unknowingly. Its time to enter into oneself to see how do I make the other feel in relationship.
ReplyDeleteIf you are feeling Positive.you can do everything and feel healthy.
ReplyDeleteHi, so how can you overcome people who are belittling or isolating you? Thanks
ReplyDeleteYou can address it with the person peacefully yet assertively. Or disconnect with the person if needed.
DeleteMore important is that one realised his/her self worth so that he/she can stand for it.
If someone tries to belittle you, it is only because they r fully aware that u r better than them...
ReplyDeleteWell said.
DeleteI want to ask you. What is life ?
ReplyDeleteHi,
Delete"What is life?" is a very meaningful question. Everyone needs to discover for themselves what is life for them. No answer or definition of life is perfect.
For me,
Life is a journey to discover oneself.