Psychology Today | 22.04.2026 05:45
The thing that pains me the most about patients is the thing that pains me the most about myself. I hate how much failure means to us. Arguably, perfectionists fear failure more than anything else, even rejection, which is just an example of it. The questions “Am I good? Am I smart? Am I successful? Am I attractive?” can be combined and framed as “Did I win at life?” or, better, “Am I not a loser?” The hook of social media is based on the insight that many have a chronic need to compare their lives to those of others to reassure themselves they aren’t losers. Social media feeds off of their fears.
