We admire ourselves a lot but do not want to indulge in self-obsession. So, how to overcome the unhealthy effects of Self-Obsession? Let’s find out.
Our society obsesses over many things that do nothing but bring harm to our mental and physical health. Not to mention, the number of resources such as money, food, and shelter all contribute to this unhealthy madness.
A few days ago, a similar incident shook me when I saw something which made me concerned about children of our age. It was a boy of nearly 10 years old. Now, he did not engage in alcoholism or drugs, but he did portray a complete picture of how bad things have been this whole time.
The boy was trapped in the unhealthy effects of self-obsession that made him completely lose touch with reality. He did not even care for his education. Moreover, I had always found him admiring himself in the mirror.
Actually, he was a good person with some amazing and unique hobbies and interests. Occasionally, I used to see his pictures on social media but never realized that things were so bad and unhealthy with him.
Therefore, I advised him with some of the pretty good ways to deal with self-obsession and how they could make his life better.
Self- obsession is the ultimate vice for people, especially in childhood. It instills the belief in the person that he is too good for anyone to handle and doesn’t care about the other things that are important and deserve more attention than him.
So, “How to overcome the unhealthy effects of self-obsession?”
Let’s find out.
What are the sources of unhealthy effects of self-obsession?
Yes, the sources or the root of all causes.
Self-obsession is not a new term for people. We know how a person acts and reacts when he is a victim of self-obsession. Besides, the more people we meet, the better we understand how unhealthy it can be to be in such perils.
However, the problem is that most people are unaware that they are self-obsessed. They believe that they are just admitting their good qualities as a normal person does. Sadly, it is where they are wrong.
A normal person limits the self-centered talk to prevent unnecessary attention. But, a highly self-obsessed person is more likely to alleviate it to the point of establishing his false superiority complex.
So, “What are the sources of unhealthy effects of self-obsession?”
Well, here are 3 root causes of the unhealthy effects of self-obsession.
1. The loop of self-absorption:
That’s right. Self-absorption.
At first glance, it might not seem too much of a big deal and would not affect us (theoretically), but when a person is too self-absorbed to consider anything beyond him, it leads to narcissistic behaviors that are often the reasons for one’s downfall.
Moreover, he also believes that nothing exists outside the image of self and gives it paramount importance. Hence, it is one of the sources of unhealthy effects of self-obsession.
2. Effects of maladaptive perfectionism:
Maladaptive perfectionism?
“What does this have to do with the sources of unhealthy effects of self-obsession?”
Well, to be honest, maladaptive perfectionism instills a lot of pressure to look good, do good, feel good, and think good. The person tries to become goody two shoes and fails to accept his fears and insecurities.
However, things do not end here as his hunger is too much to satisfy him and his unlimited appetite to be a perfect version of himself, thereby making him self-obsessed. Hence, the effects of maladaptive perfectionism are harmful to a person’s self-image.
3. The over-confidence and superiority complex:
I think these are the byproducts of the growing age.
The present generation has made it difficult for us to digest being average. Everyone desires to achieve great things that require less hard work and sacrifice. However, it has its own consequences.
First, people are too busy focusing on self-development while they are actually walking towards the path of self-obsession. Second, they become too over-confident and have a superiority complex.
Hence, it is also one of the causes of the unhealthy effects of self-obsession.
So, we have discussed the three reasons above and how they affect our self-perception.
Now, it is time to find out how to overcome the unhealthy effects of self-obsession.
Let’s find out.
How to overcome the unhealthy effects of self-obsession?
Until now, we have discussed the sources of the unhealthy effects of self-obsession. However, these sources are far more detrimental to our health and do not help in making things easier for us to understand.
We might engage in unhealthy self-obsession, but we will not know until we face it head-on. Therefore, to tackle it effectively and confidently, we need some solutions that could make us more grounded and practical.
So, here are 5 simple and effective ways to deal with the unhealthy effects of self-obsession.
1. Stop ignoring your faults and imperfections:
It is one of the most important ways to overcome the unhealthy effects of self-obsession.
Generally, people with high self-obsession are likely to ignore their weaknesses, faults, and imperfections to a point where even others become aware of their facade.
When a person is too afraid to confront himself and his dwindling self-image, (especially a self-obsessed person), he tries to tackle it by noticing only the good things about him. It leads to a false identity that doesn’t help him in the later stages of life.
Hence, you should stop ignoring your faults and imperfections.
2. Get over your superiority complex:
Exactly. Superiority complex.
It is bad to assume that no one exists in front of your high self-esteem and worth. Not only it is unhealthy for people around you, but it also triggers unnecessary troubles with your true personality.
Most of the time, self-obsessed persons are likely to come off as imposters who just want to look and act cool to impress others. Especially, the superiority complex does no justice to who you are as an individual.
3. Become more self-aware, not self-obsessed:
If self-obsession is the unhealthy addiction to self, then a proper understanding of self might curb the problem to a great deal. I am talking about self-awareness that is necessary to deal with self-obsession.
But, “How?”
Well, it is good to understand the depths of the self. You know your strengths and weaknesses and how they affect your everyday life. Moreover, it is also good for balancing the unhealthy egotistical attitude that most self-obsessed people have.
Hence, by becoming more self-aware we can overcome the unhealthy effects of self-obsession.
4. Try to be more charitable and helpful to others:
No matter how bad self-obsession is, we can overcome it by being more charitable and giving towards others. Self-obsession makes us too recluse and lonely to even benefit others with our actions.
The best way to deal with it is by being more altruistic and kind towards people who are neglected by society, serving them, and being empathetic with their problems.
Hence, we should try to be more charitable and helpful to others.
5. Lastly, stop being so insecure:
Insecurities are the root of all causes.
Many people suffer from a variety of insecurities. They fear many things that might make them lonely and misunderstood. Often, it is the fear of abandonment and failure that leads to such perils.
Moreover, self-obsessed people also have a deep sense of fear and insecurity. To impress others with their achievements, they may try to act calm and composed but fear that if someone knows the truth, they will be caught.
Hence, it is important to stop being so insecure and fear the worst all the time. Accept who you are and be authentic and genuine to people.
Final Words:
To sum up, the unhealthy effects of self-obsession are very harmful to people. The reasons for self-obsession are still unknown to most people. Moreover, it is not easy to tackle it as it is highly enticing and tempting.
However, we can overcome the unhealthy effects of self-obsession with the five effective ways given above and make it easier for us to be highly self-aware.