Each of us has an inner critic. There is no way to grow up in our society without having developed this inner critical voice which comes from parents, teachers, peers, the media, and from our own conclusions.
The problem is that this inner critic sounds like a voice of authority when in reality it doesnt know what it is talking about. It is a voice based on beliefs that have been handed down through generations but that have no basis in fact.
How often has this voice said to you:
You cant do it. You are inadequate.
You are stupid and ugly.
If he (or she) rejects you, it is because you are not okay.
You had better do it right. If you dont, everyone will know that you are a fraud.
It is NOT okay to make a mistake.
and so on.
This inner critic speaks with such authority that it is tempting to believe what it says. Yet is knows only lies. It knows nothing of who you really are.
When this voice is criticizing you, it is criticizing the you that it thinks you are your ego wounded self. The critic, having come into being to help you survive and protect you from rejection, long ago decided that who you really are is...