Admit it, we hate ourselves

I have a confession to make: I hate myself. This sentiment isn’t rare among the people that belong to Gen Z. Since childhood, we have been compared to our siblings, cousins, and neighbors in terms of intellect and achievement. Consequently, these comparisons are what planted the seeds of self-hate. Furthermore, as we deviate from the conventional forms of success our self-hate grows. The idea of not living up to the standards that society has set for us makes us compliant to hate ourselves. We as individuals care too much about what people think which just adds to the self-hate as we can’t make everyone happy. Moreover, we hate ourselves for not living up to our own expectations and fulfilling the dreams we had since childhood. The mixture of not living to society’s standards and a list of unfulfilled dreams is what leads to self-hate.

Why is it harmful?

We all can agree that hate is not a good thing: whether you hate someone else or yourself. Self-hate can lead the individual to indulge in certain behaviors as a way to deal with the feeling. One may start using social media excessively as a way to numb the feeling of self-hate. Furthermore, in extreme cases, the individual may start doing drugs or eat excessively as a way to escape from this feeling. The prolonged use of drugs and food to escape the grasps of self-hate can lead to addiction and eating disorders. Furthermore, one may also start to do self-harm as a way to punish themselves. Consequently, the effects of such actions restrict the person from living a normal life.

How can one combat self-hate

There are many ways of combating self-hate. The first step an individual can take is to forgive themselves for the past failures. Failing is a part of life and happens for various reasons. Therefore, blaming yourself entirely for something you have no control over is criminally wrong. The second and final step, the individual can take is to understand that happiness doesn’t exist in meeting societal standards. Success is subjective and to restrict it to what society sees as acceptable is wrong. However, it’s easier said than done. Moreover, individuals can go to the therapist to aid them in the process of recovery.