Some of us are continually haunted by a sense that we are losers.
Acquaintances may speak well of us.
Colleagues may praise us, but there is an inner critic inside who has a very different verdict: you are a piece of nonsense, you are laughable, you are repulsive.
This critic is extremely assiduous and determined, they are a world champion of sorts.
They'll get into an argument with our best friend to insist that no, despite what they think, we really are awful; they'll disregard the evidence of a promotion or surprise birthday party and keep returning to the same theme: you are repulsive.
Why does this inner critic exist?
Why are they so remorseless?
If they are inaccurate, why do they go on as they do?
To find an explanation, we have to go back in time.
Let's posit the following scenario.
