I remember my old teammate, who always seemed to make makeup together, impeccable instagram feed. However, when someone complimented him, he would hit it and quickly change the theme. He had this way of commenting on his “shortcomings” that no one even noticed.
At first I thought he was just humble. But I spent more time around him, the simpler it was that under his shining outer, he wrestled his appearance.
In the focused culture of the images, it is surprisingly easy to hide how we really feel the way we look. Most of us have days when we realize about our chin or our nose. It’s natural.
But for some people, insecurity is deepening, and in the symalls under the surface. As a result of my own experience, both athletes and health coach, here are seven signs that someone can be more insecure about their appearance than they allow.
1. They pretend to be compliments
One teller sign is the way they respond to compliments, or, more accurately, how they fight to answer at all. If you notice “Oh, stop, then” you are just pleasant “to a person who brushes a consistently consistently.
Of course, many people are modestly playing compliments now and then. But when this happens every time it can point out an inaccessible feeling related to their appearance.
I have seen this behavior in customers who are actually thorough about their care or style. They can be like they have all together, but they don’t believe that they deserve recognition.
According to Dr. Endreya Huuman, I often refer to ideas about the neuroscience. The brain reward system can be distracted if we constantly reject a positive contribution. We mainly train to give compliments, which only strengthens our negative self-esteem over time.
2. They overestimate with “perfect” care
Woman skin care mode or enjoying a stylish outfit is nothing wrong. But when someone is secretly insecure, they can come out almost the way they wear armor.
Instead of using clothes or makeup form, they rely on them as shields to hide. The moment that exalts cracks. Maybe they leave the house without makeup or their outfit are not 100% in point. They feel a holiday.
In my 20s’s early 20’s, I had a stage where I refused to go anywhere without a full face of makeup. Friends thought I was just “high service”. In fact, I felt that if people saw me without my mascot and perfect eyeliner, they would see my real, flawless version.
It took me some time to realize that improvement was my way of masking insecurity. So if someone seems to be hyper-focused, never making fewer in perfect condition, they can wrestle with more deep self-esteem problems than they are willing to accept.
3: They use humor to distract attention
Another total tactic is joking at its account before anyone can. Perhaps you noticed that friend who kept joking “big nose” or “bad skin”, especially when a camera appeared.
It’s like they’re competing to hurt them before anyone else has a chance. This is often a defense mechanism. If they point out their perceived flaw in a comedy way, it feels less painful if others comment on it.
I used to train a young athlete who would have frozen his own lanky limbs, although he was incredibly talented and fitted. He laughed and stopped. “I’m just walking a coat hanger” and everyone would also laugh.
But it was sad when he admitted that he really believed that he did not measure his teammates that he watched as “wonderful proportion.” For him, humor was a way to feel under control. If he jokes, he was not butt.
4. They overestimate photos and social media messages
We all clicked on the “Delete” photo we hated, wasn’t you? But some people take it to extreme, spending hours for editing and reissue, or several times to find a shot, they can tolerate.
When they finally post something, they will ask for a thousand confirmations. “It simply came to our notice then. Is lighting right? And even after posting, they can go down if it does not receive a positive reaction immediately.
James is simple, author Atomic habitsoften emphasizes how small habits have a compound over time. Holding infinitely hours, analyzing the pictures may seem insignificant, but it often stems and worsens, underlying insecurity.
When each photo or social media post is a minor field of potential criticism, it can worry deeper that they are not just so good as they are. During my coaching days, I first saw how the insecurity of the body could bloom in Instagram’s hyperleavor, strengthening the need for external authentication.
5: They are silent when the look is the subject
Although some people are hiding behind humor or improvement, others are in the opposite way. They encounter when the conversation passes to the appearance. They will change the topic if someone starts talking about body’s goals or skin care modes.
Or they suddenly need to use the toilet room at the moment when the compliments are exchanged in the group. This silence can be a sign that the topic is concerned about awkward feelings they avoided.
One of my friends visibly worried when the conversations turned into fashion or weight loss tips. He would continue, checks his phone, or finds that the pretense is to come out to the room. He later acknowledged me that even though he appeared confidently, he always felt “less than” when the people around him began to compare the appearance.
His avoidance was a protective strategy. If he did not discuss the discussion, he would not have to face his insecurities.
6. They are constantly compared to others
It’s normal to look at someone and think, “Wow, I love their style” or “I wish I could take that hair.” But if someone forever measures others against others to celebrities, they can have a deep insecurity.
They can say such things. These comparisons can be served with a smile, but often behind that envy is true sadness.
When I was still competing, I spent a lot of time with people who were in peak physical condition. Instead of focusing on my own strengths, I will compare every muscle, every step.
This is why Brene Brown’s case is so strongly resonated on vulnerability. He speaks about how comparison can erase our self-esteem, convincing us that smart enough, strong enough, and we.
In order for someone to hide their insecurity, this continuous comparison may be a relentless mental struggle.
7. They check authentication in fine forms
While some people can say straight. “Looking good.” Others will do it more indirectly. They can post a photo online and worry about a certain friend to comment.
Or they will ask for stylish tips, saying such a thing. Delicate “Fishing for compliments” often indicates a deeper hungry of authentication.
In my own journey, I caught me small reviews that someone approved of my appearance. Maybe it was a long look or a quick compliment. I pretended I didn’t care, but deep, I depended on their every reaction.
In time, I realized that the permanent need for external assurance was exhaustive. It hurt me to learn self-government. If someone around someone seems to bloom only when they confirm their appearance can be hidden insecurity fuel necessary.
Conclusion
By sharing these signs, I don’t mean to encourage all of us, becoming a wheelchair psychologists, diagnosing every friend who complies. My hope is that with a little more awareness we will be better equipped to respond to one’s delicate signs of how they really feel about themselves.
Sometimes a little compassion is offered in the form of real hearing, in the form of heartfelt compliments or just to make the appearance, can go a long way.
If any of these items personally resonate with you, know that you are not alone. Incredibly usual to feel insecure in the world that is so important on the image. The good news is that self-love and deep personal work can change those beliefs over time.
Whether it’s magazines, therapy, thinking or about that you trust your own reflection to accept healthy ways can lighten that self-confidence is always moisture. After all, real trust is not pursuing perfection. It is about who you are, defects and everyone, is worth mentioning.