There are people who belittle themselves as if joking. “I’m stupid,” “I’ll never be able to do it,” “Classic — I messed everything up.” This is said with a smile or irony, as if that justified the use of such phrases.
The body does not understand jokes — it cannot comprehend the context of what is said. It perceives the signals created by the phrases you utter. The words you regularly repeat about yourself are perceived as facts, not jokes. Your mind does not care whether the phrase is said seriously or jokingly — it perceives it equally.
Self-deprecation is a destructive program — the more often you describe yourself negatively, the more stable your behavior pattern becomes. This affects your well-being and daily behavior. A person who repeats to themselves that they are clumsy and incompetent will eventually begin to act in a way that confirms this image.
It is important to emphasize that the other extreme is just as destructive, namely self-praise and “positive thinking.” Self-criticism can be useful, but it should be directed at actions, not identity. “I made a mistake” is a fact, but “I am an idiot” is a destructive program.
About jokes. A joke repeated dozens of times becomes your background. The background becomes the norm. The norm becomes a self-evident truth. As a result, people lack self-confidence or the desire to take the initiative — a program that has been developed by people themselves over many years.
If you want to be self-critical, do so without categorizing. Analyze your actions, not yourself as a person. Words have powerful “energy.” They are signals that the body perceives in order to form an image of reality. A reality that you yourself create!