Fear of judgment from others is considered a social phobia which can have several origins. Explanations from Siyana Mincheva, psychologist.
At work, with friends or even on the street: situations where we can be judged by others are everywhere. If this is a problem for you, it’s probably linked to a fear of failure, as psychologist Siyana Mincheva confirms.
“Being afraid of the judgment of others hides the fact that we do not accept situations of failure. Because we can be judged in all situations, both on the street and in a professional context.” recalls the specialist. Several signs can reveal this fear, here are four.
A lack of self-confidence
If your self-confidence weakens every time someone passes judgment on you, it’s a sign that you’re afraid of it. “Sometimes, the slightest look you can give to a person makes them feel anxious.” explained Siyana Mincheva. “We must act to detach ourselves from this fear and confront it, because it is inhibiting and can lead to developing phobias later.” she warns.
Feeling alone or isolated, even if you have friends
It is possible to have friends but feel alone, due to this fear of judgment. “We move away from people who are our friends, in a somewhat paradoxical mechanism: we will reject them before they reject us” explains the psychologist. “This fear of judgment and rejection pushes us away“.
Seeking the approval of others
To avoid being rejected, the person who exhibits this fear of judgment will constantly seek validation from those close to them. “One of the causes of this fear of judgment often comes from emotional hurt.” believes the psychologist.”We could have been the victim of a toxic family, of teasing, of a lack of affection or of trauma during the encounter, which explains this.”.
Hiding parts of yourself from others
This clearly shows a fear of judgment. “In these people, we find an anxious nature. This is what blocks them and does not allow them to face this fear, they prefer to hide, in part, from the eyes of others” further details Siyana Mincheva.
Good in his body, good in his head!
How can I remedy this situation?
Siyana Mincheva advises learning to manage your anxiety, which will allow fears to gradually fade away. For that it is necessary “become aware that we live with several fears that go in the same direction, such as fear of judgment, fear of how others will look at us, fear of rejection, fear of abandonment…” she indicates. “Their origins often come from an emotional wound that must be identified“.
Once this first step has been taken, the expert advises asking yourself a simple question: do we know how to love ourselves? “This is essential, and if this is not the case we must learn to love yourself again“. To do this, she recommends a small, simple exercise to do in front of the mirror every day: look at yourself and tell yourself that you love yourself and accept yourself as you are. .”This builds self-confidence and self-acceptance. Finally, I remind you that we must only compare ourselves to ourselves and not to others.” she concludes.
